We’ve shown pencils, we’ve shown colored pages, and now it’s time: Tony Daniel on BATMAN is upon us.

Following up on his bestselling BATTLE FOR THE COWL mini-series, Tony Daniel steps into the role of artist and writer for the ongoing BATMAN series, as the new Dark Knight pounds the pavement in search of Black Mask, Penguin — all under the shadow of a new, deadlier Arkham Asylum rising from the rubble. Guest-starring Huntress and Catwoman and featuring the return of Gotham’s nastiest crime family, BATMAN #692 is not to be missed. Be there on 10/28.

Happy Friday, Source crew. Are these Frazer Irving covers cool or what? Well, there are two more to show, and we’ve got one right here. Enjoy the cover to December’s ARKHAM REBORN #3, from writer David Hine, artist Jeremy Haun and the aforementioned Irving, as they team up to tell the tale of Jeremiah Arkham’s mad quest to rebuild the asylum that bears his name.

Well, you heard the RED ROBIN news, so why not check out some pages hitting stores next week?

Writer Chris Yost and artist Ramon Bachs continue “The Grail” with part 3, as Red Robin continues his quest to find Bruce Wayne. But to get the answers he seeks, Red Robin has to go through the Global Guardian known as the Wild Huntsman. Making things a tad trickier, he’s got an unexpected sidekick — Ra’s Al Ghul. And if that’s not enough, the issue also reveals Tim Drake’s actions immediately after BATTLE FOR THE COWL.

RED ROBIN #3 hits 8/12.

The Battle for the Cowl is over – what’s next?

That’s the big question that will be answered in a few short minutes during the San Diego Comic Con “Batman: New Dynamic” panel, as Batman Group Editor Michael Marts rounds up a band of creators, including writers Paul Dini, Greg Rucka and artist Dustin Nguyen, to discuss what the future holds for the new Caped Crusader.

And since we’re a little early for the panel ourselves, what questions do you, Source readers, have about the Bat-verse? What’s gotten your attention? What titles have you added to your pull list?

And if you’re not out here in San Diego, fret not. We’ve got some Bat-art for you to check out. The Source: We bring the con to you.

We promised you more Bat-news on Monday, so here we go. And, yes, it does have something to do with the lovely Frazer Irving cover you see above.

ARKHAM REBORN #1 (of 3), written by David Hine with interior art by Jeremy Haun, picks up after the events of BATTLE FOR THE COWL. After the Black Mask’s destruction of Arkham Asylum, Dr. Jeremiah Arkham has rebuilt the Asylum following the design of his mad uncle Amadeus. Intended as a model for enlightened treatment of mental illness, the building soon mutates into a torture house, and the inmates find themselves trapped in a living hell. And when Jeremiah starts hearing a voice from beyond the grave, it becomes painfully clear that you can’t really get rid of the crazy when it comes to Arkham Asylum.

This new mini, which reunites the creative team behind BATTLE FOR THE COWL: ARKHAM ASYLUM, hits 10/28.

It’s become something of a tradition here at The Source to start the week with some news, and we’ve got a nice bit here, with more to come later this week.

You all saw the preview pages from Judd Winick and Mark Bagley’s first BATMAN issue, right? To say it’s essential reading is an understatement. Heck, for us to say anything at all might be pushing it. So, we gave Judd a quick ring and asked him for the 101 on why this arc is so integral to the new Dark Knight. Judd?:

“This is Dick Grayson’s first chapter as Batman. Despite all his training, despite growing up at Bruce Wayne’s side, it’s a hard transition. He’s going to make mistakes, and he’s going to pay for them. But it all begins here.”

And the fun doesn’t stop there. Starting in October, after the conclusion of his “Long Shadow” arc, Judd Winick and Mark Bagley will pass the BATMAN baton to writer/artist Tony Daniel, who’ll be pulling double-duty on the title for six issues. You may recall Daniel did a pretty bang-up job on a little thing called BATTLE FOR THE COWL, which set the stage for all the Batman excitement going on now. Because we’re all about consistency here at The Source, we got Tony chatting about his plans for a certain Caped Crusader:

“It’s a very exciting time right now. I’ve done my research, I’ve chosen my players, and I’ve outlined six months worth of story and I’m in the scripting phase of my first issue. We’ll be seeing the return of  some once-familiar faces,  faces, I can say, who are not so friendly to Gotham. I’ll be introducing a new character to the city of Gotham. There are also a few surprises in store that I hope will get people excited. “

June is a pretty Bat-centric month, so why not tailor one of these handy link-blog posts to the Dark Knight?

• In addition to picking up The Source’s very own GOTHAM CITY SIRENS and STREETS OF GOTHAM previews, IGN also debuted paged from the first issue of Chris Yost and Ramon Bach’s RED ROBIN and Judd Winick and Ed Benes’ BATTLE FOR THE COWL epilogue in BATMAN #687. That’ll eat up a chunk of time today, huh?

