FABIAN NICIEZA SIGNS UP AS REGULAR RED ROBIN WRITER

Tim Drake's had a rough year, to say the least.

Struggling with a new identity, searching for the mentor only he believes is actually alive and tangled up with Ra's Al Ghul and his deadly League of Assassins -- not exactly a recipe for long-term health, y'know?

Well, things aren't going to get any easier. Starting with June's RED ROBIN #13, writer Fabian Nicieza will step in as the new regular writer, joining series artist Marcus To for what will certainly prove to be an extension of the wild ride Red Robin's been on so far.

Wait, you want details? Well, sure. Let's check in with the new writer himself. Take it away, Fabian:

"It feels great to be back on Red Robin for the first time! Having the opportunity to close out Tim Drake's Robin series was bittersweet. He's a character I've always wanted to write, but it was a tumultuous, dark time for him and I was writing the book knowing the series would end and evolve into Red Robin.

"I was reading Chris Yost's first year on the series with jealous admiration in that he was doing a great job, getting to work with an excellent young artist in Marcus To and getting to move Tim through the darkness into a better place as a way of natural story evolution!

"To unexpectedly get the chance to come back at this time, with Tim Drake in a more positive place mentally, stepping into his own as a young adult and better prepared to develop his own distinctive approach to crimefighting -- both in Gotham City and across the world -- only means the hundreds of stories I've always wanted to tell with the character now number in the thousands!

"What lies ahead? Adventure, mystery, complex moral issues, an evolving rogue's gallery specific to the character, romantic triangles (maybe quadrangles!), fun and humor all ripe for the picking! I can't wait for readers to see this excellent character's continuing development into something unique and special in the DC Universe!"

Bat-editor Mike Marts was also kind enough to sneak us a look at the cover to the issue, from the aforementioned Mr. To.

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The BATGIRL/RED ROBIN crossover kicks off

Writer Bryan Q. Miller and artist Talent Caldwell kick off a crossover with RED ROBIN, as Tim Drake returns to Gotham Cit. But who does he find in the Batcave? None other than Stephanie Brown, the new Batgirl. And when Ra's al Ghul attacks one of Batman's closest allies, Red Robin and Batgirl will have to put the past aside to save Leslie Thompkins's life. Continued in Red Robin #10.

BATGIRL #8 hits 3/10.

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More April 2010: Batman solicits

Why stop with BRIGHTEST DAY, right? Click below for a look at all the Batman-related titles shipping in April, including BATMAN AND ROBIN, STREETS OF GOTHAM, BATGIRL and OUTSIDERS.

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BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM — MADNESS HC

Advance-solicited • On sale June 23 • 112 pg, FC, $19.99 US

Written by SAM KIETH • Art and cover by SAM KIETH

An original Batman graphic novel set in Arkham Asylum from Sam Kieth, creator of THE MAXX!

It is the most feared house in all of Gotham City. It contains the worst that the city has to offer. It is the place The Dark Knight’s most dangerous and psychotic foes call home. Writer/artist Sam Kieth, creator of THE MAXX and artist of the acclaimed miniseries LOBO: HIGHWAY TO HELL, invites you to spend 24 hours in Arkham Asylum – the most unsettling house in the DC Universe.

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BATMAN AND ROBIN #11

On sale APRIL 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Written by GRANT MORRISON

Art by ANDY CLARKE & SCOTT HANNA

Cover by FRANK QUITELY

1:25 Variant cover by ANDY CLARKE

“Batman vs. Robin” part 2 of 3! The Dynamic Duo fight it out in the ultimate duel to the finish. Meanwhile, Robin’s mother, Talia al Ghul, sends an old adversary of Dick Grayson’s to complete the job that her son may not be able to stomach!

Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

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BATMAN: THE WIDENING GYRE #6

On sale APRIL 28 • 6 of 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Written by KEVIN SMITH

Art by WALTER FLANAGAN

Cover by BILL SIENKIEWICZ

1:25 Variant cover by GENE HA

Kevin Smith and Walt Flanagan’s Batman tale comes to its startling end! Thanks to Silver St. Cloud, Bruce is trying to learn how to trust people. But Batman is an integral part of who he is, so how can he really trust anyone? Batman even has a run-in with Catwoman because of his relationship with Silver. And when he decides to put all of his trust into someone, will he be rewarded...or punished?

Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

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BATMAN #698

On sale APRIL 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Written by TONY DANIEL

Art by GUILLEM MARCH

Cover by TONY DANIEL

Only two months until BATMAN #700! As the landmark issue nears, Dick Grayson’s life as The Dark Knight heats up in a big way. With Black Mask out of the way for good, the Falcone crime family attempts to fill that void – with no regard for the safety of Gotham City’s citizens! And what’s going on with the Riddler?

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DETECTIVE COMICS #864

On sale APRIL 28 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

Written by DAVID HINE

Co-feature written by GREG RUCKA

Art by JEREMY HAUN

Co-feature art by CULLY HAMNER

Cover by CLIFF CHIANG

The inmates of Arkham Asylum have taken over DETECTIVE COMICS in “Beneath the Mask” Part 1 of 2! It’s Black Mask verses Jeremiah Arkham for control of the asylum. But what of the enigmatic Three Beauties, and how does Batman fit into the mad plan? Everything that was set up and teased in BATTLE FOR THE COWL: ARKHAM ASYLUM and ARKHAM REBORN is at last revealed, but the answers to the mysteries just might drive everyone – including Batman – mad!

Then, in the co-feature, the spotlight is shone on Renee’s personal life. But just who knows about her secret identity, and what will they do with that information? That is the question...

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BATGIRL #9

On sale APRIL 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Written by BRYAN Q. MILLER

Art by LEE GARBETT & TREVOR SCOTT

Cover by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau

The conclusion to “Batgirl Rising” begins here with part one of the four-part “Flood” storyline! A string of bizarre, technology-based “suicides” gets the attention of both Batgirl and Oracle, but for very different reasons. And the two heroes will soon realize that they’re the real targets of a nefarious madman Hell-bent on revenge…

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BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #11

On sale APRIL 21 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

Written by PAUL DINI

Co-feature written by MARC ANDREYKO

Art by DUSTIN NGUYEN & DEREK FRIDOLFS

Co-feature art by JEREMY HAUN

Cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN

Batman, Robin and Abuse join forces to combat the frightening strength of Victor Zsasz’s army! Can Batman and his allies save Gotham City’s kidnapped children? And what happens when Abuse spirals out of control?

Meanwhile, in the Manhunter co-feature, the odds are stacked against Kate as she goes up against a new adversary in the courtroom. Her increased frustration with the proceedings gets taken out on every thug in Gotham – but is Manhunter making too many enemies for her own good?

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GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #11

On sale APRIL 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Written by PAUL DINI

Art and cover by GUILLEM MARCH

As Gotham City swirls in a maelstrom of evil and villainy, three of the most unlikely candidates – Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn – step forward to bring some light to the situation. But will their efforts enough to stem the tide of madness and mayhem?

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OUTSIDERS #29

On sale APRIL 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Written by DAN DIDIO

Art by DON KRAMER & MICHAEL BABINSKI

Cover by PHILIP TAN & JONATHAN GLAPION

When Looker returns, her bloodlust is strong – and so is the vampire-hunter hoping to drive a stake in her heart. Her only hope for survival is The Outsiders, who are still stranded in Markovia and struggling to determine whose side they’re really on…

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RED ROBIN #11

On sale APRIL 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Written by CHRISTOPHER YOST

Art and cover by MARCUS TO & RAY MCCARTHY

“Collision” races to its conclusion as Ra’s al Ghul’s endgame for Red Robin begins. The Men of Death are on the move in Gotham City, and Red Robin, Batgirl and Prudence set out to stop them from killing everyone Bruce Wayne ever cared about. But before he can take on Ra’s, Red Robin has to get past Gotham City’s own protectors...

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AZRAEL #7

On sale APRIL 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Written by FABIAN NICIEZA • Art by RAMON BACHS & JOHN STANISCI

Cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA

His sanity starting to crack, Azrael tracks down Hide ‘n’ Seek, a pair of kidnappers whose actions bring back some very painful, fractured memories for Michael Lane. Can a psychiatrist assigned by the GCPD help Lane keep it together before Azrael goes berserk?

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BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #43

On sale APRIL 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Written by SAM KIETH • Art and cover by SAM KIETH

The “Ghosts” storyline comes to a thrilling close! Batman and Callie continue battling their internal ghosts and the external foe who is preying on them. But when they realize they can’t even trust the police, what can they do? Can Batman survive another loss?

Take a look at March's AZRAEL, RED ROBIN and BATMAN covers

We're in a giving mood here at The Source today. Since Batman Group Editor Michael Marts was kind enough to shoot over a look at some of the upcoming March Batman covers, we didn't want to make you guys wait until the solicited covers hit on Monday afternoon. So, here for your mid-week enjoyment are the covers to March's issues of BATMAN, RED ROBIN and AZRAEL.

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What else is going on in the Batman universe in February?

Well, a ton, dear Source reader. Too much to capably sum up in one blog post. It's also way too early to give too much away. But, we can showcase some of the lovely artwork gracing the covers of the Bat-titles hitting in February, featuring the talents of Frank Quitely, Dustin Nguyen, Phil Noto and many more. So, take another bite of your lunch and look 'em over.

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Writer Chris Yost gives you the Top 10 Reasons to check out RED ROBIN #6 -- with a preview

The headline says it all. RED ROBIN writer Chris Yost was kind enough to pop by The Source and give us the reasons why you guys should save a spot for the latest issue of the series tomorrow. Take it away, Chris:

10. Superstar artist Marcus To joins the team with this issue!

9. Marcus To's rendition of Red Robin leading a gang of ninjas into battle.

8. Marcus To's rendition of ninjas dying horrible deaths at the hands of Recluse, a member of the Council of Spiders (the same people that are hunting the League of Assassins for sport).

7. Marcus To's rendition of Vicki Vale, who's got some questions for Bruce Wayne/Hush. Which is going to mean trouble for Tim Drake.

6. The flashbacks are almost over. But this issue's flashback is particularly sexy. And drawn by Marcus To!

5. BLACKEST NIGHT CROSSOVER!! Well, kind of. Tim mentions his little adventure in BLACKEST NIGHT: BATMAN, but most importantly Marcus To draws him mentioning it.

4. Editor Mike Marts put a hundred dollar bill in one of the copies!

3. Marcus To's rendition of Tam Fox, daughter of Wayne Enterprises' CEO Lucius Fox, getting into even MORE trouble.

2. Marcus To's rendition of Tim Drake being awesome in general as he takes charge of the League of Assassins.

1. The writing. PSYCH! It's Marcus To. (But hopefully the writing's okay)

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Batman Group Editor Michael Marts is scared...

In the spirit of my favorite time of the year…here are a few things that scare me.

THE FLAMINGO. This guy has death and danger written all over him. He rides a motorcycle and rips people’s faces off for fun. Oh yeah, and to top it all off, he’s dressed head-to-toe in pink. What’s not to be afraid of? If Batman & Robin thought they had their hands full with Red Hood & Scarlet, well, they haven’t seen anything yet. Check out the Flamingo in all of his pink and face-ripping glory in BATMAN & ROBIN #6.

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TONY DANIEL. This guy scares me. True, he’s one of DC’s exclusive artists. He’s also one of my good friends. But he still scares me. Why? Because he’s a double-threat. Not only can he draw circles around anyone holding a pencil, but this guy can write, as well! In case you didn’t already know, Tony’s both writing and illustrating the current arc of BATMAN, which runs from #692-697. Will Tony reveal who’s under the Black Mask in this storyline? (Hint: I wouldn’t be teasing it, unless he was.)

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BLACK MASK. His true identity scares me. Stay tuned.

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WHITE GHOST. Sure, he has a name that sounds like a discounted Halloween costume, but this right-hand-man of Ra’s al Ghul is scary because he appears in not one, but two Batman titles this month--RED ROBIN #6 and AZRAEL #2

The PHILLIES don’t scare me.

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MARCUS TO. Have you seen this guy’s art? Incredi--I mean, scary. Marcus debuts as RED ROBIN’s new regular artist this month, and I can’t tell you how excited we are about this. We’ve seen several complete issues of art from Marcus already, and each one gets better and better! Welcome aboard, Marcus!

Till next time, Stay Scary.

A few BATMAN covers for January

Damian behind bars? Red Robin surrounded? Batman facing off against two new foes? This batch of covers, featuring the artistic stylings of J.H. Williams III, Tony Daniel, Dustin Nguyen and Marcus To, is light on answers but big on questions. But isn't that what they're for?

Take a few minutes from your day and peruse the January covers for BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM, DETECTIVE COMICS, BATMAN and RED ROBIN, won't you?

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