Category Archives: Flash News

New 52 Month 5: Flash still in the Top 10

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Five months into the New 52, the latest relaunch of The Flash is still a top 10 seller, with Flash #5 taking the #8 stop in Diamond’s sales rankings. ICv2’s estimates put it at 71,611 units sold*.

Comichron points out that January is usually low, but this isn’t bad for a January. (via The Beat) And if January is usually down overall, that means the 7.4% drop for The Flash — the lowest drop since the relaunch — may be exaggerated itself. Could the audience for the series be leveling out near 70K, or in the upper 60s? If so, that’s a big win for DC, because the last volume, written by superstar Geoff Johns, stabilized at sales of about 55,000 copies a month.

Digital Difference

Interestingly, while The Flash is holding steady in the top 10 for North American print sales, it doesn’t appear even in DC’s top 10 digital sales for the month. This could mean that digital readers are less interested in the Flash than print readers, but I don’t think the market is quite so simple as having digital readers and print readers. I suspect that most people who buy digital comics still buy at least some of their comics in print form, and with the art being a big selling point for the book, I’d imagine a lot of them are choosing to keep The Flash on the print side of their list.

Numbers

Issue Rank Month Units Sold % Change
Flash vol.4
Flash v.4 #1 4 September 2011 129,260
Flash v.4 #2 5 October 2011 114,137 -11.7%
Flash v.4 #3 9 November 2011 90,417 -20.8%
Flash v.4 #4 8 December 2011 77,336 -14.5%
Flash v.4 #5 8 January 2012 71,611 -7.4%

A few key articles covering past sales (with lots of numbers):

*What these numbers measure: US-only sales, wholesale from Diamond to comics retailers. They don’t count sales through bookstores, they don’t count international sales, and they don’t count how many copies were actually bought and read…but they do measure the same thing every month, which means they can be used to spot trends.

Justice League: Doom Blu-Ray Release To Feature Exclusive Flash Figurine *Updated*

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Retailer, Best Buy will be adding a little something extra to the Blu-Ray release of Justice League: Doom; an exclusive miniature Flash figurine. The figurine will be similar to past DC Animated release exclusives and will be the eighth statue released thus far:

 

Justice League: Doom is the latest direct to video film to be released through DC Animated. Slated for release February 28th, the film adapts the Tower of Babel story line from the “Morrison Era” League and penned by Mark Waid. In the story it is revealed that Batman has devised different methods of incapacitating his allies if they ever were to go rogue. Unfortunately the plans fall into the hands of the bad guys and we get to witness the fall out.

The story was adapted for the screen by the late, great Dwayne McDuffie and features Michael Rosenbaum, the voice of Wally West on Justice League and Justice League Unlimited and Lex Luthor on Smallville, as Barry Allen this time around.

I personally have to say, great move on DC’s part to include the  Flash figurine. Now I will be picking it up on launch day as opposed to not at all. Who else is picking up the release now that the Flash figurine has been added? Who would have picked it up otherwise? Let us know in the comments below.

Thanks to Phantom Stranger for the tip.

*****UPDATED*****

I picked up Justice League: Doom on my break today and I was able to snap some pictures of the exclusive Flash figurine:

 

–Devin “Flash” Johnson

Flashpoint Digital Discount

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It must be a week for sales. ComiXology is holding a 3-day Flashpoint sale this weekend, offering each issue of Flashpoint, its related miniseries and one-shots, and the Booster Gold tie-in issues for just 99 cents. That’s the whole thing for around $30, the cost of two trade paperbacks.

For the most part, I’ve already read what I wanted of Flashpoint. (Well, technically, I’ve read more than what I wanted, for the sake of completeness. I really could have done without Legion of Doom) But I think I may pick up Batman: Knight of Vengeance. From what I hear, a lot of fans agree that it’s the best of the lot.

The Flash Companion is on Sale. Here’s Why You Want It

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TwoMorrows Publishing is running a sale on their Companion books through Valentine’s Day…for 40% off list price! That means you can pick up The Flash Companion for only $16.17!

So what is The Flash Companion?

It’s a book published in 2008 detailing 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.)

Road to Flashpoint TPB in September

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DC has released more on their fall collections, including this September item:

THE FLASH: THE ROAD TO FLASHPOINT TP
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artists: Francis Manapul and Scott Kolins
Collects: THE FLASH #8-12
$14.99 US, 120 pg

The hardcover came out last November. There was a bit of confusion when the Dastardly Death of the Rogues TP was released, and DC identified it was only collecting The Flash #1-6, but that turned out to be a misprint.

This brings the last of Geoff Johns’ Barry Allen Flash run into trade paperback form.

Flash #6 Variant Cover by Mike Choi Revealed

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The Source has posted the variant cover to Flash #6.  Featuring artwork by Mike Choi, the cover shows the Flash frozen mid-movement.  It has been revealed that Captain Cold will make his first full appearance in Flash in issue #6.

Choi is also quoted in the post, where he talks about some of his artistic influences:

From the get-go, [Flash editor Brian Cunningham] told me to try and infuse more dynamism to my figure work by looking at artists like John Buscema and Wally Wood, and hopefully that’s coming through bit by bit as my career progresses.

Interestingly, the solicit up at DCComics.com has not been updated to reflect the new content in issue six and still reads as below.  It has been stated by writer Brian Buccellato that the CSI story is “off the table.”

THE FLASH #6
Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL and BRIAN BUCCELLATO
Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
Variant cover by MIKE CHOI
1:200 B&W Variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
On sale FEBRUARY 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Struggling with the climactic aftermath of his battle with Mob Rule last issue, The Flash must solve a murder mystery that dates back 150 years! Is this case too cold even for Barry Allen? Also: Learn the origins of Central and Keystone City!