Speed Force

The Colorado Springs Gazette has an article on Flash: Rebirth. There’s not a whole lot new in it, but it’s a good round-up of what we know so far.

There are also a couple of quotes from Geoff Johns that I don’t recognize:

He’s [Barry Allen] been dead for so long, he’s viewed as kind of a saint. Imagine coming back and everyone saying you’re a saint, and having to live up to that.

We will be getting into a lot of his back story: a lot of why he is the way he is, why he has an interest in forensic science, why he has such a strong sense of justice.

Newsarama is running a poll on the best price point for downloadable comics, following up on Filip Sablik’s recent column. Is it free? 99¢ per comic, like iTunes? Subscription bundling?

The problem is that I can’t pick an option on the poll, because for me, it really depends on the device.

If we’re talking comics chopped up for small-screen viewing (iPhone, for instance), then I would prefer free with ads. Unless a story is initially designed for that format, it seems more like a way to sample new series — something iVerse is clearly targeting with their current Android material, offering most first issues for free and then charging for the subsequent ones.

If we’re talking the hypothetical tablet-sized device that displays comics at a comparable size to present-day print comics, then I’d be a bit more willing to pay $0.99 off the bat, or possibly a $5.00/month subscription for more than 5 books.

If we’re talking downloadable comics to display on the desktop computer screen…now that I think about it, probably free. I read a lot of webcomics, but I’ve never once paid for a subscription even to gain access to archives. (I have, however, donated to a few cartoonists, and bought print collections of several series.)

So… how much would you pay for digital comics?

Flash fan Dragonsrule123 sent me photos of 25 custom-painted LEGO figures based on the Flash, the Rogues’ Gallery, and other super-speedsters.

There’s an incredible attention to detail: The stubble on Heat Wave, the side pads on Mirror Master’s mask, etc.

Full gallery after the cut: Read the rest of this entry »

After outracing Death in round one and defeating Rorschach in round two, Wally West is up against the Thing in Comics Should Be Good’s DC/Marvel Character Tournament.

This is a key moment, as the Thing clobbered Barry Allen in round one. Head over there now, cast your vote for the Flash and help avenge Barry!

Update: The Flash has defeated the Thing! Looks like we’ll be seeing a Superman/Flash race coming up soon.

I’ve updated the site to a new version of WordPress Mobile Edition, which seems to handle both low-end and high-end phones well enough that I don’t need a separate plugin for iPhone and Android visitors. This should make things a bit cleaner.

Anyway, if you have a web-capable phone, please give the site another look when you get a chance and let me know whether anything breaks!

In particular, I want to know:

• What phone are you using?
• Are you using the built-in web browser or an add-on like Opera Mini?
• Can you view the site?
• Does it look like the image above, or just like it does on your computer?
• Can you make a comment?

If you can’t post a comment, please try one of the following:

• Bring up the site on your computer to leave the comment.
• Send me a Twitter direct message to @SpeedForceOrg.
• Email me at speedforce - [at] - pobox - [dot] - com.

Thanks in advance!

Ethan Van Sciver signs at Cosmic Comics in Johannesburg, South Africa on April 10.

Also, the previously-announced Geoff Johns signing on April 1 at Jim Hanley’s Universe in Manhattan has an extra bonus: 50 fans will get to attend an exclusive discussion and Q&A panel with Geoff Johns after the signing.

Just one week to Flash: Rebirth…

The Flash Archives Vol.5

Written by John Broome and Gardner Fox
Art by Carmine Infantino, Joe Giella and Murphy Anderson
Cover by Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella

The Fastest Man Alive takes on some of his greatest foes in this new Archive, including Captain Cold, Abra-Kadabra, Mirror Master, Pied Piper, Heat Wave and The Reverse Flash! Collecting The Flash #133–#141 from 1962–1963.

248 pg, FC, $49.99 US.

Notes: See a write-up of the contents. Also: Amazon only wants $31.50 for pre-orders.

Justice League of America #31

Written by Dwayne McDuffie
Art by Ed Benes & Sandra Hope
Cover by Ed Benes

Death, destruction and betrayal! The fallout from Final Crisis leaves the Justice League of America on the brink of dissolution. Black Canary faces her greatest test as she tries to hold her devastated team together. Will those who remain be enough to save the world?

32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

The Brave and the Bold Vol.3: Demons and Dragons (HC)

Written by Mark Waid and Alan Brennert
Art by Scott Kolins, Jerry Ordway, Jim Aparo, Humberto Ramos, Oscar Jimenez and others
Cover by Scott Kolins

Superstar writer Mark Waid rounds out his run on The Brave and the Bold with this new hardcover! Collecting The Brave and the Bold #13-16 along with extra tales including The Brave and the Bold (Vol. 1) #181, The Flash (Vol.2) #107 and Impulse #17!

