See exclusive portraits of the Arrowverse stars from EW's cover shoot

Arrowverse, assemble! The stars of Arrow, Supergirl, The Flash, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, and Batwoman grace the covers of EW's first monthly issue. Click through for exclusive images from our epic cover shoot with Stephen Amell, Melissa Benoist, Grant Gustin, Caity Lotz, and Ruby Rose, and the five collectible covers.

"[When] they offered me the job [on Arrow], if they had said, 'Yeah, you can have the job, but you have to pay us $5,000 per episode just to be in the show' I would've been like, 'Yeah, okay. Sure, I'll do that,'" says Amell of landing the role of a lifetime as Oliver Queen in 2012. "Arrow was the most important thing in my entire life by a wide margin. And then I got married, and it became the co-most important thing in my life. Then my wife and I had [our daughter], and Arrow dropped to number three, but I f--ing care a lot about it. I really, really do. I think about it all the time."

"I get to be the Flash on TV, surrounded by all these other superheroes and it's something I never want to take for granted," says The Flash's leading man.

"I've kind of grown with this character," says Benoist of portraying Kara Danvers on Supergirl. "It took me a long time to actually feel that strength [of being a superhero]. I feel like if you don't feel it from the inside out, it's not going to translate."

"I didn't know what I was getting myself into," says the DC's Legends of Tomorrow star, recalling her debut as Sara Lance/Black Canary on Arrow. "I actually felt so weird in costume. I remember talking to my friend and was like, 'I don't know. I look terrible in this costume.' She was like, 'It doesn't even matter how you look. All that matters is how you feel. If you feel good, you will look good.' I was like, "Yes, I feel good. I look good. Let's do it!'"

"I feel like up until now I haven't really been given the opportunity to play a character that has these dynamics of such severe trauma and such heartbreak and betrayal and loss," says Rose, who made her debut as Kate Kane in last year's "Elseworlds" crossover. "She's heavy. She has a really heavy heart for a lot of very valid reasons."

"It's been amazing," says Amell of the Arrowverse. "I'm so proud of Grant and Melissa, and I really like that Caity has grown into the leader that she has. I'm pumped for Ruby. It's great [that] you do a show and it births other shows."

Portraying the Scarlett Speedster has "definitely become a job and it's a grind and I work long days, as does most of the cast and all of the crew. But there's always something in a season that kind of snaps you out of the fact that this isn't normal," says Gustin. "Like last year when we did the crossovers and Tyler Hoechlin was working as Superman and I got to be on set with Superman for the first time. That was a big moment for me — and then being in the Fortress of Solitude was a mind-blowing moment."

"That was one of the craziest things I've ever done," says Benoist, recalling the epic heroes uniting scene on the Waverider in 2017's "Crisis on Earth-X" crossover. "It was everyone from Legends, Arrow, and The Flash. At first, I was like, 'This is Halloween. This feels so silly,' but then we all stood there and the strength and the power in that room — just putting on the costume — can make you feel like such a different person. We do that all the time, acting, but these suits, they speak volumes. That particular moment is going to stick with me forever because I think we all felt it."

“The first big [crossover] with the aliens, that one was really fun," says Lotz. "When we did the wedding scene [in 2017's "Crisis on Earth-X"], sort of getting the old Arrow crew back together was really fun. I’m curious to see how [the next one, 'Crisis on Infinite Earths'] is going to go because it’s going to be bigger than all the other ones."

"There's a lot of things that I identify as with Kate, and some things where I feel like I've evolved certain ways from particular traits she has, and in other ways she has traits that I aspire to get throughout life. So we can kind of learn from one another," says the Orange is the New Black alum. "She loves love. There's not a lot that she wouldn't do for love, and I am much the same in that regard."

"The biggest thing that I'll walk away [with] from doing this show is my kiddo really admires what I do," says Amell. "She comes to the set all the time, and I know that won't last forever, but she sits there in video village, and she wears her cans and calls action every once in a while. Honestly, that's the coolest thing."

“I think it’s pretty ambitious what we try to accomplish on a weekly basis, just each individual show," says Gustin about the entire Arrowverse, crossovers and all. "To do something like this on TV and try to set a new standard for what can be done on TV is pretty special. It’s cool to be a part of it.”

"I think our show has always done well with a little bit of politics," says Benoist. "We started wanting to do something super strong and feminist, and really talk about strength in women, what that means and how to empower more women. Every day on set we're thinking about what we want to say to little girls that are watching, and little boys, anyone. We just want to send hope and inclusivity."

“There definitely is something special about the Arrowverse," says Lotz. "You see it in its staying power and all the other shows that have kind of birthed out of it. I think it’s just that we really need heroes right now, and I think it inspires us to be better, do better.”

"I consider the show like [showrunner/EP Caroline Dries] does: [It's a] show that we wish we actually had when we were growing up and how much of a difference in our lives it would have made to have something like this," says Rose, who identifies as a lesbian and is starring on the first TV show headlined by an out LGBTQ superhero.

Arrow returns for its eigth and final season Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 9 p.m. on The CW.

For more on how the Arrowverse saved the TV superhero, pick up the August issue of Entertainment Weekly on stands July 25-26. You can buy all five covers, or purchase your individual favorites featuring Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, White Canary, and Batwoman. Don’t forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.

The Flash returns Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. on The CW.

For more on how the Arrowverse saved the TV superhero, pick up the August issue of Entertainment Weekly on stands July 25-26. You can buy all five covers, or purchase your individual favorites featuring Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, White Canary, and Batwoman. Don’t forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.

Cover inspired by Neal Adams' Superman #233 cover.

Supergirl returns Sunday, Oct. 6 at 9 p.m. on The CW.

For more on how the Arrowverse saved the TV superhero, pick up the August issue of Entertainment Weekly on stands July 25-26. You can buy all five covers, or purchase your individual favorites featuring Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, White Canary, and Batwoman. Don’t forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.

DC's Legends of Tomorrow returns in 2020 on The CW.

For more on how the Arrowverse saved the TV superhero, pick up the August issue of Entertainment Weekly on stands July 25-26. You can buy all five covers, or purchase your individual favorites featuring Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, White Canary, and Batwoman. Don’t forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.

Cover inspired by Michael Cho's variant cover for Batwoman #11.

Batwoman premieres Sunday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. on The CW.

For more on how the Arrowverse saved the TV superhero, pick up the August issue of Entertainment Weekly on stands July 25-26. You can buy all five covers, or purchase your individual favorites featuring Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, White Canary, and Batwoman. Don’t forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.