Monthly Archives: November 2009

Speed Reading

Some linkblogging for the weekend…

Francis Manapul shares a black and white version of his variant cover for Blackest Night: The Flash #3.

Dan Didio talks to CBR about a number of things including Flash. He reiterates some of the reasons they let the book fall behind rather than put a new team on it to bring it out quickly, like they did with Final Crisis:

That ran with some delays, but at the end of the day we looked at the full package of how that will look as a book, and we wanted to maintain consistency all the way through. The events of that book weren’t essential to what happens with the Flash in “Blackest Night.”

Nothing new. In fact he said more or less the same thing a couple of days earlier to Newsarama. Interestingly, he describes the new Flash series book as spinning out of Blackest Night. Whether that’s simply in publishing terms, or in story terms as well, is not clear.

Collected Editions compares the Final Crisis and Blackest Night collections.

The Flash in New Frontier makes Comics Should Be Good’s 313th cool comic book moment.

Blackest Night: Flash #3 Solicitation & Cover

IGN has posted DC’s Blackest Night solicitations for February 2010, including the conclusion of Blackest Night: The Flash.

Blackest Night: The Flash #3

Blackest Night Flash #3 (Variant)On sale February 17 – 3 of 3 – 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Scott Kolins
Variant cover by Francis Manapul

It’s a case of the chicken-or-the-egg as Barry Allen takes on the Black Lantern Reverse-Flash and seeks answers to the very nature of Professor Zoom’s impending resurrection. Plus, the Rogues witness an act so horrifying that it changes one of their own forever.

This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Scott Kolins), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Francis Manapul).

Notes: I hate to admit it, but I have no idea who the Flash is fighting on this cover. Well, almost no idea. Is this the new design for Nekron?

Also, this pretty much confirms that Professor Zoom’s personal timeline is, well, reversed, and that he’s being resurrected in Blackest Night, then going back in time for Flash: Rebirth. It’s not 100% certain, but it looks extremely likely at this point.

And finally: I believe this is the first official Flash art by Francis Manapul that DC has released. He’s doing alternate covers for all three issues of Blackest Night: The Flash, and will of course take over as the artist on The Flash when it launches next spring.

Johns & Van Sciver at C2E2

The upcoming Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo (April 16-18, 2010) has confirmed Geoff Johns as a guest of honor. Since Ethan Van Sciver was announced back in August, that means that the Flash: Rebirth and Green Lantern: Rebirth writer/artist team will both be appearing at C2E2 next spring.

This also means that neither of them will appear at Wizard’s Anaheim Comic Con, held the same weekend.

This Week (Nov. 11): JSA vs. Kobra, Titans, Absolute Justice

Just one week until more Flash: Rebirth. For now, we’ve got JSA vs. Kobra, The Titans, and the Absolute Justice hardcover.

JSA VS. Kobra #6

JSA vs Kobra 6Written by Eric Trautmann
Art by Don Kramer & Michael Babinski
Cover by Gene Ha

It all ends here! Now that the Kobra’s lair has been razed by the Justice Society, Jason Burr’s plans should fall to pieces. But the terrorist leader has more than one plan at work, and the JSA won’t be able to stop them all once they’re put in motion! It’s old dogs vs. new tricks in one final gambit!

On sale November 11 · 6 of 6 · 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Titans

Titans 19Written by J.T. Krul
Art by Angel Unzueta & Wayne Faucher
Cover by Angel Unzueta

It’s not easy being a dad in the DCU — just ask Roy Harper, who never wants to leave his daughter Lian an orphan. Unfortunately, that choice may not be his to make…Hot off his BLACKEST NIGHT: TITANS miniseries, J.T. Krul returns for another issue!

On sale November 11 · 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Absolute Justice HC

Absolute JusticeWritten by Alex Ross & Jim Krueger
Art by Alex Ross & Doug Braithwaite
Cover by Alex Ross

The spectactular 12-issue series by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger and Doug Braithwaite is collected in this amazing, oversized, slipcased Absolute edition. The members of the Justice League of America are about to learn they aren’t the only ones who can band together toward a common goal. The greatest criminal masterminds of our time appear to be acting in concert — but with a surprising plan that seeks to achieve more good than the JLA ever could!
This Absolute edition features a new cover by Ross, plus sketchbook a section with previously unseen artwork and more!

On sale November 11 · 8.25″ x 12.5″, 496 pg, FC, $99.00 US

Poll Results: When Will Flash: Rebirth Finish?

Okay, so maybe the question itself is a bit of a cheap shot, but with the number of times issues #4–6 have been rescheduled, it seems a fair question. At this time, Flash: Rebirth #6 is scheduled for December 23, 2009, just five weeks after issue #5 comes out. But with 3-month gaps between issues #3, #4 and #5, it’s certainly not hard to imagine the schedule might slip again.

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One Week to Flash: Rebirth #5, Dan Didio Talks Delays

Flash: Rebirth #5So, who remembers what happened in Flash: Rebirth #4? 😀 All joking aside, it looks like we’ll finally get the next installment of the story in just over a week. Not only does DC still list Flash: Rebirth #5 with a November 18 date, it’s on also on Diamond’s upcoming releases list for books shipping next week. It’s extremely rare for anything to slip once it appears on that list (though I have seen it happen occasionally).

Here’s what the miniseries’ schedule looks like at this point:

Issue Orig. Date Actual Date Gap Delay
Flash: Rebirth #1 April 1 April 1 3 months* On time
Flash: Rebirth #2 May 6 May 6 5 weeks On time
Flash: Rebirth #3 June 10 June 10 5 weeks On time
Flash: Rebirth #4 July 22 Aug. 26 11 weeks 5 weeks
Flash: Rebirth #5 Aug. 26 Nov. 18 12 weeks 12 weeks
Flash: Rebirth #6 Sep. 30 Dec. 23** 5 weeks 12 weeks

*Since Flash v.2 #247

**Well, currently-scheduled date, anyway.

All signs point to the next mini-series, Blackest Night: The Flash staying on track. Especially when you factor in Dan Didio’s comments on scheduling in his latest 10 Answers column:

…A lot of times the story drives how the books are produced. Certain books we have a certain level of leeway with because of how they fall within the rest of the DCU continuity. Books like Flash: Rebirth, books like Superman: Secret Origin, had long lead times and they still ran into some problems toward the end. But because of the consistency of the look and the consistency of the team and the consistency of the vision of that material, we’re willing to wait for those books because they don’t have an impact on other series that are rolling out at that time. [emphasis added]

But when we have other books like Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps, it’s essential for them to come out in conjunction with Blackest Night, and for those, we know to plan differently.

Both sides — Rebirth not holding up the rest of the DCU and Blackest Night: Flash needing to sync up with Blackest Night — would seem to factor into the decision to keep the Johns/Kolins miniseries on schedule even though it means launching before Rebirth ends (whenever that ends up being).

Just think: in a few weeks, the Flash franchise should be back on track!