Interesting fact about Lt. Joe Higgins, a.k.a. the Shield: he does not consider himself a hero, let alone a super one. For Lt. Higgins, the experimental warsuit he wears saved his life and enables him to continue doing his duty. It’s his honor to serve his country and uphold its ideals, and even if the style of his uniform has changed, his commitment to it has never wavered. Higgins doesn’t think of himself as a hero, he thinks of himself as a solider of the United States Armed Forces, now and until the day he lays down his arms.

Today, Lt. Joe Higgins will complete his first mission, aided by former Marine Lance Corporal David Reid now known as Magog. For both of them, their commitment to upholding the virtues of their country is paramount, and their sense of duty remains strong, just like their real-life brothers and sisters in arms. So before heading off to your comics store, join all of us
here at DC in thanking the true heroes today for their service and sacrifice. To all members of the U.S. Military, past and present, we salute you.

Spinning out directly from last month’s “Red Circle” event from superstar writer J. Michael Straczynski, we’ve got a first look at THE SHIELD #1, the debut issue of the new ongoing series chronicling the patriotic hero’s exploits. Along for the ride is an INFERNO co-feature. The main story, written by Eric Trautmann with art by Marco Rudy takes Lt. Joe Higgins — a.k.a. the Shield — into the hot spots across the globe where civilians fear to tread. His first mission finds him in Bialya, the nation destroyed by Black Adam in the pages of 52. There’s something lurking in the mountains beyond militia activity, and it’s up to the Shield to investigate.

Meanwhile, in the INFERNO co-feature by writer Brandon Jerwa and artist Greg Scott, we meet Inferno — but who is he? And why are the Dark Men after him?

THE SHIELD #1 hits 9/9.

Well, it’s Friday, and I’ve managed to finagle the day off. But fear not — we’ve got our regularly scheduled “From the Editors” post right here. This time, it’s Editor Rachel Gluckstern giving us more info on the upcoming THE SHIELD ongoing series. Take it away, Rachel:

With the Red Circle event now underway, I just have to share some art from the amazing team on the monthly Shield book. From Francis Manapul’s amazing cover to the dream art team of Marco Rudy and Mick Gray, everyone’s pulled out all the stops to live up to Eric Trautmann’s impressive first script.

The Shield #1 goes on sale 9/9, leading the way for the Red Circle monthlies and featuring Inferno by Brandon Jerwa and Greg Scott. But how can you resist such a perfect team of talent and characters? Look for the Shield #1 in September!

On 9/2, writer Eric Trautmann and artist Marco Rudy team up for THE SHIELD, a new ongoing series spinning out of The Red Circle one-shot and featuring an INFERNO co-feature.

We’re still closely guarding a first look at a full-on preview, but The Source is all about teasing stuff, no? So here’s a first look at a lovely spread from the main story, by Mr. Rudy. Pretty neat, huh?

We’ve covered the RED CIRCLE characters from pretty much every angle here on The Source, and we’ve got a few things to toss your way on this lovely Friday afternoon. Below, you’ll see the cover to THE SHIELD #2, by Francis Manapul and the cover to THE WEB #2, by FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: DANCE cover artist Stanley Lau. Nice, eh?

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!”

It’s a week of rollouts here at The Source, and to close out our Red Circle character debuts, we’ve got the final cover by Jesus Saiz featuring the new look for THE WEB. Unlike THE HANGMAN and INFERNO, which went through a few changes in the design process, THE WEB was nailed pretty close the first go ’round. Sometimes things just fall into place, what can I say? So make with the click.

THE SHIELD image we debuted yesterday was pretty close to final. It’s hard to really tinker with such an iconic costume, so why try? But with a few more of the Red Circle characters available, it was a no-brainer to let an artist of J.G. Jones’ caliber take a stab at redesigning some. Here’s a look at Jones’ character sketch for INFERNO. Come back tomorrow for another sneak peek at the newest members of the DCU.

Oh, and because I’m in a giving mood, we’ve thrown in Jesus Saiz’s final take on the character, which will also serve as a cover, come August.

Good afternoon, clock watchers. Monday is almost over and you’re probably already wearing your coat and loading your bags. But there’s one more thing we want to show off before you hop in your cars or respective modes of transport.

As most of you know, come August, we’ll be publishing a number of books spotlighting the Red Circle characters, specifically The Shield, The Web, The Hangman and Inferno, under the watchful eye of writer J. Michael Straczynski. But before we get into all the specifics, let’s look at some cool art, shall we? Here’s a peek at THE SHIELD, from artist Jesus Saiz. Check back tomorrow for more. Enjoy the commute.