It’s a short week here at The Source, what with our last summer Friday looming. Then it’s back to the drain of five-day work weeks. Frightening, huh?

But we’ve got a ton of stuff lined up to show off in the next few days, so no worries. And we know how much you like teaser art. What’s better than that? Well, teaser art and news, no?

You’ve heard rumblings about this here and there, but we can now officially confirm that starting in November, THE GREAT TEN will star in their own 10-part mini-series, from writer Tony Bedard and artist Scott McDaniel, with covers by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau.

At the dawn of the Chinese Century, the 10 official “super-functionaries” of the People’s Republic face their greatest challenge as the gods of Ancient China return to destroy communist rule. Will the most populous nation on Earth drag the rest of the world down with it? Do its heroes even want to save a government that treats them like pawns?

Want more? We got Bedard to give us the basics on  the new series. Take it away, Tony:

“When I went off to college, I really got into Eastern philosophy — Taoism, Buddhism, Zen, etc. Around the same time, I picked up ANIMAL MAN and I’ve been a hardcore Grant Morrison fan ever since. So I leapt at the chance to do a GREAT TEN series, to flesh out these characters Grant dreamed up and tap the amazing storytelling potential in both them and their country. It’s a chance to do a different take on super-heroes, and just like my R.E.B.E.L.S. series, I think THE GREAT TEN is going to take a lot of people by surprise.”

THE GREAT TEN #1 hits 11/4. And, wait, here’s some dandy preview art, including the cover to #1.

Back when we chatted with RED CIRCLE editor Joey Cavalieri, we showed off new art from three of the four RED CIRCLE one-shots. In our continued efforts to show off as much cool art as we can, we snagged four SHIELD pages by artist Scott McDaniel, who, along with inker Andy Owens, will be handling art chores on the one-shot. SHIELD looks pretty angry, huh?

All four RED CIRCLE one-shots are hitting in August.

You’ve seen the amazing designs. You’ve seen Jesus Saiz’s cover art. But there are more details to reveal, and more art to show. That’s what The Source is for, no?

This August, writer J. Michael Straczynski pairs with an all-star cast of artists to introduce a new wave of heroes into the DCU with four one-shots, each spotlighting one of the four. THE HANGMAN pairs JMS with artists Tom Derenick and comic legend Bill Sienkiewicz, while INFERNO features the gritty linework of Greg Scott. THE SHIELD showcases the work of former SUPERMAN and BATMAN artists Scott McDaniel and Andy Owens while THE WEB features the team of Roger Robinson and Hilary Barta. A pretty impressive lineup, huh? But that’s not all. We corralled Joey Cavalieri — and JMS — who along with assistant Chris Conroy is editing the RED CIRCLE books, to give us the lowdown on these reinterpreted characters and what their deal is. Take it away, Joey:

“Join the Red Circle: four books about four super heroes who are brand new to our universe. Everything goes in circles, and while these mighty crusaders have their roots in another time, J. Michael Straczynski has made sure that these guys’ colorful costumes aren’t empty suits. They’re fully rounded ndividuals, inhabited with the ethos of our modern era.

There’s the Hangman…a doctor who’s been spared the executioner’s noose (a circle of rope, get it?) only to be confronted with a choice that condemns him o roam around Earth forever, aiding everyone in his orbit.

And the Web, a man who’s had a life of ease and selfishness…but is forced to cast the resources of his, er, surroundings outward, to embrace and encircle everyone who needs his help!

Inferno has incendiary powers, but no memory other than a single name…which may not even be his. He must circle back and discover who he is, where he came from, and why everything around him goes to blazes…

The Shield is the spearhead of a program meant to encompass America’s borders, but quickly becomes a link in a bigger chain. That chain becomes a chain reaction. As J. Michael said in a note to me ‘n Dan: ‘This is where it gets really interesting. All four books are connected. One book sets up the next, then sets up the next, via interrelated actions. Each book slides off the next, showing the interconnectedness of the world, how fate can launch a bank shot from one person to the next. The Circle of Life, again reinforcing the Red Circle motif.’

Get the connection? We’ll show you how the circuit gets completed this summer. Circle your calendars: the Red Circle Revolution begins August 5th!”