As we prepare for another 12 titles from DC Comics-The New 52 to be published tomorrow, coverage and buzz continues to roll in. Here are some of the highlights.

AIN’T IT COOL NEWS caught up with Geoff Johns to discuss JUSTICE LEAGUE, AQUAMAN, GREEN LANTERN and DC Comics-The New 52 as a whole. “My big story-line for my first year of AQUAMAN is him on a quest to find out who sank Atlantis,” Johns revealed. “Because it wasn't an accident.”

USA TODAY ran an exclusive preview of SUPERGIRL #1 and interviewed series co-writer Mike Johnson. "We're really excited about the opportunity to hand this book to a female reader who is into things like The Hunger Games. This is a strong character with her own point of view," Johnson told them of Kara.

MTV GEEK spoke with Jeff Lemire about FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. “He is absolutely humorless, which in turn leads to a lot of humor down the line,” Lemire said about the series’ protagonist. “But he is a noble soldier, an unstoppable killing machine with the heart of a poet and the manners of a Victorian gentleman.”

IGN continued their series of interviews with all of the creative teams behind DC Comics-The New 52. Check out what Nathan Edmondson (GRIFTER), Adam Glass (SUICIDE SQUAD), Peter Milligan (RED LANTERNS), Fabian Nicieza and Pete Woods (LEGION LOST) and Peter Tomasi (BATMAN AND ROBIN) had to say about their respective series. “Their relationship is a father and son at odds right from the start,” Tomasi said to IGN of Bruce and Damian Wayne in BATMAN AND ROBIN. “Bruce struggles to get a handle on Damian and his past, trying to his best to teach his son what it means to be a just and moral person but making plenty of mistakes along the way. Damian wants to be accepted for who and what he is, but his past and present are locked in a constant battle that threatens to take a terrible toll.”

NEWSARAMA has the exclusive preview of LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1 by Paul Levitz and Francis Portela. The issue goes on sale tomorrow.

To be continued …

1) Alien menaces

2) Mysterious underwater creatures

3) Unexpected visitors from other worlds

4) An unsolved kidnapping

5) An international special forces team

6) All of the above

Think you know the answer? Find out this October when the second issues of the Justice League and Young Justice group titles in DC Comics’ The New 52 are published.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #2

Written by GEOFF JOHNS

Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS

1:25 Variant cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

1:200 B&W variant cover by JIM LEE

On sale OCTOBER 19 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T

Combo pack edition: $4.99 US

What happens when the World’s Greatest Detective takes on the world’s most powerful alien? You’ll find out when Batman and Superman throw down. Batman will need all his intellect, cunning and physical prowess to take on The Man of Steel.

This issue is also offered as a special combo pack edition, polybagged with a redemption code for a digital download of the issue.

JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #2

Written by DAN JURGENS

Art by AARON LOPRESTI and MATT RYAN

Cover by AARON LOPRESTI

On sale OCTOBER 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The United Nations’ new international team of heroes must learn to work together – and fast – if they’re going to discover the mystery behind the giant alien Signalmen who are appearing all over the globe. Can Booster Gold lead his team to victory, or will they fall?

AQUAMAN #2

Written by GEOFF JOHNS

Art and cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

On sale OCTOBER 26 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The red-hot creative team behind BLACKEST NIGHT and BRIGHTEST DAY reunite!

An entire town…devoured! As Aquaman and Mera discover the grisly truth behind a town’s disappearance, the Trench infestation spreads inland! Plus: Another gruesome Trench power revealed – and it’s not for the squeamish!

WONDER WOMAN #2

Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO

Art and cover by CLIFF CHIANG

On sale OCTOBER 19 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Hera, Queen of the Gods, does not take her vengeance lightly – and if Wonder Woman is so foolish as to stand in the way of her whim, then Wonder Woman is her enemy. But it’s Hera’s daughter Diana should truly fear – the goddess of discord is coming to Paradise Island, and murder always follows in her wake!

THE FLASH #2

Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL and BRIAN BUCCELLATO

Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL

Variant cover by GREG CAPULLO

1:200 B&W variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL

On sale OCTOBER 26 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The Fastest Man Alive learns he can make his brain function even faster than before – but as much as it helps him, it also comes with a steep price. Plus: The mystery behind Barry Allen’s friend Manuel Lago deepens as Barry investigates his kidnapping at the hands of Mob Rule!

CAPTAIN ATOM #2

Written by J.T. KRUL

Art by FREDDIE WILLIAMS II

Cover by STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU

On sale OCTOBER 19 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Losing control of his powers, unable to stop the sensory overload in his mind, Captain Atom wants nothing more than to find a quiet place to regroup. But how can he shut out the signals floating in the air – especially when they’re crying out for help?

