Monday Previews From DC Comics

From DC's Online Blog:

Welcome back for another installment of Preview Monday! This week, we’re giving you exclusive first looks at NIGHTWING #23 and SUPERBOY #23.

Dick Grayson is closing in on the Prankster, but he’s still a step behind. After rounding up the villain’s henchmen, he gets a tip about the Prankster’s next move. But can he chase his lead in time to also save the innocent people caught in the crossfire of Prankster’s evil plan? A surprise visit from the last person that Grayson expects to see might be the only chance Nightwing has at being able to do both! Written by Kyle Higgins and featuring art by Will Conrad and Andrew Dalhouse, NIGHTWING #23 swings into stores this Wednesday.

Meanwhile, who - or what - has infected the entire student body of McDuffie High? It seems as though Psionic energy has transformed everyone into monsters. Is Dr. Psycho behind it all? And who is the mysterious figure attacking Superboy? If another Superboy has been cloned – matching him power for power – who will win this showdown? Plus, you won’t want to miss the final pages of this explosive issue, as a secret, surprise player steps forward! Written by Justin Jordan and illustrated by Robson Rocha, Marcus To, Marlo Alquiza, Pete Pantazis, and Richard and Tanya Horie, SUPERBOY #23 hits the spinner rack this Wednesday.

Marvel Comics Lego Themed Variants

There are no shortage of variant covers for comic books from week to week as DC and Marvel seem to compete with who can have the most on any given Wednesday. It would be hard to ignore the cute little fellows on two upcoming issues from Marvel though. Mighty Avengers #1 and Uncanny Avengers #12 will show off some really great art from Leonel Castellani as he pays homage to Steve Ditko and Jim Lee with recreations using the LEGO versions of characters. Comic Book Resources received these cover previews exclusively from Marvel which will be available next month.

The price for these could range anywhere from $7 to $100 depending on how limited the print run of each is. I quite like the Spider-Man one so I am hoping for the cheaper price range to land on these.

Aspen Dragon Con 2013 Appearance to Feature Aquarium Beach Party

In celebration of their tenth anniversary and Fathom’s 15^th Anniversary, Aspen Comics in association with Dragon Con 2013 will be hosting an Aspen Comics Beach Party at the landmark Georgia Aquarium on Saturday, August 31^st. Featuring DJ Spider, an Aspen-themed costume contest, and a special live dive with the whale sharks by the creators behind Fathom, Soulfire and other notable Aspen hits, this is a one-of-a-kind night to commemorate ten years of Aspen Comics at Dragon Con.    

Aspen creators Frank Mastromauro, Peter Steigerwald, Siya Oum, Alex Konat and Jordan Gunderson will be appearing at the Aspen Comics table in Artist’s Alley as well as the Aspen Comics Beach Party, and offering new Dragon Con 2013 exclusives as well as free sketches and live cosplay photo ops throughout the weekend.

In addition to the special Beach Party event and booth appearances, the publisher will be offering three new exclusive books for the show, beginning with the world premiere of their seventh “10 for 10” title, Overtaken, with a special issue one Dragon Con 2013 cover by Siya Oum, limited to 200 copies. Also, Aspen will be offering an All New Fathom #2 Dragon Con 2013 exclusive cover by Alex Konat and Peter Steigerwald, limited to 200 copies, as well as a BubbleGun #3 Dragon Con 2013 cover by Paolo Pantalena and Peter Steigerwald, limited to 200 copies.

Aspen will also be offering the latest Aspen Tour Print 2013 Anniversary Edition by Michael Turner and Peter Steigerwald, limited to 75 editions, as well as a new lineup of their industry-leading art prints.

Aspen Beach Party Costume Contest Contestants will be judged and awarded Aspen Comics prize packages including items such as original art, statues, signed comics and rare exclusives in the following contests:

Categories specific to Aspen Comics:

--Judge’s Special Grand Prize

--Best Aspen Comics Character themed costume/s.

--Best Fathom themed costume/s.

--Best Michael Turner Cover Recreation costume/s.

Categories not specific to Aspen Comics:

--Best Male Costume.

--Best Female Costume.

--Best Kids Costume.

--Best Boys 13+ costume.

--Best Girls 13+ costume.

