In an interview posted on Friday, Flash co-writers Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato talked to comic book resources about the arc of their speedster saga. Going into this week’s first New 52 Grodd story, and upcoming reintroductions of Weather Wizard, Heat Wave and (Golden) Glider, the Flash team delved into the existing relationship between the Rogues and the road to September’s Flash Annual.
Manapul kicks things off by explaining the crescendo of the series thus far:
Francis Manapul: I think there’s a theme that the book is really about overwhelming the Flash. In the first arc, we created this villain who could really be in multiple places at once, so in that sense, the Flash is overwhelmed physically and also overwhelmed emotionally because of the fact that he’s [fighting] an old friend, a guy that he grew up with. It’s kind of an overwhelming time for Barry Allen, having discovered that the weight of the world is on his shoulders. On top of that, the Rogues are slowly starting to get back together; we’re slowly showing what kind of a threat they would be to Barry Allen.
For highlights, including choices made during the redesign of the Rogues and the team’s answer to the Wally West question, follow the jump!
Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato are featured in a new interview over at Newsarama where they discuss the title’s next steps on the road to the one-year mark of the New 52. Within, the cover for the upcoming Flash Annual, due in September, is revealed. It features the first looks at new versions of Mirror Master, Heat Wave and a re-imagined Golden Glider, alongside Captain Cold, Turbine and the new Weather Wizard, forming a Gauntlet of Super Villains for the New 52 Flash.
Check out what the duo had to say about thematic ties to Flashpoint, the new, “crispy” Heat Wave, Weather Wizard: Drug Lord and the reintroduction of the Pied Piper (and much more!) after the jump…
On the road to today’s release of Flash #7, the creative team of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato has been making the interview rounds. Here’s a roundup of the past few days, covering their appearances in multiple outlets.
First up, Manapul stopped by iFanboy’s Word Balloon podcast to talk about his work on the title, include the nature of his collaboration with Buccellato. From the description:
Artist/writer Francis Manapul is back to tell us what’s been happening in the pages of The Flash for DC Comics. We talk about his unique art choices to display the hero’s super speed, and the Flash’s point of view when faced with the choices of how to stop a crime or disaster from happening.
With issue #6 hitting stands today, the Flash creative team of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato are featured in two new interviews, one over at Newsarama and the other at PopMatters.
The Newsarama piece discusses the reintroduction of Captain Cold, the new character Turbine, as well as the vision for Speed Force as it appears New 52 version of Flash. They also discuss the pacing of the title, noting stories will be told in one-to-two issue sets for the next few months. The article features preview pages from issue #6, out today, as well as the first announcement of a new Flash Annual, due before issue #12 hits stands.
On their upcoming portrayal of the Speed Force:
Manapul: Inside the speed force itself will be quite different. I think before, it’s always been portrayed as just these speed lines and light and stuff like that. We really want to make it a world that’s fully realized, you know? And when the Flash enters this world, we want the readers to be in awe just as much as Barry Allen is.
It’s really going to be quite different visually.
More after the jump, including selections from a new interview with PopMatters.
Flash writers Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato are featured in a new article and interview over at USAToday.com, which also has an exclusive preview of issue #6, out this Wednesday.
Manapul and Buccellato continue to hint at the mystery surrounding the Rogues’ new power manifestations, as well as their view of the Flash and the world at large, in the New 52. The group will be introduced one-by-one, according to Manapul:
“They have reasons for feeling how they feel about him and that will unfold over the course of the next two issues,” Buccellato says. “The dynamic is the same — it’s just the relationships are not the same as they were because some stuff has happened.”
While there’s a certain charm to them working together, Manapul adds, “showcasing them one by one at the moment puts an emphasis on how much stronger these characters are.”
Manapul states that Captain Cold is “definitely a lot more dangerous than he was before,” but also addresses what sets the Rogue and his associates apart in the New 52 DCU:
“The Rogues are about the score — they’re about getting in, getting paid and getting out. They’re not the Joker, they’re not Lex Luthor. They have their own way of doing things,” Buccellato says.
For more, including Manapul on Cold’s bold new look, check out USA Today!
Considering all of the changes seen in DC’s New 52 Flash title, the reemergence of the character’s roots in cutting-edge science has received nearly as much, if not more, attention than the tweaks to beloved characters and the series’ long-set standards.
The prime example of this has been the introduction of a very real concept know as Augmented Cognition, or AugCog. In Flash, Barry Allen is advised by new character Dr. Darwin Elias to apply his use of the Speed Force to his brain, allowing him to use his powers to affect perception and the processing of information. This new power was on display in full force in issue #2, and lead to the chilling cliffhanger ending of issue #3.
We reached out to Dr. Peter A. Hancock, Provost’s Distinguished Research Professor at The University of Central Florida and member of the Augmented Cognition International Society, to get his take on the AugCog concepts as presented in Flash. His responses provided a detailed look into an exciting area of neuroscience. Read on, after the jump…
In an interview published today, Flash writer and artist Francis Manapul spoke with Comic Vine about Captain Cold and his fellow Rogues. DC revealed Captain Cold’s redesigned duds last week, and announced that he and the Rogues would be making their return to the magazine with issue #7.
On the redesign, which generated a lot of discussion on this site, Manapul had this to say:
FM: Well I ran all my designs by the higher ups, and they all chimed in with their two cents. I didn’t get too many notes. We were split on keeping the parka as some felt it was a very iconic part of who he was, and the other half felt that it made him look dated. In the end I came up with what I felt was a good compromise to keep those that didn’t want the hoodie happy, but at the same time make him look more modern yet still staying true to his iconic look. Some of the other Rogues the changes were a bit more extreme, I allowed the story to dictate how they would look, I strongly feel that design follows function.
Flash co-writers Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato are featured in a new interview at IGN, where they discuss the recent developments in Flash’s powers, new antagonist Mob Rule and the role the twin cities of Keystone and Central will play in their series.
Posted on Wednesday, the same day as the release of new issue #3, the interview is spoiler-free and delves deeply into the collaboration between Manapul and Buccellato.
The Flash creative team of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato made the rounds again this week, popping up over at MTV Geek! and at Yahoo! Associated Content to talk about the science behind the new Flash series and its roots in the real world. The MTV article also included an exclusive look at Flash #5, which is located just below:
The duo talked about concepts like Augmented Cognition, which showed up in issue #2, as well as some of the science behind Mob Rule. For excerpts, see you after the jump…
The New 52 Flash creative duo of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato maintained their recent level of visibility, already talking to both io9 and Comic Impact this week.
Both sites touch on the status of the Rogues Gallery, the much-lauded artwork and both feature a mention of Wally West. The two had this to say, regarding the revamped Rogues, to i09:
Will there be any new Rogues or have any been radically redesigned?
FM: I’m still basing it on past continuity, but we’re evolving them. When you read the first arc, it’s about The Flash trying to evolve. You realize in the second arc, that that’s what the Rogues have been doing this entire time.
BB: Trying to keep up with the Joneses.
FM: But obviously it went wrong and they’re not together. We’re going to see what that’s all about and how they came across the powers that they now have.
Welcome to SpeedForce.org, a blog focusing on DC Comics' super-hero, The Flash. It's a companion site to Flash: Those Who Ride the Lightning, a fan reference site for the Fastest Man Alive.
