June 30, 2010
Speed Force is proud to present our second edition of Flash Collector Showcase. We are showcasing Flash memorabilia collectors and their collections from all over the world; whether it be comics, toys, t-shirts, collectibles or art. If it’s a collection and it’s main focus or a large part of it relates to The Flash or his Rogues, this is the place to find it.
To that end all collectors interested in having their collection possibly featured in a future Flash Collector Showcase please send your name, geographic location, a short biography, some background on your collection, and about 3 to 6 pictures to
Devintheflashjohnson@yahoo.com. Please include “Flash Collector Showcase” in the subject line. Also be sure to mention if your collection has received special mentions or any other accolades as well, although this is not a requirement.
Last time we featured Filipino Collector, Glen Antonio. Glen had been on local Filipino TV shows and in several articles before being showcased on Speed Force and we were glad to have him. He has also shared his collections with many Comic and Toy Conventions. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter to see what he is up to currently.
Now on to our latest collector to be featured, Mike Welch.
Read the rest of this entry »
Ain’t It Cool News interviews Francis Manapul about the Flash.
What have been some of the challenges having to draw a character who is basically constantly in motion?
FM: I think the challenge comes in thinking of new ways to portray his speed. I’ve been incorporating a lot of his environment to show motion aside from the Flash himself. From Barry catching Chinese food thrown in the air to putting money in the meter as he evades the villains. Geoff has also been upping his game by having Barry do different things with his speed from dissecting a car apart in mid air to learning and building an apartment in less than minute.
He talks about working with Geoff Johns, adapting his art style to the Flash, working for DC Comics, and more in the full interview.
The artist has also posted several pages of art from today’s Flash #3
June 29, 2010
Today, DC released some major Wonder Woman news: a new costume designed by Jim Lee and a new direction for the series as J. Michael Straczynski takes over.
To sum up: Persons unknown have altered Wonder Woman’s history so that Paradise Island was wiped out 20 years ago. Diana has no memory of the original timeline, doesn’t have her full powers yet, and needs to survive, help other refugee Amazons, find out who destroyed Paradise Island and find out whether the timeline can be restored.
All-New, All-Different!
I’m always apprehensive when a new writer picks up an established character and the first thing he does is to remove some key element of the character. Like the Flash’s speed (Geoff Johns’ first Flash story, “Wonderland”). Or Superman’s flight (JMS’ first Superman arc, “Grounded”). I understand it might help the writer get inside the character’s head: what is he or she like without the powers? But it always feels like shoehorning some other idea onto the character. Why did you want to write the Flash if you didn’t want to write about a guy who runs fast?
That said, for all that DC is pushing this as a “new direction,” to me this description reads more like a major story arc. I mean, there’s an end point right there in the description: find out who did it and see if it’s possible to change things back. Given the timing of the comics themselves and the time-travel elements to the story, I suspect this is going to be linked to Flashpoint. [Update: Comics Alliance asked JMS about this and he said it's not related.]
Retcon Fever
It’s worth comparing to Flash: Rebirth, actually. In both cases, someone within the fictional universe has gone back in time and altered the main character’s history. With Diana, we know before the first issue is out. With Barry Allen, only long-term readers knew anything had been changed to begin with. It wasn’t clear that there was an in-story explanation for it until the miniseries was almost over. Even then, the prospect of undoing the changes was only floated long enough to be dismissed as impossible.
Most importantly: changing Diana’s history drastically alters who she is today. That’s a story. Once you get past the doom-and-gloom Barry of Flash: Rebirth #1-3, the changes to his history don’t seem to have made much difference in the present.
Part Three of “The Dastardly Deaths of the Rogues” arrives in stores tomorrow.
The Flash #3
It may be BRIGHTEST DAY, but when a mysterious group of so-called heroes turns up, another Rogue ends up dead. Plus, the mystery deepens as The Flash witnesses another murder — his own!
Written by GEOFF JOHNS · Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL · 1:10 variant cover by GREG HORN.
On sale JUNE 30 (rescheduled) · 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
DC has a 5-page preview online.
Other Speedy Books
- Justice League of America #46 – Start of a JLA/JSA crossover, featuring both Jay Garrick and Jesse Quick…plus a variant cover focusing on Jesse Quick by The Flash artist Francis Manapul.
- Justice Society of America #40 featuring Jay Garrick and Liberty Belle.
- Teen Titans #84 featuring Kid Flash (Bart Allen)
- Velocity #1 – DC isn’t the only publisher with speedster heroes. Velocity from Top Cow’s Cyberforce gets her own solo miniseries. Newsarama has a preview, and I’ve written a review of the issue at First Comics News.