Forever Evil Unites The New 52 Universe

 

DC has kept good on their word to make their titles new reader friendly by straying away from the big company wide events. There have been several smaller crossovers between family books like Batman, Superman, Justice League, Green Lantern, etc. but overall there hasn't been a true full universe event to span all the titles. Marvel tends to two 2 or more huge events each year and some fans feel that it creates 'event fatigue' by persuading readers to reach in their pockets to try and catch every little tie-in for the huge stories. 

I really have no problem with full title spanning stories as long as they feel like a natural progression and are well written with true outcomes for the future of the universe. It's been refreshing to see DC step back a bit and let two years pass by without shoving tie-in after tie-in down our throats. The 2nd anniversary of the New 52 is coming up this September so it seems fitting that they begin the event this month with Forever Evil.

DC Comics has a few pages without text to preview the event as artist David Finch and Geoff Johns join together to make the villains top priority.

This fall, FOREVER EVIL will establish a new status quo in the DC Universe – one in which there are no superheroes left and evil is on a soaring rise. Therefore, it’ll be up to Steve Trevor and the surviving agents of A.R.G.U.S. to step up to the challenge of combating these threats on their own. But how can regular human beings take on super-powered villains and expect to stand a fighting chance?

With their new armor, A.R.G.U.S. agents are given a shot at survival. Created using technology from Apokolips, this armor is incredibly experimental – and thus not fully understood by the scientists on Earth. This armor is specifically designed to protect regular citizens living within a superhero world. And while it of course doesn’t guarantee their survival, it evens out the playing field enough to allow A.R.G.U.S. agents to go into the frontlines of battle with a necessary boost of confidence. The new armor will make its debut on Steve Trevor in FOREVER EVIL: A.R.G.U.S. #1, which will also feature such notorious characters as Deathstroke and Cheetah.

- See more at: Forever Evil

The Trailer for The Star Wars Comic is Here

So, it's come to this. A trailer... for a comic-book. This is some serious End of Civilization stuff going down, people.

It's for The Star Wars, one of the final hurrah's for Dark Horse Comics (who will no doubt lose the licensing rights to Marvel once they expire), the comic adaptation of early drafts of Star Wars before George Lucas started to refine it, scale it back and ultimately find his way.

USA Today has a few pages if that's your thing. The rest of us will wait for the inevitable announcement of the original trilogy (untinkered by Lucas) getting the high-resolution treatments on Blu-Ray. Most likely right in time for Episode VII's theatrical release.

Villains Rule In September At DC Comics

Following the events of this summer’s crossover “Trinity War,” a dark shadow will be cast across the DC Universe.

This September, all of the DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 titles will be replaced by Villains books. What happens when the heroes of the DC Universe fall and there’s nobody left to stop the villains from taking over? Find out this fall during Villain’s Month, which will spotlight 52 of the DC Universe’s biggest rogues in their own one-shots.

“September has always been a big month for us and we look for an opportunity every year in September to do something big that really redefines the line and invites anyone who hasn’t been following comics to step right in,” DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee explained to BUZZFEED, who exclusively announced this exciting and historic event earlier this morning. “We launched the New 52 with all-new continuity and new costumes, Zero Month was all about origins of our heroes, and now the villains are taking over. One of the strengths of the DC Universe has been the strength of the rogues gallery. Often times they’re as famous – if not more infamous – than our heroes.”

And what’s more, each Villain's Month cover will feature a 3D motion image on the front and back!

“We’re also commemorating this event by doing something really unheard of, I think, as far as a major publisher - we’re actually adding a special cover on every single villain’s book. It’s called a 3D motion cover and it’s essentially artwork that’s been separated onto different layers, so when you hold the cover, which is a premium stock cover, and you slightly rotate the comic book left or right or up and down, the images move a bit,” Lee continued.

“It’s an incredible 3D effect that shows depth of field on the covers,” added DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Dan DiDio. “It’s the full cover stock, so it’s not anything that’s been glued on. More importantly, it’s actually pliable and soft to the touch - it’s a brand new technology and we’re going to be the first ones debuting in this fashion.”

September is also the launch date for FOREVER EVIL, the seven-part mini-series by Geoff Johns and David Finch that sets into motion this first New 52 universe-wide crossover event.

