November 18, 2009
Flash: Rebirth is closing in on its conclusion. Mysteries are revealed, heroes battle villains — well, a villain anyway — and change is in the wind for more than one speedster. The sense of urgency that started building in issue #4 is present in full force here, as Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver build the story to one last cliffhanger before the end.
Let’s get one thing out of the way first: Wally West’s new costume debuts in this issue. If you’ve read it already, or don’t mind being spoiled — or want to be spoiled — you can read my comments and see a scan in my previous post. The change itself is a little forced, but works well enough — and, interestingly enough, isn’t played up at all by the characters themselves.
So: Barry Allen solves his cold case, Jay Garrick demonstrates that super-speed is more than just running, the West Twins reach a turning point, Liberty Belle makes an impression, and Professor Zoom proves himself petty and vindictive as well as vicious.
Purpose
A lot happens in this issue, but I can’t help but feel that it ultimately doesn’t matter. The plot of Flash: Rebirth is secondary to the book’s real purpose:
- Rearranging characters to put them in the roles that DC wants for 2010.
- Restructuring the Flash mythology.
Along the way, it does a lot of what one of my friends in Star Wars fandom calls “spackling:” patching over rough spots or outright holes in continuity. Last issue we got an explanation of why Barry never learned about the Speed Force in the form of a completely new interpretation of how it works. This issue we get an explanation for why Barry’s flashback has his parents in Central City instead of Fallville. We get yet another layer on why Jay and Joan Garrick look 50 instead of 90, and a new explanation for why Jai and Iris/Irey West don’t have super-speed. We even get an explanation for “hot Iris.”
In that way, Flash: Rebirth is a lot like World War III, which existed solely to explain what had changed between Infinite Crisis and the “One Year Later” books. That this miniseries is the best Flash story since 2005 has less to do with it being a good story than it does with the fact that the comics from 2006 through 2008 were incredibly haphazard.
Well, I’ve reached the point where I can’t say anything more without giving anything away, so if you don’t want any spoilers, stop reading now! Read the rest of this entry »
Yes, Wally West’s new costume, which we’ve known was coming since Ethan Van Sciver said he was designing it last summer, has finally been revealed in Flash: Rebirth #5!
If you don’t want to be spoiled, stop now! Read the rest of this entry »
November 17, 2009
DC’s solicitations for February 2010 are up at CBR and elsewhere. Key Flash items include Blackest Night: The Flash #3 and the hardcover of Flash: Rebirth (scheduled for April).
Blackest Night: The Flash #3
On sale February 17 – 3 of 3 – 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Scott Kolins
Variant cover by Francis Manapul
It’s a case of the chicken-or-the-egg as Barry Allen takes on the Black Lantern Reverse-Flash and seeks answers to the very nature of Professor Zoom’s impending resurrection. Plus, the Rogues witness an act so horrifying that it changes one of their own forever.
This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Scott Kolins), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Francis Manapul).
More Blackest Night
On sale February 24 • 7 of 8 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert
Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari
Sketch variant cover by Ivan Reis
As Nekron continues to wage war on life throughout the universe, Hal Jordan discovers the grim, true mission behind the villain’s return. But the truth is so cosmically abysmal that it threatens to expose a secret that could tear the very universe asunder. You can’t miss this stunning, penultimate issue to the year’s biggest event!
This issue will ship with three covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Rodolfo Migliari). For every 100 copies of the Standard Edition, retailers may order one copy of the Sketch Variant Edition (with a cover by Ivan Reis).
Blackest Night: JSA #3
On sale February 24 • 3 of 3 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by James Robinson
Art and cover by Eddy Barrows & Nei Ruffino • Variant cover by Gene Ha
The bloodthirsty combat in Manhattan reaches its stunning conclusion here! Earth-2 Superman returns to prove that the true legacy of the Justice Society of America is death. Can our heroes rise up to defeat their dead mentors, role models and villains? And can even the third- smartest man in the world, Mr. Terrific, devise a way to destroy them – or will Manhattan and the world perish under Nekron’s might?
This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Eddy Barrows & Nei Ruffino), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Gene Ha).
Team books and more after the cut: Read the rest of this entry »
November 16, 2009
Dan Didio let slip some more information about the upcoming Kid Flash series in his latest 10 Answers column at Newsarama. First he reminded readers that Geoff Johns and Sterling Gates will be working closely together to keep the Flash and Kid Flash books linked, similar to the way Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps have been linked. Then he added something that fans of the Impulse series may find appealing:
You’ll still see the dynamic between Kid Flash and Max Mercury, if I’m not mistaken. And I think that’s new information, so you did get something out of me. But Max will be featured in this series as well. So if somebody’s a fan of Impulse, they’ll get that relationship back in the Kid Flash series. Because of the Max/Bart relationship, I think they’ll be very pleasantly surprised about what the plans are for the book.
