(CBR) DC Comics provided the website, Comic Book Resources, with an exclusive first look at Phil Noto’s variant cover for BATMAN: BLACK AND WHITE #1, which hits store shelves on September 4th, 2013. The revival of the original 1996 limited series features stories from a cornucopia of creators bringing their unique take on the Dark Knight. The debut issue of the new miniseries features work from Chip Kidd, Neal Adams, Joe Quinones, Maris Wicks, John Arcudi, Howard Mackie, Sean Murphy, Michael Cho and Chris Samnee.

The first issue was solicited with a black and white variant cover by Marc Silvestri, but DC has shifted Slivestri’s cover to be the main image, while Noto’s image will serve as the variant.

Check out Phil Noto’s take on Batman up above!

Ken Krimstein, a Book Reviewer over at the Official CHICAGO TRIBUNE Newspaper Website, just finished posting a very well-written Book Review for David Rakoff’s new book, ”Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish” (Doubleday). It’s short and extremely precise, but that’s great because it gets right to the point and also evokes the essence of the book (the way the book feels) in an extremely interesting way. So, if you have been thinking about reading this new novel (Yes, it’s out right now) then please give the review a quick read. You will get some great insight, just CLICK HERE!

Hey Book Lovers! The first trailer for the forthcoming documentary movie “Salinger,” about the life of the famous recluse author, J. D. Salinger, has finally surfaced and it looks extremely interesting! Created by the Weinstein Company, the movie features John Cusack, Tom Wolfe and Martin Sheen among others talking about the classic American novel, The Catcher in the Rye, and its creator. (watch down below). This new movie looks like it’s gonna be GREAT! No release date has been set yet, as this film is still in post-production, but stay tuned to CHIPKIDD.COM because as soon as we know we’ll pass along the info. Now, go watch the video!

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover - but that hasn’t stopped anyone from trying. An original and visually engaging book cover/jacket can help make the difference between a flop and a smash, and over the years more than a few designers have taken the creative and mysterious process to levels of supreme beauty and imagination. Peter Mendelsund is that kind of designer and COVER is the story of his love affair with books.

Renowned and award-winning designer of many best-selling books, Peter Mendelsund has enjoyed years as a much-sought-after designer and art director. Amongst the many recognizable covers he has created are those for the American edition of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and the following books of the Millennium trilogy; collections of the works of James Joyce, Franz Kafka, Dostoevsky, de Beauvoir, Bernhard, and Camus; the contemporary works of Peter Carey, Martin Amis, Tom McCarthy, Ben Marcus, Rick Bragg, and James Gleick; and many more. All have greatly benefited from the care and touch Mendelsund gave their jackets.

The entire story of a book cover - from the moment a book is initially acquired to when it finally appears on bookstores’ shelves is explained and illustrated in COVER. This brand-new book features Peter Mendelsund’s completed book jackets along with ephemera from his previously unseen creative processes, including jacket sketches, interior art and illustrations, editorial illustration, and scores of rejected drafts. These images are also punctuated by his reflections on his work and his process, as well as by texts from writers with whom he has worked and designed for, including bestselling crime writers, Pulitzer and Booker Prize-winning fiction and non-fiction authors, well-known scientists, actors, and politicians.

COVER is a compendium of beautiful design and a beautiful design object itself; a profile and celebration of one of the publishing world’s most talented and prolific contemporary creators, and a brilliant showcase of his deft touch for balanced and innovative design. Also, as sort of a disclaimer, we should note that he works with Chip Kidd at Random House Publishing. So, we’re kind of biased a little bit here! But honestly, this book is gonna be GREAT and it’s already on most book lover’s (and design students) reading lists. The book will be released in Hardcover on April 8th, 2014 and will be published by PowerHouse Books.

Remember, pre-order the book from AMAZON and save big bucks!

How did Theodor Seuss Geisel create The Lorax? Well, that question can be answered by visiting THE LORAX Art Museum exhibit in Omaha, Nebraska that opens next week. While there, Dr. Seuss' fans will see the birth of this beloved Children’s picture book.

This special program will feature doodles, crayon drawings, and ink pieces that inspired the book. It will be on view at Omaha's Joslyn Art Museum from August 10th until November 3rd, 2013.

Here's a little bit more about the exhibit:

Published in 1971, before protecting the earth became a global concern, Dr. Seuss spoke through his character, the Lorax, who 'spoke for the trees,' warning against mindless progress and the danger it poses to the planet ... The color sketches and line art on view at the Joslyn Art Museum, along with the typewritten story Geisel affixed to the pages, provide a fascinating look at the early development of a Dr. Seuss classic.

For more information about both the exhibit and Joslyn Art Museum, please CLICK HERE!

We reported awhile back here at CHIPKIDD.COM that DC Comics was going to premier a “Book Trailer” Video for their new line of Graphic Novels titled, BEFORE THE WATCHMEN, in Times Square (NYC, NY). There are 4 books in the complete set and Chip Kidd designed the covers for all of them! Some other excited news is that this is the very first time that DC Comics has had a promo on the giant Jumbotron, yes!

Up above is some actual photographic proof and if you still don’t believe us then check out this cool video, ha!

Cartoonist, Illustrator, Graphic Artist… no matter how you say it, the artwork of SETH is pretty amazing! Over at the NATIONAL POST Website they recently conducted a pretty damn interesting interview with the Artist. He mostly talks about his experience of working with Chip Kidd on David Rakoff’s latest book, “Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish” (Knopf Doubleday) and how he balanced the ethics of drawing art for an Author who has, sadly, passed away during the publishing process.

The article shares some great insight into Seth’s art and you’re gonna love reading it, just CLICK HERE!

Just a quick note to let Chip Kidd Book Cover Design Fans know that we just updated our Galley Page where we added a ton of new jackets… actually, they appear on Gallery Page Two… just CLICK HERE!

Here’s a quick shout-out for another wonderful Book Review for David Rakoff’s new novel, “Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish” (Doubleday). We are all so very proud of the attention this book keeps getting, it’s so awesome! Like, here’s a great example. Rrecently, over at the OC WEEKLY Website (An Independent Newspaper in Orange County, California) they have a Writer named Andrew Tonkovich who wrote a very excellent review for this book. It’s precise, witty, well-thought out, clear, and it’s no surprise as Andrew hosts the Wednesday night literary arts program, Bibliocracy Radio, on KPFK 90.7 FM in Southern California. So, this guy is super-serious about books!

Please CLICK HERE to read the latest David Rakoff Book Review! (Thanks Andrew)

This weekend, at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con (SDCC), Neil Gaiman made some HUGE announcements about coming back to his “Sandman” character for DC Comics’ Vertigo line. He will write the books and the interior art will be done by J. H. Williams III. The cover art (example up above ) is by Dave McKean and he will do a few other covers as well. This is great news, especially considering that the original comic books came out 25 years ago (circa 1988) and now we get to revisit that world and those amazing characters. The six-issue series starts this October and will be released bi-monthly. Yeah, we’re drooling already and can’t wait!! For more info just check out the video down below: