Following last week’s whirlwind launch of the We Can Be Heroes crowdfunding campaign that resulted in more than $50,000 raised in just three days, we’re adding even more new and exciting Batman-themed perks.

How exciting?  Hold on to your secret identities, fans – this is truly incredible!

We’re offering the opportunity to get the VIP treatment at San Diego Comic-Con, hanging out with the legendary artists ‘behind the cowl’, Geoff Johns and Gary Frank!  The generous heroes (and their lucky sidekicks) who pledge for this perk are guaranteed entry to the sold-out SDCC, room reservations at sold-out hotels, never before offered tickets to a very exclusive DCE VIP event, round-trip airfare and will also get to spend an unforgettable day with some legendary creators.  There’s only three of this unique opportunity available so donate now.

Additional new perks include a double-sided theatrical poster of Batman Begins, autographed by co-screenwriter David Goyer, and BATMAN and ROBIN VOLUME 1 signed by the awesome team who created it, writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Patrick Gleason.

Now’s your chance to donate, and make a difference-- but keep in mind, once they’re gone, they’re gone FOREVER.  Get something good -- do something GREAT.

Real talk, guys.

Last year, DC Entertainment launched the We Can Be Heroes campaign, dedicated to raising $2 million dollars over the course of two years in order to aid the 8 million lives affected by the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

We are thrilled to say that we met that goal in the first year alone—all thanks to the amazing generosity of the creative community and fans like you. So, a big, heart-felt “Thank you” to everyone who has already donated and helped to improve the lives of millions of starving men, women and children.

But let’s not stop there.

On Tuesday, we announced the theme to the second year of the We Can Be Heroes campaign: “Get Something Good. Do Something Great.” Throughout the year, DC Entertainment will be announcing exciting new initiatives to build support, beginning with a massive super hero-themed crowdfunding campaign hosted by Indiegogo. The first phase focuses on the Dark Knight Detective, Batman, and features several levels of donation incentives, including signed graphic novels and the opportunity to share some really cool experiences with your favorite creators

It’s always a great time to give, and there are so many reasons to do so, but in the spirit of our regular weekly column, we’re giving you 5.2 Reasons to Donate to the We Can Be Heroes Campaign!

1. It’s For a Good Cause

As mentioned, there are millions of people whose lives have been greatly impacted and affected by the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa. The money you donate goes to helping the millions of starving men, women and children that desperately need our help. Your contributions have already helped change the lives of more 5 million people—but there’s still more in need.

2. It’s What Being a Hero is All About

Heroes like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman dedicate their lives to using their powers to help those in need. While we certainly can’t leap tall buildings in a single bound or create anything our minds can imagine with a willpower-fueled ring, we can still be heroes to men, women and children who are struggling. Millions of people need our help, and donating even just a little bit can go a long way.

3. Signed Editions of Your Favorite Titles

Each phase on the Indiegogo initiative focuses on a different member of the Justice League. For example, starting from April 2 to May 7, you can receive a number of Batman-inspired incentives by donating to the campaign, including signed copies of some of your favorite comic book titles and graphic novels, access to digital comics, and more. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be unveiling even more perks, so although a few of the Batman-centric ones are already claimed, there’s more still to come for the Dark Knight as well as future phases with other heroes.

4. Year-Long Subscription

For donating $30, you get a 1-year print subscription to either Batman, Detective Comics or Justice League (since sometimes, man can't live on Batman alone).

5. Get Drawn into a Comic

For a generous donation of $5,000, fans had the chance to appear in a Batman comic by one of the industry’s most talented and recognized artists, Gary Frank. Three gracious donators have already claimed these incentives; however, similar ones will also be available moving forward, so you’ll still have a chance to appear on the page next to some of the World’s Greatest Super Heroes.

5.1 Future Incentives

Including a Warner Bros. Animation studio tour, invitation to an exclusive DCE VIP event at 2013 Comic-Con International, and much more.

5.2 The Geoff Johns/Gary Frank SDCC Experience

An upcoming incentive that includes two passes to the already sold-out event, airfare, hotel room, and more!

For more information and to donate today, visit www.WeCanBeHeroes.org and www.indiegogo.com/at/WeCanBeHeroes.

