Monthly Archives: August 2010

THUNDER Agents Designs: Lightning

DC has posted artist CAFU’s designs for the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents relaunch coming in November, including the team’s speedster, Lightning.

Lightning’s past is one readers of the sports page will be familiar with. It’s one of failure, self-doubt and, ultimately, redemption – if he can manage to outrace death long enough, that is.

CAFU came up with a number of designs for Lightning’s suit, but we ultimately settled on this one as it seemed both the most stylish and the most practical. Zipping around that fast, you’re going to need some protection!

As described in previous articles, the premise is that the suits that give the agents their super-powers will also kill them within a year. The agency recruits covert operatives willing to trade their lives for one last shot at redemption.

The article at The Source has four designs, including Dynamo, NoMan, and Menthor in addition to Lightning.

Also worth a look: Newsarama’s article on the history of the team, back to their 1965 debut at Tower Comics.

More Flash in November: Vanishing Point and Faster Friends

8 Replies

DC’s full November solicitations are out, featuring two more major Flash appearances in addition to the Flash #8 Reverse-Flash one-shot.

DC Comics Presents: The Flash and Green Lantern: Faster Friends

Written by RON MARZ, MARK WAID and BRIAN AUGUSTYN
Art by BART SEARS, VAL SEMEIKS, RON LIM, ANDY SMITH, TOM GRINDBERG, JEFF JOHNSON and others
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON

Collecting the two-part miniseries from 1997 that brought together two Flashes and two Green Lanterns to battle the menace called Alien X in a story that begins in the 1940s and concludes in the modern era!

On sale November 3 • 96 pg, FC, $7.99 US

Notes: This story stars Jay Garrick and Alan Scott in the 1940s, and Wally West and Kyle Rayner in the modern era. Naturally, they’ve put Hal Jordan on the cover.

Fun Fact: This is the comic book with the polar bear that Walt was reading in the first season of LOST.

Time Masters: Vanishing Point #5

Written by DAN JURGENS
Art and cover by DAN JURGENS & NORM RAPMUND

None of the Time Masters’ problems in the time continuum compares with what’s in store for them when they cross paths with the Reverse Flash! In fact, nothing will be the same for the entire universe after this fateful meeting!

Don’t miss this companion series to the best-selling “Return of Bruce Wayne” storyline!

On sale November 17 • 5 of 6 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US

Notes: That Thawne guy sure is going to be busy in November, isn’t he? Can you say Flashpoint setup?

Other DC Speedsters

Justice Society of America (with Jay Garrick) picks up the new run by Marc Guggenheim and Scott Kolins.

Justice League of America (with Jesse Quick) battles the Crime Syndicate.

The Teen Titans meet Robin.

DC Comics Presents: Young Justice continues with #2, reprinting The Secret, stories from the Young Justice Secret Files, and Young Justice in No-Man’s Land. We seem to be getting the specials reprinted – how long before DC reprints the series itself?

Flash #8 Solicited: Reverse-Flash Rebirth

32 Replies

DC has posted its Brightest Day solicitations for November, including…

The Flash #8

Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by SCOTT KOLINS
1:10 Variant cover by STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU

“Reverse Flash Rebirth!” In this FLASHPOINT prelude, don’t miss the epic telling of the origin of Barry Allen’s greatest foe, Professor Zoom! Eobard Thawne’s story is just beginning — and he intends to finish it with The Flash!

On sale NOVEMBER 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Thoughts

So, one more stand-alone issue before Francis Manapul returns for the second story arc. It’s hard to complain when the fill-in artist on The Flash is Scott Kolins, though.

That said…I’m kind of disappointed that we’ll only have one Flash story before jumping into Flashpoint. It’s odd that on one hand, DC is absolutely determined to establish Barry Allen as THE Flash before widening the scope to other speedsters, but at the same time they’re jumping straight into this big event.

That and I think I just don’t really like Eobard Thawne that much. He’s too much of a mustache-twirling caricature villain. Hunter Zolomon was far more interesting a character…though IMO neither should appear too often, or else they risk losing their impact. (That pretty much happened with Zolomon during the Villains United/Infinite Crisis period.)

So, who wants to take bets on just how much of Mark Waid’s classic “The Return of Barry Allen” gets trampled by this new origin?

Update: Full solicitations are up. Here are some more Flash appearances in November.

Speed Reading

4 Replies

Some weekend linkblogging…

Neil Patrick Harris has definitely picked up a following as a choice for Barry Allen, judging by how often he shows up in fan casting lists. This one from Comic Book Movie pairs him with Felicia Day as Iris, and adds Anton Yelchin (who recently played a young Kyle Reese in Teminator Salvation and a young Pavel Chekhov in Star Trek) as Wally West.

That F’ing Monkey reviews a Giant Sized Flash figure from SDCC.

The Best Comic Covers highlights 9 Superman vs. Flash covers.

Wizard World returns to Anaheim next year on the weekend of April 29 through May 1. Tickets are already on sale. (Whatever happened to tickets for the canceled WWLA 2009, anyway? Did people finally get refunds, or free tickets to Anaheim 2010?)

The Word Balloon podcast interviews Francis Manapul. In part 1 they focus on The Flash and Adventure Comics, while the upcoming part 2 will go into Beast Legends.

Robot 6 offers some website usability tips for comic book publishers.

The Aquaman Shrine and Firestorm Fan have teamed up for “Unresolved Issues” – the behind-the-scenes spat between Firestorm and Aquaman. But what role does the Flash have? The answer may shock you! (Okay, not really, but the promo phrasing seems like it fits the era.)

Flash Costumes at Comic-Con Int’l 2010

5 Replies

It’s been three weeks since Comic-Con International, but costume photos are always in season. Here are some of the people who came to the con dressed as the Flash. I’ve posted a few of these before, but not all of them. Some of the photos are mine, but most of them are from other photographers on Flickr. In each case, clicking on the photo will open the original page with larger images.

Authentic Custom Costumes

These are the costumes that were clearly home– or professionally-made, but that stuck to the standard designs.

First up is Mike Rollerson’s photo of a really impressive female Flash. I’ve seen her in a number of other costumes at various conventions, including Catwoman and Psylocke. Keep reading – there’s another picture of her later on.

The Superman/Wonder Woman/Flash trio on the right made a huge impression, judging by the number of photographers who snapped pictures of them at the con. The Flash is a very exact copy of the costume from the game Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, down to the boots and the armbands, though he’s thrown back the hood and put on sunglasses instead. I’ve seen at least one picture of the group where he’s tossed on a red sweatshirt over the costume that looks like Bart’s from Smallville.

This group includes a more traditional Flash. As with many large groups, I’m not sure how many knew each other and how many were just invited to join in for having a costume with the same theme.

Continue reading →

Recent Acquisitions 2 Graphic Intensive

25 Replies

Alright finally another installment of “Recent Acquisitions”. I haven’t posted an update since March, and I’ve actually acquired a lot more than what I’m about to show. But as I explained last time the feature is called “Recent Acquisitions” and I personally think “within the last month or so” when I think “recent”. Still not a bad haul to show off. First the group picture:

Clockwise from the Top: Pull-In Brand Flash Boxer Briefs, Blue Lantern Flash T-Shirt, Funko Flash Plush Doll, Infinite Heroes 3-Pack feat. Wally West, The Trickster and Heatwave, Flash Silhouette T-Shirt, and Sterling Silver Flash Bracelet

More after the jump.