“FOREVER EVIL is a chance for David and I to work on all the greatest villains in comic books,” Johns said to USA TODAY. “It's literally everybody. I don't even know if there's anybody not in it. We're really exploring what darkness means and the different kinds of darkness that are within these villains."

As for the art of FOREVER EVIL? Finch went on to tell USA TODAY that he has “more of an affinity for villains than heroes. I have a really dark art style and the tone of this is so exactly where I'm coming from.”

For more from Lee and DiDio about Villain’s Month, check out the full interview that ran with the Co-Publishers on BUZZFEED (and while you’re there, don’t miss more awesome GIFs of some of the September villain-centric 3D motion covers!). And for more from Johns and Finch about FOREVER EVIL, head on over to USA TODAY to read their full coverage.

Stay tuned over the next couple of days as we announce specific details about what big bads will be taking over your favorite superhero titles. 

Following the events of this summer’s crossover “Trinity War,” a dark shadow will be cast across the DC Universe.

This September, all of the DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 titles will be replaced by Villains books. What happens when the heroes of the DC Universe fall and there’s nobody left to stop the villains from taking over? Find out this fall during Villain’s Month, which will spotlight 52 of the DC Universe’s biggest rogues in their own one-shots.

“September has always been a big month for us and we look for an opportunity every year in September to do something big that really redefines the line and invites anyone who hasn’t been following comics to step right in,” DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee explained to BUZZFEED, who exclusively announced this exciting and historic event earlier this morning. “We launched the New 52 with all-new continuity and new costumes, Zero Month was all about origins of our heroes, and now the villains are taking over. One of the strengths of the DC Universe has been the strength of the rogues gallery. Often times they’re as famous – if not more infamous – than our heroes.” 

And what’s more, each Villain's Month cover will feature a 3D motion image on the front and back!

“We’re also commemorating this event by doing something really unheard of, I think, as far as a major publisher - we’re actually adding a special cover on every single villain’s book. It’s called a 3D motion cover and it’s essentially artwork that’s been separated onto different layers, so when you hold the cover, which is a premium stock cover, and you slightly rotate the comic book left or right or up and down, the images move a bit,” Lee continued.

“It’s an incredible 3D effect that shows depth of field on the covers,” added DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Dan DiDio. “It’s the full cover stock, so it’s not anything that’s been glued on. More importantly, it’s actually pliable and soft to the touch - it’s a brand new technology and we’re going to be the first ones debuting in this fashion.” 

September is also the launch date for FOREVER EVIL, the seven-part mini-series by Geoff Johns and David Finch that sets into motion this first New 52 universe-wide crossover event.

“FOREVER EVIL is a chance for David and I to work on all the greatest villains in comic books,” Johns said to USA TODAY. “It's literally everybody. I don't even know if there's anybody not in it. We're really exploring what darkness means and the different kinds of darkness that are within these villains."

As for the art of FOREVER EVIL? Finch went on to tell USA TODAY that he has “more of an affinity for villains than heroes. I have a really dark art style and the tone of this is so exactly where I'm coming from.”

For more from Lee and DiDio about Villain’s Month, check out the full interview that ran with the Co-Publishers on BUZZFEED (and while you’re there, don’t miss more awesome GIFs of some of the September villain-centric 3D motion covers!). And for more from Johns and Finch about FOREVER EVIL, head on over to USA TODAY to read their full coverage.

Stay tuned over the next couple of days as we announce specific details about what big bads will be taking over your favorite superhero titles, but in the meantime, check out some more GIFs and sound off in the comments section below about which villains you’d like to see starring in their own books this fall!

- See more at: http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2013/06/03/dc-entertainment-announces-villains-month-forever-evil-and-more#sthash.2FE43cAo.dpuf

Following the events of this summer’s crossover “Trinity War,” a dark shadow will be cast across the DC Universe.

This September, all of the DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 titles will be replaced by Villains books. What happens when the heroes of the DC Universe fall and there’s nobody left to stop the villains from taking over? Find out this fall during Villain’s Month, which will spotlight 52 of the DC Universe’s biggest rogues in their own one-shots.

