Acclaimed artist Mark Chiarello will provide a Batman cover as one of the covers for the 40 anniversary edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide.

Known for his inspired Star Wars images and innovative work covering the history of the Negro Leagues, Chiarello has illustrated covers for Vertigo’s Terminal City, Jonny Double and The Crusaders, Marvel’s Wolverine and The Many Armors of Iron Man, and DC’s Vigilante, among other projects.

His long association with Batman includes covers for the Two-Face: Year One mini-series and both the cover and interiors on the highly-praised graphic novel Batman/Houdini: The Devil’s Workshop.

Most recently Chiarello has been celebrated as the editor of DC’s highly praised Wednesday Comics project. He serves as DCU Editorial Art Director for DC Comics.

“This is a dream come true! I’ve been buying The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide since I started collecting comics in 1975, so you can imagine how jazzed I am to be painting the cover to the 40th Anniversary issue,” Chiarello said. “And, of course getting to do Batman (the greatest superhero ever) on the cover is too cool."

He joins the ranks of Guide cover artists that include Joe Kubert, Will Eisner, Carl Barks, Bill Ward, Wally Wood, Alex Schomburg, Norman Mingo, C.C. Beck, Jerry Robinson, Murphy Anderson, Carmine Infantino, Tony Harris, John K. Snyder III, Alex Ross, George Perez, Mark Sparacio, Jim Lee and Billy Tucci, among others.

“We’re very excited to have Mark Chiarello illustrating Batman for this historic edition,” said author and publisher Robert M. Overstreet. “His exciting vision will no doubt produce one of our most dynamic covers ever as he joins our great line-up of cover artists.”

As previously announced, The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #40 will go on sale on Wednesday, July 21, 2010. It will be featured in the March 2010 issue of Previews.