June 27, 2010

Speed Reading

Category: General — Kelson

Some weekend linkblogging…

Once Upon a Geek can’t wait for the upcoming DC Adventures RPG.

Multiversity Comics casts the Teen Titans

The Beat finds that Comic-Con brings money into San Diego after all. Who knew? Oh, right, we did: the ones spending it!

4thletter! looks at Flash and Batman in Final Crisis: “Everything about the Flash, any of them, in Final Crisis is dead on…”

Comics Worth Reading reviews Wednesday Comics.

June 18, 2010

Batman Bits: Rogues in the Game & New Episodes in July

Category: Flash News — Kelson

Batman: The Brave and the Bold’s Facebook page reports that new episodes return to Cartoon Network in “late July.” Presumably this means that US fans will finally be able to (legally) see “Requiem for a Scarlet Speedster” (featuring three generations of Flashes) and “Siege of Starro,” which have already been shown in Australia and the UK.

In related news, IGN has posted some new screenshots from the upcoming Batman: TBATB video game…including one featuring Captain Cold, Weather Wizard, and Heat Wave! (via The Rogues Kick Ass)

June 4, 2010

DCUO Super-Speed Video – Featuring the Flash!

Category: Flash News — Kelson

Sony Online Entertainment has released a short video showing off super-speed in the upcoming DC Universe Online massively-multiplayer online game. Creative Director Jens Andersen introduces the clips, which feature both the Flash and player-created characters.

The video highlights not just running fast, but running up buildings, running upside-down on the ceiling, and special combat moves like whirlwinds.

If it doesn’t work here, or you want to watch it at a different size, you can watch it at YouTube. (Found via ComicBook Movie, though I couldn’t get the video to play there.)

Judging by the comments on yesterday’s Flash #3 variant cover, I should probably mention that this game has been in the works for quite a while. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Flash shown above was designed at a time when Wally West was still the main version of the character.

March 8, 2010

Remember that Flash Video Game that was cancelled about a year ago…

Category: Flash News — Devin "The Flash" Johnson

You ever have moments where you are on the internet randomly searching for Kid Flash costume variations and you stumble upon something really cool yet completely unexpected? This happened to me a few weeks ago when I came across some great stuff I’m not sure many fans of the Scarlet Speedster have seen yet.

Remember that Flash video game that was cancelled a few months ago? The Flash video game that was was covered by Kelson back in September and October of last year? Well I mentioned I was randomly interested in Kid Flash costume variations and I stumbled upon a nifty one in google images that rocked my socks off:

Taking a closer look around the site I found a few more:

And a nice Pied Piper:

Turns out these were modeled by Helen Rusinoff for the cancelled Flash video game. The costumes were designed by Roger Robinson who was featured in the previous Flash video game article Kelson posted. There were a few pictures that I didn’t have room to show but you can find those at her website.

I emailed Helen about showcasing the pictures on Speedforce.org and she emailed me back promptly. Not only did she give me permission to repost her work, but she also pointed me in the direction of Roger Robinson yet again. I visited his website and didn’t really find anything new to report. Wandering around that site however I came across another blog, where I found these pictures:

You can find a few more at Roger Robinson’s other website.

Seeing that we could have had Kid Flash, and Jesse Quick in this game makes me downright depressed. I wonder if there were any cool multi-player modes that they might have had planned using the various members of The Flash Family? The Flash meets Sonic Adventure 2 Battle? That wouldn’t have been a bad thing. I also wonder if they had any plans to have alternate costumes. That was a very nice touch in Justice League Heroes, which included Jay Garrick and Walter West as alternate uniforms for Wally. Too bad the game was so dang mediocre.

Until they find a way to either bring this back from the dead or create another one I guess I’m stuck playing this:

Actually Justice League Heroes: The Flash isn’t bad. I preordered it when it was first announced and purchased a Gameboy Advance SP just to play it. I now have it on my PSP as well and have beaten it many, many times. A lot of fun to play on the go(although I take Bart’s advice and don’t use my “playtendo” while running).

I hope you all enjoyed a deeper glimpse into the game that could have been. The potential was definitely there for a good, solid, fun game to play. Here is hoping they decide to create another one sometime down the road.

-Devin “The Flash” Johnson

February 1, 2010

Can You Solve the DC Challenge?

Category: Fun — Kelson

In the spirit of Crisis on Earth-Blog and the Super-Powers 25th Anniversary, over 20 blogs have gotten together to create…The DC Challenge.

The name comes from a 12-part miniseries that DC Comics produced in the 1980s, in which each issue had a new creative team that had to pick up from where the previous team left off, round-robin style. This DC Challenge is a set of games, puzzles and trivia questions linked across nearly two dozen super-hero blogs. Speed Force isn’t involved this time, but the Flash is well-represented by Crimson Lightning.

So, step up to the DC Challenge with The Flash at Crimson Lightning, or any of these characters:

Can you solve it?

October 24, 2009

Speed Reading: B&B, JLA Monopoly, and More

Category: Flash History,Flash News — Kelson

Some linkblogging for the weekend…

Fortress of Baileytude starts JSA Week by declaring that Jay Garrick is the Man.

Once Upon a Geek looks back at a Justice League Monopoly board game from 1999.

