BATWOMAN co-writer and artist J.H. Williams III has illustrated the artwork for the cover of heavy metal band The Sword’s upcoming album, Apocryphon.

Click here to check out Williams’ cover.

The phrase "legendary artist" gets tossed around a lot these days. Picasso? He couldn't even draw a face properly. And what's up with those melting clocks, Dali? (Nah, just kidding, they're great). But considering the fact that J.H. Williams III has worked with some of the most renowned and influential writers in comic book history—Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and now Neil Gaiman—the term "legendary artist" just doesn't seem like enough.
 
So, we're coming up with a new term! Legendeawesome... Awesomedary... Legawesomedary...
 
Yeesh… This is a lot more difficult than we though. So instead, we're just going to list off the 5.2 Reasons Why J.H. Williams III Rocks Our World!

1. BATWOMAN
Every month as part of DC Comics—The New 52, Williams grabs hold of the writing reins alongside W. Haden Blackman and provides art on alternating arcs of the Batwoman series. This week sees the release of Batwoman #12, which returns Williams to penciling duties; however, he also previously worked on the character of Kate Kane during his Eisner Award-winning run on DETECTIVE COMICS #854-860 with writer Greg Rucka.
 
2. SANDMAN
One of the biggest announcements to come out of this year's San Diego Comic-Con was the news that awesomedary comic book writer and novelist Neil Gaiman will be making his triumphant return to the world of Sandman next summer with a brand-new limited series—with art provided by Williams. Already our brain cells are exploding from amazing overload just imagining this team-up. Then this happened and we lost consciousness for a while:
 


3. BATMAN
It takes a certain type of artist to delve into the mind of Grant Morrison and put onto the page the mad genius found within. Thankfully, Williams ranks as one of those artists and more than proved his ability to do so with his collaboration with Morrison on the BATMAN #667-669 arc, "The Island of Mister Mayhew."

4. PROMETHEA
Mixing magic, mythology, and mysticism, Promethea teamed Williams with writer Alan Moore. The series stands as one of the most experimental in comics—both in storytelling and especially in art—and to this day Williams' unique style, attention to detail and beautiful imagery shines through with almost blinding brilliance.
 

 
5. CHASE
Besides being a great series in its own right—focusing on the character of Cameron Chase who gives readers a different, more grounded perspective on the world of superheroes—the nine-issue Chase series first elevated Williams to prominence in the comic art community. Reading the series from its first issue to its last, you really see the evolution of Williams' art as he grows into the artist we see today that continues to wow us with every image he puts on paper.

5.1 Splash Pages Like These

5.2 He Rocks an Awesome Beard

What's your favorite work from J.H. Williams III that you think everyone should check out? Let us know in the comments section!

On October 17, two of the most legendary female superheroes in the DC Universe will team up to fight a grave threat. Beginning in BATWOMAN #13, Kate Kane will join forces with none other than the Princess of Amazons herself, Wonder Woman.

“We're super excited to be tackling Wonder Woman for a bit in the upcoming arc of BATWOMAN,” series co-writer and artist J.H. Williams III told THE SOURCE. “But also feel a sense of trepidation and responsibility, with her probably being the most iconic female hero of all time in comics. We needed to approach her with reverence and respect. And also wanted to give her a sense of purity in how she is drawn, something clear in her appearance, overt and forward. Now doing this, and then setting her next to Batwoman produces fascinating juxtapositions of their styles and nature of their characters. Batwoman being shadowy and a bit withdrawn, Wonder Woman being bold and vibrant. They do have things in common with their sense of purpose, but yet also things that make them quite different from each other, and them coming together brings out complimentary aspects much in the same way Batman and Superman do for each other as characters. The result is a compelling union of two iconic women that bring balance to how they can be perceived.”

BATWOMAN #13 is written by J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman and features art and a cover by J.H. Williams III. Take an exclusive sneak peek at the issue by checking out Williams’ cover below.

Haunted by her past and faced with the mysterious disappearance of children from the barrio, BATWOMAN faces deadly new challenges in her war against Gotham City’s underworld – and new trials in her personal life as Kate Kane.

BATWOMAN explodes onto the page and into Gotham in her first ever eponymous series. Collecting issues #0-5, BATWOMAN, VOL. 1: HYDROLOGY comes to you from the acclaimed creative team of J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman. To celebrate the release of this hardcover, we’ll be highlighting some of the supplemental materials from the back of the book every day this week right here on THE SOURCE, including promotional art, script excerpts, character designs, cover sketches and more.

BATWOMAN, VOL. 1: HYDROLOGY is available in bookstores everywhere now.