December 10, 2009
DC’s week of 2010 announcements continues with new Francis Manapul art on The Source and a Geoff Johns interview at the Los Angeles Times’ blog, Hero Complex.
First up: the cover for Flash Secret Files and Origins 2010, due in March:
The Source article also features two in-progress images, and quotes Francis Manapul:
The entire creative team is looking forward to introducing new ways of portraying speed. It’s also cool that we’ll be introducing a new generation to Barry Allen as well as myself so I’ll be right in they’re shoes of getting to know this guy. It should be an exciting ride!
The Hero Complex interview doesn’t reveal anything new about the upcoming series, but Geoff Johns does talk about his history with the Flash and thoughts about his approach to the character. Some quotes that stood out to me:
We all have a “thicket of mythology.” You meet someone and they have an entire backstory. A city they were born in. A best friend they lost touch with. An event that affected their whole family. A first job. Everyone has history. And every character has history.
The most frustrating thing for Barry is related to his job as a member of Central City CSI. He investigates crimes that have already happened. Murders he can’t stop. No matter how fast he is, that’s the past.
I look at something like “The Flash” as a long term mission. “The Flash: Rebirth” was the knot to untangle in the shoelace before we could run. I wanted to clear the board, re-examine some key elements of Barry Allen and re-introduce a threat that would play throughout the next several years.
I’d offer more commentary, but I’m kind of swamped at the moment.
Update: Forgot to mention: The first hints of the new Secret Files book had Tony Harris working on the cover. Or, rather, “a” cover. He even posted a snippet of art. Maybe one of them is a variant cover, or maybe DC decided not to use his, or maybe it’ll be an interior splash page.
I can relate to 4thLetter!’s David Brothers when he talks about losing interest in super-heroes, or at least in Marvel and DC. I’ve been primarily a DC fan since the early 1980s, but I’ve found myself buying fewer and fewer DC books over the last few years.
Why? Well…
- My tastes have changed. Lately, I find myself drawn more to the genres I tend to read in prose — science fiction and fantasy — and less to super-heroes.
- DC’s general tone has shifted to one that just doesn’t interest me.
- After reading comics for 25 years, I’ve gotten jaded.
- I’d rather just read stories than keep up with an entire universe. (I’m not sure if that’s a matter of taste or being jaded.)
I’m down to one DC title, The Flash, and it’s in the middle of a year-long revamp. I still don’t know whether I’m going to like the new series once it actually starts. Marvel? The only book I’m following right now, The Twelve, has been stalled for over a year. I just dropped Dynamo 5, which leaves Astro City. Everything else, including my top three, is a mix of sci-fi, fantasy, or mystery.
For the most part, I don’t think this is a problem. There are plenty of comics out there that are more to my tastes. It only bothers me when it affects characters that matter to me, like the Flash. It’s an odd feeling, not knowing whether I’ll be reading a Flash comic this time next year. Though with the amount of time it’s taken to release Flash: Rebirth, I’ve gotten used to it. 
December 9, 2009
Just a quick note: Today’s DC Holiday Special ’09 does feature a Flash story, “The Flash Before Christmas” by Amy Wolfram and Daniel Leister. Surprisingly, it’s a Wally West story, in which the speedster tries to do what the rest of us do just before Christmas: Take care of a zillion last-minute tasks.
December 8, 2009
DC Holiday Special 2009 #1
Written by Scott Kolins, Sterling Gates, Amy Wolfram, Fred Van Lente, Jay Faerber, Beau Smith, David Tischman, Jay Torres and others
Art by Scott Kolins, Jeff Lemire, Daniel Liester and others
Cover by Dustin Nguyen
It’s that time of year! You can’t miss your favorite characters bringing good cheer to all. Even Deadman and B’wana Beast find ways to celebrate the spirit of the season!
ONE-SHOT · On sale December 9 · 80 pg, FC, $5.99 US
Notes: Anyone else find it odd that comics companies regularly slap a “#1″ on books that are clearly never going to have a #2? They aren’t going to do a DC Holiday Special 2009 #2. They probably will do a DC Holiday Special 2010 #1.
Titans #20
Written by Mike Johnson
Art by Angel Unzueta & Wayne Faucher
Cover by Angel Unzueta
Spotlight on Donna Troy! What happens when a young twenty-something woman feels like she grew up too fast and deprived herself of a twenty-something kind of life? As Donna ponders this, the Fearsome Five continue their Titans revenge streak. They picked the wrong time to do it…
On sale December 9 · 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
JLA Year One TP (New Printing)
Written by Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn
Art by Barry Kitson & Michael Bair
Cover by Barry Kitson
The definitive tale of the JLA’s formation is back in a new printing of the massive book starring The Flash, Green Lantern, Black Canary, Martian Manhunter and Aquaman. Collecting the entire, original twelve-issue miniseries!
On sale December 9 · 320 pg, FC, $19.99 US
Super Friends #22
Written by Sholly Fisch
Art by Dario Brizuela
Cover by J. Bone
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and the Super Friends want to grant everyone’s holiday wishes! But the fiendish Mr. Memory may take away even their festive thoughts and leave no joy in the world!
On sale December 9 · 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US
December 7, 2009
I went back and looked at the comments on the Earth One announcement at The Source. Big mistake. There’s an argument over whether it’s the same as Earth-1 in the 52 Multiverse, what Earth-1, Earth-2, Earth-0, etc. all are in this universe or the previous DC Multiverse, etc.
In short, the title alone drags the new, streamlined books into the realm of continuity-heavy fanboy debates.