THE FURY OF FIRESTORM #2

Written by ETHAN VAN SCIVER and GAIL SIMONE

Art by YILDIRAY CINAR

Cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER

On sale OCTOBER 26 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Three innocent high school kids are caught in the crosshairs of an international special forces team with orders to murder them in cold blood...until two of those teenagers summon the terrifying, living nuclear monstrosity known as the Fury of Firestorm! Do not miss this disturbing look into the future of super powers in the DC Universe!

MISTER TERRIFIC #2

Written by ERIC WALLACE

Art by GIANLUCA GUGLIOTTA

Cover by J.G. JONES

On sale OCTOBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

An electrifying new villain joins the DCU! Meet Brainstorm, the man determined to bring Los Angeles to its knees – beginning with billionaire Michael Holt. But even if he can break this new enemy’s hold on an unsuspecting city, how can Mister Terrific defeat a foe even smarter than himself? Luckily, the last time he faced a problem he couldn’t solve, he perfected infinite fractal mechanics!

GREEN ARROW #2

Written by J.T. KRUL

Art by DAN JURGENS and GEORGE PEREZ

Cover by DAVE WILKINS

On sale OCTOBER 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Super Hero executions will now be televised! After taking down members of a “celebrity” gang – privileged, decadent teens who buy their powers and stage fights with unsuspecting victims – Green Arrow finds himself in the crosshairs of the entire team! It’s Ollie Queen vs. a dozen thrill killers while the world watches – live!

THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #2

Written by TONY S. DANIEL

Art and cover by PHILIP TAN

On sale OCTOBER 26 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

When the alien creature known as Morphicius starts draining the life force from Carter Hall, a.k.a. Hawkman, he learns that there’s more to his new victim than meets the eye. The mysterious properties of the Nth Metal protect Hawkman – but in the process, they are also making Morphicius powerful! With innocent lives in the balance, can Hawkman turn the table on his enemy, or are Morphicius newfound powers too powerful to stop?

DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #2

Written by PAUL JENKINS

Art by BERNARD CHANG

Cover by RYAN SOOK

On sale OCTOBER 19 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Ever since he died and became Deadman, Boston Brand has served the deity known as Rama Kushna, inhabiting bodies to complete missions that she dictates. But for the first time, Deadman may have a clue how to gain some control over his “life.” But the cost may be the souls of the bodies he inhabits!

TEEN TITANS #2

Written by SCOTT LOBDELL

Art and cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND

On sale OCTOBER 26 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

A strange creature haunts the streets of Los Angeles... and because of this creature’s age, both Red Robin and N.O.W.H.E.R.E. are racing to find her – but neither side is prepared for the horror known as Bugg!

Meanwhile, Superboy is on a collision course with the team, and Kid Flash plots his escape from N.O.W.H.E.R.E. with the most unexpected of allies!

STATIC SHOCK #2

Written by SCOTT McDANIEL and JOHN ROZUM

Art by SCOTT McDANIEL and ANDY OWENS

Cover by CHRIS BRUNNER

On sale OCTOBER 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Static finds himself the target of dark forces as Virule and the Slate Gang unleash their deadly trap! Will Static’s debut end before it has even started?

BLUE BEETLE #2

Written by TONY BEDARD

Art by IG GUARA and RUY JOSE

Cover by TYLER KIRKHAM and SAL REGLA

On sale OCTOBER 19 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Jaime Reyes was trying to save his best friend when an alien weapon attached itself to his spine. Now, if he wants to live to see tomorrow, Jaime must defeat a team of Super-Villains who want the weapon for more nefarious purposes.

HAWK AND DOVE #2

Written by STERLING GATES

Art and cover by ROB LIEFELD

On sale OCTOBER 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Hawk and Dove continue their investigation of the enigmatic Alexander Quirk! Who is he? What does he want? A secret laboratory might hold the answers, but it might also spell the end for Hawk and Dove! To top things off, the monster watching our heroes from the shadows finally makes his move – and he’s got a terrifying new partner!

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #2

Written by PAUL LEVITZ

Art by FRANCIS PORTELA

Cover by CHRIS SPROUSE and KARL STORY

On sale OCTOBER 19 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Taken hostage on a hostile world, the Espionage Squad is outmatched by a rebel leader that only one Legionnaire could possibly stand against – but Legion leader Mon-El may be outgunned as well! And just what does Brainiac 5 see in Glorith’s magic that could be a game changer for the Legion?

LEGION LOST #2

Written by FABIAN NICIEZA

Art and cover by PETE WOODS

On sale OCTOBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Trapped in time with two teammates already dead and unsure if they’re infected or can ever return home, the lost Legionnaires must confront the horrific reality about the pathogen released by the terrorist Alastor when they are forced to confront the very first Hypersapien!

When three men kidnap Catman’s long-lost son, he’ll have not only the captors to face, but his buried past as well. Recruiting the help of his Secret Six teammates to save the only person he truly cares for, Catman will stop at nothing to exact vengeance – even if that means leaving a bloody trail.

