DC has posted a preview of Flash #9 (out next week), along with the final covers.
FLASH issue nine, on sale next Wednesday, kicks off the much anticipated Prelude to FLASHPOINT storyline. Writer Geoff Johns and artist Francis Manapul are crafting a murder mystery with a heck of a twist. Who dies? We won’t say here (yet), but we’ll let this question linger: “You recognize the costume?”
Interestingly, it seems they’ve swapped the primary covers for Flash #9 and Flash #10 to keep the “character-focused” theme running through January’s books as close to January as possible. And while the book was originally solicited with a Scott Kolins variant cover, it’s being shipped with one by Tyler Kirkham.
They’ve also replaced the “Brightest Day” banner with “The Road to Flashpoint.”
Read the preview at The Source or at CBR.
Update: Francis Manapul has been posting scans of the uncolored interior artwork on his DeviantArt page: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 5, and Page 6.
I really love the character based cover by Manapul!
Getting WAAAYYYYYYY tired of the “leaking lighning” effect. A few “accent bolts” here or there are fine….but the cover on the right side has reached the level of caricature (made worse by an awkward pose and poorly-executed perspective tricks).
In the age of Photoshop, it’s a shame they haven’t figured out many interesting new speed effects beyond the (very 1990’s) trails of electro-bolts.
Whelmed. Like the art (except for that second cover), but am really disappointed as I wanted to get the one with Bart and Wally. So…another 5-6 weeks wait. Also wish they’d quit pointing out the Generator of the Speed Force with Every Step…thing. I hate that idea and don’t enjoy having it shoved in my face every issue.
I’m with you mate. It’s the one thing about the Rebirth retcon that REALLY left a crappy taste in my mouth.
I still think Hot Pursuit is Robbern Thawne, Eobard Thawne’s brother. I know they showed Prof. Zoom removing his brother’s existence in his origin tale. But they didn’t show how Thawne did it… And isn’t it possible that Robbern could have been rescued by someone like Booster Gold an instant before Eobard tried to remove him from existence?
It’s the panel in the origin tale with Robbern coming to arrest Eobard that has me thinking this. The uniform he’s wearing bears more than a passing similarity to Hot Pursuit’s costume.