Category Archives: Flash News

Flash #3 Slips Two Weeks

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According to Diamond’s shipping changes and DC’s page for the issue, The Flash #3 has been rescheduled from June 9 to June 23.

No changes so far on the schedule for Flash #4 or the just-solicited Flash #5.

Update: Flash isn’t the only speedster seeing delays. Over at Top Cow, the first issue of the Velocity miniseries was supposed to ship on May 26, but will be out the first or second week of June instead. Wouldn’t it be interesting if it ended up arriving the day that Flash #3 was originally going to reach stores?

Flash Debuts at 100K

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ICv2’s April 2010 sales estimates are up. Last week’s rankings from Diamond showed that Flash #1 was ranked #2 for the month, but what does that mean in absolute numbers? How were sales in general that month? (It turns out they were down 15% compared to last year.)

As it turns out, Flash volume 3 debuted at an estimated 100,903 copies, slightly behind Flash: Rebirth #1, but solidly ahead of the numbers by the end of the miniseries…and way ahead of the Flash Secret Files book, which only sold 37,339 copies. (Even that was ahead of the last few issues of the failed 2007 relaunch of Wally West’s series.)

Meanwhile, the Flash: Rebirth hardcover sold an estimated 4,405 copies in its first month, making it the #3-ranked graphic novel.

So how does Flash vol.3 stack up to other recent relaunches?

Issue Rank Month Units Sold
Flash:TFMA #1 7 June 2006 120,404
All-Flash #1 22 July 2007 78,955
Flash v.2 #231 26 August 2007 72,898
Flash: Rebirth #1 2 April 2009 102,429
Flash v.3 #1 2 April 2010 100,903

Promotion

It’s worth remembering that 2007 was a stealth relaunch. All-Flash #1 and Flash v.2 #231 were solicited as issues #14 and #15 of Flash: The Fastest Man Alive, and DC didn’t announce the relaunch until Flash:TFMA #13 came out, killing Bart Allen, whose series had dropped sharply from that 120K high to a 46K low in only 10 issues.

By comparison, DC gave a major push for both Flash: The Fastest Man Alive and Flash: Rebirth. One spun out of Infinite Crisis, the other out of Final Crisis. (Heck, even this book spins out of Blackest Night and into Brightest Day. Wally’s relaunch was linked to Countdown. Seriously, Countdown. That’s got to have hurt!) DC shut down the then-ongoing Flash series for several months ahead of each launch.

Spike

I find it very interesting that this issue sold so much better than the last issue of Flash: Rebirth, which only pulled in 70K. Here are my thoughts on what factors might be involved:

  • Readers who like the Flash but were disappointed in Flash: Rebirth (like myself) decided to give the new direction a second chance.
  • Readers who were introduced to Barry Allen through Blackest Night decided to skip Flash: Rebirth and jump straight to the ongoing series.
  • It’s got a Brightest Day logo on it.
  • Orders were linked to a Flash Ring promotion.
  • And, of course, it’s got a big #1 on the cover.

Flash #5 Solicitation & Cover

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DC has released their Brightest Day solicitations for August, including…

The Flash #5

Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
1:10 White Lantern Variant cover by RYAN SOOK, FERNANDO PASARIN & JOEL GOMEZ

BRIGHTEST DAY continues with a shocking connection to the White Light as Captain Boomerang and the Reverse-Flash experience a bizarre event that ties them together. Meanwhile, it’s the Rogues vs. the Renegades with The Flash caught in the middle!

Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

On sale AUGUST 18 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Other Flash-related items: the final two parts of the Justice Society/Justice League of America crossover, featuring both Jay Garrick and Jesse Quick. Currently they’re both in the JSA, but Jesse will be moving over to the JLA at the end of this story. (Also: how did I miss the fact that Cyborg is appearing in backup stories in JLA?)

Déjà Vu: Flash Races to #2 Spot for April

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Diamond has posted their top 100 comics for April 2010, and the new Flash relaunch takes the #2 spot…right after Brightest Day #0 and before Green Lantern #53.

Just one year ago, Flash: Rebirth #1 also started in the #2 spot for April.

Meanwhile, Flash Secret Files and Origins 2010 is way down the list at rank #43 by units sold. Clearly, a lot fewer people were interested in the background material than in the relaunch itself. Of course, Flash Secret Files also didn’t have the words “Brightest Day” above the title.

Sales estimates will probably be out in another week or so. It’ll be interesting to compare the number of actual copies sold to Flash: Rebirth and Blackest Night: The Flash. For now, here are the sales and rankings for the past year.

Some Quick Flash Action Figure Updates

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Hey all. A couple of cool items are coming down the pipeline very soon.

The Fwoosh has an exclusive first look at the DC Universe Classics Toys ‘R Us Exclusive Flash Repaint. Previously released in Wave 7 as part of the “Atom Smasher” series, the new deco has Barry decked out in a red uniform with gold accents; a look I think we are more used to seeing on Wally or on the old Flash TV Show.

It’s a simple repaint but I think it makes the figure look much bolder. The gold is slick and it translates to reality so much better than the yellow. But of course it’s all a matter of preference. You can find more pictures of the repaint as well as the Hal Jordan Toys ‘R Us Exclusive via The Fwoosh, HERE.

The second Flash figure was actually discovered on eBay a week or so ago by the guys over at DCHallofJustice.com and is also a repaint. JLU Barry Allen anyone?

Like I said it’s pretty much a repaint as far as I can tell, with a Wally head popped on top. While I would have liked a Barry specific sculpt I can completely understand the reason behind not making one; it’s just way easier to throw a Wally head on there and call it a day. Plus with the line appearing to be winding down a bit (although Target will carry Justice League Unlimited Figures through at least the rest of 2010) it doesn’t make sense to be cranking out new sculpts needlessly. I personally might just paint pupils on it myself just so I have another way to differentiate who’s who besides the belt.

With this discovery I’m now even more anxiously awaiting the rumored Jay Garrick coming up later this year. If we can get a box set with the first five Teen Titans before JLU is done completely I will be a very, very happy Flash fan. I’ve been waiting for an animated Kid Flash figure since “Lightspeed” aired a few years ago and since Teen Titans didn’t give us one it’s up to JLU. That is unless the Young Justice Action figures are in scale with JLU. Which I’m taking a wild guess and saying they won’t be.

I’ll hold off on judging them any further until I see them in person but the red and gold Flash is a must buy. The JLU Barry I will have to take another look at, but I’m fairly confident it will end up in my possession sooner rather than later.

Question: Do you prefer yellow or gold as far as the accents on a Flash costume?

Thanks for reading.

–Devin “The Flash” Johnson

Flash Hardcover for Spring 2011

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DC has just announced a couple of hardcovers at The Source, including the first collection from The Flash vol.3:

The Flash: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues HC
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Francis Manapul*
In stores: February 2011
Collects THE FLASH #1-7 and material from The Flash Secret Files and Origins 2010
$19.99 US, 208 pages

What I find interesting is the length of the material collected. Six issues is a pretty typical story length these days, but it looks like the arc that just started may be seven issues — or it could be six followed by a one-shot, with the next big arc picking up with Flash #8.

*The blog post at the source actually lists two artists: Francis Manapul and Francis Manapul. I’m guessing they just exported the credits from a database through a template that expects a penciller and an inker.

Amazon: Flash Vol.1: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues