The new Question has kept up company with the old Question's friends and allies - including Huntress, who she's enlisted to help her on a subterranean mission to stop some gun smugglers from selling weapons to the wrong people deep in Gotham's sewers.
Gail Simone & Jesus Saiz's BIRDS OF PREY #12 is on sale this week.
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After reluctantly taking on a sidekick (an unstable young man calling himself the Grey Ghost), Batgirl finds herself stuck in between a rock and, well, another rock at the beginning of BATGIRL #21. Not to mention there's a Reaper bent on putting an end to Stephanie's career once and for all...
BATGIRL #21 is on sale this week.
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Wayne Enterprises' latest press conference is interrupted by a strange new gang led by a villain calling himself "Emoticon-Man" - and Red Robin is appointed as the leader of the Batman Inc. stealth team (better known as The Outsiders) in the next chapter of Grant Morrison's globe-spanning Batman epic.
BATMAN INCORPORATED #6 is on sale Wednesday.
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Last week, we were following IGN's countdown of the top 100 heroes in comics all week on THE SOURCE. They've now posted the top twenty selections--and DC's secured eleven of those spots, with Wonder Woman landing at number five and Batman and Superman claiming the top two spots.
Here's the breakdown of the DC heroes who crack the top 20:
20 - Catwoman
19 - Jim Gordon
17 - Barbara Gordon
16 - Rorschach
15 - Dream of the Endless
11 - Dick Grayson
8 - Wally West
7 - Hal Jordan
5 - Wonder Woman
2 - Batman
1 - Superman
Head on over to IGN for the full rundown.
If you’re celebrating Free Comic Book Day today, you probably picked up a copy of the GREEN LANTERN Special Edition.
As you know, the Green Lantern mythology is built on a vast and fascinating cast of characters, concepts, and alien worlds. And whether you’re a longtime fan of the characters, are relatively new to them, or are just excited to see the movie, there are lots of exciting details to be familiar with.
So, the Special Edition origin story is a great place to start, but in addition, every Monday-Thursday, as we count down the days until the movie arrives in theaters June 17th, The Source will be revealing images, bios and fun facts from the comic books that every Green Lantern fan is gonna want to know.
Let’s begin with the Green Lantern essentials, shall we?
In Brightest Day,
In Blackest Night,
No Evil Shall Escape My Sight--
Let Those Who Worship Evil's Might,
Beware My Power--
Green Lantern's Light!
REAL NAME: Green Lantern Central Power Battery
OCCUPATION: Empower Green Lantern Corps
BASE OF OPERATIONS: Sector 0
HOMEWORLD: Oa
HEIGHT: 300'
WEIGHT: N/A
EYES: N/A
HAIR: N/A
FIRST APPEARANCE: Green Lantern vol. 2 #9 (November/December, 1961)
AKA: N/A
BACKGROUND:
Built millennia ago on the planet Oa by the Guardians of the Universe, the Central Power Battery is charged by the combined willpower of every sentient being in the galaxy. This massive structure is the reservoir of energy for the Green Lantern Corps. The force is tapped into through a Lantern's personal power battery and wielded by their power ring.
On the rare occasion the entire Corps is summoned for an imperative mission, the debriefing will occur in front of the Central Power Battery. Oa is illuminated by this vital energy source, which will burn brightly as long as sentient life exists.
ATTRIBUTES:
REAL NAME: Green Lantern Personal Power Battery
OCCUPATION: Provide charge for a Green Lantern Power Ring
BASE OF OPERATIONS: N/A
HOMEWORLD: N/A
HEIGHT: 1' 2"
WEIGHT: 1 lb 4 oz
EYES: N/A
HAIR: N/A
FIRST APPEARANCE: Showcase vol. 1 #22 (September/October, 1959)
AKA: N/A
BACKGROUND:
A Green Lantern's Power Battery taps into the energy of the Central Power Battery on Oa and acts as a remote charging station for a Corpsman's Power Ring. Lanterns can summon their battery to them at will and must recite the sacred oath to recharge their ring.
Power Batteries are created in the foundry on Oa and distributed by the tentacle clad Lantern, Shorm. A GL receives their Power Battery upon induction into the Corps.
ATTRIBUTES:
REAL NAME: Green Lantern Power Ring
OCCUPATION: Empower a Green Lantern
BASE OF OPERATIONS: N/A
HOMEWORLD: Foundry on Oa
HEIGHT: 1.2" average
WEIGHT: 5 oz
EYES: N/A
HAIR: N/A
FIRST APPEARANCE (Oan Power Ring): Showcase vol. 1 #22 (September/October, 1959)
AKA: Green Lantern Ring / Power Ring
BACKGROUND:
Forged within the foundry on Oa b by the Guardians of the Universe, Power Rings provide Lantern's their abilities. However, not anyone can wield a green ring. Corpsmen are specifically selected based on their strength of willpower. The stronger the will, the more effective the ring becomes.
A Power Ring is considered by many to be the most powerful weapon in the universe because of the hard energy projections they can create. These constructs can become any given shape and are only limited by the ingenuity of the user. Each design is unique to the personality of its creator and may be as simple as an energy trap to apprehend a perpetrator or complex as a massive ship used to evacuate a city.
