In ACTION COMICS #893, Lex Luthor will be dealing with not just one guest star, but two. First up we have Gorilla Grodd, the menacing giant and the latest villain to cross paths with Lex during his quest for power. The next? None other than veteran artist Sean Chen.

Stepping in to give regular artist Pete Woods a breather, Chen brings his versatile hand to the Superman books in a few short weeks, as Lex crosses paths with the maniacal Grodd. We’ve got a few images to show off, below. But be warned – it’s not for the squeamish.

ACTION COMICS #893 hits 9/29.

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Want to see Ivan Reis draw a Superman/Flash race? Mike Allred take on the Teen Titans? Two Wonder Woman covers? Well, you’re in luck, as we have all that and more. Specifically, we’ve got a first look at Ivan Reis’ amazing ACTION COMICS #892 DC 75th variant, Mike Allred’s TEEN TITANS #86, Gary Frank on SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #6, Frazer Irving’s BATMAN AND ROBIN #14 variant and Don Kramer and Alex Garner’s cover and variant to WONDER WOMAN #602. Enjoy!

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We promised big news. It doesn’t get much bigger than this.

When we announced superstar artist David Finch was going to be joining the ranks of the DC NATION, it was with the news that he’d be handling the covers on BRIGHTEST DAY and ACTION COMICS. But not only is Finch a all-star caliber cover artist, he’s a master storyteller. Fans got a taste of the compelling narrative Finch can create visually with the pages he did in BATMAN #700, paired with writer Grant Morrison.

But we can now add another credit to Finch’s vast resume: writer/artist.

Of an ongoing Batman series.

Starting in November, Finch will take the reins of BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT, a new ongoing Batman title featuring the hyper-detailed and kinetic artwork Finch has become known for plus his unique and yet classic interpretation of the Caped Crusader. The series will also see him paired with legendary inker Scott Williams.

Can’t wait until November? The fun begins in October, with BATMAN: THE RETURN, a one-shot featuring Finch’s masterful pencils and words by Morrison, kicking off a new era for the Dark Knight and giving fans a quick taste of what’s coming up for Batman.

So what does Finch have in store for readers, both art-wise and as the writer? We caught up with him to get the lowdown on the new book:

“I've made no secret of the fact that I've wanted to draw Batman for a very, very long time. Batman and his world embody everything that I love about Superhero comics, and I could not be happier that I've gotten this opportunity!

Maybe the greatest thing about Batman is his versatility as a character. He can be so many things to so many people. For me though, the Neal Adams, Denny O'Neil issues from the early 70's are the most definitive. That work casts a very long shadow over every Batman book that has come out since, and I think its a testament to it's strength that close to 40 years later it remains modern and vital. Batman is at his best with his hands dirty, chasing the worst of the worst with everything on the line. He's a detective, first and foremost. But he's also the enforcer. Nobody gets away with crime under Batman's watch, and he makes sure they think twice before they step over the line again.

The Dark Knight takes Batman outside what he knows, into a world of demonology, dark arts, and mystery. He's the ultimate detective, faster, stronger and smarter than any villian, but now he faces creatures to whom logic and mortality don't apply.

I want Dark Knight to be true to Batman's street level, crime fighter roots. He'll face a rogues gallery that we're all familiar with, but this book will take him on a darker path where he'll be stretched to his physical and psychological limits.”

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #1 hits in November.

There are some characters that connect so strongly with readers that they take on a life of their own, becoming more than just ink on a page. Like modern fables and folklore, comics create strange and exciting worlds and landscapes for readers to visit and experience, and they populate these worlds with characters so well-defined, it’s as if we’d known them forever.

Neil Gaiman’s SANDMAN is one such work. An epic, 75-issue opus that was both genre-bending and trend-setting during its original release and to this day, it, like WATCHMEN and a number of series, is what many point to when discussing comics as high art. It’s not a stretch to call it a masterpiece.

But why are we talking about SANDMAN on the DCU blog, you ask?

For those unfamiliar with the character at the center of the cover – and shame on you if you don’t know who that is – that’s Death, sister to Dream of the Endless and one of the most enduring characters introduced during Gaiman’s 75-issue SANDMAN series. Beautifully presented by ACTION COMICS cover artist David Finch, the cover begs the question – what is Death doing in ACTION COMICS?

Though the worlds of the Sandman and the DC superheroes have bled into one another from time to time, ACTION COMICS #894 marks a unique moment for not only Death, but the star of ACTION – Lex Luthor. Luthor, as fans of the series know, is in the midst of a storyline that takes him on a winding and dangerous quest for power – a quest that will bring the megalomaniacal villain into close proximity with characters in and beyond the far reaches of the DC Universe.

We touched base with writer Paul Cornell who, along with artist Pete Woods, are the team entrusted with the task of chronicling this special issue. Take it away, Paul:

“Death appearing in Action Comics was my own mad idea, the extreme case of putting Luthor up against characters he's not used to dealing with.

“I'm very pleased that, after I ran the idea by him, Neil Gaiman approved me using Death in this issue. He's been very supportive. It's so interesting to see her back in the DC Universe. Though Vertigo readers can rest assured that the character, and the way she's used, will be true to the spirit of what has gone before.”

ACTION COMICS #894 hits in October.