 Inspired by Legendary Comic Book Artist Jim Lee, Kia Joins Forces with West Coast Customs, RIDES and Super Street to Kick Off SEMA in Superhero Fashion

·         Kia and DC Entertainment band together to support “We Can Be Heroes” – DC Entertainment’s giving campaign designed to raise awareness and funds to fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa

·         The four world-debuts at SEMA expand on the popularity of the Batman-inspired Optima unveiled in New York’s Time Warner Center two weeks ago

LAS VEGAS, October 30, 2012 – Kia Motors America (KMA) and DC Entertainment kicked off the 2012 SEMA Show today in superhero style with five radical machines inspired by the members of the Justice League: The Flash Forte Koup, Aquaman Rio 5-door, Cyborg Forte 5-door, Green Lantern Soul and the previously unveiled Batman Optima.  Built by West Coast Customs, RIDES and Super Street, each of the vehicles feature custom artwork by legendary comic book artist and DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee and are intended to raise awareness for DC Entertainment’s “We Can Be Heroes” giving campaign to help fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.  Each Justice League character was assigned to a specific Kia vehicle based on personality and key attributes to create these five iconic works of art on wheels.   

“Working together with DC Entertainment, West Coast Customs, RIDES and Super Street to create a fleet of superhero-inspired machines has been an incredible collaboration and the end result is five one-of-a-kind Justice League cars that bring each of these legendary comic book superheroes to life,” said Michael Sprague, executive vice president, marketing & communications, KMA.  “We are proud to be raising awareness for the ’We Can Be Heroes’ giving campaign and look forward to unveiling three more crime-fighting Kias at future auto shows and comic conventions as our 10-month partnership with DC Entertainment continues.”

”It was a thrill to see custom cars based upon my Justice League artwork and sketches revealed at SEMA,” stated Jim Lee, co-publisher of DC Entertainment. “I have to tip my hat to the teams at West Coast Customs, RIDES and Super Street on their innovative work creating cars that represent iconic characters like Green Lantern, Cyborg, Aquaman and The Flash – all to benefit a great cause, ‘We Can Be Heroes’, and I’d like to thank Kia Motors America for supporting ‘We Can Be Heroes’.”

The Flash-inspired Forte Koup

 Known for his speed, drive and commitment to fighting crime, The Flash is paired with the sleek Forte Koup, a vehicle with proven on-track racing performance in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.  Built by West Coast Customs, the Koup electrifies the senses with a red, orange and yellow airbrushed exterior paint that matches the Scarlet Speedster’s trademark costume. A cutout in the hood incorporates The Flash logo and allows viewers to see the speedy punch the Forte Koup packs.  The modifications continue with 20-inch Asanti color-matched wheels with Continental Extreme Contact tires.  A custom coilover suspension lowers the Forte Koup for razor-sharp handling.

On the inside, the Forte Koup’s seats are reupholstered in black nappa leather contrasted with red suede featuring yellow stitching with character artwork embroidered into the seats.  The headliner was also reupholstered using black suede showcasing custom stitching and custom-painted pieces throughout the interior.  To keep the Koup’s occupants energized, West Coast Customs installed two, ten-inch sub woofers and two sets of coaxial component speakers with a Quart four-channel amp, while a pair of Rosen Entertainment seven-inch monitors plays a “We Can Be Heroes” campaign video in the front headrests.

Aquaman-inspired Rio 5-door

Given the Kia Rio’s reputation as one of the most eco-friendly vehicles on the road today – 85-percent of Rio’s materials are recyclable at the end of its lifespan –  the subcompact provided a natural automotive alter-ego for Aquaman, symbolizing his role as protector of the environment, both land and sea.  The Aquaman-inspired Rio 5-door also received the West Coast Customs treatment with special gold, green and orange exterior paint and a body kit featuring custom-fabricated fins.  Visual elements also include Oracle LED wheel rings and body lighting across the exterior as well as 20-inch color-matched Asanti wheels wrapped in Continental rubber.

Inside the Rio 5-door’s spacious cabin, the seats have been reupholstered with green leather featuring yellow and gold accents.  The headliner has been customized using green suede while the Aquaman logo was stitched into the back seats to complete the thematic transformation of the passenger compartment.  Pop the trunk on this Rio and notice the customized enclosure featuring Aquaman comic-book art and a unique polycast cutout which creates an underwater scene that is lit with Oracle LED lighting.

