November 16, 2011
Out today in comic stores, or next Tuesday in book stores, it’s the second collection of the post-Rebirth Flash series, bridging Brightest Day and Flashpoint.
Flash: The Road to Flashpoint (HC)
Written by GEOFF JOHNS; Art by FRANCIS MANAPUL and SCOTT KOLINS; Cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
Make way for Hot Pursuit – the latest speedster to come out of the Speed Force! He’s here to make sure no one breaks the speed limit – hero or villain! And just wait until you see whose face is under Hot Pursuit’s helmet!
This hardcover collection of THE FLASH #8-12 leads up to FLASHPOINT, the biggest comic-book event for summer 2011!
DC Universe 128pg. Color Hardcover $22.99 US
Full Run
This completes the collection of Geoff Johns’ return to the Flash and re-introduction of Barry Allen. Here’s the full list of Rebirth-era Flash collections by Geoff Johns:
- Flash: Rebirth
- Blackest Night (not really a Flash collection, but a lot of people describe the main story as being a Hal/Barry story)
- Blackest Night: The Black Lantern Corps. Vol.2 (Including Blackest Night: The Flash)
- Flash: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues
- Flash: The Road to Flashpoint
- Flashpoint
That still leaves one more collection of Flash material from this era: World of Flashpoint Featuring the Flash, announced just this Monday and arriving in March, containing stories by Scott Kolins, Sterling Gates and others.
Edit: I forgot to include Captain Atom #3, which features the Flash as a guest star, and is also out today.
Captain Atom #3
Written by J.T. KRUL; Art by FREDDIE WILLIAMS II; Cover by STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU
Captain Atom is taking his powers to new heights – saving people all across the world in the blink of an eye. But he’s not the only one who can move at super speed. Enter: The Flash! And when their paths cross, don’t expect them to share the secret hero’s handshake – because Captain Atom may be a bigger threat than any villain.
DC Universe 32pg. Color $2.99 US
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!
Read the rest of this entry »
October 17, 2011
DC’s full January solicitations include the official announcement of The Flash Omnibus by Geoff Johns Vol. 2…and its contents. It clocks in at a massive 648 pages, covering two years’ worth of the Wally West Flash series, including Rogues, Crossfire, Run Riot and Blitz. Volume One was considerably shorter, covering Wonderland and Blood Will Run, including Iron Heights and The Flash Secret Files #3.
I believe this is the first time the DC 1st: Flash/Superman one-shot has been collected.
Personally, I think this is the best of Geoff Johns’ run on the book. Everything built toward first Crossfire and then Blitz as he built up a fantastic supporting cast, revitalized the Rogues, and introduced a bunch of new villains. (IMO it lost direction after Ignition, but sales went up from #200 to 225, so the overall audience seems to have liked the second half of Johns’ run better.)
My guess as to the future of this series: DC will release one more volume from the Wally West series covering #201-225 (Ignition through Rogue War). Then Volume 4 will consist of Johns’ Barry Allen run: Flash: Rebirth, Blackest Night: The Flash, Flash vol.3 and Flashpoint.
THE FLASH BY GEOFF JOHNS OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by SCOTT KOLINS, DOUG HAZLEWOOD, RICK BURCHETT, PHIL WINSLADE, DAN PANOSIAN and others
Cover by SCOTT KOLINS
On sale MARCH 28 • 648 pg, FC, $75.00 US
It’s the second hardcover volume collecting all the issues of THE FLASH written by comics superstar Geoff Johns! In this massive collection featuring issues #177-200 and DC FIRST: FLASH/SUPERMAN #1, an old friend of Wally West becomes the portal to another universe and Gorilla Grodd goes wild in Keystone City! Plus, don’t miss the Fastest Man Alive’s clashes with members of his infamous rogues gallery, including Captain Cold, The Trickster, the Pied Piper and more!
» Pre-order from Amazon
October 12, 2011
The new Flash writer/artist team, Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato, are both scheduled to be at New York Comic Con this weekend. You can also catch the Flashpoint team of Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert.
In addition to signings, Johns will be on Friday’s DC All Access: Green Lantern panel, and Johns, Manapul and Buccellato will all be on DC All Access: Justice League panel on Saturday.
This is Buccellato’s only east-coast appearance on his fall signing schedule, and the only event this fall where you can meet both halves of the current Flash creative team.
Update: Brian Buccellato has posted his schedule for the convention, including three signings:
FRIDAY October 14th
4-5 PM @ THE DC BOOTH (with Francis Manapul)
SATURDAY October 15th
3-4 PM @ THE DC BOOTH
SUNDAY October 16th
3-4 PM @ THE DC BOOTH (with Francis Manapul)
August 11, 2011
DC Comics has announced a “Flash 101″ sale on digital comics. All listed Flash titles will be only 99 cents for 48 hours starting August 13. They don’t say where, but I think it’s safe to assume it’s at ComiXology, because they’re DC’s exclusive online vendor at this point.
And they’ve added a lot more issues.
Up to this point, ComiXology has had everything from Flash: Rebirth onward. Over the last few days, readers have spotted early issues from Wally West’s series, the beginning of Impulse, and a few scattered issues from the Bronze Age. Check out the full list of titles on sale after the jump: Read the rest of this entry »
July 31, 2011
I missed it in the build-up to Comic-Con, but Collected Editions’s latest post on upcoming DC collections includes a sighting of The Flash Omnibus by Geoff Johns Vol. 2 with an April 2012 release date. The current placeholder cover is from Flash #200 (the end of Blitz), but the site speculates that it will likely cover “Rogues” and “Crossfire,” roughly The Flash v.2 #177-191. If the listed page count of 648 is accurate (and not also a placeholder), the hardcover could easily run through “Blitz.”