This book is sounding better and better! Only two one more question:
- Who will do the art?
When will it launch?
I suspect the artist hasn’t been finalized yet, though they could be waiting until they get closer to a firm launch date. And on that score, “About a month after Flash” is certainly more specific than certain other series (*cough* Zatanna *cough*) have gotten, but it’ll be nice when DC can give us a firm “April 2010″ or “May 2010.” Edit: As Andrew points out, Dan Didio does indicate that the book will be launching in May 2010.
Yes, according to Diamond, Flash: Rebirth #5 is actually shipping this week! As if that weren’t enough, there’s the JSA 80-Page Giant, new issues of Tiny Titans and Super Friends, the trade paperback of JSA: Thy Kingdom Come vol.2, and a Showcase volume featuring Superman Team-Ups from DC Comics Presents…opening with a Superman/Flash race.
No sign yet of the final cover for Flash: Rebirth #5, or the variant cover, or a preview. UPDATE! While I was at lunch, DC posted a 5-page preview with the covers. I’d like to say two things: First, that alternate cover with Max and Bart is seriously making me cnosider picking up the variant again. Second…I called the coloring change on the main cover back in July!
The Flash: Rebirth #5
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and covers by Ethan Van Sciver
The greatest threat to face the Flash Family in decades stands revealed! A new hero will step into an old speedster’s boots! And Barry Allen will make the ultimate sacrifice: his life! Oh yeah, you read that right, but you’ll never believe just what it means! They always say nothing will ever be the same, but trust us, this one will rewrite the history books!
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).
5 of 6 · 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Other books shipping this week behind the cut: Read the rest of this entry »
November 15, 2009
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Some linkblogging for the weekend…
Artists and a Publisher
Karl Kerschl shares a sketch of Iris West he did while in Italy.
Francis Manapul shares a black and white version of his variant cover for Blackest Night: The Flash #3.
Dan Didio talks to CBR about a number of things including Flash. He reiterates some of the reasons they let the book fall behind rather than put a new team on it to bring it out quickly, like they did with Final Crisis:
That ran with some delays, but at the end of the day we looked at the full package of how that will look as a book, and we wanted to maintain consistency all the way through. The events of that book weren’t essential to what happens with the Flash in “Blackest Night.”
Nothing new. In fact he said more or less the same thing a couple of days earlier to Newsarama. Interestingly, he describes the new Flash series book as spinning out of Blackest Night. Whether that’s simply in publishing terms, or in story terms as well, is not clear.
Fan Commentary
The Flash makes IO9′s 10 Favorite Faux Deaths In Science Fiction. If you want to get technical, it’s really their 12 favorite fake/reversed deaths, because the Flash entry includes Barry Allen (Crisis on Infinite Earths), Wally West (Infinite Crisis) and Bart Allen (Flash: The Fastest Man Alive). Or maybe 13, since it’s got both Phoenix and Jean Grey.
Collected Editions compares the Final Crisis and Blackest Night collections.
The Flash in New Frontier makes Comics Should Be Good’s 313th cool comic book moment. They’re also accepting nominations for a top 100 comic storylines poll.
Other Stuff
Comic Wallet is selling wallets made from pages of Flash: Rebirth.
A bit off-topic, I’ve been running a photo blog, updating three times a week, mostly with shots from around the Orange County, California area. I’ve also reviewed The Gathering Storm, the new Wheel of Time novel that kept me away from the computer for a week.
November 13, 2009
IGN has posted DC’s Blackest Night solicitations for February 2010, including the conclusion of Blackest Night: The Flash.
Blackest Night: The Flash #3
On sale February 17 – 3 of 3 – 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Scott Kolins
Variant cover by Francis Manapul
It’s a case of the chicken-or-the-egg as Barry Allen takes on the Black Lantern Reverse-Flash and seeks answers to the very nature of Professor Zoom’s impending resurrection. Plus, the Rogues witness an act so horrifying that it changes one of their own forever.
This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Scott Kolins), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Francis Manapul).
Notes: I hate to admit it, but I have no idea who the Flash is fighting on this cover. Well, almost no idea. Is this the new design for Nekron?
