DC Comics’ May 2014 solicitations are up, including…
THE FLASH #32
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI and VAN JENSEN
Art and cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
DC Collectibles Bombshells variant cover by ANT LUCIA
On sale JUNE 25 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Flash Facts for this issue:
- The Flash confronts the serial killer stalking Central City!
- Barry tries to repair his fractured relationship with Wally West!
- Future Flash continues to move toward the present for a final confrontation with one of the Rogues! Who will he kill next?
Another Flash fact I’d like to add: All-Flash starring Jay Garrick lasted for 32 issues during the 1940s, starting out quarterly and going bimonthly after a year or two.
Also relevant:
JUSTICE LEAGUE 3000 #7
Written by KEITH GIFFEN and J.M. DeMATTEIS
Art and cover by HOWARD PORTER
On sale JUNE 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
They’ve been plotting for months, and now Cadmus’ plans come to fruition! The FIVE’s true leader is revealed at last! And The Flash dies – again! It’s just another a day in the life of the future Justice League.
EARTH 2 #24
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art by EDDY BARROWS and EBER FERREIRA
Cover by PHILIP TAN and NORM RAPMUND
DC Collectibles Bombshells variant cover by ANT LUCIA
On sale JUNE 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Aquawoman leads Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and The Flash to battle Beguiler in the middle of the ocean! And Superman makes an unprecedented move that could change the future of Earth 2!
I can honestly say that this is the first cover pic where I wish I owned a pair of sunglasses in order to reduce the glare. Electric Lights Parade Flash is blinding to look at.
#2 Unless that includes an apology for knocking him in limbo and losing his family… 😉
JL3000: Okay, this Flashes Always Die In A Series! thing is going a mite overboard.
Earth 2. Wow. You mean they are finally going to get back to Jay?
WALLY!!!!! Good god FINAL!!!! Seriouesly DC, please dont screw this up. Wally West new kid flash (assuming Bart goes and stays gone)?
Some things in the Newsrama interview with Booth that gave me pause: 1: His touting Man of Steel and Gustin’s Barry Allen as sources for understanding those characters….recent video material…rather than the classic comic book works with those characters. 2: DC gave him guidelines. (Yeah, a routine thing, but also worrying. I mean *DC* author of Flashpoint and DC52 gave him guidelines. That kind of gives me chills right there. :)) 3: He warns the fans we are [likely] to flip out (at least at first.) 4: Wlly is not the title character with his own book. 5: he’s going to be young. As in potential KF young. As in stuck that way because of the state of inertia regarding much of the DC52 universe. If he isn’t broken away from Barry, how long before a new team comes in again and this team could care less about Wally? (Again I spout Bart and the long absence with Jay in Earth2.)
Am I worrying unnecessarily? Possibly. But the worry exists and I can’t shake it.
So I’m going to bite my lip come the premier and try to hold off doing much of anything until at least a trade’s worth is out as it’s almost a sure bet I’m going to be flipping out like an acrobat the likes to make a Dick Grayson green with envy come early May.
Indeed, DC, don’t screw this up (like you did to poor Bart Allen. That was a horrible disappointment amidst a slew of them.)
From Booth’s January interview, the standout quote:
“I’ve always wanted to draw [Wally] for DC, I was worried I’d never get the chance. But drawing some of these iconic characters can be stressful.”
Contrast that with certain people from DC’s brain trust who wanted to restore the most “iconic” versions of characters (read: the characters they like). Booth considers Wally to be iconic, too.
I’ve no problem with Brett Booth. He’s a fellow Wally fan. It’s the interference that’s bound to come from DC’s upper echelons that has me wary of this whole thing. Personally, would rather have not had Bart Allen in the DC52 at all rather than what they did with him. The same even more true for me with Wally.
I’m leery of it given DC’s recent history of micro-management. I still suspect it was a problem with the last creative team.
finally*
I don’t know, I want to believe it but it feels like DC is going for the swerve. The solicit reads like the blue Flash is someone else from the future (John Fox?) and not Wally.
I thought they’d already announced that the Blue Flash was a future Barry?
They’ve very carefully avoided saying who the future Flash is.
Oh. Heck, it could be a revised Savitar.
I just assumed it was another Quicksilver given how wacky the rights to his character are.
I read this and thought “Marvel Comics?” Now that would be a crossover event. (Though not the first or the second.)
Blue, glowy and from the future would certainly fit John Fox. It could even be Thawne, but it seems far too soon for that.
I will laugh myself silly if it’s that Comic Code Guy (Johnny?) gone rogue. “I have had *enough* of all this grim & gritty! Y’hear!”
I’m pretty sure they’ll ruin Wally with this new take.
I wish Brett Booth wasn’t the artist for Flash. I don’t like his artwork.
Favorite art period was when Wally moved to the West coast. The lines were clean and nothing seemed overly exaggerated beyond normal ‘human’ dimensions. (Massive chin and The Golden Arches hairstyle, I’m a’lookin at you!) Favorite faces in general…. the original JLI/E. Wonderfully expressive.
I’m fine with whatever they do with Wally as long as Barry headlines the title and remains THE Flash.
And both Barry and Wally are iconic to comics, just like Hal and Kyle are – but Barry and Hal will always have special places as the modern age stories all stem from them (and not Jay and Alan), Wally and Kyle will always be the greatest legacy characters though and iconic in that sense to be sure.
I’d be fine with Wally being a teen – keep Barry young, keep Wally young, just please, whatever they do, don’t kill off Barry and replace him with Wally again and don’t make it like Wally has to be the new Flash. Let Barry be the identity he created for goshsakes.