The first volume clocked in at 448 pages and included Flash v.2 #164-176 plus Iron Heights, the Flash tie-in for Our Worlds At War and Flash Secret Files #3.
I’ve been speculating that the series of massive hardcovers would take three or four volumes to cover Geoff Johns’ run on Wally West’s series, then one more for Flash: Rebirth, Blackest Night: The Flash, Flash Secret Files 2010 and Flash vol.3, which should all fit in a roughly 500-page volume.
July 28, 2011
The new Flash Story begins in September. This time around, there is no speculation about the focus of the book, or who will be behind the mask. It looks like Flash’s new launch will take off without baggage – an all-new Flash for the all-new DC.
Well, sort of.
In the cases of Batman and Green Lantern, it has been announced that the stories and key elements will (more or less) continue. In the cases of Superman and most other properties, the stories are looking more and more like a fresh and somewhat rootsy start. For Flash, it appears the new series will be a pretty hard reset.
Read the rest of this entry »
June 4, 2011
Just a quick *ahem* flashback to 2009, when readers were concerned about the fate of Wally West in the face of Flash: Rebirth.
I’m still waiting…
May 27, 2011
While DC still isn’t saying much about what happens after Flashpoint (“The first rule…”), they’ve just made an announcement about the Flash:
But like issue #12 was the final issue of THE FLASH by Johns, the final issue of FLASHPOINT will conclude Johns’ run on FLASH titles for the foreseeable future.
Geoff Johns wrote a long run on The Flash (vol.2) starring Wally West in the early half of the last decade, then returned in 2009 for the miniseries Flash: Rebirth and Blackest Night: The Flash, and the short-lived series The Flash (vol.3) starring Barry Allen, culminating in the Barry Allen-centered Flashpoint.
So what is coming up for The Flash after Flashpoint?. We don’t know much (see that first rule again), but DC’s subscription service says The Flash #1 is coming in September (thanks to Deron Morgan for asking them!). This may fit in with the rumors of a line-wide post-Flashpoint renumbering, or it may simply be the logical choice to launch The Flash (vol.4).
UPDATE: Some Thoughts
I’m of mixed feelings on this. On one hand, I’ve been disappointed with the relaunched series. There’s quite a bit about the Rebirth-era Flash that I haven’t liked, and my favorite aspect, in fact, was the fantastic art by Francis Manapul. So bringing in someone new — perhaps someone more interested in telling stories about a speedster than telling me how wonderful this particular speedster is — is probably something I’d welcome.
Plus with his job as Chief Creative Officer, chances are that Geoff Johns has been awfully busy, which may have contributed to the now-infamous delays.
That said, what stands out the most for me about The Flash vol.3 are the missed opportunities. I wanted to read “Murder in Gorilla City.” I wanted to read those backup stories featuring Wally West (I’m still waiting to see him “kick ass,” as Geoff Johns promised a year and a half ago) and those Kid Flash solo stories by Sterling Gates. I wanted to read about Abra Kadabra’s other enemies scattered across the centuries. I thought “Mara Thawne” was a cool name for a villain. Presumably, we won’t even see The Flash: Secret Origin, which Geoff Johns has said on several occasions that he wants to do.
Most of all, I wanted to believe (wasn’t convinced, but wanted to believe) that everything I didn’t like about Geoff Johns’ take on The Flash was part of a long-term plan that would have some sort of payoff. For that to happen, he had to be committed to the character long-term.
Now we know that Flashpoint is the endgame. That’s a lot for the next four issues to live up to.
May 17, 2011
When Geoff Johns relaunched The Flash with Flash: Rebirth, readers wondered why DC had let most of his first run on the series go out of print. Then they announced a new, high-quality hardcover reprint series. The first volume comes out this week.
The Flash Omnibus by Geoff Johns
Written by GEOFF JOHNS ; Art by ANGEL UNZUETA, DOUG HAZLEWOOD, SCOTT KOLINS, ETHAN VAN SCIVER and others; Cover by SCOTT KOLINS
The first in a series of hardcover volumes that collect all of the best-selling issues of THE FLASH written by comics superstar Geoff Johns, beginning with issues #164-176, plus THE FLASH: OUR WORLDS AT WAR #1, THE FLASH: IRON HEIGHTS and THE FLASH SECRET FILES #3!
In this volume, Wally West finds himself without his super speed in a darker, mirror version of Keystone City. Can a powerless Flash defeat Captain Cold and Mirror Master to save the city he loves? Plus, The Flash is shocked to learn that a strange cult is killing all the people he has ever rescued. Featuring art by fan-favorites Ethan Van Sciver, Scott Kolins and more!
DC Universe – 448pg. – Color – Hardcover – $75.00 US
Thoughts: The price is steep, but from what I’ve heard, it’s in line with the paper and binding quality on these books. It’s basically a double-length Archive book, and those typically sell for $50.
The contents were previously collected in the trade paperbacks Wonderland and Blood Will Run. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time that the Flash: Our Worlds At War special has been collected.
Buy it from your local comic shop this week, or order it from Amazon next week!
