The first storyline of G.I. COMBAT includes an UNKNOWN SOLDIER backup story written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Dan Panosian. Check out the Unknown Soldier character design below.

"For me, the most significant aspect of The Unknown Soldier's new incarnation, was I wanted him to look like a cross between what you would see on today's battlefields and what we enjoy most from video games,” said artist Panosian.  “I also wanted to give him a constant reminder of his family for his own inspiration.  The three marks on his outfit represent the family he's lost.  It's almost like a tattoo he's wearing.  That's who he's fighting for."

With “The Night of the Owls” crossover coming to Gotham City this May, COMIC BOOK RESOURCES ran a complete week of coverage examining the event. While CBR often spotlights their Batman coverage under the “Bat Signal” header, they even retitled the column in honor of the event. With the Owls wreaking havoc on Gotham and taking over the city, it only seemed right for the “Bat Signal” to be subverted into the “Owl Signal.” Kicking off their week with the creative who introduced the sinister Court of Owls into the mythology, CBR spoke with BATMAN writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo. BATMAN series editor Mike Marts joined in the candid conversation about the malevolent new villain that has sprung up to threaten the extended Bat-family. Said Snyder, “As I was working on the story, I realized there was a point in issue #9 where the attack that the Owls were going to launch against Gotham was so big and so broad that we had to at least address where the other Bat characters were. So I talked to Mike and told him that there was an opportunity to play in if they wanted to. From there, we tried to make an event where each writer or each team working on the Bat books could look at their story lines and decide if they wanted to organically tie it in.” Next came their interview with Kyle Higgins, writer of NIGHTWING. “From a thematic standpoint and an emotional standpoint, some of the things that come up during Nightwing's fight with the Owls are going to raise questions for him about what his place in the future of the city is, what his place in current Gotham could have been, and whether or not the way he and Batman operate in the city accomplish all that much of anything,” said Higgins. “So yeah, it's safe to say this crossover will frame some things for Nightwing to look at as we move forward in the series.” Though it might seem an unlikely participant in the “Night of the Owls,” ALL-STAR WESTERN takes place in Gotham of a century ago, offering insights into the Owls’ roots. Writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti explored the depth of the Court’s hold on the city. “The mythology that Scott [Snyder] is developing so admirably in BATMAN lends itself directly to ALL-STAR WESTERN because it encompasses the history of Gotham long before the caped crusader existed,” said Gray. “To that end, using both The Court of Owls and the Talon fit seamlessly into our existing plans for the book. In fact, we're already seeding ideas and images in ALL STAR that come into play not only with #9, but also all the way through the end of our first year.” With Batman under fire in his self-titled book, Robin’s on his own against the Owls’ assassin: The Talon. BATMAN AND ROBIN writer Peter Tomasi explains, “Robin pretty much faces this Talon alone in a wall to wall action packed story just outside of Gotham. Batman has his hands full with all the craziness that Scott's throwing at him at Wayne Manor, and members of the Bat Family need to step up and kick some serious ass to try and help set things right. With all of the Talon action taking place in Gotham proper, I thought it would be cool to move Robin into the outskirts for a little change of scenery in his battle.” Fending off the Owl attack on three separate front, writer Judd Winick discusses the crossover from the perspective of three distinct titles: BATWING, CATWOMAN and BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT. “I think it's a little bit of everything. These are three very, very different stories,” said Winick. “That's the fun of this entire crossover that it's a really big, terrific, ramshackle story just full of action, lots of emotion, and digs around in canon in a way that I think is really, really interesting.” And finally, writer Scott Lobdell spoke about how RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS fits into the action – no small feat, given the characters’ general inability to play well with others. “RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS ‘isn't like the other kids’ – they're not really asked to play in the reindeer games. When you see how they wind up caught between a Talon rock and a Mr. Freeze hard place, it will feel like exactly what it is: A ‘Night Of The Owls’ story through that Outlaw prism.” Don’t miss “The Night of the Owls,” coming this May.

With the highly anticipated “Night of the Owls” crossover beginning this May, we asked writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti how it impacts their story in ALL-STAR WESTERN. ““Plans within plans.” That’s one of my favorite lines from Frank Herbert’s eco-sci-fi epic, Dune. It is also one of the hardest things to convey in a monthly comic where readers are often second-guessing the outcome or direction of a series. There is always a larger plan at work and things are never quite what they seem,” says Gray. “Both Batman and Jonah Hex have been discovering this fact in their own unique ways. Having chosen Gotham City as the unlikely setting for ALL-STAR WESTERN, Jimmy and I thought long and hard about the different ways we could make the book interesting to both new readers and the Jonah Hex faithful. To do that we began our initial arc with the secret society called The Crime Bible trying to establish its roots in 1880’s Gotham. At the same time over in BATMAN, readers were introduced to The Court of Owls.” Gray continues, “By now you know both organizations existed long before the caped crusader launched his one-man campaign to save the soul of a city. So starting in May, The Court of Owls, the Talon, the secret history of Gotham, Crime Bible, Jonah Hex and Amadeus Arkham…some of the most unlikely and surprising elements start falling seamlessly in to place. It has been months and months in the making, but the plans within plans are coming to fruition and even the most cynical fan has to admit this New 52 thing is pretty damn exciting.” So get ready to discover what the Court of Owls was up to in Gotham City cira 1880 in ALL-STAR WESTERN #9. As Palmiotti says, "This is the best of both worlds for comic fans and us, and we plan on delivering the goods. Everything about this crossover makes sense and is planned brilliantly. We are happy to make Jonah and the gang part of comic book history once again."

(art by Ladronn)