• And, in case you missed it, Chip Kidd announced plans for an upcoming Batman project. We’ll have more details on the project as we get closer to launch.

Here’s hoping everyone had a relaxing weekend. In case you weren’t chained in front of your computer, here are a few of the things you may have missed while enjoying two days or rest.

• AIN’T IT COOL NEWS unveiled an exclusive first look at BATMAN AND ROBIN #1, by Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely. Keep your eyes peeled for a few more sneak peeks at the first issue in the coming days.

• Pete Tomasi talks to NEWSARAMA about the road to BLACKEST NIGHT. The site also talks to writer Keith Giffen about the newly-announced MAGOG series, and to the supremely talented J.H. Williams about Batwoman’s upcoming stint in DETECTIVE COMICS.

• COMIC BOOK RESOURCES’ Jeff Renaud chats up artist Mark Bagley to discuss the conclusion of TRINITY, while the folks io9 explain why TRINITY is a ‘metaphysical epic done right.

• Remember that time back in March, where BATMAN Group Editor Michael Marts talked to IGN about his very neat photo board, featuring key characters heading into BATTLE FOR THE COWL? Well, now that the major event is over, the board has changed, which means Marts once again drops hints as to where your favorite characters are going, in a chat with IGN’s Dan Phillips.

• And last, but certainly not least, THE NEW YORK TIMES unveiled their Graphic Novel Bestseller list for the week of May 23. Of note: SUPERMAN: NEW KRYPTON, BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE, BATMAN R.I.P., JOKER and BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS all made the list.

This gloomy weather has us here at The Source feeling a tad under the weather, so apologies for using the “blogging will be light” cliché today. But, we do have a slew of places for you to visit as you wait for a full recovery.

• Geoff Johns spoke to Andrew Smith, from the SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE about FLASH: REBIRTH:

Why do it? Why bring back Barry Allen, after a heroic death and successful replacement?

Johns: I think that’s what the series is all about. The answers are all in there. But whenever I get on these characters, my goal has always been to kind of rebuild their world, their mythology, like with Green Lantern and JSA.

Barry Allen is, like Hal Jordan (in “Green Lantern”), sort of a centerpiece to the Flash. With Barry Allen, there’s something clear I want to do and I want him to do it. For me, he’s the character that’s going to facilitate the stories I want to tell.

Johns also spoke to IGN’s Dan Phillips about a wide array of topics, including BLACKEST NIGHT, FLASH: REBIRTH and the return of Superboy in the pages of ADVENTURE COMICS.

• IGN also has a few preview pages from the BATTLE FOR THE COWL coda, GOTHAM GAZETTE: BATMAN ALIVE #1.

• Speaking of the Red Circle characters, COMIC BOOK RESOURCES’ Jeff Renaud spoke to writer J. Michael Straczynski about the four one-shots and his upcoming stint on THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD.

• Had a chance to check out pages from THE LAST DAYS OF ANIMAL MAN #1? Well, MYSPACE COMIC BOOKS has a lengthy preview.

Well, here’s hoping everyone had a reasonably relaxing Memorial Day weekend. Here at The Source, we’ve gathered a few links you might have missed while you were out grilling or enjoying the balmy weather (or not, depending where you’re located):

• BATMAN & ROBIN writer Grant Morrison gave a lengthy interview over at IGN, discussing the post-BATTLE FOR THE COWL status quo and his plans for Gotham’s villainous population:

IGN Comics: So the wait is over and now fans know the identities of the new Batman and Robin – Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne. Before we get into specifics though, I’d like to talk about the big picture. You’ve made no secret of the fact that this is all part of a greater, long ranging story that you’re telling. How does Batman and Robin fit alongside your recent Batman work?

Morrison: It’s pretty simple. It comes in straight chronological order after the recent stuff. This is the sequel to Batman RIP, which is why the first arc is called ‘Batman Reborn.’ It builds directly off of it, and there are threads we pick up from before. As I’ve said before, the main villain in the first arc has already been seen in Batman #666, which had the potential future for Gotham City in it. So it’s a straight continuation and the next part in the long running story from ‘Batman and Son’ onwards. We’ll be picking up threads from that first book as well.

• Speaking of IGN, the site also previewed GREEN LANTERN #41, which continues the build-up to July’s BLACKEST NIGHT mega-event. They’ve also got artist J.G. Jones’ stellar variant cover for BATMAN & ROBIN #1.

• Has it really been a year? NEWSARAMA has a preview of TRINITY #52, the final issue of the series, while COMIC BOOK RESOURCES ROBOT 6 blog annotates the 51st issue of the weekly series.