October 23, 2008
I’ve seen several mentions today of a supposed teaser trailer for the long-delayed Flash movie — the one that, just a few days ago, we were told had no momentum.
Get the Big Picture has the clip, supposedly recorded on a cell phone during a Watchmen screening, and analyzes why it’s probably not the real deal, but a fan creation. Among other things, the story about how the recording was made just doesn’t add up.
I haven’t watched it with sound yet, but I’m inclined to agree.
Update: Thanks to Brandan, I’ve found a similar post at Slashfilm. No one knows who did make it so far, but it’s obviously not official.
October 22, 2008
After two and a half months, it’s finally here: the next chapter of DC’s major event for the year. The wait wouldn’t have been so bad if the tie-in one-shots, Submit, Superman: Beyond, Resist and Rage of the Red Lanterns had come out between issues #3 and #4, as originally described — or if Rogues Revenge and Legion of Three Worlds had stayed on schedule. As it is, there’s been a generally sense of frustration associated with the series.
So the question is: Is this issue worth the wait? Is it good enough to overshadow the real-world context?
I’d say the answer is yes.
All the threads being set up through the first three issues come together. We see what the villains have been planning. For the most part, they’ve already achieved what they set out to do: dominate the Earth. They only need to wipe out the few pockets of resistance, and achieve one more goal: the reincarnation of Darkseid himself.
In most stories where a villain tries to take over the world, the story we see is the one about preventing it from happening. What’s different here is that the heroes have lost. The invasion has succeeded, and it’s about trying to throw off the occupation. While the “watchtowers” are scattered around the globe, there’s a sense of the heroes’ forces as the French Resistance from World War II. (This is no doubt enhanced by having the resistance led by the original Green Lantern, who actually fought in World War II.)
Admittedly it covers some of the same ground as the “Rock of Ages” storyline from Grant Morrison’s run on JLA, but Final Crisis is emotionally more devastating than Rock of Ages. It takes place now, with characters and a world as we’re used to seeing them, not in some ten-years-distant future. (Though come to think of it, “Rock of Ages” came out about ten years ago, didn’t it?) And knowing how quickly the world was transformed makes it even worse.
There are a few things that don’t quite work. A lot of the dialogue, particularly the technobabble, the speechifying, and the scene in which two Flashes pause to catch their bearings, is stilted or doesn’t quite make sense. As with the first few issues, transitions between scenes are often abrupt. And some story elements just aren’t given enough space to develop. Much of the issue is devoted to characterization, which personally I don’t mind, but I know many readers are in it for the action and battles, and there’s only a few pages of actual fighting.
Spoilers after the cut: Read the rest of this entry »
Final Crisis #4 of 7
Written by Grant Morrison; Art by J.G. Jones and Carlos Pacheco; Covers by J.G. Jones
It’s one month after the Anti-Life Equation was released worldwide. Millions now toil as slaves of Darkseid, while the Justifier shock troops of Apokolips lay waste to the planet Earth and hunt down its protectors.
The remaining free humans and superheroes are stationed around the world, besieged within the walls of ten very familiar ‘Watchtowers’, as they fight a desperate, losing battle against the triumphant forces of evil.
While Green Arrow and Black Canary attempt to deliver the secret of humanity’s last hope across America’s blasted wastelands, the Outsiders brave the horrors of the Blüdhaven bunker in search of Batman. The ultimate battle is coming…but which heroes will become villain – and vice versa? And what part do the Secret Society have to play in the dawning of this new Age of Evil?
Darkness is falling and death rules the day. Is this truly the end of the Age of Super Heroes? Don’t miss FINAL CRISIS #4: “How to Murder the Earth!”
40pg. | Color | $3.99 US
Tangent: Superman’s Reign #8 of 12
Written by Dan Jurgen and Ron Marz; Art by Wes Craig and Fernando Pasarin; Cover by Matt Haley
The Tangent Superman’s assault on the DCU Earth continues, and his quest to make the world “safe” for normal people is set to crush all metahuman resistance in its path!
32pg. | Color | $2.99 US
DC Universe: Halloween ’08
Written by Mark Verheiden, Mike Johnson, Brian Reed and others; Art by Trevor Hairsine, Duncan Rouleau and others; Cover by Gene Ha
The Horror! The Horror! Could this be the final Halloween for the DCU? Evil has won, and there are no treats! Witness tales of terror featuring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Titans, El Diablo, Faust and others by past, present and future DC greats.
80pg. | Color | $5.99 US
Notes: It’s not clear whether the Flash appears in this book, but there’s a chance depending on what era of theTitans is spotlighted. Last year’s Halloween special featured a “Whatever happened to…” story about Ira West, Wally’s grandfather and Iris Allen’s adoptive father.
The Flash may also appear in Trinity, and Kid Flash often appears in Tiny Titans.
ICV2′s sales estimates for September show yet another drop in Flash sales.
