Monthly Archives: August 2009

Minor Site Updates: Appearances, Covers, Dimwits, Josh

I finally made an effort to catch up a little bit on my waaaaay-behind Flash reference site, Flash: Those Who Ride the Lightning. This afternoon I’ve accomplished:

Added the fourth printing of Flash: Rebirth #1 — yes, fourth printing! — to the Variant Covers catalog.

Updated Winky, Blink and Noddy, also known as the “three dimwits.” They were the Flash’s sidekicks during the Golden Age, then disappeared for almost 60 years. They got a mention in the recent Justice League: Cry for Justice #2.

Updated Josh Jackam. Somehow I never got around to adding the significant events of Final Crisis: Rogues’ Revenge.

Renamed “Crisis Era” as “Legacy Era” based on this discussion.

Started updating appearance lists for the last…um…year. So far: Barry Allen, Jay Garrick, Iris Allen and Gorilla Grodd. I still need to index “This Was Your Life, Wally West,” though.

I’m going to make it a goal to do at least some work on the site each week from now on, and with luck I’ll have everything up to current status by the time Flash: Rebirth wraps up.

Speed Reading: Middle Generation, Sonic, Dark Flash, and More

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Some end-of-the-week linkblogging

Collected Editions considers DC’s middle generation and the Nightwing problem — Dick Grayson, Wally West, Donna Troy, Kyle Rayner, etc. — and what DC’s future might have in store for them after Superman returns from New Krypton and Bruce Wayne returns from…wherever he is.

Factpile wants to know who would win in a fight: Sonic the Hedgehog vs. the Flash.

The Flash-Back Podcast reviews the “Dark Flash” storyline from the Mark Waid/Brian Augustyn run.

Crimson Lightning has found a photo of people in Flash and Quicksilver costumes at Chicago Comic-Con last week.

Around the Web

DVDs Worth Watching notes that the next DC Animated film (after Superman/Batman: Public Enemies) will be Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. No word on whether it’ll adapt the original “Crisis on Earth-One” and “Crisis on Earth-Two” story or something else entirely.

Here’s a great mock-up of an article by Peter Parker on The Mutant Problem, complete with sidebar photos and profiles. (via Robot6)

Creator Catch-Up: Kerschl, Manapul, EVS, Waid & Wieringo

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Quick round-up of writer/artist links from the past week or so:

Karl Kerschl has been posting commentary on The Flash in Wednesday Comics at AudioBoo: The Page 9 Gauntlet, Wednesday Comics Questions. He’s also done an interview with Newsarama.

Francis Manapul was inspired to do some Flashy art while reading Flash: Rebirth

Ethan Van Sciver and Karl Kerschl will appear at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto at the end of August.

Mark Waid has been confirmed for Long Beach Comic-Con in October. (I finally bought my ticket a few days ago. Hooray for cons within driving distance!)

Many sites remembered Mike Wieringo this week on the anniversary of his passing. To follow up on the links posted on Wednesday: Panels on Pages lists their top six Mike Wieringo covers. Pop Matters has an artistic critique of his Flash work as perfecting “90s nostalgia comics.” Comics Alliance lists some favorite moments. And it’s worth linking again to Blog@Newsarama’s excellent Dial H for History retrospective.

Golden-Age Flash Costume: Boots and Shirt Construction

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Katie again, as promised, with details on the making of the boots and shirt for Kelson’s Comic-Con Golden Age Flash costume. This shouldn’t be nearly as long as the helmet post, I promise. My aim here is to show the entire process from design to display, as an aid to anyone else who might want to try something similar.

The Boots

Our original intention with the boots was to get cheap boots and make boot covers. I’d picked up a pair of costume boots for myself at Payless at a huge discount a few years ago, which was surprising given that anything in a size 10 or over is hard to find in women’s shoes. However, men’s fashion boots are even harder to find, let alone with a price restriction, and in the sale room of DSW we reformulated our plan. We thought about permanently attaching semi-rigid covers to an old pair of sneakers, but realized that tying laces would prove impossible inside a boot. So it came down to slip-ons, and we located a pair at (surprise!) Payless that fit pretty well. The only question was whether to make them permanent or removable, and the material made the decision for us.

I tend to be a cheapskate when it comes to crafts that I’m going to keep for myself. For gifts, sales, or commissions, I spare little expense; but for my own use it’s Red Heart Super Saver and Westrim beads, because I’m willing to undertake for myself the maintenance that will make the piece look like more than it is. We went to Jo-Ann with no idea what we wanted beyond “shiny bright red.” Luckily, this was during a huge fabric clearance and we found some less-than-half-price red vinyl, which settled the question of what to make the boots from. I also picked up some E-6000 cement, which claimed it would bond vinyl, and some muslin for making patterns and test covers. I didn’t intend to sew the final covers, as it would punch holes in the vinyl. But something else happened then that I did not intend: the E-6000 not only wouldn’t hold up to much pulling (even when I roughed up the shiny vinyl lightly with sandpaper), but flat-out refused to bond to the back side of the vinyl. It didn’t matter that the suggested temperature range meant I’d waited until nearly sunset to be able to use it at all. It just beaded up, dried, and fell off. So, since I didn’t want to mess with mass quantities of hot glue that I’d need to shepherd along definite “seam” lines, it was going to have to be sewing.

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Remembering Mike Wieringo

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Today’s the second anniversary of artist Mike Wieringo’s death. ’Ringo, as he was known by friends and fans alike, only worked on a handful of Flash issues with Mark Waid in the late 1990s, but in that time he set a new standard for artwork on the series (I believe he established the use of lightning trails) and co-created Impulse.

In remembrance, I’m re-running the post I made two years ago, on the day I learned he had died.

