Writer Fabian Nicieza and artist Ramon Bachs present the second issue of the new ongoing Azrael series, as the White Ghost presents a trial to the new Azrael: save an Angel or condemn a Devil. While it may sound like a simple choice, Azrael has to decide if the perceived saint is a sinner or if the sinner is an innocent man. And what if the architect of the experiment, Ra’s al Ghul, is secretly testing all those involved to see who can best serve as his ultimate Dark Knight?

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.

In the spirit of my favorite time of the year…here are a few things that scare me.

THE FLAMINGO. This guy has death and danger written all over him. He rides a motorcycle and rips people’s faces off for fun. Oh yeah, and to top it all off, he’s dressed head-to-toe in pink. What’s not to be afraid of? If Batman & Robin thought they had their hands full with Red Hood & Scarlet, well, they haven’t seen anything yet. Check out the Flamingo in all of his pink and face-ripping glory in BATMAN & ROBIN #6.

TONY DANIEL. This guy scares me. True, he’s one of DC’s exclusive artists. He’s also one of my good friends. But he still scares me. Why? Because he’s a double-threat. Not only can he draw circles around anyone holding a pencil, but this guy can write, as well! In case you didn’t already know, Tony’s both writing and illustrating the current arc of BATMAN, which runs from #692-697. Will Tony reveal who’s under the Black Mask in this storyline? (Hint: I wouldn’t be teasing it, unless he was.)

BLACK MASK. His true identity scares me. Stay tuned.

WHITE GHOST. Sure, he has a name that sounds like a discounted Halloween costume, but this right-hand-man of Ra’s al Ghul is scary because he appears in not one, but two Batman titles this month–RED ROBIN #6 and AZRAEL #2

The PHILLIES don’t scare me.

MARCUS TO. Have you seen this guy’s art? Incredi–I mean, scary. Marcus debuts as RED ROBIN’s new regular artist this month, and I can’t tell you how excited we are about this. We’ve seen several complete issues of art from Marcus already, and each one gets better and better! Welcome aboard, Marcus!

Till next time, Stay Scary.

Happy Friday, Source gang. It’s been a long week, so why not take a few minutes from your busy day and unwind with a few interesting interviews and reviews?

• NEWSARAMA’s Chris Arrant talks shop with DETECTIVE COMICS writer Greg Rucka about all things Batwoman in this all-encompassing and insightful read.

• IGN’s Dan Phillips talks up JMS and artist Jesus Saiz’s second issue of THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD, noting that “JMS and Saiz have crafted two timeless, poignant, entertaining and very moving adventure stories that make profound statements on DC heroes of both the iconic and obscure varieties. This is the type of superhero series I always yearned for but never thought enough of to demand.”

• AIN’T IT COOL NEWS reviews the latest issue of writer Chris Yost and artist Ramon Bachs’ RED ROBIN series.

• And last, but certainly not least, CBR’s Doug Zawisza talks up the final issue of the BLACKEST NIGHT: SUPERMAN mini-series, calling artist Eddy Barrows’ art “ raw and gritty, perfect for the battle between reanimated corpses and our heroes.”

Writer Fabian Nicieza and artist Ramon Bachs kick off a new era for Azrael, Death’s Dark Knight — starting here. Michael Lane is a man in search of redemption, but doe serving the Order of Purity as God’s Angel of Justice bring him closer to his goal, or send him further down a road paved with good intentions? When a hired killer comes to Gotham City seeking revenge for crimes committed decades ago, Azrael faces an impossible conflict: What if God’s justice forces the hero to claim one of his servants? Need more? Check out a few pages from the first issue below.

AZRAEL #1 hits 10/21.

Not long ago, with our first installment of “This Just Happened,” we unveiled a look at the new Batgirl, Stephanie Brown (we also revealed her new costume earlier today). For this week’s TJH, we’re still hanging around the Batman universe, in the pages of RED ROBIN.

Red Robin has stumbled upon some very impressive clues. If you haven’t read the issue yet, though, head out and pick it up now. If you have, click below and discuss just what dear Tim found while searching for you-know-who.

Read the rest of this entry »

Writer Christopher Yost and artist Ramon Bachs conclude the first RED ROBIN arc with a bang, as Red Robin’s search leads him to the deserts of the Middle East with the League of Assassins by his side. How many lines will Tim Drake cross to prove that Bruce Wayne lives? And as one journey ends, a deadlier one begins as Red Robin learns the truth — but will he survive long enough to tell anyone about it?

RED ROBIN #4 hits on 9/9.

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.

Counting down the hours until the weekend? Aren’t we all? Well, we’ve got some news and art for you, so time can crawl by a bit faster.

Starting in November with RED ROBIN #6, Marcus To (Aspen’s Soulfire) will step in as the new ongoing artist on RED ROBIN, taking over for Ramon Bachs, who steps over to launch AZRAEL with writer Fabian Nicieza. And, in lieu of me saying nice things about Marcus, I’ve cornered his editor, Michael Marts to give us the skinny on why Mr. To is the perfect choice to chronicle the continuing adventures of Tim Drake. Take it away, Marts:

“Marcus’s energetic and dynamic art style is the perfect match for Chris Yost’s fast-paced writing style. We’re extremely excited to have Marcus on board as a Bat-team regular.”

Don’t think words are enough? Well, fine. Here are some interiors plus the cover to To’s first issue.

The new Red Robin continues to scour the globe in search of clues that will help him determine the final fate of Bruce Wayne, in the pages of the new hit series from writer Chris Yost and artist Ramon Bachs. But Red Robin’s search might get a little complicated with the League of Assassins after him, don’t you think? What does Ra’s al Ghul want with Red Robin? Why are members of the League of Assassins being targeted for death? And what happened to the life Red Robin left behind? Spoiler guest-stars in the second chapter of the four-part “The Grail” story arc. Scroll down a bit for a few pages from the second issue.

RED ROBIN #2 hits on 7/8.