October 31, 2011
For those who are still wondering, Teen Titans artist Brett Booth stepped in last week to clarify:
Kid Flash in Teen Titans s BART ALLEN. It’s not his middle name or an alias.
While DC hasn’t been very clear in the Teen Titans solicitations, Kid Flash has been identified as Bart Allen in articles and interviews as far back as June. Last week’s Teen Titans #2 explicitly referred to him as Bart Allen, so this should end speculation (most recently seen here) that the series features Wally West in line with the Young Justice cartoon.
Of course, there are still plenty of questions about Bart’s origins. Is he still related to Barry Allen? If so, how? Is he still from the future? How did he get his powers? (Come to think of it, Smallville never did reveal an origin for Bart beyond being in some sort of accident with a flash of light.)
If Bart is still from the future, and if he is still Barry and Iris’ grandson, the fact that they aren’t married in the present is no more a contradiction than the fact that Booster Gold’s grandparents haven’t even been born yet in the present day. In that case, he comes from a future in which they do. Even so, it doesn’t have to lock down the Barry/Iris question. As Yoda once said, “always in motion is future.”
October 17, 2011
Over the NYCC weekend, DC unveiled the Teen Titans #5 cover. Artist Brett Booth points out that it’s not Kid Flash’s final costume.
@ Haha! Barts second ‘costume’ relieved at last;) One more to go!
In addition to Bart Allen, Brett Booth has also been drawing Wally West a lot lately (for fun, not for any official comics), and spoke with Speed Force last week. Update: And now he’s posted a Max Mercury sketch.
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 31, 2011
So, the DC reboot* is upon us, and it’s time to make some decisions:
- What new series should I buy?
- Should I stick with print, or go digital?
I’ll tackle the second question later. For now, here are the books I was looking at when the New 52 was first announced, and what I’m looking at now.
Buying
Flash
As with Action, it was the creative team that got me excited about the fifth relaunch in as many years. (Seriously, DC, pick a direction and stick with it.) And as with Action, every interview, every announcement since then has chipped away a little more at my interest. But then Francis Manpul posts a new piece of artwork, and I feel like can’t possibly pass it up. TENTATIVE YES.
And yes, that’s a sad verdict for someone who’s spent the last 15 years running a Flash fan site, but it is what it is.
Justice League Dark
Love the concept, hate the title. I had high hopes for this when it was announced, but the execution of Flashpoint: Secret Seven, by the same writer and featuring many of the same characters, has me worried. TENTATIVE YES.
Demon Knights
The complete opposite of Action Comics. When I first read about it, I thought, “Hmm, that sounds sort of interesting, but I just don’t know.” But everything I’ve heard about it makes me more interested. DEFINITE YES.
Regarding Demon Knights and Justice League Dark, it seems that the Matt Wagner/Amy Reeder Vertigo series has made me a fan of Madame Xanadu. Who would have expected that?
Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
I really liked the Seven Soldiers version of the Frankenstein monster, and the idea of him as a sci-fi secret agent sounds like a lot of fun. Plus the Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown miniseries was enjoyable (despite a dip in the middle issue), so I’m on board for this one. DEFINITE YES.
Resurrection Man
I keep meaning to read the articles about this, but somehow keep forgetting to come back to them when I have time. So I still don’t know a whole lot about it, but the concept is interesting enough to make it a TENTATIVE YES.
The Shade
Announced as part of the second wave of new titles, the 12-issue miniseries launches in October. I like the character, especially the modern interpretation, and I really enjoyed the 4-issue miniseries James Robinson did back in the 1990s, so I’m on board for this one as well. DEFINITE YES.
Considered, but Skipping
Action Comics
Grant Morrison brings Superman back to his roots. Sounded great at the time, but the more I’ve heard about the actual direction, the less interested I’ve gotten. PASS.
Teen Titans
I’ve been burned too many times, and I think what I really liked about the series was the Wolfman/Perez dynamic, which I’ve come to realize is never going to exist again. I actually think it’s a good thing that they’re taking the book in a new direction, even though it’s clearly not for me. PASS.
Hawk & Dove
As fond as my memories are of the series 20 years ago…I just can’t. PASS.
Deathstroke
I liked his solo series back in the day, but between my changing taste and the emphasis on ultra-violence, I don’t have any interest in the new version. PASS.
(OK, except for the issue where he destroys the 405 freeway. I live in LA and commute on that damn thing. It’s a revenge fantasy.)
In Summary…
So that’s my DC Comics pull list for September. 5 comics out of 52 (plus The Shade) may not sound like much, but considering I was only reading one DC proper title before Flashpoint, it’s actually a pretty big increase.
Edited to add: For context, this brings the DC Universe back up to 50% of my active pull list. The rest is 1 Vertigo (The Unwritten), 3 BOOM! (Elric, Farscape & Darkwing Duck, at least until Farscape & Darkwing Duck end in a couple of months), 1 Dynamite (Wheel of Time) and 1 Aspen (Lady Mechanika). Mostly sci-fi/fantasy, with the closest to a traditional superhero being Darkwing Duck.
How about you? What are you planning to pick up?