02/2008: Flash #237 — 37,719 (- 9.0%)
03/2008: Flash #238 — 35,606 (- 5.6%)
04/2008: Flash #239 — 33,741 (- 5.2%)
05/2008: Flash #240 — 31,944 (- 5.3%)
06/2008: Flash #241 — 30,810 (- 3.6%)
07/2008: Flash #242 — 30,325 (- 1.5%)
08/2008: Flash #243 — 29,647 (- 2.2%)
09/2008: Flash #244 — 29,180 (- 1.6%)
A couple of things worth noting: 1. Most regular super-hero series do drop slowly from month to month, with occasional jumps back up as big events bring new readers in to replace those who have left. (See “standard attrition.”) By that measure, the last couple of months don’t look so bad… but the series dropped horrifically from #230-237, leaving it at the dismal position of #82 on the rankings. 2. Final Crisis: Rogues’ Revenge has been outselling the regular series by roughly 2:1, though there was no issue in September.
October 21, 2008
Collected Editions has obtained DC’s advance TPB solicitations for Fall 2009, including a big surprise in speedster collections:
The Flash (featuring Impulse): Mercury Falling
It’s been years since any of Impulse was collected (Impulse: Reckless Youth
), and that was only the first few issues. Mercury Falling, which ran from Impulse #62-66, was the major epic from the Todd Dezago/Ethan Van Sciver run on the book, and featured Inertia’s master plan, Max Mercury facing almost certain death, and Bart being forced to confront the fact that his mentor and guardian might not be around much longer, while desperately trying to find a way to save him.
It actually ties in quite well thematically with the recent stories in Flash and Rogues’ Revenge.
The title is a bit odd, considering that the Flash doesn’t appear in the story at all (that I remember), but it follows the same pattern as other recent collections of lesser-known characters, like JSA Presents: Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Get the main franchise with the recognized name out there first, then add the original title of the book.
Update: Amazon now lists this as being released on May 12, 2009.
October 20, 2008
Actually, there aren’t any Flash comics for January 2009, since the current series ends with #247 and Flash: Rebirth isn’t starting until March. But DC’s January Solicitations do list team books and events which will probably feature one Flash or another, and include the official announcement of The Flash Archives Vol.5, to be released in March 2009. Plus there are several collections that include Flash stories, and even an appearance by Impulse! Read the rest of this entry »
After weeks of waiting, Final Crisis #4 is only two days away. I meant to post this last month, but pushed it off to look up some numbers, and never got around to it. So, before it gets Jossed, here’s how I would open the post-skip-month Final Crisis based on what we saw at the end of issue #3.
(Spoilers for Final Crisis #1-3. I haven’t read Final Crisis: Revelations, so this may contradict or retread a bit.) Read the rest of this entry »
Today’s no-news story is so short that the trail of links will be longer. On Saturday, ShockTillYouDrop reported that WB producer Charles Roven “told us that there is “no momentum” on the comic book adaptation The Flash at Warner Bros. Pictures.”
Not a big surprise, frankly, given the last few bits of non-news about the film. (via SuperHeroHype, in turn via The Beat)
October 18, 2008
With Barry Allen back, sales slipping, and a recent history of backtracks and revamps that makes a drowning victims’s flailing look stately, it was clear months ago that change was coming. Once Flash: Rebirth was announced, the only question was: when would the axe fall?
At the time the current storyline, “This Was Your Life, Wally West,” was announced, the story’s conclusion seemed a likely candidate. But #247 was solicited without any indication that it would be the final issue. Speculation started again, that there might be a single Faces of Evil issue spotlighting a Rogue, or that it might end with a blow-out issue #250, or might stop at #249, with the new, relaunched series combining numbers and relaunching with #600.
Today, DC Message Board member adohall posted that he received a letter from DC as a subscriber that Flash would be ending with #247, and he would need to choose another book to replace it on his subscription. Update: Comic Bloc’s Mark MacMillan confirms that he received the same letter.
It seems that Monday’s solicitations for January will have a distinct lack of Flashiness.
October 16, 2008
A few more bits:
Mark Waid appears on tonight’s LA Ink. Should’ve posted this earlier!
Final Crisis Annotations: Rogue’s Revenge #3 completes the series.
Fortress of Baileytude examines Flash Secret Files #1, which reminds me of a couple of past blog posts: Comic Coverage’s parody of an endorsement in Smoking Superheroes, and my response that looked into the slow process of removing Jay Garrick’s smoke break from his origin.
Next month, Graphic Audio is releasing an audio book of the prose novel The Flash: Stop Motion
by Mark Schultz.
Everyone seems to be talking about Richard Donner’s suggestion to give the Superman movie franchise to Geoff Johns. (via CBR, Newsarama and more)
As if two Flash comics on one day weren’t busy enough, there was a third Flash released on Wednesday: the a new version of the web animation plugin, Flash 10.
Incidentally, the last 24 hours have been the busiest yet on this blog. Note to self: write more reviews!
