With ALL-STAR WESTERN’s extra page count, Justin and I were given a chance to not only expand the storylines of classic D.C. western characters, but to bring some new and exciting characters into the universe as well. Issue 4 of ALL-STAR WESTERN introduces the debut of a brand new character called The Barbary Ghost, featuring the incredible art of Phil Winslade, the vibrant colors of Dominic Regan and the master of comic book lettering, Rob Leigh. The story itself takes place way west of Gotham… in 1878 San Francisco, in the area known as the Barbary Coast: known for it’s development during the California gold rush, and since then has become famous for its gambling, prostitution and crime.

Our story follows the plight of the Tsen family, a group of Chinese immigrants coming to the new world to make a fresh start for themselves in America. More specifically, we focus on the daughter of the family, Yanmei, as she deals with crime lord Bo Long, and his gang of killers and thieves as they shake down her family for protection money. With any introduction of any new character, we establish the world around her, the supporting cast of her family members, and introduce a situation where the odds are stacked against our hero. We felt, looking at all the western characters out there, that featuring a character that has a Chinese background would be an interesting twist to the western genre, and at the same time introduce the reader to another story about the world back then that isn’t covered very much in comics. The history of the old west is so rich and fascinating, we wanted to create characters that would not only be interesting, but also keep with the tradition of ALL-STAR WESTERN. The story itself is a classic tale of revenge set against some horrible conditions …a story where we see how one person can step up against all odds, and make a difference. The Barbary Ghost has all the classic themes and we think just the right stuff to become an important part of the new D.C. universe.

-- Jimmy Palmiotti (ALL-STAR WESTERN)

STORMWATCH #6

Written by PAUL CORNELL

Art and cover by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA

1:25 Variant cover by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA

On sale FEBRUARY 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US RATED T+

What lurks within the Stormwatch space station? As the origin of their alien HQ is revealed, what’s left of the decimated Stormwatch roster regroups and a new team is formed! Apollo, Midnighter, Martian Manhunter...who’s in, who’s out and who’s the new team leader? Note: The catastrophic events of this issue – especially the secret of Stormwatch HQ – will be felt in upcoming issues of GRIFTER and VOODOO!

GRIFTER #6

Written by NATHAN EDMONDSON

Art and cover by SCOTT CLARK and DAVE BEATY

On sale FEBRUARY 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US RATED T

Grifter is way out of his element when The Daemonites hold him on a hovering spaceship where no man can get to him. Fortunately, Sofia is no man – but will she arrive before a horrific alien ceremony centering on the super-powerful Black Curate has gone too far? Cole Cash will find someone he never expected to see again, he will discover how integral he is to the Daemonite’s master plan, and uncover clues that will bring him face to face with Stormwatch and Voodoo.

DEATHSTROKE #6

Written by KYLE HIGGINS

Art by JOE BENNETT and ART THIBERT

Cover by SIMON BISLEY

On sale FEBRUARY 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US RATED T+

As the mercenary known as Deathstroke, Slade Wilson has worked a lot of tough jobs. But Slade’s biggest challenge may not have involved fighting at all – it may have involved love. Just who was Adeline? And what happened to his son, Grant? Find out in issue #6 as the veil of Slade Wilson’s past begins to lift!

SUICIDE SQUAD #6

Written by ADAM GLASS

Art by TOM RANEY

Cover by PAUL RENAULD

On sale FEBRUARY 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US RATED T+

“The Hunt for Harley Quinn” starts here! After causing a prison riot and escaping an “escape-proof” supervillain penitentiary, the maniacal Harley Quinn is on the loose! The race is on as Deadshot – leading an all-new Suicide Squad – tracks his former teammate as Harley hunts the love of her life: the Joker! Plus: Don’t miss the unofficial crossover with STORMWATCH #6, tying into the explosive events of that issue!

(Cover #5 shown)

VOODOO #6

Written by JOSH WILLIAMSON

Art by SAMI BASRI

Cover by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER

On sale FEBRUARY 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US RATED T+

Following the shocking events of last issue, Voodoo feels betrayed by her own people and wants to be left alone. Little does she know Agent Fallon and the Black Razors are looking for revenge – but first they need to break another Daemonite Hybrid out of jail to help them track her down. The identity of that Daemonite Hybrid will leave you stunned!

O.M.A.C. #6

Written by DAN DIDIO and KEITH GIFFEN

Art by SCOTT KOLINS and SCOTT KOBLISH

Cover by KEITH GIFFEN and SCOTT KOBLISH

On sale FEBRUARY 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

A quiet double date for Kevin Kho turns into a battle for O.M.A.C.’s life as he faces the seductive menace of the ever so deadly Sweet Leilani! Meanwhile, Max Lord reluctantly joins Brother Eye in his search for answers about the creature known as Zero Patient! Featuring the work of guest artist Scott Kolins!