Designed to assist and protect the Corps in policing the universe, these rings generate the standard-issue Green Lantern uniform and provide a force field for the wearer. They also impart the powers of flight, space travel, a universal translator for all alien languages and possess knowledge from the Book of Oa that may aid a Lantern on their mission. These rings of will also act as emergency homing beacons and allow communication between all other Corps members.
A Power Ring's energy is limited and depletes upon each usage requiring periodic recharging from a Lantern's personal power battery. A ring's energy lasts approximately twenty-four Earth hours.
ATTRIBUTES:
Yesterday we told you about the countdown IGN is doing on their site this week of their top 100 super heroes of all time. As the list continued to unfold yesterday, many more DC characters made the cut - including Green Arrow, John Constantine, and Swamp Thing. Keep checking back as IGN reveals the final 20 entries.
Artist Francis Manapul has done a stellar run on THE FLASH series with Geoff Johns. Want more of Francis' artwork and speedsters? We've got the exclusive first look at the stunning cover to FLASHPOINT: KID FLASH LOST #3 he did with colorist Brian Buccellato.
Want to know more about FLASHPOINT: KID FLASH LOST? Then check out Newsarama's exclusive interview with writer Sterling Gates.
When you read a comic book, you expect danger. You expect the stakes to be high and for there to be a threat - a challenge that the hero may or may not be able to overcome. You expect to see something you've never seen before. In some ways, it's a little bit like going to the circus.
In FLASHPOINT: DEADMAN AND THE FLYING GRAYSONS, writer J.T. Krul tosses Boston Brand and Dick Grayson into the center of the ring. We reached out to J.T. for some initial thoughts on the series:
"Getting a chance to write Boston Brand and Dick Grayson in their original element - the circus - was reason enough to sign for the FLASHPOINT project. But there was another perk - research. This story gave me the opportunity to interview a real trapeze artist who spent time with a traveling circus and now instructs others in the craft. Richie Gaona not only offered some insight into the heart and mind of a trapeze artist, but he also gave me the chance to actually try it for myself. True, I was harnessed in the whole time, but I climbed the ladder, grabbed the bar, and took a swing. It was awesome. Although, I probably won't have Dick or Boston squealing in fear like I was. They live up in the air."
Illustrating the first issue of this series is the hugely talented up-and-coming artist Mikel Janin. Below, take a first look at some of Mikel's interior art and see how it evolves from his pencils to his inks to be ultimately topped off by Ulises Arreola's masterful coloring.
FLASHPOINT: DEADMAN AND THE FLYING GRAYSONS #1 swings into stores June 15th.
If ever there was a character destined to achieve cult status, it's the Canterbury Cricket. Rags Morales, the fan-favorite artist behind FIRST WAVE and the legendary IDENTITY CRISIS, gives a visual guide to one of the strangest characters in mainstream comics.
Below, take a first sneak peek at Rags' exciting interior art for FLASHPOINT: CANTERBURY CRICKET #1 before you see the final version when the issue hits stores next month:
Awesome, right? Series writer Mike Carlin thought so too:
"Rags Morales and Rick Bryant have outdone themselves on CANTERBURY CRICKET #1-- not only introducing the cursed (or blessed?) title character-but showing the FLASHPOINT universe's own Ambush Bugs in action for the first (last?) time! They're all here: Firefly! Queen Bee! Blue Beetle! And the mysterious Cockroach! With the Cricket by their side they intend to infiltrate this Invisible Planes' hangar stronghold-- before the Amazonian invaders can enact their failsafe plan to keep the United Kingdom out of Atlantean hands-- or die trying!"
Mera was unarguably one of the breakout stars of last year's BLACKEST NIGHT event and her evolving story was central to BRIGHTEST DAY. Today, she's a fan-favorite character. So what's FLASHPOINT got in store for her?
Here's what Tony Bedard had to say:
"Mera's at the heart of the issue's big mystery, namely, 'Why did Aquaman drown Western Europe?' Answering that question will reveal Aquaman's origins, the change in his childhood that led him to become such a heartless despot, and the tragedy that spurs him to sink a whole continent."
Head on over to Newsarama for an exclusive interview with Bedard.
The Batman is an iconic and dark creature of the night who inhabits a world of noir sensibilities. A figure cloaked in mystery, he's a man of action and few words.
Brian Azzarello is a New York Times bestselling author who writes great noir dialogue and riveting crime stories. Like his protagonist in the upcoming FLASHPOINT: BATMAN, KNIGHT OF VENGEANCE, he too is a man of few words. So when he weighs in with something to say, it's always worth listening. Here's Brian on the FLASHPOINT mini series he's creating with his longtime 100 BULLETS collaborator Eduardo Risso:
"It's invigorating for us to be working on Batman again. If you like your Knight dark, well, we might have the darkest Knight you've ever seen. This story goes in some really grim places. You'll be picking your jaw off the floor."
Head on over to Newsarama for more on FLASHPOINT: BATMAN, KNIGHT OF VENGEANCE and an exclusive interview with Brian.
Top-traffic game site IGN has started a countdown of their top 100 super heroes of all time. Everyday they've been unrolling more and more of their list. So far, they've revealed a little more than half of their entries and DC has secured a solid number of spots, with characters such as Black Lightning, Superboy, Jonah Hex, Booster Gold, Aquaman, and Barry Allen being included. Head on over to IGN to see the full list so far and keep checking back as the rest is revealed today and tomorrow.