“September has always been a big month for us and we look for an opportunity every year in September to do something big that really redefines the line and invites anyone who hasn’t been following comics to step right in,” DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee explained to BUZZFEED, who exclusively announced this exciting and historic event earlier this morning. “We launched the New 52 with all-new continuity and new costumes, Zero Month was all about origins of our heroes, and now the villains are taking over. One of the strengths of the DC Universe has been the strength of the rogues gallery. Often times they’re as famous – if not more infamous – than our heroes.” 

And what’s more, each Villain's Month cover will feature a 3D motion image on the front and back!

“We’re also commemorating this event by doing something really unheard of, I think, as far as a major publisher - we’re actually adding a special cover on every single villain’s book. It’s called a 3D motion cover and it’s essentially artwork that’s been separated onto different layers, so when you hold the cover, which is a premium stock cover, and you slightly rotate the comic book left or right or up and down, the images move a bit,” Lee continued.

“It’s an incredible 3D effect that shows depth of field on the covers,” added DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Dan DiDio. “It’s the full cover stock, so it’s not anything that’s been glued on. More importantly, it’s actually pliable and soft to the touch - it’s a brand new technology and we’re going to be the first ones debuting in this fashion.” 

September is also the launch date for FOREVER EVIL, the seven-part mini-series by Geoff Johns and David Finch that sets into motion this first New 52 universe-wide crossover event.

“FOREVER EVIL is a chance for David and I to work on all the greatest villains in comic books,” Johns said to USA TODAY. “It's literally everybody. I don't even know if there's anybody not in it. We're really exploring what darkness means and the different kinds of darkness that are within these villains."

As for the art of FOREVER EVIL? Finch went on to tell USA TODAY that he has “more of an affinity for villains than heroes. I have a really dark art style and the tone of this is so exactly where I'm coming from.”

For more from Lee and DiDio about Villain’s Month, check out the full interview that ran with the Co-Publishers on BUZZFEED (and while you’re there, don’t miss more awesome GIFs of some of the September villain-centric 3D motion covers!). And for more from Johns and Finch about FOREVER EVIL, head on over to USA TODAY to read their full coverage.

Stay tuned over the next couple of days as we announce specific details about what big bads will be taking over your favorite superhero titles, but in the meantime, check out some more GIFs and sound off in the comments section below about which villains you’d like to see starring in their own books this fall!

- See more at: http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2013/06/03/dc-entertainment-announces-villains-month-forever-evil-and-more#sthash.2FE43cAo.dpuf

Following the events of this summer’s crossover “Trinity War,” a dark shadow will be cast across the DC Universe.

This September, all of the DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 titles will be replaced by Villains books. What happens when the heroes of the DC Universe fall and there’s nobody left to stop the villains from taking over? Find out this fall during Villain’s Month, which will spotlight 52 of the DC Universe’s biggest rogues in their own one-shots.

“September has always been a big month for us and we look for an opportunity every year in September to do something big that really redefines the line and invites anyone who hasn’t been following comics to step right in,” DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee explained to BUZZFEED, who exclusively announced this exciting and historic event earlier this morning. “We launched the New 52 with all-new continuity and new costumes, Zero Month was all about origins of our heroes, and now the villains are taking over. One of the strengths of the DC Universe has been the strength of the rogues gallery. Often times they’re as famous – if not more infamous – than our heroes.”

And what’s more, each Villain's Month cover will feature a 3D motion image on the front and back!

“We’re also commemorating this event by doing something really unheard of, I think, as far as a major publisher - we’re actually adding a special cover on every single villain’s book. It’s called a 3D motion cover and it’s essentially artwork that’s been separated onto different layers, so when you hold the cover, which is a premium stock cover, and you slightly rotate the comic book left or right or up and down, the images move a bit,” Lee continued.

“It’s an incredible 3D effect that shows depth of field on the covers,” added DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Dan DiDio. “It’s the full cover stock, so it’s not anything that’s been glued on. More importantly, it’s actually pliable and soft to the touch - it’s a brand new technology and we’re going to be the first ones debuting in this fashion.”

September is also the launch date for FOREVER EVIL, the seven-part mini-series by Geoff Johns and David Finch that sets into motion this first New 52 universe-wide crossover event.