BLACKHAWKS #6

Written by MIKE COSTA

Art by CAFU and BIT

Cover by KEN LASHLEY

On sale FEBRUARY 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US RATED T

While the rest of the field team puts down a sudden uprising of rogue technology, Irish and Attila make the most of their medical leave by getting wasted in an Eastern European dive bar – though the locals don’t take kindly to having U.N. peacekeepers nosing around in their business…

MEN OF WAR #6

Written by IVAN BRANDON and JOHN ARCUDI

Art by TOM DERENICK and RICHARD CORBEN

Cover by VICTOR KALVACHEV

On sale FEBRUARY 1 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US RATED T+

Joe Rock has escaped the mercenary soldiers holding Easy Company captive, but to free his men he must eliminate the payday that these unkillable men are after – and prove himself worthy of the title Sergeant Rock!

Also: A Battle of Gettysburg reenactment goes horribly wrong when the souls of the dead rise up for revenge!

ALL-STAR WESTERN #6

Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI

Art by MORITAT and PHIL WINSLADE

Cover by LADRONN

On sale FEBRUARY 22 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US RATED T+

Jonah Hex fights a giant bat to the death! But even with his winged foe slain, will he and Amadeus Arkham survive being trapped in a cave with the lost tribe of Miagani Indians? Hex and Arkham must enlist help – including some familiar faces and some surprising saviors – if they’re going to make it out of this death trap and bring justice to the enslaver of Gotham’s underprivileged children.

Plus: The Barbary Ghost proves that a girl can be a gang boss’s worst nightmare when she has vengeance on her mind.

Over the past few days, we’ve been linking to all of the exclusive previews of the second issues from DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 that are going on sale tomorrow.

Below, take a look at all the previews that ran (sorted alphabetically and separated by cover), compiled here in one easy location for your convenience.

[gallery link="file" order="DESC" columns="4"]

(Greg Capullo’s variant cover for JUSTICE LEAGUE #3)

New York Comic Con has been over for two days, but, well, everyone's still talkin' about it. Here are some recommended reads:

UGO caught up with Geoff Johns about AQUAMAN. “They are a glimpse of the horrific world at the bottom of the ocean and beyond that Aquaman has never faced, that we have never really encountered,” Johns said of The Trench, the villains in the series’ first arc. “They are still learning and meeting new species every day, so I wanted to go as horrific and bizarre as I could. And you haven't even really seen how bizarre these creatures can get. They are pretty nasty.”

Following the announcement of THE CURSE OF SHAZAM, NEWSARAMA chatted with artist Gary Frank. "Both Geoff and I were keen that our costume should look different to the rest of the Justice League's costumes since it comes from a different place," Frank revealed of how fans can expect Shazam to look. “We're still ironing it out but, whereas the other costumes feel very modern and cool, ours needs to feel timeless and, hopefully, cool. We are dealing with magic rather than tailoring, so this has to be in there somehow.”

COMIC BOOK RESOURCES spoke with Scott Snyder, writer of BATMAN, SWAMP THING and AMERICAN VAMPIRE, about all of his respective series. “To me, he takes on a Robin because he needs a human connection,” Snyder said of Batman. “He needs to be a father because of what happened with his parents. He needs an ally because he is lonely – even though he won’t admit it. So he takes on a Robin but then at the same time, as much as he cares for that character, he has tremendous issues about getting too close to anyone and having it be his mission.”

And speaking of Gotham City, AIN’T IT COOL NEWS chatted with Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti about ALL-STAR WESTERN and their upcoming series, THE RAY. “All great cities have their own history and Gotham is no different,” said Palmiotti about the setting of ALL-STAR WESTERN. “Some of the main landmarks in the city will be and are featured in some of the new 52 books coming out and we are working closely with the crew to make sure we create an environment that reflects both ways the time period and the life of the city.”

(The cover of BATMAN: DEATH BY DESIGN)

COMIC BOOK RESOURCES has the first exclusive interview with Chip Kidd about his upcoming original graphic novel, BATMAN: DEATH BY DESIGN. “What I've always liked very much is that there are certain things Batman can do that Bruce Wayne cannot. But there's very much a flipside to that because there are things Bruce Wayne can do that Batman cannot,” Kidd said. “You need both of those things -- or at least I do -- to make things interesting. A good part of the story and the plot goes into the building and design trade of Gotham City -- how that works or doesn't work and how it's corrupted. There is a good bit of history with Bruce Wayne's father. It's not any kind of twisted, huge revelation. It's about the design legacy of the Wayne's in Gotham City.”

To be continued …

(Ivan Reis and Joe Prado’s variant cover for BATMAN #3)