Speed Force

The storyline is heating up quickly in Teen Titans #19, as Trigon is here – and is devastating New York City!  Kid Flash is beginning to show signs of leadership within the team as the Titans face their biggest danger yet in the New52.  This issue is action packed, and truly one of the best issues of this title I’ve read in quite some time!

MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD! Please read the issue before continuing here!

This issue picks up with some significant dissension in the ranks of the Titans in the aftermath of last issue’s battle with the Suicide Squad.  Cassie expresses her displeasure rather, uh, forcefully…with a hand around Tim Drake’s throat!  The rest of the team tries to talk her down, but it is Bart Allen who plays peacemaker here.  It is good to see Bart stepping up, and I look forward to more from Kid Flash in this title.  And, it is important that he is stepping up a bit, as Tim Drake still seems caught in his jerk-of-the-month mode.  We don’t linger here much longer, though, because…Trigon appears in Times Square with devastating results!  The Titans go into battle, to find that Trigon has more than just a few physical tricks up his sleeve.  This is a most impressive battle, but one that doesn’t go well at all for the Titans.  Raven appears to be ready to help to an extent…but is she really ready to directly defy Trigon?  We’ll have to wait for that answer…

Kid Flash does feature more prominently here than in some recent issues, and there is foreshadowing of future storylines that may finally explain Bart’s future/history in the New52.  Scott Lobdell’s script (with dialog by Lobdell and Tony Bedard) was very well done and action packed throughout.  It is easily the best issue of Teen Titans I’ve read in some time.  Eddy Barrows does a great job on pencils, with inks by Eber Ferreira and colors by Alex Sinclair.  This is an excellent issue – and I can’t wait for TT #20!

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?

This issue of Justice League Dark begins a three-issue arc that will include The Flash as they fight a power that has taken over the House of Mystery! Flash fans may be a bit disappointed in this first issue of the arc, as there isn’t much of an appearance from the Scarlet Speedster…but hopefully this is just the start of a much greater role for The Flash in this story arc.  Barry isn’t the only guest star present, though…and that’s where the fun begins!

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD – PLEASE READ THE ISSUE BEFORE MOVING FORWARD!

This story begins with Constantine at the race track, actually attempting to lose without much success (and yes, I know that sounds odd).  But, it is the prelude to an attack, one that severs his connection to the House of Mystery just long enough for it to be taken over! Constantine gathers the JL Dark (although at least Deadman hates that name for the group) and calls in help from Swamp Thing to locate the missing House.  Swamp Thing does help them find the House of Mystery…but that triggers nightmare visions sent by the House for each member of the league!  Madame Xanadu does manage to get a cryptic message out to Frankenstein before they are separated, saying “when the lightning comes, make it your friend.”

That lightning does come…in the form of The Flash!  His brief appearance is a lead in to the next issue of Justice League Dark, as they fight the villain who is revealed in the final panel of the story.  If you want to know just who they are up against, you’ll need to buy the issue.

Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes scripted this issue, with Mikel Janin and Vicente Cifuentes on art with colors by Jeromy Cox.  Their work on the JL Dark characters is amazing and their Flash is credible, though we will have to wait for next issue to see just what they do with Barry in a longer appearance.  If you are a JL Dark fan this should be a good issue for you.  Flash fans may be a little disappointed as the cover gives the indication of a longer appearance than what actually happens in this issue.  However, we may see a lot more Flash-oriented action as this arc progresses, and it will be interesting to see what happens to the House of Mystery before this arc is through.

This issue of The Flash picks up on a powerless Barry Allen (as noted in last issue and in the most recent Dial H) attempting to stop a radical group from breaking the Trickster out of prison.  What can Barry do without his connection to the Speed Force?  Turns out, quite a lot!

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD! PLEASE READ THE ISSUE BEFORE MOVING FORWARD!

Read the rest of this entry »

New Flash comics this week include:

Flash #19: Trapped in Iron Heights without his powers (as a result of Dial H #11), Barry Allen has to fend off the attack of the Outlanders. All he has are his wits…and the Rogues’ confiscated weapons. Brian Buccellato and Marcio Takara, cover by Francdis Manapul. Preview at Uproxx.

Justice League Dark #19: The House of Mystery is under seige—can special guest star The Flash help Justice League Dark battle this unexpected threat? Jeff Lemire & Ray Fawkes, Mikel Janin. Preview at BuzzFeed.

Teen Titans #19: Which new member of the Teen Titans reveals his true colors? Scott Lobdell, Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira. Preview at CBR.

Meanwhile in digital back issues:

Flash #128-129: “Hell to Pay” parts 2-3. The dead Rogues have returned to earth — or rather, their reanimated bodies have, and without their souls to keep them in check, they’re laying waste to Keystone City! Only Wally West can stop them, but he’ll have to make a literal deal with the devil to do so.

Impulse #67: After the events of “Mercury Falling,” heroes gather to celebrate the life of Max Mercury. Todd Dezago, Ethan Van Sciver & Andrew Hennessy.

Impulse #68: Impulse “rescues” Adam Strange from a Zeta beam and ends up on the alien world of Rann. Part one of a two-part “Green Lantern: Circle of Fire” epilogue. Todd Dezago, Battle & Buzz. (I meant to review this story for The Indigo Tribe’s Circle of Fire event, but didn’t have enough time after I reviewed the Green Lantern/Adam Strange issue.)

I’d like to add that Impulse #67 was the best fake-out I’ve ever seen in the era of online solicitations and spoilers everywhere. DC didn’t write a fake solicitation or block out parts of the cover art. All they did was post the artwork showing Max Mercury (I’m such a digital packrat that I still have it) and state that heroes gathered together to honor him. Then the next two issues put Bart off-planet on Rann for the Green Lantern/Adam Strange guest spot, so there was literally no way to know whether Max would survive “Mercury Falling” until the conclusion hit the shelves.

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.

This issue of Justice League of America’s Vibe (wow, what a long name!) marks the start of Sterling Gates’ run as writer for the title.  If this issue is any indication, Vibe is in very good hands…and I can only wish to see Sterling Gates write more stories that include Kid Flash as well.  Gates truly gets his characters – the transition for Cisco is smooth as glass from Johns to Gates, and this issue has just about the best characterization of Bart Allen that we’ve seen in the New52.  Vibe is well worth the read, and this series is quickly becoming one of the very best the New52 has to offer.

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD – DO NOT READ FURTHER UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THE ISSUE! Read the rest of this entry »

New comics featuring the Flash this week:

Justice League #19: Last month, the Justice League added a few members. So how long will it be before it loses one for good?

DC Universe Presents #19: In this final issue, what time displaced-hero has arrived on our world—and is the destruction he brings the herald to a great disaster? Edit: It turns out he’s only on the cover.

Justice League of America’s Vibe #3: Vibe vs. Kid Flash. What is the one super power that is more than a match for Vibe and how can it tear the universe apart?

Digital back-issues newly released through ComiXology:

Flash #126-127: Major Disaster strikes the Flash’s new city of Santa Marta, while the undead Rogues terrorize Keystone City in “Hell to Pay”

Impulse #65-66: Impulse battles Inertia. Can they set aside their rivalry long enough to save Max Mercury’s life? “Mercury Falling” concludes.