Monthly Archives: March 2009

Quick Thoughts: Twitter Through 2009-03-29

  • Realized how much I’ve backed away from comics forums over the last few months. And how much more relaxed I’ve been as a result.
  • Updated the Tangent Flash yesterday
  • Did anyone catch the voice actor playing the Flash on last Friday’s ep of Batman: The Brave and the Bold?
  • Wings on Flash (Jay Garrick)’s helmet in Batman: BATB have a very art deco look. I approve.
  • Watched last week’s Dollhouse. Discussing Women in Refrigerators, realized it’s run by A. DeWitt.
  • Added the Flash (Jay Garrick) from Batman: The Brave and the Bold
  • Preview of Mark Waid’s new The Incredibles comic
  • 7 days to Flash:Rebirth
  • San Diego is getting worried about the size of their convention center
  • I find that I am a bit nervous at the prospect of clicking on a link from @warrenellis that is simply labeled “Ahahaha”
  • Thanks to @shanajeanh for confirming that this is safe. And I have to agree with @warrenellis’ assessment.
  • Search turned up Flash Rogues RPers @WeatherWizard, @HeatWaveMick, @MirrorMaster and @CaptainCold #followfriday via @fuzzytypewriter
  • Wow: Saturday is 93% sold out for Comic-Con International (San Diego). Order your tickets ASAP.
  • Bees setting up in apartment – again. Every time I have to fight the urge to say “Bees. My God.”
  • Saturday at Comic-Con International is 97% sold out. That’s up from 93% just 5 hours ago. Time’s running out.
  • Last issue of Noble Causes comes out same day as first issues of Flash:Rebirth. And both feature the return of a speedster.

Powered by Twitter Tools. Cleared out some bits that duplicate blog posts.

Speed Reading: Who’s Next? Best of TV, Showcase and More

Crimson Lightning has posted the best of live-action Flash, featuring his favorite 3 episodes (and an honorable mention) from the 1990 Flash TV series.

The Aquaman Shrine has Flash vs. the Hostess Ads by Fred Hembeck. (There were, to the best of my knowledge, four Hostess ads with the Flash during the late 1970s/early 1980s.)

IO9 wonders, with the Flash reborn, who’s next?

The Heritage Auctions blog talks about Showcase #4 (Barry Allen’s first appearance) and its significance as the start of the Silver Age. The highest-grade copy known to exist (CGC 9.6) is going on auction in May.

Samurai Noir’s Toy Box 2 has pictures of vintage Flash and Aquaman board games.

PrettyFakes contrasts creator-driven vs. crossover-driven storytelling in the context of Iron Man, with references to the Messner-Loebs and Waid runs on Wally West’s Flash series.

The Worlogog talks about weekly comics in general and Wednesday Comics in particular.

The comic strip Epic Tales of the Mundane tackles a trade-waiter’s dilemma when faced with Flash: Rebirth.

Silver Age Comics has a run-down of DC Annuals in the Silver Age.

Blam talks about comics in the 1990s, including Mark Waid’s runs on Flash and Impulse.

The Pulse interviews former Flash artist Freddie Williams II on Final Crisis Aftermath: Run (which, for the record, is not about a speedster, but about the Human Flame).

Geoff Johns talks Flash:Rebirth at ComicsPRO

NewsOK’s Nerdage has posted two articles relating to Flash: Rebirth and Blackest Night. First, a short video interview with Geoff Johns (which I haven’t watched yet because I have no sound). Second, a write-up of Flash and Green Lantern in which Geoff Johns remarks that the two heroes will be the “cornerstones” of the DC Universe this year.

The most intriguing remark:

Barry Allen returning from the dead is “the worst thing that ever happened to him,” Johns said.

That puts an interesting perspective on it, and actually reminds me of sixth-season Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in which the title character comes back from the dead…and isn’t as happy about it as you might expect.

Flash: Rebirth #1 Variant Covers Revealed

Midtown Comics has posted images of the covers for Flash: Rebirth #1, shipping next week!

Flash: Rebirth (Standard) via Midtown Comics Flash: Rebirth #1 Variant from Midtown Comics

On the left is the standard cover, using the now-familiar image of the Flash putting on his boots. On the right is the retailer incentive variant, showing Barry Allen as he ejects his costume from his ring. Both are by series artist Ethan Van Sciver.

The Midtown Comics website does point out that these aren’t necessarily scans of the actual comics, and could be stock images.

Found via this ComicBloc thread.

Gazette on Flash: Rebirth

The Colorado Springs Gazette has an article on Flash: Rebirth. There’s not a whole lot new in it, but it’s a good round-up of what we know so far.

There are also a couple of quotes from Geoff Johns that I don’t recognize:

He’s [Barry Allen] been dead for so long, he’s viewed as kind of a saint. Imagine coming back and everyone saying you’re a saint, and having to live up to that.

We will be getting into a lot of his back story: a lot of why he is the way he is, why he has an interest in forensic science, why he has such a strong sense of justice.

Best Price Point for Digital Comics?

Newsarama is running a poll on the best price point for downloadable comics, following up on Filip Sablik’s recent column. Is it free? 99¢ per comic, like iTunes? Subscription bundling?

The problem is that I can’t pick an option on the poll, because for me, it really depends on the device.

Reading Hexed on the G1

If we’re talking comics chopped up for small-screen viewing (iPhone, for instance), then I would prefer free with ads. Unless a story is initially designed for that format, it seems more like a way to sample new series — something iVerse is clearly targeting with their current Android material, offering most first issues for free and then charging for the subsequent ones.

If we’re talking the hypothetical tablet-sized device that displays comics at a comparable size to present-day print comics, then I’d be a bit more willing to pay $0.99 off the bat, or possibly a $5.00/month subscription for more than 5 books.

If we’re talking downloadable comics to display on the desktop computer screen…now that I think about it, probably free. I read a lot of webcomics, but I’ve never once paid for a subscription even to gain access to archives. (I have, however, donated to a few cartoonists, and bought print collections of several series.)

So… how much would you pay for digital comics?