BATMAN issue #4 hits stands this Wednesday and writer Scott Snyder wants everyone to know that even if you haven't been reading BATMAN, now is a great time to jump in.

"First a word of thanks from team Batman. All of us have been overwhelmed by the response to the book so far, and we're deeply grateful to all of you for all the support. One thing that's been particularly exciting to all of us is seeing how many new fans are reading the book - I got an email asking about the live dinosaur in Bruce's cave, which made my day. :) One of the reasons the new readership is so exciting to us is that we get to be the first people to introduce them to the great elements of the Bat-U - the cave, the batmobile, the grandfather clock, crime alley... And to introduce them to all the stories that came before and made us love Batman so much in the first place! So to that end, we promise to try hard to make each issue a good jumping on point for new readers. We want you to be able to pull your friends to Gotham, even if they missed issue 2 or 3.

Now, with BATMAN #4, we'll finally learn why it is Bruce is so resistant to believing that the old legend about the Court of Owls could be true. We'll dig deep into Bruce's past to uncover his relationship to the Court, a group that claims to have been ruling Gotham City from the shadows since Colonial days. And as for what the Court has in store for Batman - well, you'll just have to wait and see. But I'll say that the horror they bring to bear against him constitutes one my favorite sequences out of anything I've ever written."

-Scott Snyder

So, head over to USA TODAY for an exclusive first look at BATMAN #4 and start reading.