For the ladies: A Comic Blog starts off their Top 10 Sexiest Comic Guys list with Wally West.

Joey Cavalieri talks about the Battle of the Bulge and Brave and the Bold #28, this week’s J. Michael Straczynski/Jesus Saiz team-up between the Flash and the Blackhawks. IGN reviews the issue.

Billy Tucci talks about his Flash/Superman race in this week’s DC Universe Halloween Special.

Dan Didio talks about legacies and characters growing up in his latest 10 Answers column.

October 18, 2009

Speed Reading: Joan, Posters, Kerschl Tour & More

Category: Creators,Flash History,Fun — Kelson

Some linkblogging for the week…

Flashy

What Were They Thinking?! approves of Joan Garrick, even in her original Golden Age appearances.

High Five! Comics looks at Flash #206: 24 Hours of Immortality and Nurse Barry.

The Idol-Head of Diabolu has located a 1967 board game featuring the Flash (via Crimson Lightning).

The Flash-Back podcast reviews “Blitz.”

Wednesday Comics artist and co-writer Karl Kerschl announces a European tour along with Ramón Pérez and Cameron Stewart over the next month.

Artist Evan “Doc” Shaner presents his 5-member Justice League (well, 7). It’s rather unconventional, featuring the Viking Prince, Jonah Hex and Sergeant Rock…but he puts the Flash front and center (via @FrancisManapul).

Screen Rant casts the Flash, both Barry Allen and Wally West, with some…Horribly familiar choices.

I finally updated the profile of Bart Allen on Smallville.

Wide View

Indy Comic Book Week encourages writers and artists to self-publish books for the week of December 30, when Diamond won’t be shipping any comics, and offer them through their local comic stores.

My Modern Metropolis collects 25 re-imagined movie posters. They’re all great, but Flash fans should pay particular attention to the Incredibles poster.

Ad: Faster than a man in tights.Today’s flashback post at K-Squared Ramblings covers MovieTickets.com’s “World’s Fastest Man” ad campaign from a couple of years ago. A bit more current: I write about rereading Flashforward.

Speaking of other Flashes, Sociological Images wonders: Can Ming the Merciless be redeemed?

October 10, 2009

Lost “Flash” Game Footage Surfaces

Category: General — Kelson

I’m not entirely sure how I missed this when it was posted in June, but check this out:

According to the user who posted it on YouTube:

This is early game footage from the cancelled Flash video game. When our publisher Brash folded we were about 6 months into full production with about a year still to go on the game so please excuse the roughness of how it looks at this stage. A lot of the core elements were just starting to surface and we were all really saddened that the game couldn’t be saved. It was showing much potential. As such we just wanted to share a sample of what the game could have been like. Enjoy!

The Brash/BottleRocket game would have been for XBox 360 and PS3. I’m not much of a gamer myself, but I have to admit that this looks like it would have been really cool!

(Found via Superheroes R Us and Comic Book Movie. There’s a long thread at Topless Robot as well.)

September 12, 2009

Art from the Flash Game that Never Was

Category: General — Kelson

With the success of Batman: Arkham Asylum, Super Punch has a round-up of links to Roger Robinson’s art for BottleRocket’s 2007 Flash video game that never got off the ground. I really like the menu art, and the two sets of storyboards show some interesting design choices, including a mask design reminiscent of Walter West, the “Dark Flash”. (via Comics Alliance)

Captain Cold - BottleRocket Game

May 21, 2009

DCU Online Flash — Concept Art and Screenshots Reveal Wally West

Category: Flash News — Kelson

Sony has just released character designs and a bio of the Flash in DC Universe Online, and Newsarama has the scoop. The Flash has previously appeared in demos and screenshots of the upcoming MMORPG, but I don’t recall seeing the design artwork before…or the character biography.

Flash design for DC Universe Online

The surprise here is that Jim Lee’s design is still recognizably Wally West’s costume with the V-shaped belt, rather than Barry Allen’s. Considering that DC has been re-focusing the Flash franchise around Barry Allen, I would have expected them to use him for their next flagship game. And besides, Geoff Johns is writing both Flash: Rebirth and the storylines for DCUO. On the other hand Mortal Kombat vs. DCU used a costume that was closer to Wally’s than Barry’s, and called him Barry Allen. The biography is quite specific, though:

The Fastest Man Alive, Wally West easily runs at light speed, vibrates through objects, create explosions through friction – and, when at agonizing top capacity, can manipulate time and bridge dimensions.

The Flash is a time-honored member of the Justice League. The latest in a long line of Flashes, each with their own unique way of tapping into the primal “Speed Force,” Wally is determined to live up to the noble legacies of speedsters such as Barry Allen, Max Mercury, and Jay Garrick.

It’s hard to get more specific than that!

(Speaking of Jay Garrick, the design for his appearance in the game was released last summer.)

Newsarama has more images and details.

Update: jcbagee points to a gallery of more images at Kotaku. In addition to some slightly larger versions of the same images, there are a bunch of screenshots from the game itself, including this one with some (presumably) player-character speedsters:

Flash Group

Oddly enough, the Flash’s eyes seem blue in the renderings…

Update 2: CBR has the same set of images as Kotaku, and the bio.