Newsarama interviewed Geoff Johns now that Flashpoint #1 has hit the shelves.
The writer talks about the new characters, and the presence of several existing, but obscure heroes, explaining:
I didn’t want to see the same old faces we always see. This is a different world, and it needs to be more than just “whatever happened to the A- and B-list?” It’s got to be some characters that never existed before, and characters that were at the bottom of the barrel who are now at the top.
Part of the reason for all the tie-ins is to make it possible to explore those new characters outside the scope of the Flashpoint story itself.
Like just about everyone at DC, he made sure to stress that the event will have “major repercussions,” though I like the remark he made about whether the story “matters,” since a lot of readers have expressed the feeling that an alternate reality story isn’t worth reading on principle:
The story does matter. It matters to the Flash and it matters to all the other characters who are in it.
And of course he talks about that last-page reveal and its implications.
The real surprise is down near the end of the interview. Responding to concerns about production delays (which have plagued not only the last few big event comics, but the Flash since Barry Allen’s return), he assured readers that he and artist Andy Kubert were wrapping up the final issue now, so that there’s no question that the whole series will ship on time. Then he added:
And you know, we’re shipping two issues in August. Issue #4 and Issue #5 both come out in August, which is cool.
I think it’s great to have four months of “BAM!” here’s Flashpoint! Here’s the story! It’s a great ride, and then we’re on to the next thing. I think it’s great that it’s quick, fast.
Yes, indeed!
UPDATE: Geoff Johns also spoke with CBR about the issue.
Flashpoint needs moar Top.
I’m always gonna say it, might as well get it out of the way now :>
Things are always better with the Top 😛
I like you, sir! 🙂
I will personally be ignoring Flashpoint for the most part (save for Kid Flash: Lost).
This isn’t because I think it “won’t matter” but simply because I’m not interested in the story. They seem to be going the ‘dark and edgy’ route which is… not interesting to me. I wish DC would get more diversity in their comics, in a lot of areas. /Everything/ is dark and edgy right now, not everyone is interested in that kind of writing and story telling.
Also I’m not going to buy a comic just because it will have ‘long reaching consequences’ that will ‘change the universe forever’ (which I really doubt given that most crisis’ haven’t had that big of an effect. The only crisis I think has had any real effect is Crisis on Infinite Earths, but that’s just my opinion.).
So basically, I am not interested in Flashpoint. It’s one crisis too many for me and I’m seriously not interested at all in the ‘dark and edgy’ feel they seem to be going for here. I may keep up to date with what’s going on in it though.
Agreed.
I’ve tired of crises (got enough Real Life ones right now wearing me down) and really want some frivolity. Lots of frivolity. Heck, I may even take up Tiny Titans rather than anything from Flashpoint. Tired of death and destruction.
Tiny Titans is my FAVORITE COMIC EVER! and I strongly recommend you get it if you aren’t getting it right now. It’s really funny and cute.
Crises/events are called crises/events cause they are well… special! They only happen every so often. We still haven’t dealt with the issues brought about by Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis and they start Blackest Night/Brightest Day and THEN we get Flashpoint right after it? I’m not even following these events and I’m exhausted!
I love angst as much as the next person but it’s just getting too much. I mean… there are some characters where it really suits (like Batman) but others where it’s just… not appropriate (like the Titans). Like I said earlier I want, no NEED some fun in my comics sometimes.
I totally hear ya. That’s why I’m tempted to check out Batgirl. Everything I’ve heard indicates it’s one fun read.
I remember the JLU episode “Flash and Substance.” That one’s a fan favorite, and with good reason. It was pure FUN. Sometimes, readers need a break from grimdarkness.
I wasn’t dissing Tiny Titans. The writing is wonderful…just…modern comic art colors spoiled me for plainer fare, plus I’m really only major on the Flash hero characters with some excursions to Booster Gold and Superman.
Goodness YES! That and The Great Brain Robbery and (why, oh why wasn’t Flash in the Kid episode?! Maybe because he was already acting like a kid throughout the entire show?) *sigh* I love angst, but comedy makes the world bearable and I’m just not getting enough funfrom DC of late other than with Giffen/Dematteis. Also heard that PowerGirl was fun….
Why is all the fun stuff confined mainly to the kiddie and women characters? Can’t a guy grin, dammit? (I mean without getting a load of Joker laughing gas in his face.)
“I love angst as much as the next person but it’s just getting too much.”
You might want to take that out. Someone at DC might read it and give us LOADS more of it. (is it even possible?!?)
Secret Seven looks somewhat interesting. None of the proposed minis have grabbed me thus far.
The biggest takeaway from the interview is clearly that Johns and Kubert are way ahead of time and that Flashpoint will double ship and end in August. That is great news it all should stop the complaints about event fatigue because what other big event has ended in 4 months that’s crazy.
I agree that it’s the biggest takeaway – in fact I almost used it as the headline.
But stopping complaints about event fatigue? Why would it? Readers get tired of big events because the comics companies pump out so many of them, not because the individual issues are frequently delayed.
I remember getting a huge case of event fatigue around 2000, after several years of summer crossovers where each big event was told in a 4-issue weekly series over the course of a single month.
Well for one I don’t believe in event fatigue myself, I just think people are tired of bad events. Events sell they are the equivelant of blockbuster in the summer, I never hear anyone say they are tired of those every year around June.
