Batman, The Question and another Batman team up in BATMAN ANNUAL #28

Batman Annual #28 cover

You know something bad is brewing when you've got not one but TWO Batmans are on the scene and they still have to call on The Question for some mystery-solving assistance. Check out what happens when three of the DC Universe's best detectives must combine their skills to solve a string of murders in Paris.

BATMAN ANNUAL #28 is on sale next Wednesday. (This story is continued from this month's Detective Comics Annual #12.)

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OPEN THREAD: What’s YOUR favorite DC Comics cover…ever?

It’s been a celebratory week here at The Source, what with our string of lovely 75th anniversary variants, the TASCHEN news and the first look at DCU: LEGACIES #1.

But we’re not done. As we continue to celebrate DC’s 75th anniversary, we thought it’d be a great time to look back at the company’s illustrious history and see what you, the fans had to say. But this isn’t your usual open thread, folks.

Let’s talk covers. To say that the cover image is important would be a huge understatement. It's what draws you in. Everyone remembers their first cover. Everyone has a favorite. That one image that just screams “Comics!” and takes us back to a simpler time where our biggest concern was how many copies of a certain title we’d be able to lug home from the shop that day. I can think of a few that stand out for me in an instant. So, Source readers, here’s the question: What’s your favorite DC Comics cover? Why?

But that’s not what makes this open thread special. Not only do we want to hear what your favorite cover is, we’ve got comments from some of the biggest names at DC.

Curious to hear what they’ve got to say? Click below, and don’t forget to check Vertigo’s GRAPHIC CONTENT and WildStorm’s THE BLEED for even more creators chiming in.

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DAN DIDIO, DC Comics Co-Publisher

I stuck to books that came out during my tenure. As far as covers go, THE FLASH #207 by Michael Turner. The Flash has never looked so fast standing still.

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DAVID FINCH, BRIGHTEST DAY cover artist

My favorite DC cover is by Alex Ross, and it's for BATMAN: BLACK AND WHITE. It's got Bruce standing with his back to the viewer and he's running his hand over the scars that crisscross his whole back. It just captures everything that Batman is about for me. He's not afraid to do whatever it takes to get the job done, and he's willing to sacrifice his own body and mind to the cause.

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BRIAN AZZARELLO, FIRST WAVE writer

OUR FIGHTING FORCES #150. Joe Kubert's covers told stories that were sometimes better than the one's in the books.

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JIMMY PALMIOTTI, JONAH HEX co-writer

My favorite comic cover has to be JONAH HEX #27 by Jordi Bernet. There is so much storytelling packed into this single image as well as

brilliant composition by one of Europe's greatest illustrators. Jordi is and will always be one of my favorite artists.

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JT KRUL, GREEN ARROW writer

Tough call. I could easily rattle off a bunch of the obvious ones: Killing Joke, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Watchmen, etc. But one that always stuck with me was Denys Cowan's cover for THE QUESTION #34. It was the first Question comic I bought (don't ask me how the book managed to elude me until then). There's a such a haunting quality to the man without a face, but it's the masses behind him that really help set the mood. That cover, not to mention all the Question covers drove me to spend money I didn't have in college on back issues to fill my run. Each week, I'd tell myself I'm only going to get one or two, but I always walked out the door of my LCS with five or six. But who needed food, when you had great comics, right?

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STERLING GATES, SUPERGIRL writer, SUPERMAN: WAR OF THE SUPERMEN co-writer

TEEN TITANS #14. How can you look at this great Nick Cardy cover and NOT want to read this issue?

Not only have the other Teen Titans DIED, their ghosts are haunting Robin!

I always wondered if they were encouraging him to quit being a superhero, or quit life and join them six feet under. The dead can be a selfish lot, so I have no trouble imagining them trying to get Robin to come on down…

LEE BERMEJO, JOKER, LUTHOR artist

Gotta say my favorite DC cover has got to be Bill Sienkiewicz's cover to THE SHADOW #1. Just a beautiful, graphic image that is aggressive as well as elegant, modern and timeless simultaneously. Those two Uzi's unloading in your face blew my young mind and made me an instant fan of both the character and Sienkiewicz's genius. The key was in that squinted eye, though. I think it was the first time I felt like a participant as opposed to reader.

