Monthly Archives: February 2013

This Week: Smallville & Beyond, Flashbacks to Day of Judgment & Underworld Unleashed

The next digital chapter of Haunted comes out this Friday in Smallville Season 11, guest-starring Impulse and Jay Garrick, the original Flash.

Justice League Beyond continues “Flashdrive,” introducing the Beyond universe’s future Flash, on Saturday. Edit: Apparently not. This week had a new chapter of Batman Beyond instead. I haven’t figured out their schedule yet.

And in digital back-issues, DC/ComiXology are releasing the following Flash and Impulse issues from the 1990s on Wednesday:
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Flash and Other Companion Books in Valentine’s Day Sale

TwoMorrows Companion Sale

TwoMorrows is running a Valentine’s Day Companion Sale, with their companion books about comics on sale for 40%-70% off regular price. This includes their 2008 book, The Flash Companion.

The book details the behind-the-scenes history of The Flash from Jay Garrick’s first appearance in 1940 through the death of Bart Allen and return of Wally West, including the 1990 TV series.Most of it is about the artists and writers who have worked on the character. Articles on Gardner Fox, Sheldon Mayer, and Julius Schwartz. Interviews with legends like Carmine Infantino, who reveals the origin of the Rogues, and Harry Lampert. Cary Bates on going serial in the seventies. Mike Baron’s fast living with Wally West. Mark Waid on creating Impulse, his reaction to Bart Allen’s death, and his tribute to the late Mike Wieringo.

“Flash facts” about critical turning points. Pages and plots from the stories that went unpublished when Flash Comics was canceled. The Flash who DC almost introduced after Crisis on Infinite Earths. The actor who turned down the role of Barry Allen.

Artwork and photos. Lost covers. A Rogue’s Gallery.

The book was written by Keith Dallas, who recruited a number of Flash fans (including myself) from the Comic Bloc forums to contribute additional material.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the history of the Flash, or in the writers and artists who have created and guided the character for the past 70 years.

(Full disclosure, since I contributed a few articles: No, I don’t get any money for it, unless you buy it through my Amazon link in the sidebar — but then, you’d miss out on the discount price at TwoMorrows.)

New Flash Debuts in Justice League Beyond #19

Justice League Beyond #19 - The Flash

Newsarama talks with Justice League Beyond series writer Derek Fridolfs about “Recruitment Drive”, in particular tomorrow’s digital installment “Flashdrive,” featuring the debut of an all-new future Flash. From the preview panels in the article, we learn that her name is Danica and she works as a tour guide at the Flash Museum. And, keeping with tradition, she’s always late.

Here’s a link to Justice League Beyond on ComiXology. New issues are released weekly on Saturdays, and the stories are collected in the print series Batman Beyond Unlimited.

I’ve long thought that if DC were ever going to really reinvent their lineup like they did in the Silver Age (a missed opportunity for the New 52, IMO), the Flash would be one of the A-list characters with the most flexibility as far as identity goes. There’s nothing critical in the concept that requires the Flash to be a man, a scientist, a cop, book-smart, streetwise, rich, poor, white, arrogant, compassionate, only child, orphan, or anything else except fast.

The name — Flash, not Flashman — may be why some of the higher profile alternate reality projects, the ones that really made an effort to do something different with the concepts instead of variations like “medieval DCU” or “Gilded Age DCU,” made their Flashes women. I’m thinking in particular of the Tangent Flash and Stan Lee’s “Just Imagine” Flash. And of course once you’ve committed to creating an entirely new character for the role, you’re not tied to the previous character’s race, profession, or anything else about their personal identity.

Flash #20 Solicitation & Cover – The Reverse Flash Arrives!

Flash #20 Cover

THE FLASH #20
Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL and BRIAN BUCCELLATO
Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
1:25 B&W Variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
On sale MAY 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
An all-new Flash epic begins here, and the stakes have never been higher as Barry races toward a confrontation with the Reverse Flash!

DC has released their Justice League group solicitations through Comic Book Resources, among them the Flash #20 solicit. This issue features the return of the regular creative team of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato, and the full introduction of the new Reverse Flash — not Eobard Thawne, and not Hunter Zolomon — who will debut briefly in #17 before becoming the focus of this new story. We’ve previously discussed possible candidates, including Wally West.

Fossil Flash Wristwatch

Today’s guest post is by Alex F.

In 2006, Fossil came out with a series of DC comic limited edition watches based on their most popular heroes retailing for $115. Of course they had to include your favorite hero and mine, The Flash. Now each of these watches are etched with their number out of 2000 in the back. So what happens to those low numbered watches? Are they saved for special customers or cast into the wind randomly? I have always wondered about this until I came across one, and not just any one, THE number one.

What makes this watch different from the other DC comic limited edition watches was the rectangular shape of the body rather than the standard circular shape. The logo and face of the watch is red striped background with a smaller white circle in the middle. Instead of a flat watch face the lightning bolt is raised above the white circle. Instead of numbers on the face each replaced with small white dots. The result is a textured watch face with minute details layered in the simplistic logo. Since this is a metal watch it does come with some heft.