Well, a ton, dear Source reader. Too much to capably sum up in one blog post. It’s also way too early to give too much away. But, we can showcase some of the lovely artwork gracing the covers of the Bat-titles hitting in February, featuring the talents of Frank Quitely, Dustin Nguyen, Phil Noto and many more. So, take another bite of your lunch and look ‘em over.

We’re gonna go light on the commentary here, mainly because this stuff can A) speak for itself and B) is amazing. From the desk of writer Brian Azzarello, with amazing art from Rags Morales, prepare to enter the world of FIRST WAVE…

But that’s not all, folks. We’ve got a ton more sketches and info from Azz and Rags, so check back to learn more about Doc Savage and the other characters — some familiar, some not — populating the world of FIRST WAVE.

It’s been a long week, Source gang, so we’ll try to keep this simple. The DCU titles make a regular habit of having some cool and different variant covers, so why not show off a few here from time to time. Makes sense, no? Here goes.

DETECTIVE COMICS #859 variant by JOCK.

And a lovely variant by SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN artist Gary Frank, for the third issue of the series.

Want more? Sure, we all do. How about the variant cover to WORLD’S FINEST #2? That’s doable. All you need to do is sign up for DC MOBILE NATION by texting ‘DC NATION’ to 62407. And, voila, pictures.

It’s here. We’ve talked and teased and talked some more about not only the special, but the upcoming THE FIRST WAVE around these parts pretty often, but nothing beats real pages to look at. So, here we go. A first look at the BATMAN/DOC SAVAGE SPECIAL, from writer Brian Azzarello and artist Phil Noto:

Thanks for staying up late with The Source tonight, gang. We’ve got a bunch of interesting news spinning out of the Baltimore Retailer Summit, so sit back and enjoy.

Did you think the BATMAN/DOC SAVAGE SPECIAL was all we had in the works for the good Doctor and company? Of course not. In fact, we’ve got a ton of stuff to roll out.

First up (you’ll get the joke in a second), we have THE FIRST WAVE mini-series, which hits early next year from writer Brian Azzarello and artist Rags Morales, with variant covers from superstar artist J.G. Jones. The series sets the stage for the new world that houses not only Doc Savage, but the Spirit, Batman, Black Canary, the Avenger and a host of other heroes with a gritty, modern noir backdrop that Azzarello does best.

We’ve got some lovely Morales art here for you, too. In case you’re not convinced. But that’s not all.

Later on in 2010, we’ll have two, new ongoing series – DOC SAVAGE and THE SPIRIT, tied directly to the new status quo created in the BATMAN/DOC SAVAGE special and FIRST WAVE mini-series. But why let all the cats out of the bag at once?

So, sit back, enjoy the art and stay tuned here to The Source for more details.

It’s the middle of the week, and you can almost taste the weekend, huh? So, what better way to expedite things than a lovely piece of Phil Noto artwork?

Here’s the cover to January’s BATGIRL #6, which from what I can tell, will feature a certain Dynamic Duo crossing paths with the new Batgirl. Doesn’t look like it’ll be a pleasant exchange either.

The cover to BATGIRL #5, by Mr. Phil Noto.

Check. And, discuss.

We decided Brian Azzarello put it best, so why try and spruce things up with a cheeky headline?

Yesterday, we caught a look at J.G. Jones’ amazing cover to the BATMAN/DOC SAVAGE SPECIAL, which kicks off a new era for the Doc, and and provides the springboard for more stories focusing on characters like The Blackhawks, Rima and more. Oh, and Batman.

And, as we promised yesterday, we’ve got comments from Azzarello, who’s masterminding the whole shebang. Take it away, Brian:

“Cities are urban jungles– and there’s also unchartered mysterious countries with their own jungles as well. It’s world where you’re guilty before being proven innocent– something that rarely happens. Little people make big mistakes and suffer the consequences. Life is cheap, and everyone has their price. Where part of the thrill of being rich, is watching the poor suffer. Y’know, my kind of place.”

But that’s not all. Both Azzarello and cover artist J.G. Jones will be at the Chicaco Comic-Con this weekend, talking up the special with Senior Story Editor Ian Sattler. If you’re in the area, be sure to swing by and say hello.

And, because it’s Friday and we want to send you off with a smile on your respective faces, here’s artist Rags Morales’ variant cover for the BATMAN/DOC SAVAGE SPECIAL, which hits in November.

Did you think we’d have only one bit of news on Thursday? Well, think again.

As we’ve noted here, we’ll be seeing a lot more of Doc Savage in the pages of DC comics in the near future. Now, we can actually give you a tad more, detail-wise.

This November, writer Brian Azzarello teams with artist Phil Noto for the BATMAN/DOC SAVAGE SPECIAL #1, which sets the stage for an entire new world for the Doc, along with a slew of characters that will pop up later, including the Blackhawks and Rima, the Jungle Girl. It all starts here, and I’m not exaggerating when I say you’re really in for a treat.

Azzarello is no stranger to noir or gritty storytelling, as anyone familiar with Vertigo’s 100 BULLETS and the recent JOKER OGN can attest. Coupled with Noto’s neo-classic art style and you’ve got the perfect launching pad for a collection of books that will pull these beloved characters into the 21st century.

Oh, and did I mention Batman? Yeah, you may remember him.

So, allow your jaw to drop at the J.G. Jones cover below. Then come back tomorrow for another treat, plus comments from Azzarello himself.