Speed Force

The Source has posted the variant cover to Flash #6.  Featuring artwork by Mike Choi, the cover shows the Flash frozen mid-movement.  It has been revealed that Captain Cold will make his first full appearance in Flash in issue #6.

Choi is also quoted in the post, where he talks about some of his artistic influences:

From the get-go, [Flash editor Brian Cunningham] told me to try and infuse more dynamism to my figure work by looking at artists like John Buscema and Wally Wood, and hopefully that’s coming through bit by bit as my career progresses.

Interestingly, the solicit up at DCComics.com has not been updated to reflect the new content in issue six and still reads as below.  It has been stated by writer Brian Buccellato that the CSI story is “off the table.”

THE FLASH #6
Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL and BRIAN BUCCELLATO
Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
Variant cover by MIKE CHOI
1:200 B&W Variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
On sale FEBRUARY 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Struggling with the climactic aftermath of his battle with Mob Rule last issue, The Flash must solve a murder mystery that dates back 150 years! Is this case too cold even for Barry Allen? Also: Learn the origins of Central and Keystone City!

Salutations Speed Readers,

Through a flyer being circulated at comic book shops all over the country by DC Direct, we have our first look at what looks like the completed DC Direct New 52 Flash action figure:

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THE FLASH #8
Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL and BRIAN BUCCELLATO
Art by FRANCIS MANAPUL
Variant cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
1:200 B&W Variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
On sale APRIL 25 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The Flash gets pulled into the Speed Force that gives him his super-speed powers…and he learns he’s not alone in there! Introducing Turbine, a prisoner of the Speed Force who just wants out – even if it means trading places with The Flash!

DC’s April Justice League solicitations are up at The Source. Full solicitations including upcoming collections will be forthcoming.

It’s hard to believe that Francis Manapul’s first issue of Flash appeared in April, 2010.  Over less than two years, and 13 total issues, Manapul has already left an indelible mark on the character’s artistic history, pushing to join the ranks of inimitable long-term Flash artists alongside names like Carmine Infantino, Irv Novick, Greg LaRocque, Mike Wieringo and Scott Kolins.

Using innovative layouts and inventive portrayals of sound and perception, Manapul has brought readers deeper into the world of the Flash.  To celebrate a year that saw Manapul take over writing the Flash title with Brian Buccellato – a then-unexpected extension of his Flash run – we present the finest in Francis Manapul Flash artwork from 2011!  Drawing from The Road to Flashpoint and the first four issues of the New 52 story Mob Rule, there’s far more than we could fit into one post.  Check out the highlights after the jump…

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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…

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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.

Check out the complete post at Comic Vine, right now!!  More after the jump:

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THE FLASH #7
Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL and BRIAN BUCCELLATO
Variant cover by DALE KEOWN
1:200 B&W Variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
On sale MARCH 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Captain Cold is back – and he’s more dangerous than ever! Seeking revenge on The Flash, he must convince the rest of the Rogues to reunite one last time. But what tore them apart before? And what did The Flash do to earn their deadly scorn? Find out here!

DC released their March Justice League group solicits today.  Check them out over at The Source!

The Source has posted the first complete look at Captain Cold, as he appears in the New 52.

Of the redesigned Rogue, the Flash creative team of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato had this to say in a recent interview with IGN:

IGN: What plans do you have for Captain Cold and the rest of the Rogues?

Manapul:Captain Cold and the rest of the Rogues are currently broken up. In fact, they hate each other. In our second arc we catch up with Captain Cold and learn more about this dysfunctional family called The Rogues. Thematically, they take a similar journey as the Flash, and it will all come to a head in that arc.

Buccellato: They are going to TRY and kick The Flash’s butt all over Central City.

Manapul also had this to say, in an interview with CBR, about the new take on Cold and the Rogues:

Manapul: I love Captain Cold. To me, he is a real badass! And I think you’re going to see that, once we start our second arc. I also like characters like the Pied Piper, but our take on him is going to be different, he’s — well, I don’t want to reveal anything! But it’s going to be fun, because what you are going to see is, rather than a reintroduction of the Rogues, you’re going to see an evolution of them.

The “evolution” has been revealed to be an internalization of their powers, which is evident as well in the new image.

What do you think of the new look for The Man Who Mastered Absolute Zero?

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.

UPDATE: The two also spoke with Newsarama about the ending to issue #3.  After it was originally posted, an exclusive image from Flash#5 was added to the article.  Check it out after the jump…

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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…

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