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DUSTIN NGUYEN, BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM artist

Mignola's cover to BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #54 pretty much sums up everything i love about the look of Batman. Bold simple colors, plenty of drama in an otherwise static pose, and the eyes- perfectly positioned inside the silhouette of a horned cowl. And it's RED, i like red."

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FRANCO, TINY TITANS writer/artist

That's an easy one! My favorite cover has always been the NEW TEEN TITANS #13!! I saw this thing and it knocked me on the floor! I knew the Titans were going to be in trouble when somebody kicked Robot Man's tin can and hung him out to dry in the middle of the Amazon forest!!! There was just so much detail here and I remember pulling it off the rack and just staring at it for a while and the guy behind the counter yelled at me and asked if I was gonna buy it or just stare at it all day. I did both! It was the first series that compelled me to go find all the back issues. Mr. Perez is the master!

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ART BALTAZAR, TINY TITANS writer/artist

SUPERMAN #337. AW YEAH! WHAT? Superman quits? NEVER!

Awesome cover! The colors rock! Awesome Bad Guys too! First time I ever saw Metallo! This cover has mystery, Drama, conflict and adventure! I love how happy the bad guys are to finally defeat the Man of Steel! The Super Friends cartoon was on TV at this time, so it was cool to see Brainiac and Bizarro. PLUS! All those Bad Guys together is what we want to see!

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JUDD WINICK, JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST co-writer, POWER GIRL writer

My favorite cover is ACTION COMICS #500. "The Life Story Of Superman". It's my favorite DC comic. It told the entire story Superman. It was like getting 10 pounds of Ice Cream. The cover SCREAMED to me--THIS IS SPECIAL! and it was and it is.

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YILDIRAY CINAR, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES artist

The cover I picked up is BATMAN #366 by Walt Simonson. The cover speaks for itself. The layout, composition, lightning...One of my favorite covers in my entire collection since my childhood.

As promised, Question pages from DETECTIVE COMICS #859

Yesterday, we showed some pages from the Batwoman feature in DETECTIVE COMICS #859 -- but let's not forget about The Question second feature, from Greg Rucka and artist Cully Hamner. The case may be closed closed, but Renee won't stop until she has the answers! When a new lead points to the Sicilian mafia, The Question turns to an expert for assistance. But can she trust the Huntress to be professional when family rears its ugly head?

DETECTIVE COMICS #859 hits 11/25.

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Take a look at the latest QUESTION co-feature

Have you checked out the great work writer Greg Rucka and artist Cully Hamner are doing monthly in the pages of the QUESTION co-feature in DETECTIVE COMICS? If not, you're missing out. But here at The Source, we're all about spotlighting all the fun stuff coming out of these offices, and THE QUESTION is no exception. In DETECTIVE COMICS #857, the Question's search for a missing girl leads Renee to a human trafficking ring, and the Question suddenly finds herself in way over her head.

DETECTIVE COMICS #857 hits 9/23. Check back later today for a preview of the main feature, from Rucka and the super-talented J.H. Williams III.

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Siglain on DETECTIVE COMICS, OUTSIDERS

Greetings, Source-erers,

Michael Siglain here. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m one of the editors here at DC. More specifically, I’m one of the Bat-editors, and am currently responsible for Detective Comics, Outsiders, Batgirl, Vigilante and Booster Gold, among other comic book greatness. I’m here today to give you a peek behind the editorial iron curtain, so get ready to feast your eyes...

First up, I’d like to take a moment to congratulate the crew of Detective Comics. The lead story—by the brilliant team of Greg Rucka, J.H. Williams III, and Dave Stewart—tells the tale of Batwoman, while in the co-feature, Mr. Rucka teams up with artist extraordinaire Cully Hamner to answer The Question. As you may have heard, we’ve just sold out of Detective Comics #854 and are going back to press with a brand new cover.