“FOREVER EVIL is a chance for David and I to work on all the greatest villains in comic books,” Johns said to USA TODAY. “It's literally everybody. I don't even know if there's anybody not in it. We're really exploring what darkness means and the different kinds of darkness that are within these villains."

As for the art of FOREVER EVIL? Finch went on to tell USA TODAY that he has “more of an affinity for villains than heroes. I have a really dark art style and the tone of this is so exactly where I'm coming from.”

For more from Lee and DiDio about Villain’s Month, check out the full interview that ran with the Co-Publishers on BUZZFEED (and while you’re there, don’t miss more awesome GIFs of some of the September villain-centric 3D motion covers!). And for more from Johns and Finch about FOREVER EVIL, head on over to USA TODAY to read their full coverage.

Stay tuned over the next couple of days as we announce specific details about what big bads will be taking over your favorite superhero titles, but in the meantime, check out some more GIFs and sound off in the comments section below about which villains you’d like to see starring in their own books this fall!

- See more at: http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2013/06/03/dc-entertainment-announces-villains-month-forever-evil-and-more#sthash.2FE43cAo.dpuf

Following the events of this summer’s crossover “Trinity War,” a dark shadow will be cast across the DC Universe.

This September, all of the DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 titles will be replaced by Villains books. What happens when the heroes of the DC Universe fall and there’s nobody left to stop the villains from taking over? Find out this fall during Villain’s Month, which will spotlight 52 of the DC Universe’s biggest rogues in their own one-shots.

“September has always been a big month for us and we look for an opportunity every year in September to do something big that really redefines the line and invites anyone who hasn’t been following comics to step right in,” DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee explained to BUZZFEED, who exclusively announced this exciting and historic event earlier this morning. “We launched the New 52 with all-new continuity and new costumes, Zero Month was all about origins of our heroes, and now the villains are taking over. One of the strengths of the DC Universe has been the strength of the rogues gallery. Often times they’re as famous – if not more infamous – than our heroes.”

And what’s more, each Villain's Month cover will feature a 3D motion image on the front and back!

“We’re also commemorating this event by doing something really unheard of, I think, as far as a major publisher - we’re actually adding a special cover on every single villain’s book. It’s called a 3D motion cover and it’s essentially artwork that’s been separated onto different layers, so when you hold the cover, which is a premium stock cover, and you slightly rotate the comic book left or right or up and down, the images move a bit,” Lee continued.

“It’s an incredible 3D effect that shows depth of field on the covers,” added DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Dan DiDio. “It’s the full cover stock, so it’s not anything that’s been glued on. More importantly, it’s actually pliable and soft to the touch - it’s a brand new technology and we’re going to be the first ones debuting in this fashion.”

September is also the launch date for FOREVER EVIL, the seven-part mini-series by Geoff Johns and David Finch that sets into motion this first New 52 universe-wide crossover event.

“FOREVER EVIL is a chance for David and I to work on all the greatest villains in comic books,” Johns said to USA TODAY. “It's literally everybody. I don't even know if there's anybody not in it. We're really exploring what darkness means and the different kinds of darkness that are within these villains."

As for the art of FOREVER EVIL? Finch went on to tell USA TODAY that he has “more of an affinity for villains than heroes. I have a really dark art style and the tone of this is so exactly where I'm coming from.”

For more from Lee and DiDio about Villain’s Month, check out the full interview that ran with the Co-Publishers on BUZZFEED (and while you’re there, don’t miss more awesome GIFs of some of the September villain-centric 3D motion covers!). And for more from Johns and Finch about FOREVER EVIL, head on over to USA TODAY to read their full coverage.

Stay tuned over the next couple of days as we announce specific details about what big bads will be taking over your favorite superhero titles, but in the meantime, check out some more GIFs and sound off in the comments section below about which villains you’d like to see starring in their own books this fall!

- See more at: http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2013/06/03/dc-entertainment-announces-villains-month-forever-evil-and-more#sthash.2FE43cAo.dpuf

Batman Loves Beef

 

Last week saw the end of Grant Morrison's seven year epic on Batman come to an end with Batman Incorporated #13. Morrison revisted a lot of radical ideas that had seemed long forgotten from Batman's past and introduced a whole new section for the bat-family to expand throughout the DC Universe. Even with that issue ending the long run, DC has decided to release a one shot special featuring various creators to potentially continue the great ideas Morrison concieved. 

