Monthly Archives: April 2010

What is…Flashpoint?

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This week’s DC comics include a teaser for something called Flashpoint, coming in 2011 from Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert. It’s not clear whether it’s a storyline in The Flash or a separate event, but considering how Blackest Night grew from a Green Lantern/Green Lantern Corps storyline to the year’s big event, it may be too early to reach any conclusions.

Long-time Flash readers may remember that Flashpoint was also the title of an Elseworlds miniseries from 1999-2000 — the only Elseworlds tale outside his own book to focus on the Flash, in fact.

In this story, a paralyzed Barry Allen has turned his super-fast mind to scientific research and development. A mission to Mars discovers a key designed to open a gateway to (essentially) the speed force, which they call the Flashpoint, and which appears to be linked to other realities. Only one problem: the last time it was used, it destroyed all life on Mars. (Interesting side note: The current Flash logo is actually based on the Flashpoint logo, rather than the other way around!)

Back to the teaser, here’s a quick photo of the ad that I took with my phone scan of the ad from Flash #1:

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What Volume is the Flash Up To?

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When I started Flash: Those Who Ride the Lightning back in 1996, I’d just refer to the then-current series as “Flash.” As the site grew to encompass more historical information, I’d either leave it to context or mark the pre-Crisis books as “Flash volume 1.” This doesn’t usually matter, but if you need to clarify which Flash #10 or Flash #123 you’re talking about, a shorthand like “vol.1” is a lot cleaner than writing “Flash (1959 series) #X” every time.

Only one problem: There are several different ways to choose the breaks between volumes.

Here are the distinct chunks of series:

  • Flash Comics (1940-1949) #1-104: Jay Garrick
  • The Flash (1959-1986) #105-350: Barry Allen
  • (The) Flash (1987-2005) #1-230: Wally West
  • The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive (2006-2007) #1-13: Bart Allen
  • The Flash (2007-2008) #231-247: Wally West
  • The Flash (2010 onward), starting with #1: Barry Allen

Now, here are the ways we can break it up:

Divide at Every Relaunch:

  • Flash Comics = Volume 1
  • Flash w/ Barry = Volume 2
  • Flash w/ Wally = Volume 3
  • Flash w/ Bart = Volume 4
  • Flash w/ Wally again = Volume 5
  • Flash w/ Barry again = Volume 6

Divide at Renumbering with #1

  • Flash comics & Flash with Barry = Volume 1
  • Flash w/ Wally = Volume 2
  • Flash w/ Bart = Volume 3
  • Flash w/ Wally again = more Volume 2
  • Flash w/ Barry again = Volume 4

Track Titles Separately, Divide at Renumbering*

  • Flash Comics = Flash Comics
  • Flash w/ Barry = Volume 1
  • Flash w/ Wally = Volume 2
  • Flash w/ Bart = Flash: TFMA
  • Flash w/ Wally again = more Volume 2
  • Flash w/ Barry again = Volume 3

This last one is the way I’ve decided to identify the series. It’s simpler, since we don’t need to add volumes for Flash Comics or Flash: The Fastest Man Alive, and it groups the “bonus season” on Wally West’s series with the rest of that run.

So by that scheme, what we’re getting today is The Flash Volume 3 #1.

UPDATE June 2011:

It turns out that the 2010 relaunch only lasted 12 issues, and DC will be relaunching with a new The Flash #1 (along with the rest of their line) after Flashpoint. Sticking with this same numbering scheme makes the post-Flashpoint book The Flash vol.4.

*I’ve chosen to group the titles Flash and The Flash together for purposes of clarity and simplicity. If you really want to get technical, you could break things down that way, but it seems excessive.

What’s Retconned About Barry Allen’s Past?

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With Flash: Rebirth complete, we can take a look at the changes the series made to the Flash mythos. I listed a lot of them in my review of issue #6 (resurrections, costume/identity/power changes, the re-imagining of the speed force itself, etc.), but I want to look at a specific set of changes: What the Reverse-Flash did to Barry Allen’s past, and the ripple effect from those changes.

Note that I’m specifically looking at things that contradict previous stories, not those that add new details that can be considered to have been hidden.

Spoilers for Flash: Rebirth, of course.

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Site Updates: Barry, Max & Intro

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I’ve started in on the big catch-up project to bring Flash: Those Who Ride the Lightning up to speed. Updates today include:

Plus a bunch of minor housekeeping bits scattered around the site. Typo fixes. Series in which characters are regulars. Team memberships. Things like that.

Design And Win Your Own Flash Ring Spotlight!

With only two weeks left in the contest, I’d like to take some time to highlight some of the entries we’ve received so far and will all be passed on to Arrobasilver for consideration:

Ryan cleverly combined elements of the Blue Lantern and The Flash:

While Adam Komar from Conroe, TX had the interests of those conflicted between light and dark in mind with his concept:

Cape Sandlin incorporated a variation of The Flash logo itself into a modest but visually stunning piece of work:

And Aaron Rivin Rivin took a more traditional approach to his concept: [Edit: Images removed because they were plagiarized (see comments).]

Kevin Allen from Rochester, MI described his concept as: “This is a ring he would wear when giving an interview, or at the opening of a new wing of the Flash Museum. It is a ring he would only take out for super important events. As such, it takes some of the elements of his normal ring, but also adds a few style choices to make it look more regal and important.”

And Joey Forlini delivers with a simple yet engaging piece framed with elements of The Fastest Man Alive.

And that’s only a few of the great submissions we have so far. Thanks for all the entries. I look forward to seeing even more of all your great work, so get those submissions in while you still can. You can visit the Official Contest Page HERE for details on submissions and such.

–Devin “The Flash” Johnson

Win a Signed Copy of Flash #1

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DC has unveiled the rules for the Signed Flash #1 Contest over at The Source. Today through Friday, the @DC_NATION account on Twitter will be posting one Flash trivia question a day. The first five fans to respond correctly will be eligible to win a copy of the book signed by Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul.

Speed and knowledge. That sounds like an appropriate way to celebrate the launch of the fastest forensic scientist alive.

Additionally, the first winner on Friday will also get a signed copy of Geoff Johns’ script for the issue.

Full details and rules at The Source — and keep an eye on @DC_NATION!

Meanwhile, remember we’ve got our own contest going, too: the Design and Win Your Own Flash Ring Contest is running through April 26.