But ignoring that most of the complaints I hear about events are that they are too long and aren’t usually on time. Flashpoint ends in 4 months which is nothing I think that will help take some of those complaints away. Of course it won’t take them away completelly because the people who complain about them everytime out will continue to do so but that is what it is.
Yeah, well, I’ve noticed you often don’t believe people’s opinions are real if they don’t happen to line up with your own.
It’s hard to say that you’re ignoring the A and B list when the alternate version of Batman is co-starring in the book, and the major conflict is between Wonder Woman and Aquaman.
I think the Flash universe itself is relatively obscure to a large group of readers. Perhaps fleshing out that universe would have been just as new and interesting to people as cramming all of Johns’ favorite obscure heroes into one event and trying to craft the story around them.
Also,
SPOILER
Thomas Wayne as Batman was done before. In the Silver Age. The fact that he was the first Batman was the real reason he was killed in the alley in the first place. All of these homages and silver age retreads are starting to feel a bit forced.
Geoff Johns (from the interview):
“It’s a great ride, and then we’re on to the next thing.”
(Sigh). See, that’s the problem in a nutshell. It’s all about a crazy ride, then on to “the next thing”, with all the drab predictability of a factory assembly line.
Yep. Its fine being quick but if you launch another event 4months later it defeats the purpose.
Yeah: You need downtime from the epic for the same reason that dramatic stories include comic relief.
To use a health metaphor, you can’t stay amped up constantly, no matter how much adrenaline you’ve got pumping through your system. Sooner or later you’re going to have to rest.
In storytelling, that rest doesn’t mean extra time between chapters. It means giving the audience something light hearted, or at least less weighty, so that when you ramp things up again, it still has impact.
I’ve generally found that comedy catches the attention of readers more than angst does. More people like to laugh than like to wring their hands.
What would be nice is a string of single issue stories that deal with Barry and the Flash family/Rogues and a lot less fanboy “It’s MY playground now, MY toys, so everyone else just pay $3.99 or shove it!” mentality. Maybe the Speed Force idea of Johns actually is his own take on Life: feel like he does or you don’t get the goodies unless you switch to Marvel’s reverse force? -_-;;
I’d love some more humor in the Flash books. Johns has added some funny bits to GL. Why not some lighthearted moments in the Flash?
For an example of GL doing funny:
http://bit.ly/kNeORv
And I quote:
Blue lantern ring: What do you hope for?
Hal Jordan: World peace! I hope for world peace!
Blue lantern: Insincerity registered.
Hal: Dammit!
To be honest, I’m a little skeptical because lately, DC’s Flash policy has been: “Say one thing, then do another.” I just take a lot of these claims about Flashpoint with a grain of salt.
On the plus side the fact that they have this one ready to unleash on time means that I might not have to wait until Christmas to see if The Next Big Thing involves Wally and Max or anything else that I grew to love via Waid and W.L-B/R.
Of course, if Wally gets permanently de-aged into a teenager with a “Gosh, Mr. Flash!” vocabulary in any family book…I am out of here anyway.
Edit: Come to that… If Wally gets stuck with a “Gosh, Mr. Flash!” mentality in the next Flash reissue I am out of here.
Well, I have decided to stay with my decision and do the hardcover wait and see approach on this series. I have a tendency to buy every variant, etc. of a series and decided to just save some money on this go around. I am just a little worn down by the whole “bag and board, then store” approach to collecting comics. I really only want to read the stories these days and can do so far more inexpensively while also saving storage space through using this approach. I wonder how many other comic readers are currently going with the HC or TPB approach with these big “event” books?
I’d think a lot would go the digital route. It’s what the younger generations are now attuned to, isn’t it? I’d take it myself since my family hates comics except that circumstances does not allow for that. Unfortunately, my private space IS getting rather full…
But yeah, TB’s beat singles save for two things: ability to knowledgeably yakk about it online and make scans if you were of a mind. Once I get into a story, I hate having to wait to finish it.
I’m not hyped about this event at all.
I don’t have event fatigue, just fatigue over these story lines I have no interest in reading. What I think would help is containing these events within the character’s core title(s). War of the Green Lanterns is currently ongoing within the GL books. The whole New Krypton story arc (an event I enjoyed oh-so-much-more than the drab Blackest Night) was contained within the S-Family titles and occasional minis.
But making this event all inclusive of the DCU with ‘major changes’ abounding? Nope. Don’t buy into it. What, am I suddenly going to like Aquaman now after dis-liking him for the last 20 years because of Johns’ influence? Hardly.
Keep it self-contained (including any event stories) and tell good quality Flash stories (heroic, sad, funny, tragic, uplifting, they all count). What more is needed?
Although I will give DC credit for one thing. I have subscribed to the Flash title. In lieu of that title being canceled (on summer hiatus is how DC phrased it), I received an email from them stating that I will receive the main Flashpoint mini in the mail instead.
Quite considerate of them. I’ll read it, but as of yet, haven’t found anything to be excited over for it.
I agree. I could care less about any of the other heroes or the events taking place in their own titles only because I have a favorite character already; Flash! I completely understand that DC wants (needs) to maximize their revenues by selling as many comics as possible. However, instead of creating monthly (so it seems) mega-fantastic cross-over extravaganzas, why not just focus the efforts of a single or pair of writers and good quality artists on their given title and allow for independent story evolutions, ie; free of the chains of adherence to a single all-title-encompasing arc? Leave JLA stories to that title and allow for each character to thrive without the “help” of another characters title? I’m all burnt out on the “MEGA” crossovers! That’s why I don’t read Marvel anymore! Enough!