So to speak.
Many of DC’s comics are getting MAD Magazine-inspired variant covers in April, including The Flash #19. This Sam Viviano cover was unveiled at Uproxx Gamma Squad on Wednesday. That may not have been the best place for it, since I literally saw no sign or commentary about it for two days — and I’d been looking!
I’m reminded of this Fred Hembeck strip about the Flash on laundry day.
DC has released the variant cover to Flash #9 (the Gorilla City issue) by Tony Daniel, inked by Sandu Florea and colored by Tomeu Morey.
DC has revealed Bernard Chang’s variant cover for next month’s The Flash #8. The artist talks about the process, starting with deciding what approach to take.
Before starting on the drawing, I need to decide whether I want to take a more story-centric or graphic design approach to the cover. I’m equally a fan of both directions, but in this case, opted for the “scene out of the story.” I then pulled up some images of athletes running and sprinting, trying to generate some inspiration and understanding details to capturing figures in motion.
The original solicitation indicated that Kenneth Rocafort (Red Hood and the Outlaws, Velocity) would provide the variant cover. For whatever reason, it seems to have been changed long enough ago that DC asked Chang to cover this specific issue.
The Source has unveiled Dale Keown’s variant cover for The Flash #7. They also hint that there’s more behind Captain Cold’s rampage than was revealed last issue.
On the art process:
“I was sent a few sentences about the story and an existing cover to get started,” Keown told THE SOURCE when asked about his creative process. “I worked up a sketch for editorial, which was approved with some notes. I usually do the digital inks with some gray scale rendering so it’s just a matter of throwing on some color and hi-lites.”
The Flash #7 concludes the two-part Captain Cold story, and races into stores on March 28.
Comicvine’s page detailing The Flash #4 includes Eric Basaldua’s variant cover for the issue. DC seems to have stopped promoting the alternate covers beyond naming the artists in the solicitations. The last one I saw on an official site or press release was the variant for issue #1.
It’s been interesting to look at the different approaches various artists take to the new costume, as well as to compare the mostly story-focused, stylized and representational covers from regular artist/co-writer Francis Manapul to the more standard “Flash running/stopping” covers used for the variants. Of course, I have no doubt that many of the variant covers were assignments to “draw a Flash cover,” rather than to draw a Flash cover for a particular story or even issue.
Somehow, I missed seeing this cover until today. I guess with the early preview, DC just didn’t get around to posting it online. Thanks to Aaron Louis Kessler of the Flash and Other Members of the Speed Force group on Facebook for the scan!
Speaking of Flash #3, I’m sorry I’m so far behind on reviews. It’s been a busy couple of months. Who am I kidding, it’s been a busy year! I’ll see if I can do a combined review of #2 and #3, or just go straight to #3, sometime in the next week.
Speaking of that preview, it was one of DC’s first posts on Google+. Speed Force is on Google+ [edit: fixed link] too, so please add us to your circles!
Robot 6 spotted the cover in, of all places, the Wall Street Journal’s article on DC Comics’ 52-issue sellout. The CBR blog notes that artist Greg Capullo (Batman) is also providing variant covers for Green Lantern #1, Justice League #3 and Action Comics #4.
The Flash #1 goes on sale tomorrow. The Flash #2 arrives on October 26.
Straight from The Source, it’s Ivan Reis’ variant cover for The Flash #1, due in stores and online at the end of September.
It reminds me of the Flash Secret Files 2010 cover, only with the new transformation sequence added to the new costume design.
DC has also revealed the third variant cover, a sketch version of Francis Manapul’s main cover for the book. Read the rest of this entry »
FanExpo gets its own exclusive Flashpoint #1 wraparound cover, based on the SDCC cover. Like that one, it will sell at the convention for $10.
Andy Kubert will be attending the convention.