*Of course it’s a reboot. They’re resetting the system, with some things altered and others preserved. They installed a service pack, and now they’re rebooting. People use the term reboot to mean starting over completely from the beginning, but if we’re going to use the computer metaphor properly, that would be a wipe-and-reinstall.
July 27, 2011
Edit: Phil Jimenez’ variant cover for the double-sized finale.
They seem to be going for everyone who has ever been a Titan (who’s still alive). They even included Protector (who was a stand-in for Robin in a series of anti-drug PSAs from the 1980s when they discovered that the rights to using Robin were tied up.)
Speedsters I’ve spotted: Wally West (as both Kid Flash and the Flash), Bart Allen as Kid Flash, Jesse Quick, Mas y Menos.
From Comic Book Resources.
July 26, 2011
Newsarama interviews Scott Lobdell about his new Teen Titans series:
Nrama: We’ve got Kid Flash, who has been confirmed as Bart Allen. Based on the very little that’s been revealed thus far, it sounds like the character might be returning a bit more to his Impulse days — or is that way off base?
Lobdell: Maybe we are both off base! [Laughs.] I love the idea that Bart is the only Flash (Kid or otherwise) to maintain the ability to remember everything he’s ever read — and I also love the notion that knowledge and experience are two separate tools that aren’t always used together.
But I also think that what makes Bart different from every other Flash (Kid or otherwise) is that his mind races almost as fast as his feet! I love that Bart is more inclined to speak before he actually thinks about what it is he’s saying. I love that he’s not a Barry who understands instinctually that the quickest way between two points is usually a straight line. I like that Bart’s mind is always racing and I don’t want to ever lose that: is that a trait from his Impulse days? Not exclusively, no.
July 17, 2011
Newsarama has the cover to Teen Titans #99, revealing that Bart Allen’s “dark twin” Inertia returns as a member of Superboy-Prime’s new Legion of Doom.
Inertia was created as a clone of Bart Allen and sent back in time to replace him (several issues of Impulse, then the “Mercury Falling” storyline). He later tricked the Rogues into killing Bart shortly after he became The Flash (“Full Throttle”), putting them through hell, and they got back at Inertia by killing him in Final Crisis: Rogues’ Revenge.
No word on whether Inertia is resurrected, brought in from an alternate reality, or a younger version brought “back” through time travel.
(via The Rogues Kick Ass)
June 11, 2011
We continue our series reacting to DC’s September relaunch. Previously we’ve covered the Justice League, Green Lantern, Batman and Dark titles. Now we look at the Teen Titans, Legion and other young heroes.
Legion of Super-Heroes · Legion Lost · Teen Titans · Static Shock · Hawk & Dove
Read the rest of this entry »
June 8, 2011
Today, DC announced its teenage superhero titles, including the new Teen Titans series.
Tim Drake is forced to step out from behind his keyboard when an international organization seeks to capture or kill super-powered teenagers. As Red Robin, he must team up with the mysterious and belligerent powerhouse thief known as Wonder Girl and a hyperactive speedster calling himself Kid Flash in TEEN TITANS #1, by Scott Lobdell and artists Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund.
Tim Drake’s actually named. That’s clearly Cassie and Connor. Not sure about the other two women, but Jim Lee mentions adding new characters. As for Kid Flash, they seem to be going out of their way not to name him. His personality sounds like Bart Allen, but the shoulder symbol is the one usually used for Wally West. Can Dan Didio shed some light on this?
All of these characters have history with the DC Universe that existed before the team is built, but it might be just slightly different. But I think in capturing the voice and the spirit of these characters, I think they’re exactly who people think they are.
Newsarama adds that it’s Bart Allen, which certainly fits with Didio’s “exactly who people think they are” statement.
I wonder if he’ll still be a time-traveler? If he’ll still be Barry’s grandson? He could be a distant descendant (the way the Tornado Twins originally were in the Silver Age), which would remove one of the problematic aspects of Barry Allen’s return (namely that he’s supposed to be ~30 and has a teenage grandson, and even though he’s capable of traveling through time, he doesn’t use the ability to actually raise his kids).
13 titles left. Barry and Bart Allen are confirmed. Is there a place in the new DCU for Jay Garrick or Wally West?
Update: Several people, including Craig MacDonald and Scott Mateo, pointed me to this second image, which appears to be the actual cover for Teen Titans #1.
Update 2: Live Pa pointed out that there’s some more info in the discussion on Brett Booth’s blog.
December 21, 2010
Written by MARK SABLE
Art by SEAN MURPHY
Cover by JAY FABOK
Don’t miss this untold tale from writer Mark Sable (Grounded, TWO-FACE: YEAR ONE) and red-hot artist Sean Murphy (JOE THE BARBARIAN) bringing the Teen Titans and The Flash’s Rogues Gallery into direct conflict! Two people already died over a mysterious object, and now both teams want it. How much more blood will be spilled to obtain it as this gets deadly personal for all involved?
Update: preview at CBR.
Other speedster appearances this week:
- DC Comics Presents Young Justice (Impulse)
- Justice League of America (Jesse Quick)
- Possibly in Superman/Batman (returning to the era of DC One Million)
