If X-Men: Days of Future Past doesn’t just have time travel elements, but full on time travel shenanigans, I’m all for it. (MTV Splash Page)

It was surprising because I had expected a PR push, but like I said it became apparent quickly that it worked in our favor that nothing was spoiled for the readers. It gave them an unexpected jolt, shaking them up emotionally. The issue got picked up by outside media regardless of PR, Reuters and Huffington Post, to name a couple. I love that because there is nothing worse than building up something that is important to how a story impacts the reader, ruining the moment for them is the worst thing you can do. I do despise spoilers. PR works best if it can tease efficiently without just blurting crap out. So even though we did not prime ahead of time in this instance at all, it turned out just fine, and gave it all an honesty and power that the scene much deserved. — J.H. Williams III, artist and writer on Batwoman when asked by Comic Book Resources about DC Comics’ odd lack of a PR push for the last issue.

I myself wondered why DC Comics had chosen not to make a big PR push for Kate Kane proposing to her girlfriend Maggie Sawyer in Batwoman #17 last month, since comics companies these days don’t really seem to care about spoilers if they can get some publicity about it, and only a few weeks later DC made my point even more relevant by spoiling a major death in the Batfamily all over the place. My last assumption was that perhaps Williams had specifically asked them not to spoil it, but this quote from his interview with Comic Book Resources would seem to indicate the opposite.

I’m glad that Williams is happy with the result, but still puzzled by DC’s lack of press for the issue. Still, the issue got enough press on its own, so maybe DC and Marvel will take the hint and stop spoiling everything.

Previously in Batwoman

Batwoman #17 came out yesterday, and in some of its last pages had a… thing… that happened. It’s a spoiler, sure, but it’s not a plot spoiler, it’s just a surprise. And before you get worried, it was a cool thing, an exciting thing, a bit of a cliffhanger thing, and I’m just puzzled as to why DC didn’t make a bigger deal out of it beforehand. It’s the kind of thing they could probably use right about now.

Okay, I’ll stop beating around the bush and put a jump cut here so that I can actually say what happened. Batwoman #17 spoilers from here on out.

Instructables user Cinnamontwisties has a comic book themed room in her house so when it was time for her 16-month-old daughter to get a play car, she knew it had to be a Batmobile. Instead of buying a licensed car that would probably cost quite a bit of money, she created her own for $20. Check out how it was done and see the adorable superhero in training after the jump.

Yesterday the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation published the nominations for their annual awards honoring mainstream works of television, cinema, comics, and journalism that they consider to have done an outstanding job of depicting the LGBTQ community and the lives of those within it. Some of the nominees are, unsurprisingly, very close to our hearts.

Halloween’s about dressing up and eating candy (and, for many adults, getting incredibly drunk). But that doesn’t have to be all it’s about. Back in 2010 Neil Gaiman suggested a new Halloween tradition of giving away a scary book to a friend on that most spooky of holidays. Since then that basic idea has evolved into All Hallow’s Read, and we here at The Mary Sue are supporting it by highlighting eight of our favorite literary horror heroines. All of the books we’ve mentioned here—including one by Gaiman himself, which is only fitting—come with the TMS stamp of approval if you want to participate in the AHR tradition of book-gifting.

There are a lot of women creators out there but not all of them get the attention they deserve. Lynne Yoshii has worked as an editor for Marvel Comics but from what I’ve seen, she should be on of their A-list artists. Check out a sampling of Yoshii’s (Protokitty on DeviantArt) work and see if you agree.

If this isn’t enough of an explanation for you, go here. (The Frisky)

It’s like our childhoods conspired in a secret room about how to best make us go “HELL YES!” People, meet Belle as Princess Leia, and the Beast as Han. It’s something we never knew we’ve always wanted. Thanks James Silvani! (via Silvani Art)

It’s late enough in the production cycle of the New 52 that most of the books are on their second story arc, and that means that we’re beginning to see the rollout of hardcover collected editions of many of those stories. And while Wonder Woman and Detective Comics Vol. 1 are sitting at eight and nine this week, it’s Batwoman, Vol 1. that has that coveted top spot on the New York Times’ bestseller list for hardcover graphic storytelling.

Which seems like reason enough to revisit the arc’s gorgeous covers.