IGN has a look at an interesting variant featuring Bat-Cow drawn by Ethan Van Sciver. Dan Didio will be writing the back up tale in the issue while Van Sciver handles the art duties. With Damien kicking the bucket it's good to see Bruce still finds happiness somewhere, even if it is a cow.

BATMAN, INCORPORATED SPECIAL #1
Written by Chris Burnham, Dan DiDio, Joe Keatinge and more
Art by Chris Burnham, Ethan Van Sciver, Jason Masters and more
Release Date: August 28, 2013

An all-star special featuring the various members of Batman Incorporated—Man-of-Bats, Red Raven, El Gaucho, Dark Ranger, Knight, Batman himself and more! In the wake of their epic struggle with Talia al Ghul, the Heretic and Leviathan see what’s next for the members of Batman’s army. Featuring stories written and drawn by a collection of industry greats! Plus: Bat-Cow makes her solo debut in a tale by writer Dan DiDio and artist Ethan Van Sciver!

Necessary Evil Showcaces the Villains of DC Comics

 

Some Evil is just way too good.

Too good to be cut. Too good to wind up on the editing room floor. Too good to be locked away in a vault forever, never to be seen.

Yet when making a documentary feature like Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics, it’s also unavoidable. When talking to experts like Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, Dan DiDio, Zack Snyder and Richard Donner, you’re going to get far more material than you could possibly use. Not all of it is going to make the final cut, and with a team of talented contributors like this, much of this unseen material is guaranteed to be golden.

Usually, this unused footage gets filed away, seen by the filmmakers and few else. However, to prepare you, the loyal DC Comics fans, for the release of this new documentary, we’re presenting some of the best of these moments here as a weekly series that we’re calling “Necessary Extras.” Over the next few months, look for an exclusive new clip here on DCComics.com every Thursday. These clips delve into the darker side of the DC Universe, discussing the importance of super-villains and elaborating on their appeal. They feature some of the biggest names in comics, film and TV, and you’ll only see them here.

Batman/Superman #3 Cover Features Darkseid

DC Comics has provided CBR with an exclusive first look at covers for "Batman/Superman" #3 written byGreg Pak with interior art by Jae Lee. Lee's standard cover in his signature style show Darkseid looming his head into the world of the young Superman and Batman, while Patrick Gleason's variant cover depicts an Earth-shattering battle between a young Superman and the Wonder Woman of Earth 2. The issue hits stores August 28.

"I love those classic stories where Superman and Batman are best friends," Pak told CBR before the series' launch. "I can read those all day long! [Laughs] Where they finish each other's words, where they know without saying anything what the other guy's thinking, that kind of stuff is incredibly fun to write. But it's a blast to start at the beginning and see these guys at the point where they first meet and they both think the other is the most dangerous guy on the planet. It's just a really fun place to start."

Page from PACIFIC RIM Prequel Reveals Meta "Making Of" for Del Toro & Crew

The Pacific Rim Facebook Page revealed a page from the upcoming "Pacific Rim: Tales from Year Zero" prequel comic that shows not only how the Jaegers in the film universe were conceived; but also probably how Guillermo Del Toro and screenwriter Travis Becham came up with the movie idea.

"Pacific Rim: Tales from Year Zero" is available June 5

Don't miss this exciting sci-fi prequel graphic novel of the highly anticipated Warner Bros. & Legendary motion picture, Pacific Rim directed by Guillermo del Toro! Chronicling the very first time Earth is menaced by incredible monsters known as Kaiju, these inhuman beasts rise from the ocean depths and threaten to extinguish all mankind! Witness the race to develop massive robot fighting machines called Jaegers, each one controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. This action-packed tale features many of the key characters from the film as we follow them in their early careers. Witten by Pacific Rim screenwriter himself, Travis Beacham, and with del Toro's hands-on supervision, this volume is beautifully illustrated by Sean Chen, Yvel Guichet, and Pericles Junior; inks by Steve Bird and Mark McKenna; and fully painted cover by superstar artist Alex Ross.

Pacific Rim hits theaters in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D on July 12. 

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.