Welcome back for another installment of Preview Monday! This week we’re giving you exclusive first looks at YOUNG ROMANCE: A NEW 52 VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL #1 and FAIREST #12.

Romance is in the air in the DC Universe! In this anthology of stories just in time for Valentine’s Day, Catwoman fondly recalls her first time meeting Batman, Mera discovers a pile of old letters and the tragic love story they tell, Batgirl finds unlikely romance on the streets of Gotham, Nightwing meets a girl that can keep him on his toes, Apollo travels to Seoul to find Midnighter, and Wonder Woman and Superman take another important step in their blossoming relationship. Plus, as a special bonus, this unique one-shot includes perforated Valentine’s Day cards featuring the stars of all the stories! From writers Andy Diggle, Ann Nocenti, Cecil Castellucci, Peter Milligan, Kyle Higgins, and Ray Fawkes and artists Emanuela Lupacchino, Jaime Mendoza, Inaki Miranda, Julius Gopez, Simon Bisley, Sanford Greene, Robson Rocha and Julio Ferreira, YOUNG ROMANCE: A NEW 52 VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL #1 hits stores this Wednesday. Click here for an exclusive preview of the issue.

Meanwhile in FAIREST #12, “The Hidden Kingdom” continues. In the heart of the dark forest, Rapunzel discovers that bloody vengeance will come back to haunt you. And on the frenetic streets of Tokyo, Bigby and Frau Totenkinder get caught in the middle of a war between Tomoko and Katagiri! Be sure not to miss the murder, mayhem, terrible compromises and unholy hairballs that are all part of this month’s issue! Written by Lauren Beukes and illustrated by Inaki Miranda, FAIREST #12 hits stores this Wednesday. Click here for an exclusive preview of the issue.

Last month, we told you that the new Vertigo original graphic novel FABLES: WEREWOLVES OF THE HEARTLAND debuted at #1 on THE NEW YORK TIMES’ Hardcover Graphic Books Best Seller list. Today, we’re pleased to share with you that last week’s NEW YORK TIMES’ Graphic Books Best Seller lists featured yet another title from within the FABLES universe: FAIREST, VOL. 1: WIDE AWAKE.

From Sleeping Beauty to Rapunzul, to fan favorite Cinderella, FAIREST explores the lives of some of the loveliest ladies in their respective homelands told by a rotating array of today’s best storytellers and artists. 

Collecting issues #1-6 and written by FABLES ongoing series writer Bill Willingham with art by Phil Jimenez (Wonder Woman, The Invisibles) and issue #7 written by Matt Sturges with art by Shawn McManus, FAIREST VOL. 1: WIDE AWAKE tells the story of Sleeping Beauty. Cursed at birth by a fairy godmother, Sleeping Beauty, otherwise known as Princess Briar Rose, has been awakened by true love’s kiss. But Ali Baba, Prince of Thieves, doesn’t seem a likely candidate for knowing true love. So how did his kiss work? And why does the icy Snow Queen want her captured? Get ready to find out just who is the fairest of them all.

For more on FAIREST, check out THE NEW YORK TIMES’ ARTS BEAT BLOG’s accompanying post to last week’s Graphic Books Best Seller lists. To read the full Hardcover list, including THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, VOL. 1, FABLES: WEREWOLVES OF THE HEARTLAND, and Time Home Entertainment’s TOTALLY MAD: 60 YEARS OF HUMOR, SATIRE, STUPIDITY AND STUPIDITY, click here. And don’t forget to take a look at the full Paperback Graphic Book Best Seller list, featuring FAIREST, VOL. 1: WIDE AWAKE. Congratulations to all!

For this week’s installment of Preview Monday, we’re giving you exclusive first looks at EARTH 2 #5 and FAIREST #8.

The fate of Earth 2 hangs in the balance as Hawkgirl, The Flash and The Atom take on Grundy … and each other! Will they be able to cooperate long enough to stop Grundy from destroying the Earth? Meanwhile, The Green Lantern travels deep into the matrix of The Grey, leaving his physical body behind and vulnerable to attack. Once in The Grey, he is faced with a heart-wrenching choice that will affect the entire Earth! Written by James Robinson and illustrated by Nicola Scott and Trevor Scott, EARTH 2 #5 goes on sale this Wednesday. Click here to see an exclusive preview of the issue.

Meanwhile, FAIREST #8 kicks off the all-new story arc, “The Hidden Kingdom.” While getting her hair cut, Rapunzel is attacked by a flock of origami cranes with one simple message scrawled in Japanese on them: “Your Children.” Defying the orders of Snow White and Sheriff Bigby, Rapunzel sets off to Tokyo with her hairdresser and Jack of Fables to find her children. But someone is waiting for them there and it’s not going to be pretty when they meet! FAIREST #8 comes to you from 2011 Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning writer Lauren Beukes and artist Inaki Miranda. Click here to see an exclusive preview of the issue, which hits stores this week.

For this week's installment of Preview Mondays, we're giving you exclusive first looks at BATGIRL #12, BATMAN #12, BATMAN AND ROBIN #12 and FAIREST #6, all in stores this Wednesday.

Featuring a special guest appearance by Batwoman, BATGIRL #12 is written by Gail Simone and is illustrated by Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes. Click here to see an exclusive preview of the issue.

A stand-alone issue starring the esoteric Harper Row, BATMAN #12 is written by Scott Snyder and features stunning guest art by Becky Cloonan, the first woman to ever illustrate the series. Click here to see an exclusive preview of the issue.

Concluding the “Terminus” storyline with one epic showdown, BATMAN AND ROBIN #12 is written by Peter J. Tomasi and is illustrated by Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray. Click here to see an exclusive preview of the issue.

And wrapping up the premiere story arc of this new FABLES spin-off, FAIREST #6 comes to you from the acclaimed creative team of Bill Willingham, Phil Jimenez and Andy Lanning. Click here to see an exclusive preview of the issue.