Jesse sent in this photo of an amazing piece of Flash artwork he recently bought:
Here’s how he describes it:
It’s a single board of paper with drawings of the Flash from some of his most notable artists. You’ve got the two main Flash artists from the ’90s: Greg LaRocque (my favorite Flash artist) drew the large picture of Wally on the left, and Mike Wieringo drew one, too! There are also drawings by Pop Mhan and Craig Rousseau. To top it off, Carmine Infantino did the sketch at the top. (I like to think that the 4 drawings are of Wally, with the spirit of Barry looking over, since it’s in a lighter ink.) Oh, and Mark Waid signed the bottom as well. I don’t own a lot of comic art, but even though this was expensive, I jumped at the chance to get it.
Wow!
It really makes me wonder what the story is behind the fan who originally went around collecting these sketches.
Update: Check out the comments below, where artist Greg LaRocque reveals the secret origin of the sketch!
June 28, 2010
Appropriately for a book about a speedster, Velocity hits the ground running. While the miniseries’ main conflict doesn’t really begin until the end of the issue, there’s plenty going on in the opening chapter.
The setup for “Decoys” is simple: A mad scientist infects Velocity and her teammates with a virus that will kill them within an hour, and she’s the only one who might be able to stop it.
The comic is actually quite new-reader friendly. You get a good sense of Velocity’s personality (snarky, tends to get ahead of herself), powers (runs fast, jumps fast, dismantles killer cyborgs fast…but vibrating through walls and into other dimensions is right out), and the basics of her origin.
Read the rest of the review at First Comics News.
Velocity #1 (of 4) arrives in stores June 30.
(For those who are wondering, I do still plan on reviewing The Flash #2. At this rate, I’m not sure I’ll get to it until after issue 3 hits, though.)
See Also:
Review: Velocity #2
Review: Velocity #3
Review: Velocity #4
June 27, 2010
Some more weekend linkblogging…
Philip Tan posts an image of Flash and Batman, saying, “What’s This? What’s THIS?! All will be made known soon… Very soon…” (via @SpeedsterSite).
Animation Designer Phillip Bourassa describes JL: Crisis on Two Earths models (via @SpeedsterSite)
That F’ing Monkey shows off a custom Captain Cold Munny figure.
Comics Cosplay Brasil: So that’s where the Flash gets his energy!
The Nerdy Bird shows us some super-hero watercolors.
Some weekend linkblogging…
Once Upon a Geek can’t wait for the upcoming DC Adventures RPG.
Multiversity Comics casts the Teen Titans
The Beat finds that Comic-Con brings money into San Diego after all. Who knew? Oh, right, we did: the ones spending it!
4thletter! looks at Flash and Batman in Final Crisis: “Everything about the Flash, any of them, in Final Crisis is dead on…”
Comics Worth Reading reviews Wednesday Comics.
June 25, 2010
Flash Week at Collected Editions concludes with a review of Flash: Rebirth!
Here’s a full list of the Flash trade paperback and hardcover reviews posted this week:
If you’ve been following along, you already know that I contributed the reviews of the Morrison/Millar books, Emergency Stop and The Human Race. I forgot to mention it earlier, but this is actually the second set of guest reviews I’ve done for the site: I reviewed Perhapanauts: First Blood for them last year.
When you visit Collected Editions, be sure to check out the huge collection of reviews (including more Flash trades) and the DC Trade Paperback Timeline.
Newsarama has a 5-page preview of Velocity #1 by Ron Marz and Kenneth Rocafort.
Carin Taylor is the fastest woman in the world. At least, she’d better be if she wants to save her own life and the lives of her Cyberforce teammates. When a former Cyberdata scientist — and test subject — seeks revenge against the members of Cyberforce, only Velocity can save her friends before the clock literally runs out.
Bringing together writer Ron Marz (Witchblade, Angelus) and artist Kenneth Rocafort (Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer) for the first time. Featuring two covers by Rocafort and Chriscross (Captain Marvel).
I quite liked the Pilot Season one-shot by Joe Casey and Kevin Maguire, and I’ve been looking forward to seeing more solo adventures, even though this is a completely new team, and a 4-issue miniseries rather than an ongoing. (The downside: as well-executed as Rocafort’s art is, the covers are cheesecake-y enough that I feel like I need to hide the comic on the bottom of my stack — and avoid reading it in public!)
Velocity #1 ships next Wednesday, June 30.
Update: I’ve had the opportunity to read an advance copy. Here’s my review of the comic.
