Released in comic book stores last week, BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM will be in bookstores everywhere beginning tomorrow. Collected in its entirety for the first time, the critically acclaimed miniseries is written by fan-favorite Gotham scribes Scott Snyder (BATMAN) and Kyle Higgins (NIGHTWING).

Together, they explore the shadowed history of Gotham City, setting the stage and laying the foundation for the action that is still to come in DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. Uncovering secrets of Gotham’s mysterious and violent past, BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM provides insights into the upcoming “Night of the Owls” crossover, establishing the city itself as one of the major players in the ongoing adventures of the Bat-family.

“GATES OF GOTHAM is the culmination of a lot of firsts – my first miniseries at DC Comics, my first time collaborating with the amazing Scott Snyder, the first in depth look at the history of Gotham City, and most important of all, the first chapter in one of the biggest Bat stories ever – THE CITY OF OWLS,” said Higgins. “With the relaunch of the DC Universe on the horizon, Scott, Mike Marts, Ryan Parrott, Trevor McCarthy, Guy Major and I set out to uncover the untold secrets of comics' most famous city while also laying the groundwork for Batman's greatest challenge yet.  For anyone enjoying our current runs on BATMAN and NIGHTWING, I can't recommend GATES OF GOTHAM enough – this is where it all began!”

BATMAN #8 will feature the first of a series of back-up stories exploring the dark history of the Court of Owls, the mysterious and malevolent secret society wreaking havoc upon Gotham City in the ongoing series.

The back-ups will bring together the fan-favorite writer/artist pairing of Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque, whose ongoing collaboration on AMERICAN VAMPIRE has made the critically acclaimed title one of the iconic series of the Vertigo line. James Tynion IV will co-write with Snyder.

These back-up stories will continue to reveal more about the Court’s sinister agenda as we move toward “The Night of The Owls” – a massive crossover event coming in May, which will span the Bat-books and reveal the full breadth of their master plan. With their claws sunk into Gotham history, the Owls represent a threat unlike anything Batman’s faced before, threatening to tip the city’s balance of power once and for all.

"The first backup, in issue eight will give a sense of the terrifying scope of the Court of Owls' attack on Gotham. This really will be the first shot in a war for the soul of Gotham City,” said Snyder. “And then, starting in issue nine, we'll begin a three part story called ‘The Fall of the House of Wayne’ that will investigate the secret history of the Court of Owls and its relationship to the Wayne family - particularly to Thomas and Martha Wayne, Bruce's parents. The story will be told from the point of view of Jarvis Pennyworth, Alfred's father, and offer some big surprises and shocks about the forces that shaped the bat-mythology as we know it. Can't wait for you all to see these stories!

“I'm also excited to be co-writing with my friend, James Tynion IV, a young writer I'm extremely excited about. Especially in the spirit of the New 52, it's a real thrill to get to give someone new and talented a chance to get his foot in the door, and James is a writer to watch and expect great things from!"

"And of course, I'm over the moon about getting to work with my good friend and AMERICAN VAMPIRE co-creator Rafael Albuquerque on the some of the very first ones!"

Check out the cover for BATMAN #8 (by Greg Capullo) - along with some of Albuquerque's character sketches for the back-ups - right here on THE SOURCE.

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The end of the year means a lot of things: traffic around Times Square, midnight kisses and the clinking of champagne flutes across the globe and gyms full of people looking to stick to their resolutions. But in the publishing industry, one thing that the end of the year also signifies is the publication of various “best of the year” lists.

USA TODAY just published their story on the best things to happen in the comic book industry in 2011. Best writer? Scott Snyder. Best superhero artist? J.H. Williams. Best artist return? Jim Lee. Best worst Super hero? Aquaman. It's all there--and more, with multiple name checks for DC COMICS-THE NEW 52.

THE VILLAGE VOICE included ANIMAL MAN and SPACEMAN on their list of the best comic books and graphic novels of the year while NPR's MONKEY SEE BLOG's list featured DEMON KNIGHTS, ANIMAL MAN, DAYTRIPPER, AQUAMAN and WONDER WOMAN.

Over on THE TORONTO STAR’s list of the top 10 graphic novels of the year, you’ll find DC COMICS: THE NEW 52 OMNIBUS and the deluxe edition of JOE THE BARBARIAN.

Meanwhile, IGN dubbed the launch of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 the “best moment of the year.” AMERICAN VAMPIRE: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST was also named the “best miniseries,” SECRET SIX #36 won the award for “best single issue” and Scott Snyder was again crowned the “best writer.”

And while you’re at IGN, be sure to check out their list of the Best Vertigo and Icon comics books of 2011. AMERICAN VAMPIRE came in at #1 with THE UNWRITTEN, SWEET TOOTH, SCALPED, IZOMBIE, FABLES, and NORTHLANDERS all making the Top 10 list.

To be continued …

BATMAN issue #4 hits stands this Wednesday and writer Scott Snyder wants everyone to know that even if you haven't been reading BATMAN, now is a great time to jump in.

"First a word of thanks from team Batman. All of us have been overwhelmed by the response to the book so far, and we're deeply grateful to all of you for all the support. One thing that's been particularly exciting to all of us is seeing how many new fans are reading the book - I got an email asking about the live dinosaur in Bruce's cave, which made my day. :) One of the reasons the new readership is so exciting to us is that we get to be the first people to introduce them to the great elements of the Bat-U - the cave, the batmobile, the grandfather clock, crime alley... And to introduce them to all the stories that came before and made us love Batman so much in the first place! So to that end, we promise to try hard to make each issue a good jumping on point for new readers. We want you to be able to pull your friends to Gotham, even if they missed issue 2 or 3.

Now, with BATMAN #4, we'll finally learn why it is Bruce is so resistant to believing that the old legend about the Court of Owls could be true. We'll dig deep into Bruce's past to uncover his relationship to the Court, a group that claims to have been ruling Gotham City from the shadows since Colonial days. And as for what the Court has in store for Batman - well, you'll just have to wait and see. But I'll say that the horror they bring to bear against him constitutes one my favorite sequences out of anything I've ever written."

-Scott Snyder

So, head over to USA TODAY for an exclusive first look at BATMAN #4 and start reading.