Category Archives: Flash News

Flash: Rebirth #6 — Sooner Than We Think!

Gee, you go away for one Christmas party, and news starts breaking fast and furious!

So, a couple of days ago, DC rescheduled Flash: Rebirth #6 from January 27 to March 24. On Saturday, Ethan Van Sciver stopped by Comic Bloc to let fans know what was going on:

This March date is strange. The book will be finished this week. I think you’ll see it get bumped back to January in a few days. [Emphasis added.]

The artist has previously stated that he sends the pages to the colorist in batches (of three, IIRC) as he finishes them, so they’ve already started coloring the book.

Meanwhile, Flash Secret Files has been solicited…with that same March 24 release date. Could someone at DC have mistakenly updated the website with the date for the Secret Files book?

Van Sciver also remarked on the delays, saying that it’s been taking him two months to draw each book, plus he had some health problems around the time that issue #3 came out.

(Thanks to Wayne Lippa and @MrEPCOT for letting me know about EVS’ posts!)

Flash Secret Files Solicited

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Newsarama has previews for DC solicitations for March, including Flash: Secret Files.

The Flash: Secret Files and Origins 2010 #1

[Cover] On sale MARCH 24 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by SCOTT KOLINS, FRANCIS MANAPUL & OTHERS
Cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL

Flash Facts! In the aftermath of BLACKEST NIGHT and THE FLASH: REBIRTH comes the beginning of a new era for Barry Allen and the deadly Rogues! As Barry readjusts to life again, strange happenings explode across Central City that will lead to one of the most bizarre murder mysteries Barry will ever face in the upcoming THE FLASH #1! Plus, don’t miss Wally West, Kid Flash, Gorilla Grodd and a cold case that will send The Flash down a path unlike any other. Run – don’t walk – to pick it up!

Flash! Jay Garrick’s Helmet on Smallville

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It looks like we’ll get another glimpse of the Golden-Age Flash on Smallville. Jay Garrick himself isn’t appearing in Absolute Justice, but we have seen a painting of the entire Justice Society, and now KryptonSite has spotted Jay Garrick’s helmet in the previews:

Since it’s black and white, I assume it’s a flashback sequence. Probably to the disbanding of the Justice Society, with the Flash having left his helmet behind to send the message that they’re retiring.

Something I find interesting is that the stylized feathers on the wings appear to be separate pieces with gaps in between them, rather than being sculpted into a solid wing. I’ve seen variations ranging from realistic wings to parallel ribbons like this, but I think this is the first one I’ve seen with clear gaps.

Visit KryptonSite for more preview images of the Justice Society’s appearance. The 2-hour episode airs February 5, 2010.

Thanks to Dave of JSA Round Table for the tip!

Flash: Rebirth #5 Still Above 70K

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A couple of weeks ago I posted that Flash: Rebirth #5 took the #9 spot in November’s sales rankings. Since then, ICv2 has posted full sales estimates for the month.

Issue	Rank	Units Sold	Change
Flash: Rebirth #1 (of 6)	2	102,429	+286.6%
Flash: Rebirth #2 (of 6)	4	86,183	-15.9%
Flash: Rebirth #3 (of 6)	10	83,086	-3.6%
Flash: Rebirth #4 (of 6)	14	78,107	-6.0%
Flash: Rebirth #5 (of 6)	9	73,875	-5.4%

It looks like the drops may be leveling off. The drop from #3 (the last issue to ship on time) to #4 (the first issue to be several months late) was sharper than expected, but this drop was smaller — and in fact the sales ranking went up!

The book continues to outsell the 2007-2008 relaunch by a factor of two, and is holding above Final Crisis: Rogues’ Revenge, which sold in the 54-62K range. On the other hand, it seems to be dropping at a comparable rate to Flash: The Fastest Man Alive. Maybe it’s more typical (and less cause for concern) in a miniseries than in a regular series. Update: The Beat has more analysis of DC’s November sales.

Whatever the case, I’m really curious about the numbers for Blackest Night: The Flash.

Delayed! Flash: Rebirth #6 Now Due March 24

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Wow. Comic Bloc’s SNW1 has been checking more often than I have (or at least has better timing), because he spotted this: DC’s website now lists March 24, 2010 as the release date for Flash: Rebirth #6.

Think about that for a moment. Let that sink in. Assuming no further schedule changes (and so far, Blackest Night: Flash hasn’t changed), this means:

Blackest Night: The Flash will finish a month before Flash: Rebirth does.
Flash: Rebirth will have spanned just one week less than 52 did.
There’s a good chance that Flash Secret Files will also be out by the time Flash: Rebirth finishes. (Presumably we’ll find out on Monday when DC’s March solicitations go up.)
That April date for the Flash: Rebirth hardcover is looking mighty optimistic.
The book will be out one week before WonderCon, for which EVS is drawing the program cover/T-shirt (Edit: this was posted just two days ago).
On the plus side, those of us who were hoping The Flash might launch immediately after Rebirth’s conclusion might actually get our wish.

It’s worth noting that 4 people out of 106 did vote for March 2010 in the When Will Flash: Rebirth Finish? poll last month.

Update (Dec 20): The book may be coming out sooner than March after all.

Update 2: It’s been rescheduled to February 24, 2010.

Flash in 2010: Geoff Johns Speaks & Francis Manapul Draws

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DC’s week of 2010 announcements continues with new Francis Manapul art on The Source and a Geoff Johns interview at the Los Angeles Times’ blog, Hero Complex.

First up: the cover for Flash Secret Files and Origins 2010, due in March:

The Source article also features two in-progress images, and quotes Francis Manapul:

The entire creative team is looking forward to introducing new ways of portraying speed. It’s also cool that we’ll be introducing a new generation to Barry Allen as well as myself so I’ll be right in they’re shoes of getting to know this guy. It should be an exciting ride!

The Hero Complex interview doesn’t reveal anything new about the upcoming series, but Geoff Johns does talk about his history with the Flash and thoughts about his approach to the character. Some quotes that stood out to me:

We all have a “thicket of mythology.” You meet someone and they have an entire backstory. A city they were born in. A best friend they lost touch with. An event that affected their whole family. A first job. Everyone has history. And every character has history.

The most frustrating thing for Barry is related to his job as a member of Central City CSI. He investigates crimes that have already happened. Murders he can’t stop. No matter how fast he is, that’s the past.

I look at something like “The Flash” as a long term mission. “The Flash: Rebirth” was the knot to untangle in the shoelace before we could run. I wanted to clear the board, re-examine some key elements of Barry Allen and re-introduce a threat that would play throughout the next several years.

I’d offer more commentary, but I’m kind of swamped at the moment.

Update: Forgot to mention: The first hints of the new Secret Files book had Tony Harris working on the cover. Or, rather, “a” cover. He even posted a snippet of art. Maybe one of them is a variant cover, or maybe DC decided not to use his, or maybe it’ll be an interior splash page.

Speed Force

Tracking the Flash – the Fastest Man Alive