Speed Force

IGN.com has posted the first trailer for the Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox animated film. If viewing the video at IGN’s site is a problem, you can also find it on YouTube.

There’s an embedded video and some general spoilers after the cut.

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DC has released a preview of The Flash #20 at Newsarama: “Reverse, Part 1 of 6.” From DC’s blog:

Something is claiming the lives of those who’ve been touched by the Speed Force, and The Flash is in a race against time to unlock this mystery before someone else turns up dead! Don’t miss the start of Reverse-Flash’s game-changing arc in the pages of THE FLASH #20!

The issue, by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato, arrives in stores on Wednesday.

MTV Geek has an extensive write-up of a Grant Morrison talk in which he discussed (among other things) his long-in-the-works Multiversity. Each issue will focus on a different reality in DC’s multiverse, surrounded by a pair of bookends tying the story together.

One issue focuses on…

“The Just”, taking place on Earth-11, showcasing the return of the Super-Sons and the children of other superheroes. Surprisingly citing The Hills as an inspiration, the disaffected super-kids will be introduced in ways similar to that program, and the utopian world brought on by their parents will be echoed by their dull, meaningless, “shallow” conversational patterns. We’ll also see the remnants of a bored Justice League, filled with nearly-forgotten 90s characters with nothing to do but superhero/supervillain battle re-enactments. When asked who would be appearing, Kyle Rayner will be the Green Lantern featured in the book, but Guy Gardner will be present. Other 90s characters set to appear include Bloodpack, Bloodwynd, Anima, Walker Gabriel and, yes, Wally West, amidst a host of other legacy characters introduced in the era, hinting at appearances by Azrael and the “replacement” Supermen. Knowing that it would always come back to the most iconic versions of the characters, such as Bruce Wayne, Barry Allen and Hal Jordan, Morrison wanted to give these heroes “a world they did inherit, but they didn’t inherit anything” worthwhile.

DC Comics’ August 2013 solicitations are up, including…

THE FLASH #23
Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL and BRIAN BUCCELLATO
Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
1:25 B&W Variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
On sale AUGUST 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The Flash makes a desperate play to save Iris from Reverse-Flash—and you can’t be sure who will be left standing by this issue’s end!

TEEN TITANS #23
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art by ROBSON ROCHA and WAYNE FAUCHER
Cover by EDDY BARROWS and EBER FERREIRA
1:25 B&W Variant cover by EDDY BARROWS and EBER FERREIRA
On sale AUGUST 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Kid Flash finds himself on the run from his past as a growing rift between Red Robin and Superboy boils over and could tear the Teen Titans apart, just as their speedster teammate needs them most.

Plus there’s Earth 2 starring Jay Garrick, and the second half of Trinity War running through the Justice League titles.

Justice League Beyond writer Derek Fridolfs writes about “Flashdrive” and the future Flash over at his blog. Inspiration for the character came from race car driver Danica Patrick and Olympic runner Rafer Johnson. Fridolfs also talks about the costume design process, Flash fans (who us?), and how to fit Flash history into the established Justice League Unlimited/Batman Beyond continuity.

Danica debuted in Justice League Beyond #19 and took the lead in chapter 20. As for future spotlights…

Fans clamoring to know more about Dani will get a chance to see her back story told in an upcoming “Beyond Origin”. It was a fun way to show where she grew up and traveled to around the Beyond Universe, as well as explore the legacy of the Flash and how she’s able to hear all the voices of the previous Flashes. I even created some new villains in there as a possible back-door “pilot” if she got her own series or more stories to help flesh out her world. But at this stage, I’m kind of doubtful it’ll ever happen.

I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out!

Head over to Derek Fridolf’s blog to read the whole article.

There’s been quite a bit of Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox information and images released in the last day, although I suspect it wasn’t entirely authorized. Screen Rant posted what was apparently a ten-minute preview from the movie, but it’s already been removed by Warner Brothers. However, the site still contains an interesting piece of information:

“The Justice League members will still be featured, but they won’t be the ones entrusted with carrying the plot and giving fans more of the heroism they know and love. This is Barry Allen’s show, and the newest peek behind the scenes gives a brief rundown for those unfamiliar with Barry’s backstory, while highlighting the impressive voice cast assembled for the adaptation.”

So it seems Flashpoint Paradox will definitely be of interest to Flash fans, and it’s nice to see a Flash-centric film for once.

That isn’t the entirety of Flashpoint Paradox news, however. Other sites are posting images of what are possibly screencaps from the removed video, and among them is a collection of some Rogues designs.

