Eating. One of the basic needs of every living thing. And we’re pretty sure you’ve been doing it since birth. So why are we including it on our list of survival tips? Well, have you tried eating at a convention?

Here’s the first and most important thing: remember to eat. It may sound simple and obvious, but when you’re surrounded by things clamoring for your attention, it’s very easy to forget. And as tempting as it may be, you can’t eat con swag. Believe us, people have tried it and it’s not pretty.

There’s also the matter of where to eat. There’s always food at the convention center, but it can be costly. If you have a busy day of panel-going planned, try packing a lunch. Or if you have time for a break, take one. Look for food outside the convention center. Not only will the fresh air do you good, but you’ll get a chance to see some of the city. The cosplayers at McCormick Place may be great, but they’re not the only sight worth seeing in Chicago.

C2E2 is only two days away! DC will be there…will you?

DC Collectibles features high-end collectible products and toys based on characters from DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD

BURBANK, CA, April 11, 2012 – DC Entertainment announced today that its collectibles product line, previously known as DC Direct, has been re-launched with a new brand – DC Collectibles. Additionally, in early May 2012 DC Collectibles will expand its online store (www.DCComics.com/Collectibles) to offer its entire product line for sale on the web, in addition to the line’s primary availability in comic book retail locations. For those fans who prefer to purchase a product in-store, the website will also provide information on the closest retail location that carries a particular DC Collectibles product.

“We’ve taken the past year or so to become laser focused on what makes the products in this line special, and what has emerged from that process is DC Collectibles,” stated Geoff Johns, chief creative officer for DC Entertainment. “We’re extremely proud of our line of unique, high-end collectibles, and feel that it caters to fans looking for limited edition, authentic products based on our characters and stories, created by the same artists who work directly on those characters and stories.”

As part of DC Collectibles online sales expansion, two “online exclusive” products will be offered in May and a new line of custom prints will be available for sale only on the web. The first online exclusive is a Flashpoint Action Figure Box Set including: Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and a previously unreleased Emperor Aquaman. The set also include a $500 Wayne Casino Poker Chip.  The second online exclusive is a Heroes of the DC Universe: Blackest Night Green Lantern and Sinestro Bust.  The new online prints will represent different graphical and artistic themes, branching out beyond comic book artwork. Twenty different designs will be available for sale, all printed on thick, archival paper that is perfect for framing.

“Not all of our fans have access to comic book retail locations, so by expanding our website to offer the entire product line, we’re adding an element of convenience and the ability for fans to collect every single product they’re interested in,” stated Hank Kanalz, senior vice president of digital, DC Entertainment.

For fans attending C2E2 in Chicago this weekend (April 13-15) Geoff Johns will moderate a DC Collectibles panel that will showcase the new website and brand logo, and offer an exclusive sneak peak of never announced DC Collectibles products coming later in 2012. The panel is on Friday, April 13 at 2:30pm CT.

There’s still one week left until the “Night of the Owls” crossover event officially kicks off in BATMAN #8 (in stores 04/18). To help hold you over until then, take an exclusive first look at Dale Keown’s variant cover for next month’s issue #9, which sets Batman against an army of Talons hell-bent on destroying Gotham City from the inside out. 

“What's not to love about drawing the coolest character in comics?” t artist Dale Keown told THE SOURCE. “I wasn't given any back story so I went with the action shot that would fit into just about any storyline. One of my go-to poses is to draw the character leaping out towards the reader. I hope I get to draw Batman again soon.”

“What a great opportunity to have comics superstar Dale Keown chip in and provide us with this amazing Batman image,” said BATMAN editor Mike Marts. “Dale’s variant cover for BATMAN #9 coincides with our exciting NIGHT OF THE OWLS event, which spans across all of the Bat-titles for the month of May.”

Hal Jordan and Sinestro continue to work together (or try to, at any rate) to escape from the enigmatic Indigo Tribe, but assuming their cosmic conflict doesn’t bring about the end of the universe, that’s just the start of what we have lined up for you on Wednesday. Batgirl gets ugly with Grotesque, Frankenstein goes hunting for his son, BATMAN AND ROBIN wraps up its first arc, and we get our first bloody taste of The Culling with a prelude story in SUPERBOY. While that game-changing, epic storyline looks to be brutal for all characters involved, hunting down all of our new comics previews doesn’t need to be.

Here’s what hit the web yesterday...