But you might not have seen the uncolored version of our groovy second printing cover, so take a gander…

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Pretty, ain’t it? If any of you haven’t read this issue yet, run—don’t walk—to your local comic shop and reserve your copy now. And just wait until you read Detective Comics #855, which is in stores at the end of this month. Things go from bad to worse for our heroines, but the writing and the art only gets better and better. Trust me, you definitely don’t want to miss this one.

And speaking of cool bat-related books, here’s a page from Outsiders #21, which features an all-new story arc written by Wizard Top Ten Writer Peter Tomasi—seriously, he’s number seven with a bullet—of Nightwing and Green Lantern Corps fame, with art by the amazingly talented Fernando Pasarin—of Justice Society of America fame (he’s not on the Wizard list yet, but he’s number one on the list of Top Ten Artists Who Live in Spain and Currently Work for Mike Siglain). These fine folks have crafted a tale of terror that pits the Outsiders against some of Batman’s most dangerous and vile villains. In “The Hunting” Part I, Black Lightning and Owlman head north in an attempt to track down the murderous Mr. Freeze. Again, take a look:

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That’s all for now, gang. But check back soon for another update featuring the all-new Batgirl, the same ol’ Booster, the return of Doug Moench and Kelley Jones, and a top secret, unbelievably creepy Sam Kieth project.

Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight…

M.

Some notes from the Bat-office

Hello there, Bat Nation! As BATMAN REBORN kicks into high gear, I just wanted to send a quick note to you all--a friendly reminder--to run (don’t walk!) to your local comic shop this coming Wednesday for two spectacular debuts!

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First up we have DETECTIVE COMICS STARRING BATWOMAN. Writer Greg Rucka and artist JH Williams III have been pouring their hearts and souls into this comic over the past several months--from the very first page you’ll see what we mean.  You won’t want to miss this first adventure, which unveils a new villain for Batwoman to face.

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And if one story isn’t enough for you, fret not--we have not one, but (count ‘em!) TWO stories in DETECTIVE COMICS each month. Following the lead feature is THE QUESTION, written by the very busy Greg Rucka and illustrated by Cully Hamner. Renee Montoya and her inquisitive alter ego take center stage each month in this second feature.

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Next up we have the series debut of GOTHAM CITY SIRENS, featuring Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn! This new series is written by a guy named Paul Dini--perhaps you’ve read his work in DETECTIVE or BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM. And this series is beautifully illustrated by Guillem March, whose work you may have seen in GOTHAM GAZETTE, or in last year’s BATMAN/DETECTIVE “Last Days of Gotham” two-part crossover.

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And this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg…Phase Two of BATMAN REBORN kicks in later this year, with the return of two long-time favorites--the all-new BATGIRL series in August, and the all-new AZRAEL series in October!

Thanks for reading!

THE QUESTION co-feature unveiled

Batwoman isn't the only lady trying to fill the void left by Batman's disappearance in the pages of DETECTIVE COMICS -- Rene Montoya, i.e. The Question, joins the series as an ongoing co-feature starting this June in the pages of DETECTIVE COMICS #854, from writer Greg Rucka and artist Cully Hamner. Until now, we've only seen a few of Cully's design sketches. But we've got a few inked pages to show off his work right here.

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A few links of note: THE QUESTION, FLASH: REBIRTH

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Believe it or not, stuff happens elsewhere on the Internet. Crazy, huh? Here are a few things worth looking at.

• The guys at iFanboy have posted a video interview with FLASH: REBIRTH writer Geoff Johns discussing the new series. The interview was conducted the day the first issue hit, during Johns' signing at Jim Hanley's Universe. Additionally, IGN eviews FLASH: REBIRTH via their SMASH!! podcast. And if that's not enough REBIRTH for you, AIN'T IT COOL NEWS also gives the first issue a strong review.

Greg Rucka discusses THE QUESTION co-feature, which will appear in DETECTIVE COMICS starting in June.

• Got a question for Dan DiDio? Newsarama is collecting the latest batch.

Subscribe to the question