October 25, 2011
Newsarama’s Vaneta Rogers has turned in a new two-part interview with New 52 Flash team Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato. With issue # 2 due tomorrow, the pair talk about their “vision for Barry Allen” and speak more specifically than before about their process in terms of plotting, art and dialog.
In the first part, posted yesterday, the two touched on the advantage of handling both art and writing responsibilities:
Francis Manapul: Yeah, it’s a much more integrated process. And I do think we’re in a fortunate position to be co-writing, drawing and coloring the book. We’re able to really utilize every aspect of the art to tell the story.
Brian Buccellato: We aren’t interpreting someone else’s script, so there’s no gap between the story and the art. It’s integrated from the idea, all the way through colors. So I think that gives us an advantage, especially with the visuals.
UPDATE: Part two of the interview went up today, including an exclusive sneak preview of art from issue #3. The team goes into greater detail about the direction of the book, teases upcoming storylines, including the return of the Cosmic Treadmill and reveal more on the nature of Mob Rule. Check it out here, and then go grab issue #2!
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October 20, 2011
The Flash creative team of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato gave an interview at last weekend’s New York Comic Con to Newsarama, where they talked a bit about their inspirations for the arc that began with last month’s Flash #1.
Manapul notes a sci-fi tilt to the story that’s about to unfold, and mentions having incorporated aspects from old issues of DC’s Showcase, where the earliest Barry Allen stories appeared. The two also touch on Barry Allen’s role as a man (and comic book fan) facing a brave new world, the DCU Online game, and speed tricks past and present. Manapul also talks about a certain idea not fitting until “year two.” Bring it on!
The first issue of Manapul and Buccellato’s new Flash showed off some gorgeous art and real promise in terms of story and characterization. This interview reveals a little of what’s ahead, as well as some of the creators’ motivation. Are you looking forward to the second issue?
Check out the interview over at Newsarama by clicking on the image above.
October 12, 2011
As an artist working on DC Comics’ New 52, Brett Booth regularly deals with speed in the form of Kid Flash in Teen Titans. Written by Scott Lobdell, Titans features Booth on both covers and interiors. as well as character designs. The veteran artist is next featured in issue #2, due October 26th.
Booth has also received attention recently for his unofficial portrayals of Wally West, the third and now erstwhile Flash, as posted on his blog. Starting with a post on August 24th, Booth has given his fans a couple of different looks at his redesign of West as Flash, including finished versions with colors by Andrew Dalhouse.
We caught up with Booth via email and talked about what makes a Flash costume, his take on Wally West and his favorite Flash stories.
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August 23, 2011
Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato, the creative team behind DC’s new Flash, talk to Comic Vine about the new series and unveil a page of exclusive artwork from the second issue. The duo answers questions about villains new and old, the challenges in handling both writing and art duties and the application of “super-speed thinking” as seen in the solicitation for issue #2.
CV: Does Barry always think at super-speed or does he have to activate the Speed Force?
FM: This is something we’ll be dealing with in our first arc. We know he physically taps into the Speed Force, but we haven’t quite seen the extent of what he could do if his mind tapped into it as well. This is a pretty major theme we plan to tackle, which has lent it self extremely well to visual experimentation.
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August 22, 2011
Longtime Flash artist Greg LaRocque needs little introduction for readers of this site. Hot on the heels of his return to the character in DC Retroactive: The Flash – The ’80s, we caught up with the man once again to talk about the story, his past and future work, as well as the apparent fate of Wally West.
This is the third Speed Force interview with Mr. LaRocque. We’ve previously discussed “The Return of Barry Allen” and previewed the Retroactive issue with him. Part three is after the jump!
UPDATE: Added some comments from LaRocque, which were originally made in response to the Speed Force review of the issue.
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August 16, 2011
This week, former Flash editor and writer Brian Augustyn will return to the character he built for over a decade.