Personally, I am utterly delighted to see the Top there, and the movie has gone from a ‘probably will get it’ to a ‘must get it’ for me. The character designs are certainly stylized and might take some getting used to, but overall I like it. And the stills we’ve already seen from the film aren’t quite as extreme as these images suggest, so maybe these aren’t the final designs.

There are more images available at the Idle Hands blog, including designs of all the Justice League members and some other DC villains, as well as storyboards showing of a bit of the action. It certainly gives some hints as to what the movie will be like.

What do other people think — do you like the character designs? Are you interested in the film?

Uproxx has a preview of Flash #19, due in stores next Wednesday. Barry Allen has found himself trapped in Iron Heights without his powers (as a result of the events of Dial H #11) just as the Outlanders storm the prison to break the Trickster out. “Essentially, all Barry has is his wits. Oh, and also a gigantic bag full of weapons from various rogues. So maybe this fight is a little more even than it looks…”

Uproxx also spoke with Manapul & Buccellato, making this the fourth interview with the Flash team released this week.

Flash #19 by Brian Buccellato and Marcio Takara arrives in stores on April 24.

This week has already seen two three new interviews with the Flash creative team.  In pieces with Comic Book Resources, Newsarama, and now Comic Vine, Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato pull back a small corner of the curtain on their new iteration of the Reverse-Flash!

The duo eliminates at least one suspect, while providing some insight into the motivations and look of Flash’s new opposite-number. The Newsarama (and Comic Vine) interviews also feature a first look at preliminary pages from Flash #20!  Check out all of the chilling, UPDATED details after the jump!

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Warner Bros. has released box art and further details for the July 30 release of Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, the home video animated feature based on 2011′s Flashpoint miniseries. Casting was announced yesterday, with Justin Chambers and Kevin McKidd as Flash (Barry Allen) and Batman (Thomas Wayne).

According to comicbook.com, the special features include:

• A Flash in Time: Are there other dimensions? Can time travel get us there? And if The Flash existed, could he really travel through time? Interviews with experts in mythology, theoretical physics and top DC writers will examine the science and legacy of the storytelling behind the fiction.
• My Favorite Villians! The Flash Bad Guys: Acclaimed DC Comics writer Geoff Johns and others share their favorite Flash villains in this short film that gives viewers a glimpse into the Flash’s world through the eyes of some of the nefarious characters he has encountered over the past 70 years!
• A Sneak Peek at the next DC Universe animated movie: An in-depth look into the next DC Animated feature film, spotlighting the cast and crew.
• From the DC Comics Vault: Bonus cartoon episodes
• The Flashpoint Paradox Audio Commentary

Update: World’s Finest has more details including a synopsis:

When time travel allows a past wrong to be righted for Flash and his family, the event’s temporal ripples prove disastrous, creating a fractured, alternate reality where the Justice League never formed, and even Superman is nowhere to be found. Amidst a new world being ravaged by a fierce war between Wonder Woman’s Amazons and Aquaman’s Atlanteans, Flash must team with a grittier, more violent Batman and government agent Cyborg to restore the continuity of Flash’s original timeline.

Jim Krieg (Green Lantern: The Animated Series and Batman: The Brave and the Bold) adapted the script, with Jay Oliva (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns) directing and James Tucker (Superman: Unbound) producing.

So, what episodes from the vault would you like/expect to see? I’m hoping for “Speed Demons” from Superman, “A Mirror Darkly” from The Batman, “Requiem for a Scarlet Speedster” from Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and of course “Flash and Substance” from Justice League Unlimited. Though I can imagine they might go for alternate reality stories instead.

TV Guide has announced the casting of the Flash and some other prominent characters of the upcoming animated film Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. Justin Chambers will voice Barry Allen and Kevin McKidd will play Thomas Wayne. Interestingly, both actors are stars of Grey’s Anatomy.

TV Guide goes on to list some of the other actors signed on for the film:

The all-star cast also includes Michael B. Jordan — star of this year’s Sundance darling Fruitvale — as Cyborg, the half-man, half-robot government agent/hero; Southland‘s C. Thomas Howell as Professor Zoom, aka the Reverse Flash, the villain at the center of the turmoil; Cary Elwes as Aquaman, Vanessa Marshall as Wonder Woman; Sam Daly as Superman; Ron Perlman as Slade; and Danny Huston as General Lane. Warner Bros. Animation vets Kevin Conroy, Dana Delany and Nathan Fillion reprise their roles as Batman, Lois Lane and Green Lantern, respectively.

As previously announced, the Flashpoint film will be released July 30th on Blu-ray, DVD, On Demand and digital download formats from Warner Brothers Animation and DC Entertainment.

Are you looking forward to the film? What do you think about the actors who have been announced so far?