Also, this pretty much confirms that Professor Zoom’s personal timeline is, well, reversed, and that he’s being resurrected in Blackest Night, then going back in time for Flash: Rebirth. It’s not 100% certain, but it looks extremely likely at this point.
And finally: I believe this is the first official Flash art by Francis Manapul that DC has released. He’s doing alternate covers for all three issues of Blackest Night: The Flash, and will of course take over as the artist on The Flash when it launches next spring.
November 12, 2009
The upcoming Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo (April 16-18, 2010) has confirmed Geoff Johns as a guest of honor. Since Ethan Van Sciver was announced back in August, that means that the Flash: Rebirth and Green Lantern: Rebirth writer/artist team will both be appearing at C2E2 next spring.
This also means that neither of them will appear at Wizard’s Anaheim Comic Con, held the same weekend.
A few weeks ago, I mentioned that a lot of the indie comics I read don’t have fixed schedules. In a few cases, it goes beyond that, and the comics are, as near as I can tell, totally stalled — in some cases for years. Maddeningly, there are a few that are stalled just one issue from the conclusion!
Planetary #27 was one of these, but the epilogue issue finally came out last month. I was beginning to wonder whether Ignition City #5 was headed the same way, once it got to three months after the fourth issue, but the last issue finally came out in October.
Currently, I’m waiting for…
Gemini #5
(Image) This five-issue miniseries from Jay Faerber and Jon Sommariva about a super-hero whose secret identity doesn’t know he’s a super-hero (sort of like that TV show with Christian Slater last year) started off solidly, then quickly went off the rails scheduling-wise. I didn’t even realize how late it had gotten until I looked for it a few days ago and found a reference to the original solicitation: It was supposed to wrap in September 2008! The longest gap was between #3 and #4 (which came out this past July).
Status: The artist is currently working on the issue…along with a bunch of other projects.
Update (March 2011) Still not finished. According to Jay Faerber, “Jon Sommariva has the script, so it’s in his hands now.”
Robert Jordan’s New Spring #8 – COMPLETED! (May 2010)
(Dabel Bros.) This 8-issue miniseries adapting the Wheel of Time prequel launched in August 2005, produced by Dabel Bros. and published by Red Eagle Entertainment. After a couple of issues it got to be very sporadic as the studio and publisher started to feud, and it ceased publication entirely after #5 came out in early 2006.
Two years later (summer 2008), Dabel Bros. announced that they would start adapting the main Wheel of Time series, but at the time had no plans to complete New Spring. Finally, in April 2009, they announced that they’d be finishing the miniseries. #6 came out in May, along with a prologue to the new series, then I waited…#7 came out in August… Now there’s just one issue left, but there’s been no sign of New Spring #8 anywhere. For that matter, Eye of the World seems to have stalled after just one issue. Meanwhile, Bleeding Cool has been reporting financial problems — like not paying artists — and Dabel Bros. website has gone offline.
Status: It doesn’t look promising, but then the series has already come back from the dead once. I believe Tor (Robert Jordan’s publisher) has the rights to publish the collected edition. Maybe if Dabel Bros. can’t finish it in miniseries form, Tor can step in, finance the last chapter, and just sell it as a hardcover? I’d certainly buy it.
Update (April 2010): I may be able to cross this one off the list soon. Dynamite (who has taken over Dabel Brothers’ catalog) has scheduled the last issue for June!
Update (May 2010): The final issue of New Spring arrived on May 12, 2010! Dynamite has also relaunched the Eye of the World adaptation.
The Oz/Wonderland Chronicles #4 – COMPLETED! (April 2011)
(BuyMeToys.com) Simple premise: Alice from Alice in Wonderland and Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz have grown up and left behind the worlds they think were simply childhood fantasies, and are now roommates in (IIRC) Chicago (Their other roommates include Wendy from Peter Pan and an obvious analog of Susan from the Narnia books). Of course, their pasts were real, and now they’re being called upon to return to those worlds and help them. The four-issue miniseries was coming out about once a year starting in 2005, but it’s been at least two years since issue #3.
Status: They released a preview of #4 at Chicago Comic-Con this year, and the website says it’ll be out “early 2010.”
Update (June 2010): I’ve found several stores listing an August 25, 2010 release date, but the official website doesn’t say anything. We’ll see.
Update (April 2011): The fourth issue finally came out on April 13, 2011 — three years after the previous issue and six since the first. Meanwhile, they launched a sequel, “Jack and Cat Tales,” before they actually finished the first series.