USA TODAY previewed GREEN LANTERN #8 and interviewed writer Geoff Johns.

MAXIM previewed BATGIRL #8.

WIRED’s GEEKDAD previewed FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. #8.

GAWKER’s KOTAKU previewed DEMON KNIGHTS #8.

UGO previewed GRIFTER #8.

MTV GEEK previewed RESURRECTION MAN #8.

COMPLEX MAGAZINE previewed DEATHSTROKE #8.

COMIC BOOK RESOURCES previewed SUICIDE SQUAD #8.

NEWSARAMA previewed BATMAN AND ROBIN #8.

COMICVINE previewed BATWOMAN #8.

THE DC Comics website previewed SUPERBOY #8.

DC Comics’ official Facebook page previewed LEGION LOST #8.

DC Comics’ official Twitter account previewed MISTER TERRIFIC #8 (here and here).

“The Culling” crossover event is coming this May – but what is The Culling? What is N.O.W.H.E.R.E., and how will it threaten the heroes and would-be heroes of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52? You’ll find out in next month’s crossover, but in the meantime – stay tuned to THE SOURCE all this week for Culling insights from the creators.

Today, SUPERBOY and TEEN TITANS writer Scott Lobdell offers an enthusiastic glimpse into what’s to come:

"Imagine you are a comic book writer who is bound by 20 pages a month in which to tell a story. Then you get a call... and you're told that suddenly you get to work on a 60 page story (that is, your book is going to cross over with SUPERBOY and LEGION LOST)! Suddenly more story possibilities open up as your telling a larger story with more characters and conflicts involved. Suddenly you have the opportunity to deal with Kid Flash learning the first hints of his origin by talking with Superboy, a 16 year old without any past at all.  

“Then you have Timber Wolf confronting Kid Flash for an explanation as to why Bart Allen is in the here-and-now instead of his place of origin in the 31st Century... and you wonder why at least one of the Legion Losters seems to be covering for Kid Flash?

“Okay, so here you are, working on a larger canvas than you get to work on from month to month, and you're working with other writers and Editorial now and you're starting to wonder how even 60 pages is going to be enough... when the clouds part and Editorial delivers another edict: You get an additional 32 pages in the form of a Teen Titans annual!

"That's a 92-page story you get to tell! Yowza! Just think of the possibilities! It'd be like taking an episode of your favorite television show and suddenly being given a 100 million dollar feature film budget where you can do all the things you want when you are no longer bound by episodic restraints!

"I admit to being a little frightened when Brett was assigned to do the art on the TEEN TITANS Annual – because we haven't been split up since we re-launched TEEN TITANS last year. But as soon as he started turning in the pages, creating the Colony out of thin air, introducing the kids that N.O.W.H.E.R.E. has held captive for so long, bludgeoning us with his high octane action sequences as the Teen Titans battled the Legion Lost and then slamming on the brakes for moments of quiet poignancy, I understood why editorial knew it was so important for Brett to be the guy that established the world and the tone for the crossover. Every time I open up my email box I am stunned by the level of detail and excitement and passion that Brett brings to the work.

"Everyone who knows R.B. Silva's work from his Jimmy Olsen run last year as well as the first issues of SUPERBOY knows that he is without peer when it comes to those character-centric moments in any story – he is one of these guys who can take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. Well, let me say that you should go out and buy a hat because you are going to want to have something to hold onto when you see him draw the epic action in SUPERBOY when Kon El goes toe-to-toe with Warblade! When you see this issue you're going to know that R.B. is destined for greatness. His Timber Wolf and Dawnstar are just... gorgeous. There's no other word that comes to mind!

"And Ig Guara on TEEN TITANS? After months of reading, green with envy, his work on BLUE BEETLE, I was so excited to learn that he'd be filling in for Brett on two issues (8 and the crossover itself in issue 9). I had high hopes for him... and then he went and exceeded every one of them!  There have been so many pages where I didn't even want to write dialogue and captions because it felt superfluous -- everything was there on their faces and body language. Truly, Ig is one of tomorrow's superstars and I can't wait to work with him again!

"Is there a sales element to all of it? Sure, because comics is a business. But Tom and Howard and I aren't in sales, we're writers who have been given the opportunity to create an epic comic book story over the course of one month – using some of the greatest characters in the medium. Who wouldn't be happy about that?!"

(Art by Brett Booth for TEEN TITANS ANNUAL #1)