This heroic Rio is further enhanced by a 12-inch subwoofer and two coaxial component speakers and amp while two seven-inch Rosen Entertainment monitors play the “We Can Be Heroes” video to promote this worthy cause.

Green Lantern-inspired Soul

Based on the intergalactic peacekeeper known as Green Lantern, the Super Street magazine’s wide-body Soul shines with a green and black two-tone exterior paint scheme complete with green mirror-chrome tint on the windows.  Super Street’s build team lowered the Soul to improve its stance and applied widened wheel wells with one-off 18 x 10.5-inch deep-dish wheels.  Traditionally a four-door vehicle, the Soul’s back doors have been welded shut to streamline its appearance.  Blacked out headlights feature projector beams that glow green. Customized Green Lantern-logo fog lights in the widened front fascia, and green LED lighting further enhance the overall appearance of the Soul –  this machine is ready for anything, just like Green Lantern.

A custom rear cargo compartment houses the Green Lantern power battery with his signature lantern logo etched into a clear panel displaying the superhero’s oath lit by LEDs.  The rear deck also holds a video monitor to display the “We Can Be Heroes” promotional video.  Up front, the Soul’s steering wheel and front seats were reupholstered with green and black leather and includes the Green Lantern logo stitched into the seat backs.  Other interior touches include various dash pieces painted in the green and black scheme.

Cyborg-inspired Forte 5-door

Built by RIDES magazine and based on Cyborg, the half human/half machine superhero for the modern age, the athletic and agile Kia Forte 5-door embodies Cyborg’s communications prowess, power and endurance.  It features coilover suspension for more aggressive maneuverability and widened custom metal fenders that recall Cyborg’s ability to mechanically morph to face any challenge.  This robotic road machine sits on 18-inch Rotiform TMB wheels with chrome lip and red anodized bolts.  Other exterior elements include a vented air scoop on the hood and side ports with red LED lights.  An Aztec silver paint job enhances the fluid lines and balanced proportions of the Forte 5-door, while matching the polished steel of Cyborg’s armor.

The vehicle interior consists of red perforated leather and red suede similar to the red glow pulsing from Cyborg’s power core.  Red and silver trim highlights the Cyborg emblem featured within the interior design. The tablet in the center console reinforces the fact that Cyborg is constantly plugged in—a hub for communication and information.  And the JL Audio sound system is another technological enhancement that highlights the fun side of the Justice League’s youngest member.

Batman Optima SX Limited

Previously unveiled at New York’s Time Warner Center, Kia, DC Entertainment and RIDES magazine worked together to design and build the Batman-inspired Optima.  RIDES transformed the exterior with a matte- and piano-black paint scheme, a dramatically lowered coilover suspension and muscular ground effects kit, huge Ksport performance brakes for extreme stopping power, custom-designed 20-inch black wheels with one-of-a-kind Batman-logo center caps and a performance exhaust system.  Other exterior modifications include a custom front grille shaped like a batwing that took over 40 hours to create, yellow LED lighting accents throughout the vehicle and the iconic bat signal etched into the SXL’s HID headlights.

Moving beneath the cape, the Optima‘s seating surfaces are costumed in custom black leather and suede with bold yellow accent stitching. Gotham City‘s streets are full of villains, and this Optima is ready for action at a moment‘s notice with crime-fighting elements like utility throwing stars installed in the center console.

KMA and DCE Partnership

The partnership between KMA and DC Entertainment was conceived to benefit “We Can Be Heroes” (www.WeCanBeHeroes.org), a giving campaign, dedicated to helping fight hunger in the Horn of Africa and inspired by the heroism of the iconic Justice League characters.  “We Can Be Heroes” encourages everyday people to join the fight by getting involved and donating to bring help and hope to the people most affected by the hunger crisis.  Each vehicle will feature a customized piece of Jim Lee’s specially-designed artwork to be auctioned at the conclusion of the program with all net proceeds going to the “We Can Be Heroes” program.  The Kia-DC Entertainment partnership includes seven vehicles inspired by the individual super hero characters and will culminate with a fully-drivable, eighth custom car that encompasses each member of the Justice League that will be auctioned off to raise money for the cause. Kia will help to raise awareness for the “We Can Be Heroes” giving campaign throughout the partnership through customized “We Can Be Heroes” license plates, signage, collateral materials and in-vehicle video displays. 

