March 15, 2010
It’s not a million, but a near-mint copy of Flash Comics #1 recently sold for $450,000 on Heritage Auctions. This 1940 comic book features the first appearances of both the Flash and Hawkman, and lesser-known characters Johnny Thunder and the Whip. This “finest known copy” of the issue previously changed hands for $273,125 in January 2006 and was ranked the fifth most expensive comic book in 2008. The new buyer placed an anonymous offer through the Heritage Auctions website.
This comic book is part of the remarkably well-preserved Mile High Collection. In August 2008, HA pulled in $553,583 for issues #2-24 and #60 from the same set.
They’ve also got a copy in Fine/Very Fine condition that’s asking a mere $12,500
If you’re like me, half a million — or even $12,500! — is a bit out of your price range. 
I mean, I spent four years looking for a copy of Flash Comics #33 that I could get for around fifty bucks!
Not to worry: the budget reader can pick up the first Flash and Hawkman stories for a lot less in the Golden Age Flash Archives, Vol. 1
and Golden Age Hawkman Archives, Vol. 1
. The issue has also been reprinted in full at least twice, in 1975′s “Famous First Edition” series and again in a 2000 “Millennium Edition.”
From now through April 26, you can enter the Speed Force and Arrobasilver contest to design and win your own Flash Ring!
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A whole bunch o’ linkblogging:
Art!
The webcomic LOST in Comics does a strip that reverses a scene from the TV show, and has Superman and the Flash discussing Hurley and Charlie.
Blake Sims draws the Flash.
Comics Alliance: What if comic books had titles based on what you say about them?
Dreamers Muse has a bunch of Flash icons.
Reviews!
Pop Matters on The Real Return of Barry Allen:
But secretly, the most rewarding element of the limited series has been the delays. To misdirect attention from his super-powers, Barry Allen would make a point of always arriving late. True to form, the publication delays add a hint of Barry Allen charm, making his public wait, just that little while longer.
The Daily P.O.P. reviews Flash: Rebirth as a whole.
Hello Kello writes: What I Learned from Flash: Rebirth.
Collected Editions reviews Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., Geoff Johns’ first DC work.
Commentary!
Screen Rant considers: What Will The Flash Movie Be About?
At the Hall of Justice annotates Blackest Night: The Flash #3.
Comic Book Revolution asks: Would you read a comic if the writer left?
CSBG/Lorendiac’s Lists takes a look at 11 Methods of Target Acquisition – in short, just how do super-heroes and supervillains end up in the same place to have those slugfests?
And finally, totally off-topic…here’s a picture of an Office Depot truck with an Autobot symbol.
I’m imagining Optimus Prime working out some sort of advertising deal to help bring in some revenue.
March 14, 2010
Strathaar at Comic Bloc reports from Emerald City Comicon:
Sunday conversation or Superman panel today, I’m tired so everything is mixing together, Sattler was asked about Wally West and wtf is up with the backup being dropped. The fan asked where he could get his fix on.
Sattler replied he can’t say details just yet, but in the next little bit they will have an announcement, and they have big plans for Wally that we will enjoy.
In the same thread, Bookwriter sheds some light on the Kid Flash news.
I attended the DC Nation Panel yesterday at Emerald City Comic Con, and an audience member asked if there was still plans for a new Kid Flash monthly. Ian Sattler did not come out and answer the questions, but smiled, winked and nodded his head up and down. We all clapped and cheered.
Finally, Broken Frontier reports from MegaCon:
Flash is the character to watch next with it’s creative team striving to make Barry Allen the premier Flash. It was revealed that early iterations of the new ongoing was almost like a team book with the whole Flash family, but they decided to make it more Barry focused. Didio joked about it being akin to the Hannah Barbara’s Wacky Races. Visions of Dick Dastardly dressed as Zoom danced in my head.
Remember that placeholder cover DC used when they solicited Flash: Rebirth #6 to avoid spoilers? Apparently Ethan Van Sciver scrapped that one unfinished, because he’s offering it on Facebook in an art contest.
To the right of the fully-drawn figure of Barry Allen, he’s added the new Impulse, a sketchy figure who appears to be Kid Flash, and a really sketchy figure who could be anyone (though I’m guessing Wally West — he may have scrapped the cover before he finished designing the new costume). The left side of the page is still empty.
Edit: Apparently not everyone can see the image, so here’s a smaller copy of what he’s posted.
Buried in Pop Culture Zoo’s write-up of DC Nation at Emerald City Comicon this weekend is this line:
A Kid Flash series is still being planned.
Whether it will ever see the light of day, who knows? I suppose anything’s possible. DC is finally launching that Zatanna series they talked about two years ago, Top Cow is doing that Velocity series that was supposed to spin out of 2007′s Pilot Season, and even Teen Titans: Games
has finally got a release date after twenty years.
Also of possible interest to Flash fans: the JSA will return to Smallville at the end of this season, and there’s talk of Hal Jordan and possibly Barry Allen having adventures in the distant future.
More coverage at Comics Alliance, and Comic Book Resources, and a good round-up at Robot6.
It looks like Barry Allen will get another chance to say, “Sorry I’m late.” Flash: Secret Files and Origins 2010 was originally scheduled for March 24. According to DC’s website, it’s now on the schedule for March 31.
The ongoing series is still on track for its April 14 launch.
March 12, 2010
About a week ago I did a feature on ArrobaSilver and the fantastic superhero-themed jewelry they produce. They mentioned to me that they wanted more input from real comic book fans about designs for their pieces (which include DC Comics themed rings, pendants, earrings, and cufflinks) . To that end I proposed to them this:
Speedforce.org’s very first contest sponsored by ArrobaSilver!
I know there are a tons of fans out there who would love to have their own custom Flash memorabilia and now is the perfect chance to get a custom-designed, high-quality, ultra-detailed officially licensed Flash ring for free!
The Ring Design can be hand-drawn, digitally produced or even a model. Be creative but stay within reason. Using the many ring designs available on ArrobaSilver.com as a base to build off of is a surefire way to guarantee entry.
The contest begins this Monday, March 15, 2010 at 12:00:01 p.m. Eastern Time, and ends Monday, April 26, 2010 at 11:59:59 a.m. Eastern Time. So you guys have a little over a month to get your designs together and email them to: DesignYourOwnFlashRing@yahoo.com
Official Contest Rules after the break:
Read the rest of this entry »
Read on for the original explanation of the Shade’s powers of darkness: Read the rest of this entry »
What Were They Thinking?! is doing a series of posts this week on the weirdness that is All-Flash Quarterly #2 (1941).
- All Flash Quarterly #2 is Special
- All-Flash Quarterly, Part II: THE BLOOD RED RAY!
- All-Flash #2 Part 3
- All Flash #2 Part 4. Almost Done. Really.
- All Flash Comics #2 ends with…ew
It’s notable as the first Flash story to be longer than the standard Golden Age length of 13 pages. Throughout its run, Flash Comics featured several 13-page stories starring various characters, and All-Flash featured typically four, then later three stories per issue of that length — but they were all Flash. Occasionally, All-Flash would feature two 26-page stories…or, as in this case, one really long one, broken up into standard-length chapters.
The full story is available in The Golden Age Flash Archives Vol.2.