Mike Wieringo (1963-2007)

This weekend I re-read Tellos, a fantasy comic book that ran from 1999-2000. Writer Todd Dezago and artist Mike Wieringo took a 6-month hiatus to prepare the next story arc, but that arc never materialized. Just a few one-shots and an anthology mini that explored backstories and aftermath, with a few hints at the upcoming story. Though from the sketches and posts on Wieringo’s blog—the latest (at left) posted just last Friday, it was clear they were working on relaunching the series, possibly this year.

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This Week: Showcase, Blackest Night, Titans, JSA vs. Kobra and More

~~Considering that there’s no new solo Flash material coming out this week~~ There’s an awful lot of speedster material this week! The third Showcase collection from the 1960s, Wednesday Comics, and a cameo in Adventure Comics, plus team and event books like Blackest Night, JSA vs. Kobra, and Titans should cover Barry, Wally, Jay and Bart.

Showcase presents: The Flash Vol. 3 TP

Written by John Broome, Gardner Fox and Robert Kanigher
Art by Carmine Infantino, Joe Giella, Frank Giacoia and Murphy Anderson
Cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson

The Rogues take over in this new third volume collecting The Flash #141-161. Don’t miss the Scarlet Speedster’s epic battles with The Trickster, The Weather Wizard, The Mirror Master, Captain Cold and more!

520 pg, B&W, $16.99 US

Notes: This volume pushes the cheap black-and-white Showcase series past the more durable, higher-quality Flash Archives series, which currently leaves off at #141.

Wednesday Comics #6

The Flash battles Gorilla Grodd and tries to date Iris West in a story written by Karl Kerschl (Teen Titans Year One, The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive) and Brenden Fletcher with art by Karl Kerschl.

Wednesday Comics will arrive in stores folded twice to 7″ x 10″.

7″ x 10″, 16 pg, FC, $3.99 US.

Notes: I can’t believe I forgot this when writing up the list!

Blackest Night #2

Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert
Variant cover by Mauro Cacioli
Sketch variant cover by Ivan Reis

The event of the summer continues! The dead rise across the DC Universe, bringing terror and darkness with them. What are the Black Lanterns? What do they want? Will Earth’s greatest heroes survive long enough to find out — or will they join the Black Lantern Corps?

This issue will ship with three covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Mauro Cascioli). For every 200 copies of the Standard Edition, retailers may order one copy of the Sketch Variant Edition (with a cover by Ivan Reis).

2 of 8 · 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

JSA vs. Kobra: Engines of Faith #3

Written by Eric Trautmann
Art by Don Kramer & Michael Babinski
Cover by Gene Ha

The JSA follow the trail of Kobra into Opal City! But the stars of this shining metropolis have been darkened by a deed so vile, it’s a new low for the global terrorist. Meanwhile, Kobra warriors have been turning up dead. Is Jason Burr a lone serpent now, or is there a greater plan at work?

3 of 6 · 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Check out the preview at Newsarama.

Adventure Comics #1

Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Francis Manapul
Co-feature art by Clayton Henry Covers by Francis Manapul

It’s the return of one of DC Comics’ longest running books and one of its greatest modern-day heroes – Conner Kent! In our first heroic issue, Superboy can’t wait to jump back into his life – but which life will it be? With a clarity he’s never had before, Conner makes a beeline for the greatest place on Earth…Smallville?

Plus, in the wake of FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS, Starman heads off on an all-new mission in the present. And it’s one that will not only impact Superboy, but the future of the DC Universe itself. Fortunately, the off-kilter Legionnaire won’t be dong it alone! And in the upcoming months of ADVENTURE COMICS look for Lex Luthor! Brainiac! Lightning Lad! Superboy’s pal Simple Simon! Sun Boy and Polar Boy! Ultra, the Multi Alien! Wonder Girl! Black Lantern Alexander Luthor! And many, many more new and familiar faces!

40pg, $3.99

Notes: We know from previews that Kid Flash has at least a cameo in this issue.

Titans #16

Written by Christopher Yost
Art by Angel Unzueta & Wayne Faucher
Cover by Angel Unzueta

Why has Starfire been acting odd the past few issues? Turns out the warrior woman has major rage issues coming out of her recent breakup with Dick Grayson, the events of Final Crisis and more. Her super-powerful emotions could very well rip the team apart!

32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Notes: Angel Unzueta did the art for Geoff Johns’ first Flash arc, “Wonderland,” and Wayne Faucher inked a long run on Impulse.

Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape #4

Written by Ivan Brandon
Art by Marco Rudy
Cover by Scott Hampton

The drugs are wearing off, and Nemesis can finally clear his head enough to make sense of life in Electric City as a “guest” of the Global Peace Agency. So what could be worse than having to experience Electric City under the influence of tranquilizers and truth serums? How about living there with a clear understanding of what’s really going to happen when they’re done with you…

4 of 6 · 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Note: I have no idea whether any Flashes appear in this, but that sure looks like the Cosmic Treadmill on the cover.

The Last Days of Animal Man #4

Written by Gerry Conway
Art by Chris Batista & Dave Meikis
Cover by Brian Bolland

Regrets…he’s had a few! Buddy Baker can’t bear to live with the regret that comes of his infidelity with Starfire…but Prismatik and Bloodrage will be happy to take the burden of life off his hands! They’ve launched a full-on assault against the League of Titans’ headquarters, and Buddy and Starfire are the only heroes who stand in their way!

~~4 of 6 · 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US~~

Note: This series takes place 15 years in the future. Prismatik is the daughter of the second Mirror Master.

Speed Force

Tracking the Flash – the Fastest Man Alive