168 pg, FC, $24.99 US

Notes: This includes the Jay Garrick/Batman team-up against the Samuroids from The Brave and the Bold #13. Interesting choices for the additional stories. Flash #107 was an “Underworld Unleashed” tie-in that had Wally West teaming up with Captain Marvel against the Shadow Thief. Impulse #17 was a fun team-up with Zatanna.

Wally West is up against Watchmen’s Rorschach in Round 2 of Comics Should Be Good’s DC/Marvel character tourney!

Update: The Flash has defeated Rorschach! According to the chart, Wally will move on to fight the Thing in Round 3 for a chance to avenge Barry’s clobbering.

DC’s June solicitations are up at Newsarama and elsewhere.

The Flash: Rebirth #3

Written by Geoff Johns
Art and covers by Ethan Van Sciver

At last, the answer to the question that’s plagued DC fans for decades: Who’s faster, Superman or The Flash? Call your bookie and bet the farm, because you’ve never seen a run like this – and if speedsters keep dying at the pace they’re going, you might never see another one again!

Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Ethan Van Sciver), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Ethan Van Sciver). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

On sale June 10 • 3 of 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Notes: As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, the question of who’s faster has been answered many times over. It’s always close, and if there’s a winner, it’s always the Flash.

Team books, guest spots, collections and more after the cut. Read the rest of this entry »

With the promos suggesting that Flash: Rebirth will see speedsters killed at an alarming rate, the question naturally arises: How many speedsters are there to kill?

Assuming we’re looking only at modern-day characters in the mainstream DC Universe, and not bringing in anyone from the future or alternate realities, we have…

Major Players:

• Flash: Jay Garrick – the original. And the only major Flash who has not already “died” at some point.
• Flash: Barry Allen – not likely to die, given that DC is building a major relaunch around him.
• Flash: Wally West – depends on whether you believe DC about how he’ll have a major part in the DC Universe over the next year.
• Kid Flash: Bart Allen – They just brought him back. It would be silly to kill him off again this soon. Not that I’d put it past DC…
• Liberty Belle/Jesse Quick (Jesse Chambers) – she’s focusing on the Liberty Belle legacy these days, plus it would be bad form to kill off the only major female speedster. Again, not that I’d put it past DC…
• Max Mercury – Rival’s spirit has taken possession of his body, so he’s not dead…though his spirit seems to be hanging around the Speed Force last we looked.

Likely Possibilities for Dead Speedsters:

• The Rival – last seen in possession of Max’s body
• Savitar – technically already dead, but only in the sense that Barry was.
• Blue Trinity – Christina is alive as of Salvation Run, and the other two members are unaccounted for.
  
• Flash: John Fox – technically a future Flash, he’s visited the present day enough that he would make an impression on long-term readers.
• Kapitalist Kouriers – Cassiopeia’s death kicked off Dead Heat. Presumably the other two members are still around.
• Zoom II – just depowered in Final Crisis: Rogues’ Revenge
• Mas y Menos – appeared in the DCU during 52 and haven’t been used much
• Captain Boomerang, Jr. – can manage limited super-speed
• Baroness Blitzkrieg – villain introduced in the Geoff Johns-penned Justice Society of America

Long Shots:

• Speed Demon – hasn’t had his powers in years, and likes it that way
• Professor Zoom – dead, but with Barry returning and Zoom II being de-powered, it wouldn’t surprise me to see another dead character return to life – though killing him again right away seems unlikely.
• Blitzen (Shadow Cabinet) – with the Milestone characters being incorporated into the DCU, she’s presumably on the table…but it wouldn’t make sense to kill someone off immediately after getting the rights to the character.
• Blur – genetically engineered Martian/human hybrid, seen briefly in the Son of Vulcan miniseries
• Jay Garrick clone - created by the Brotherhood of Evil in Outsiders; probably degenerated by now
• Edit: Well-Spoken Sonic Lightning Flash of the Super Young Team – introduced in Final Crisis, not only is he a new character, but his team will be appearing in Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance at the same time as Flash: Rebirth.
• Anyone from Doralla Kon’s dimension, which runs at a different speed than Earth’s universe.  She hasn’t appeared since 1965, but odd ideas from the Silver Age have been cropping up quite a bit in DC comics lately.

Wow…there are more speedsters in the DCU than I thought.