From 1989 – 1996, Augustyn was the editor on highly regarded runs by writers William Messner-Loebs and Mark Waid, including the landmark issue #50, “Born to Run,” “The Return of Barry Allen” and “Terminal Velocity.” In 1996, with issue #118, Augustyn joined Waid as co-writer. Save for a year-long break over 1997 – 1998, he would remain on the title until issue #162 (2000).
Augustyn will be joined by artist Mike Bowden on this week’s Retroactive installment. We reached the writer via email and asked about the new issue, his Flash run and the fate of Wally West.
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June 27, 2011
Starting in July, DC Comics Retroactive series will bring back classic creators to the characters they helped define. Covering the last three decades of the 20th Century, the three Flash issues will feature writer Cary Bates (1970s), writer William Messner-Loebs and artist Greg LaRocque (1980s), and writer Brian Augustyn (1990s).
LaRocque was the penciller on Flash for the entirety of Messner-Loebs’ tenure from 1988 – 1991, and illustrated a portion of Mark Waid’s run including the classic “Born to Run” and “The Return of Barry Allen”. In all, LaRocque pencilled nearly 60 issues of Flash over a five-year stretch.
We’ve previously interviewed LaRocque about his work on “The Return of Barry Allen,” and contacted him via email when the Retroactive issue was announced. Once the artwork was complete, he provided us with some details. He also posted preview images on Facebook last week, and those are included below along with the solicited cover. See what the man has to say after the jump…
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May 26, 2011
Welcome to the second part of our interview with legendary Flash writer Cary Bates! A DC Comics luminary, Bates’ first Flash story appeared in 1968, and he was the regular writer on the book from 1971 – 1985.
Last week we discussed the genesis and impact of the Death of Iris Allen story arc, which we have also been annotating here at the site. This week we’ll look at the implications of that story and the final days of the Flash title, as well as Bates’ upcoming work for DC Comics, both Flash and otherwise.
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May 19, 2011
One of the seminal writers in DC Comics’ history, Cary Bates has crafted adventures featuring comics’ greatest characters for all or part of six decades. From his years as one of the main Superman scribes to 2010′s The Last Family of Krypton, he has left his mark on the world’s finest superheroes, experimenting with the genre and storytelling to stunning effect.
His first Flash story, 1968′s “The Flash – Fact or Fiction,” has been collected numerous times among the Greatest Flash Stories Ever Told. But that tale is, literally, just the beginning. After taking over as full-time writer in 1971 with Flash #209, Bates spent an amazing 14 years on the title until its cancellation in 1985. He also authored the memorable Flash stories featured in Adventure Comics and the DC Special Series in the late 1970s.
With Showcase Presents: The Trial of the Flash set for a July release, we’ve been running annotations of Bates’ Flash issues that laid the groundwork for the Trial story and the final years of The Flash. We’ll take a break over the next two weeks to hear from the man himself, and learn how he took a character ensconced in Silver Age sensibilities and created an emotionally-charged super-saga far ahead of its time.
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February 2, 2011
Today’s guest post is the fifth in a series of interviews by Greg Elias on The Art of Speed.
Since the launch of the latest ongoing Flash series last summer, artist Francis Manapul has illustrated some of the most elaborate speed sequences in the character’s history. Teamed with Writer/DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns and colorist Brian Buccellato, Manapul came to the Flash title following runs on Legion of Super-Heroes and Adventure Comics, as well as two issues of Superman/Batman. His work is instantly recognizable: deceptively simple and atmospheric, at once well-suited to the tone of Johns’ Flash stories and unlike any artist to previously work on the title. Together with Johns, he has set the pace for a renewed Central City and the feel of this Flash book.
With his first six issues, The Dastardly Death of the Rogues, collected for release on February 15, Manapul is set to begin his next chapter on February 9 with Flash #9. This story is billed as a lead-in to the upcoming Flashpoint event, and features the debut of Hot Pursuit, a new speedster first revealed in the final pages of Flash #6.
We spoke with the Manapul via email, where he revealed some of the building blocks for his Flash, including super-speed innovations and previously unseen designs for Hot Pursuit!
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