Speed Force

Artist Karl Kerschl has posted a preview of art from his and Brenden Fletcher’s Flash strip in Wednesday Comics. The 12-part weekly series launches in July.

I made it out to one of my local comic stores on Saturday for Free Comic Book Day, and picked up several books (some free, some not). As a Flash fan and long-time DC reader, I grabbed Blackest Night #0, the prelude to this year’s huge event.

Now, some background: Geoff Johns is really hit-or-miss for me. I loved his run on The Flash and Final Crisis: Rogues’ Revenge, but JSA and Justice Society of America just doesn’t click with me, I couldn’t stand Infinite Crisis, and I’ve never been particularly interested in Green Lantern no matter who’s writing it. (I’m not sure why — you’d think sci-fi space action would be right up my alley.)

Anyway, Blackest Night #0 left me with a resounding “meh.” There wasn’t anything wrong with it, it just wasn’t terribly compelling. It did its job, or at least one part of it, which was to establish which major characters had died recently, show that death in the DC Universe is not always permanent (by focusing on two characters who have come back fro the dead), and introduce the Green Lantern Corps and the groups based around the other colors. for those who might not be keeping up with Green Lantern. But it didn’t catch my interest for picking up the main story, which is what I’m sure DC really wanted it to do.

For some contrast, one of the other books I picked up was the trade paperback, Powers Vol. 12: The 25 Coolest Dead Superheroes of All Time (not free, obviously!). I haven’t read Powers in several years, and I suspect I may have missed a few issues between when I stopped reading and the beginning of this volume. I opened it up when I got home to take a quick look at the first few pages and get an idea of how much time had passed, and couldn’t put it down.

• RT @choochoobear: I refuse to spoiler alert a story written in 1843 #
• Will this year’s Wizard World Philadelphia be the last? Some fans think so #
• History of the DC Universe via Grumpy Old Fan #
• Creation of the @Opera web browser in comic strip form #
• Fallen Angel relaunch in July, guest-starring Illyria from Angel. Looking forward to this. #
• Also: they’re calling it Fallen Angel: Reborn. And the schedule overlaps with Flash: Rebirth. Amusing. #
• Dan Didio: “We can argue the characteristics and what it takes to be a zombie – preferably over several rounds of drinks” #
• Ahh, so that’s why DC was being so quiet about Adventure Comics. Spoilers for LO3W #4 #
• Funny how making a ~10-item list can take longer than writing a detailed review. #
• What you need to know about Wolverine: Heals fast, super-sharp claws, grumpy. #
• RT: Remember to actually buy some books on FCBD! Try a NEW book at every store you go to. (RT @johannadc: RT @SCederlund RT @CNESEMAN) #
• RT @pitrpatr: Barry Allen had all the good problems, didn’t he? #
• Blackest Night #0 didn’t do anything to get me interested in the event. Powers vol.12, however, had me hooked after a several-year break #

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Ain’t It Cool News interviews Mark Waid about his work on Flash, Fantastic Four, Irredeemable and more (basically his entire career). He’s got some really interesting things to say about the Flash. Eventually I’ll find time to read the whole thing and pick out some good quotes to post here.

The latest Fan Film Podcast episode focuses on The Flash: Crossover from Influence Films.

POP! lists Barry Allen and Iris West at #3 on its 25 Greatest Super-hero Romances (via Robot 6).

The Comic Treadmill looks back at the 1970s revival of All Star Comics, featuring the Justice Society of America on Earth-2.

The best-condition copy of Showcase #4, first appearance of Barry Allen as the Silver-Age Flash, is “off to a fast start” at Heritage Auctions, already up to $100,000 with three weeks to go.

Comicbook Rockstar talks about lunch with Carmine Infantino, comics legend and co-creator of the Silver Age Flash, and the veteran artist’s advice for writers.

Comic Bloc user CreativeArtist has a new animation based on Flash: Rebirth.

Pegasus News reviews a production of Based on a Totally True Story (by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa), a stage play about a playwright on the verge of making it big in Hollywood — who also happens to write the Flash comic book.

Update: The first installment of Q&A column Geoff Johns Prime is up at Comic Book Resources. He doesn’t say much about Flash: Rebirth beyond “wait and see.”