Official Press Release

The excitement of COUNTDOWN TO INFINITE CRISIS continues with the early sell-out of VILLAINS UNITED #1 more than two weeks before reaching stores on May 4!

Now, DC Comics rushes this issue back to press for a new printing featuring a striking new sketch cover spotlighting The Secret Six by interior artist Dale Eaglesham.

VILLAINS UNITED #1 Second Printing (FEB058477) reprints the story by Gail Simone with art by Eaglesham & Wade von Grawbadger. This new printing is scheduled to arrive in stores on May 18.

"A new printing means infect... I mean, entertaining a whole new group of readers," says Simone. "Now if people say I sold out, I can say it's a good thing! This has been one of the most fun projects I've ever worked on, and I think people's eyes are going to explode when they see the art by Dale Eaglesham and Wade von Grawbadger. Being bad has never looked so good!"

"Retailers and readers have responded very strongly to VILLAINS UNITED and the other COUNTDOWN-related miniseries," says Bob Wayne, DC's VP - Sales. "We urge retailers to order both this new printing and more of upcoming issues to meet reader demand."

VILLAINS UNITED #1 Second Printing (MAR050424) is available for order now and is scheduled to arrive in stores on May 18 with a cover price of $2.50 U.S. To ensure delivery on that date retailers must place orders by Sunday, May 8; please note that quantities will be limited and may sell out before May 8. DC recommends that retailers place orders as soon as possible to avoid missing out. As always, check the Villains United mini-site here.

DC COMICS RUSHES SOLD-OUT COUNTDOWN TO INFINITE CRISIS BACK TO PRESS!

March 30th, 2005 -

Two days before arriving in stores on March 30, the spectacular 80-page COUNTDOWN TO INFINITE CRISIS Special has sold out at DC Comics.

Now, DC rushes this pivotal, can't-miss comic back to press for a second printing with a new, variant cover by Jim Lee & Alex Ross that reveals the shadowy figure in Batman's arms as the ---------.

Scheduled to arrive in stores on April 13, COUNTDOWN TO INFINITE CRISIS Second Printing will have a cover price of $1.99 U.S., and will include the full story written by Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka and Judd Winick with art by Rags Morales & Michael Bair, Ed Benes, Ivan Reis & Marc Campos, Phil Jimenez & Andy Lanning, and Jesus Saiz & Jimmy Palmiotti.

"Even with the new price of $1.99, COUNTDOWN is the single best value in comics today," says Bob Wayne, DC's VP — Sales. "As the four miniseries that follow start to reach stores, retailers will want to have COUNTDOWN in stock, so we recommend that they place orders for this second printing now."

Mainstream press support for COUNTDOWN TO INFINITE CRISIS continues to build, with articles expected to run this week in USA Today, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the Philadelphia Daily News.

Technically this means that every copy of the issue has been ordered... so GET YOUR COPY NOW (you can probably still find it on shelves if you hurry). The cover to the 2nd print can be seen here http://i3.photobucket.com/albums...cntdwn2nd_400x600.jpg
due to the sensitive cover....

DC Comics
Written by Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka and Judd Winick; Art by Rags Morales, Ed Benes, Phil Jimenez, Ivan Reis, Jesus Saiz, and various; Cover by Jim Lee and Alex Ross

Three of the most acclaimed and popular writers in comics — Geoff Johns (TEEN TITANS, JSA), Greg Rucka (ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, WONDER WOMAN) and Judd Winick (BATMAN, OUTSIDERS) — join an all-star roster of artists for DC COUNTDOWN, an 80-page Spectacular with the incredibly low cover price of $1.00!

Artists Rags Morales (IDENTITY CRISIS), Ed Benes (BIRDS OF PREY), Ivan Reis (ACTION COMICS), Phil Jimenez (WONDER WOMAN, New X-Men), and Jesus Saiz (MANHUNTER) each pencil chapters of a story that follows a member of the JLA through a mystery that touches on nearly every character in the DCU!

Topped with a cover pencilled by Jim Lee (SUPERMAN, BATMAN) and painted by Alex Ross (KINGDOM COME, JLA: LIBERTY AND JUSTICE), DC COUNTDOWN is an essential project that features nearly every major character operating in the DC Universe. It's a project that will resonate for months to come and is a perfect jumping-on point for readers who've been wondering where the people who helped deliver IDENTITY CRISIS could possibly be going next. You won't want to miss it! And the clock is ticking...

DC Universe | 80pg. | Color | $1.00 US

On Sale March 30, 2005

If anybody wants to see interiors, check out the spoilers if you like at PopCultureShock & the huge preview at the ComicFanatic website. More on this in the coming days, so keep checking here periodically.

Nuff' said. The official cover... on sale March 30th for only $1!. Do you have an idea of who Batman's holding? Or what might happen? Leave a comment and talk about it. More to come later!

I just checked the DC Comics website and it confirms DC Countdown, on sale March 30th, is an 80-page book complemented with a cover by Jim Lee and painted by Alex Ross. I know this has been the subject of many message board topics lately and I will let everyone know the latest as soon as I hear it. And it's only a dollar! Maybe everybody should pick up a couple.