Stay tuned for more news on this partnership.  Now that five vehicles have been seen, there are three more to be unveiled at various auto shows and Comic-Cons over the next several months including Wonder Woman, Superman and a final vehicle that will feature all seven characters of the Justice League to be auctioned off to benefit the “We Can Be Heroes” giving campaign.

DC Entertainment and KIA Motors America unveiled four new Justice League-inspired cars at the SEMA auto show in Las Vegas. The newly unveiled Green Lantern, The Flash, Cyborg and Aquaman cars are shown here alongside the previously revealed Batman car.

 Legendary Comic Artist Jim Lee is Overseeing the Creative Direction of Eight Individually Customized and Characterized Superhero Vehicles to be Unveiled at Major Events Around the Country Over the Next Ten Months

·         Batman-themed Optima will be first to be unveiled the same week as New York Comic-Con on October 10

·         As part of the partnership, Kia is teaming up with DC Entertainment’s “We Can Be Heroes” campaign to help fight hunger in the Horn of Africa

IRVINE, Calif., Oct 3, 2012 - Kia Motors America (KMA), one of the fastest-growing car companies in the U.S has joined forces with renowned comic book publisher DC Entertainment, to bring the World’s Greatest Super Heroes to life by combining automotive styling with comic book art.  The partnership, which will yield eight individually customized vehicles, harnesses the talents of legendary comic book artist and DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee, who has collaborated on the design of each car with his vision for each iconic member of DC Comics’ Justice League. 

Each core member of the Justice League line-up – Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg – has been matched to a Kia vehicle based on key attributes and character traits to create custom, one-of-a-kind rides to be unveiled over the next ten months at major auto shows and comic conventions across the U.S. 

The Kia-DC Entertainment partnership will yield a total of eight vehicles timed to be unveiled around five major events around the U.S., including New York Comic-Con, SEMA Show in Las Vegas, North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Wonder-Con and San Diego Comic-Con.  Many of Kia’s most recognizable and decorated models –  the Optima, Soul, Sorento, Sportage, Rio and Forte will wear the iconic colors and marks of the legendary Justice League Super Heroes and be built by West Coast Customs, RIDES magazine, Import Tuner magazine and others.

“Kia and DC Entertainment are both global brands sharing a youthful and creative mindset, and both serve to inspire and exhilarate their respective fan bases.” said Michael Sprague, executive vice president, marketing & communications, KMA.  “This partnership will allow us to band these two great brands together in an effort to make the world a better place through the ‘We Can Be Heroes’ campaign.  And with Jim Lee’s vision combined with the efforts of some of the best customizing shops in the business, it’s going to be a lot of fun unveiling these cars around the country.”

The partnership between KMA and DC Entertainment was conceived to benefit “We Can Be Heroes” (www.WeCanBeHeroes.org), a giving campaign, dedicated to helping fight hunger in the Horn of Africa and inspired by the heroism of the iconic Justice League characters.  “We Can Be Heroes” encourages everyday people to join the fight by getting involved and donating to bring help and hope to the people most affected by the hunger crisis.  Each vehicle will feature a customized piece of Lee’s specially-designed artwork to be auctioned at the conclusion of the program with all net proceeds going to the “We Can Be Heroes” program.  In addition to the seven vehicles inspired by the individual superhero characters, the Kia-DC Entertainment partnership will culminate with a fully-drivable custom car that encompasses each member of the Justice League that will be auctioned off to raise money for the cause. Kia will help to raise awareness for the “We Can Be Heroes” campaign throughout the partnership through customized “We Can Be Heroes” license plates, signage, collateral materials and in-vehicle video displays. 

“DC Entertainment is pleased to be partnering with Kia on this program to help raise awareness and funds for the devastating hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa,” said Amit Desai, SVP of franchise management, DC Entertainment.  “Each of the iconic members of the Justice League is a superhero in his or her own right, but when they band together as the Justice League, they become an unstoppable force for good and right.  The Justice League reminds us that when we combine our efforts with others, we can create a world of change.  And that we can do all that and more with style and panache.  The Justice League characters look amazing on some of Kia’s best-looking and technologically-advanced vehicles.”

To learn more about “We Can Be Heroes” and ways to get involved, visit www.WeCanBeHeroes.org.