If the Fastest Man Alive is going to capture Mob Rule, he must first tap into his new amped-up super brain to save the citizens of Central City from the EMP that has blacked out the city. Witness a spectacular sequence of out-of-control cars, trains and even airplanes that must be stopped from destroying the city!
Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL and BRIAN BUCCELLATO; Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL; 1:25 Variant cover by JIM LEE; 1:200 B&W Variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
DC Universe 32pg. Color $2.99 US
Notes: A four-page preview is up on DC Comics’ Google+ page. This is also the issue that Brian Buccellato gave me a sneak peek at when we talked at Long Beach Comic Con, and let me just say: it’s awesome. You don’t want to miss this one.
Update: I completely forgot to include the reprint of the Mark Waid/Brian Augustyn Life Story of the Flash in the new DC Comics Presents format.
DC Comics Presents: The Life Story of the Flash
This striking tale combines comic-book illustration and prose to follow Barry Allen from his humble childhood to his noble death, detailing his transformation from police scientist to one of the DC Universe’s most dynamic heroes.
Written by MARK WAID and BRIAN AUGUSTYN; Art by GIL KANE, JOE STATON and TOM PALMER; Cover by GLEN ORBIK
DC Universe 96pg. Color $7.99 US
Notes: It’s nice to see this back in print, though a lot of it’s been erased from history — first by Flash: Rebirth and then by Flashpoint/the New 52. The 1997 hardcover was written as Iris Allen’s in-universe biography of Barry Allen after his death has made his dual identity public.
That has got to be the single most ugly Flash cover I’ve ever seen. 0.0!
All right….really nice cover art on the new Flash book with mob rule.
Unfortunately…something happened last week when you advertised this one and I really thought it was just stress from the holidays so let it slide…would check out the art next time…but the feeling is still there: apathy. For the first time ever I’ve no deep desire to look at a preview featuring Flash.
The rot of it is the art is gorgeous and I like Barry…maybe it is just the stress of the holidays.
Is anyone else feeling this? I should be excited…all the facts say I should be excited. Why am I not excited to see pics? 🙁
everyone: even though it is one of his last works and is largely handled by Joe Staton, Gil Kane’s masterful hand is all over Life Story…, and Gil Kane is the greatest.
I have the hardcover of Life Story, and it’s one of my favourite Flash books.
Too bad the LIFE STORY is now null.
I enjoyed The Life Story of the Flash hugely, and it’s wonderful to see DC re-releasing it in such an affordable format. I’m amazed at the release because as noted above, so much of the book is now not strictly relevant to the current Flash book.
It’s baffling – DC claims that Wally as a second Flash would confuse readers, then releases a version of Barry’s history that needs all sorts of context for new readers.
It’s not baffling at all – “continuity impact” isn’t always a factor in DC’s collections dept.
They release collections all the time that have no bearing on current continuity. Thankfully, too – otherwise there’d have been no Archive line, or really any books featuring the pre-Crisis version of the DCU.
Of course I know that DC is constantly issuing reprints, but the timing of this one is baffling. Over the last couple of years DC first grim and grittied-up Barry’s past, now they’ve rebooted him as younger – new readers enjoying the Manapul/Buccellato book are likely to be excited by the prospect of Barry’s life story, but they get the wrong one.
Life Story is such a good book.
If DC is trying to make it easy for new readers that isn’t going to help though. Maybe there needs to be some kind of header/identifier for their New 52 Universe.
Flash #3 was soooooooo good! In fact, this whole series so far has been excellent. I haven’t enjoyed a Flash book this much since midway through Geoff Johns first run with Wally.
Personally I prefer Wally as the Flash, with Barry as a pleasant memory and inspiration. However, the work these guys are doing on this book has me enjoying Barry’s adventures!
Can’t wait for issue #4!
The Irredeemable Shag