In general, I don’t like numbering alternate realities. It can be useful for cataloging, but it’s much clearer to refer to “the Smallville version,” “Mainstream DC,” “Ultimate Marvel” or “Tangent Universe” instead of tossing around terms like “Earth-616″ and “Universe Designate Zero.”
And isn’t the point of this new line to make things less confusing?
DC needs a banner they can put on these books, so that readers can look for “XYZ Superman Volume 1″ on the shelf. But “Earth One” is already causing confusion, just hours after it was announced.
I’m pleasantly surprised that Comic-Con International and/or Travel Planners has gotten their act together for next year’s convention. Before attendance (and hotel rush) went completely insane, they used to send out hotel info with their fall newsletter or in a postcard around December (or maybe January), but over the last two years it’s been pushed later and later. For 2009, they didn’t even announce a date for hotel reservations until February…a month before they opened. The list of hotels went up even later — the day before, IIRC.
The fall newsletter, now an online magazine, went up today, and along with it not just the date for reservations, but a list of hotels…including distance, prices, and shuttle stops. Hotel reservations go online March 18, 2010.
Additionally, they’ve made some interesting changes that may help combat the craziness:
- Reservations will now require an immediate deposit of one night’s stay
- Deposits are fully refundable until May 14.
- From May 15 to June 17, there’s a $75 cancellation fee.
- From June 18 onward, deposits are nonrefundable.
With luck that’ll cut down on some of the “just in case…” extra reservations, now that there’s an actual financial commitment to it.
(Cross-posted at K-Squared Ramblings)
This morning, DC announced the first two volumes in Earth One, a new series of original graphic novels set in a new continuity. The first two books will be Superman: Earth One by J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis, and Batman: Earth One by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.
It’s being discussed all over the place, so I’ll just state my initial thoughts.
The Positives
First, I love the idea of a series of OGNs. There’s a huge potential audience out there in bookstores, and while collected editions help meet that audience, there are drawbacks — particularly pacing (when read serially) and the fact that waiting for the trade means missing out on the fan conversation. It works for prose novels, it works for Scott Pilgrim, it works for manga (even if it was originally serialized in Japan, it may as well be OGNs as far as the American audience is concerned), and it’s good to see DC taking the concept seriously.
Second, an Ultimate-style reboot of the DC Universe is a good idea. 80 years of continuity, multiple “soft” reboots, heroes who have been replaced, then come back, major events based on short stories from 25 years ago…the modern DC Universe is a complicated place. A project that reaches out to a new audience is a good opportunity to streamline things without messing with the monthly continuity.
Third, I like the Batman redesign.
The Negatives
It makes sense to start with Superman and Batman, because these are two characters that everyone is familiar with, even those who don’t read comics. But they’re starting with the origin stories. Who doesn’t know Superman’s origin? Or Batman’s? With any other character, I’d say it would be worth starting with an origin, but with these two, it might be better to jump in at the deep end and fill in the backstory as they go along.
If they keep the series going, it won’t be a problem, but I can see it being a problem for the first volumes. It reminds me of the choice for the movie of The Golden Compass to rip out the ending and move it to the start of the second movie. It definitely hurt the first movie, and probably contributed to the fact that there won’t be a second movie.
It also makes me worry that, like so many rebooted series, they’ll eventually turn to retelling older stories instead of telling new ones.
The Earth One branding seems…a little obtuse. It means nothing to the new audience, and judging by comments I’ve seen, it’s already confusing the existing DC audience. [Edit: expanded a bit more in that link.]
Uncertainty
I can’t reach the AICN interview, but CBR’s article quotes Geoff Johns as saying that the plan is for two novels a year. Two total? Or two per character? If these take off, two per character would be a much better approach, especially if they expand it to Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, and beyond.
December 6, 2009
December 5, 2009
Some weekend linkblogging…
Interviews
CBR is readying a new installment of its Geoff Johns Prime Q&A column. If you have a question for the Flash: Rebirth and Blackest Night writer, you can submit it through Monday at 5:00 PM PST.
CHIU-stream is holding a contest for original art by Francis Manapul, and will be interviewing the upcoming Flash artist on December 10.
Art Finds
Crimson Lightning is back from its Nanowrimo-imposed hiatus with a Foxtrot Flash Find.
Ulises Farinas draws a LEGO Blackest Night (via Robot6). Brickest night?
Augustine at Comic Bloc found a probable Flash reference in Ultimate Spider-Man.
Commentary
Also at Comic Bloc, a discussion on the origin of Wednesday as new comics day.
I haven’t decided yet whether to put together a list of Blackest Night: The Flash #1 reviews. If I do, it’ll probably just be major sites and those that I follow, plus anything I stumble across. Searching does take time, even with Google Alerts.
December 4, 2009
Something just occurred to me: Between Flash: Rebirth and Blackest Night: The Flash, DC has scheduled 9 Flash comics in a row by the same writer. This hasn’t happened since 2005, when Geoff Johns finished his previous run on The Flash. We’re looking at the most creatively-consistent period the Flash has had in four years, even though we haven’t seen a single issue of the regular series!
The Flash has historically had very stable writing teams. The Golden Age was mostly Gardner Fox; the Silver age mostly John Broome. Robert Kanigher contributed to both. The Bronze Age was almost entirely Cary Bates. William Messner-Loebs did several years in the late 1980s, Mark Waid had the 1990s sewn up, and Geoff Johns took the first half of the 2000s.
But since 2005, the longest run had been just 8 issues by Danny Bilson and Paul DeMeo.
It’s nice to finally have some stability back for the Flash. Even if we didn’t already know Geoff Johns would be sticking around for the new series, it already feels like a minor miracle.