Collecting Gail Simone’s SECRET SIX #25-29 and Paul Cornell’s ACTION COMICS #897 (featuring Lex Luthor and the Joker as part of the explosive “Black Ring” storyline), SECRET SIX: THE REPTILE BRAIN features art by J. Calafiore and Pete Woods. If you missed this storyline in single issues, be sure to check it out when it hits comic book stores tomorrow and becomes available wherever books are sold on May 10th.

To celebrate the release of SUPERMAN: THE BLACK RING (now available in comic shops and bookstores everywhere), we asked associate editor Wil Moss about his experience working with Paul Cornell and Pete Woods as Lex Luthor took center stage in the pages of Action Comics:

Last year, with the Man of Steel busy walking the country in the Grounded storyline in SUPERMAN, Matt Idelson and I knew we’d need another hero to temporarily take over ACTION COMICS. Many characters were in contention, but we soon realized we had one of the most fascinating characters in the DC Universe right under our noses, someone who had just played a key role in a big event mini-series and now had a sea of story possibilities open before him -- except he wasn’t a hero. (Well, he thinks of himself as a hero, it’s just that no one else does…)

So we wanted to have Lex Luthor take over ACTION and explore the fertile story ground that his role as an Orange Lantern in BLACKEST NIGHT had created, taking him on a tour of the top villains of the DC Universe -- a premise so ripe with potential that even über-busy superstar artist David Finch couldn’t turn us down when we approached him about drawing the covers!

OK, so the setup for the new direction was in place, but who could write a character like Lex in such a way that would stay true to the character’s villainous nature while at the same time making him someone readers could get invested in and cheer on?

Enter the brilliant Paul Cornell. Paul is, hands down, one of the nicest, most polite and enthusiastic people working in the industry today -- which is why it’s a little strange that he writes a character like Lex Luthor so well. It’s not my place to say so (‘cause I’m obviously biased), but I think the case could be made that Paul has told the definitive Lex Luthor story here.

Paul has taken a character who is known mostly for two things -- 1) he's bald, 2) he hates Superman -- and he's fleshed him out into a three-dimensional protagonist, one with more depth and motivation than most heroes show in entire series. Read these stories and you'll learn things about Lex's conscious and subconscious mind. Read these stories and see Lex learn things about his conscious and subconscious mind. This Lex isn't just brilliant and evil -- this Lex hesitates; this Lex gets his hands dirty; this Lex explores; this Lex gets lost in his own thoughts; this Lex wants companionship; this Lex learns; this Lex grows; this Lex tries (and usually fails) to overcome his worst habits. Yes, he's still brilliant and evil (and he's definitely still bald, and he definitely still hates Superman) -- it's just that this time that's not all he has going on.

And Paul brought so much more to the title than just a well-written lead! We’ll never forget the phone call with him where we were discussing potential guest stars and he casually threw out there, “What about Death from SANDMAN?” “Haha, yeah sure, Paul, good one.” But apparently Paul was serious! So we investigated, made all the proper inquiries (big thanks to Vertigo’s Karen Berger!), and eventually made it happen, culminating with Neil Gaiman personally giving Paul his blessing to use the character.

No discussion of THE BLACK RING could be complete without talking about the invaluable Pete Woods. I say “invaluable” because Pete is the kind of artist who doesn’t simply illustrate a writer’s script and call it a day; he immerses himself in the world of the story, creating designs not just of the cast, but of the settings, too. Lex’s armor, his lab, his office, his helicopters, even the portraits on the walls of LexCorp -- the designs just pour out of Pete. And Paul’s ACTION scripts allowed Pete a lot of leeway in terms of panel descriptions and layouts, which is the kind of environment Pete flourishes in, resulting in these gorgeous issues, some of the absolute finest work of his career. (Ably aided by the sublime colors of Brad Anderson, of course!)

The perfect summation of Paul and Pete’s collaboration is The Black Ring’s leading lady, RoboLois. Turning what could have been a simple gag (“What if Lex had a robot sidekick who looked just like Lois Lane? Superman would hate that!”) into an actual character -- one who both provided readers a way to connect to the more human side of Lex and one who could be counted on to provide a visual splash at any moment (check out those gun arms in the first chapter!) -- RoboLois ended up becoming the favorite character of all of us who worked on the title. And judging by your letters, it seems like she struck a chord with you readers, too!

We’re thrilled Paul and Pete’s story has been so well received by all of you out there in the DC Nation. But hey, you guys ain’t seen nothing yet -- wait until you read the 51-page epic they’ve cooked up to conclude The Black Ring in this month’s ACTION COMICS #900! It’s a story so packed with wicked twists and turns, even Lex would be pleased! (Not that he’d ever admit to admiring someone else’s work, mind you …)

- Wil Moss, Associate Editor[gallery link="file" order="DESC" columns="2"]