Category Archives: Flash News

Flash Comics for November

DC’s November 2009 Solicitations are up at Newsarama and elsewhere. There’s Blackest Night, the usual team books…and the rescheduled Flash: Rebirth conclusion.

The Flash: Rebirth #6

Written by Geoff Johns
Art and covers by Ethan Van Sciver

In a battle along the outskirts of time, the secrets of the Speed Force have been revealed! The new archnemesis of those who ride the lightning is coming for Iris Allen. And the Barry Allen you knew is gone forever…or is he? What change does Wally West face? What destiny will Kid Flash choose? Prepare to meet a Flash Family that’s both familiar and different…and get to the starting line for the next epic adventures of the Speed Force!

Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Ethan Van Sciver), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Ethan Van Sciver). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

On sale November 25 (rescheduled) • 6 of 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Edit: Just to clarify, Flash: Rebirth #6 isn’t in the November solicitations. It was previously solicited with a September shipping date and rescheduled. I’ve included it here for completeness.

Team books and more after the cut.

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Flash Hints from Chicago: Bart and Wally

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There’s not a whole lot of Flash-related news coming out of Chicago Comic-Con, partly because we’re still in the middle of Flash: Rebirth and partly because they dropped the big news two weeks ago in San Diego. But there were a few items mentioned at DC Nation.

First, Newsarama’s report mentions:

Red Robin will “absolutely” be dealing with the return of Superboy and Kid Flash in the near future.

I believe DC has previously mentioned that Tim and Bart will both be showing up (beyond the cameos in the first issue) of Conner Kent/Superboy’s stories in Adventure Comics. I wonder if Tim and Conner will be showing up in Red Robin at some point?

It’s interesting to note that, with Red Robin, Adventure Comics, and Kid Flash, the three original founders of Young Justice will all have their own series for the first time in eight years. Impulse and Superboy, both launched in the mid-1990s, were canceled in 2002. There’s a great scene from Young Justice around that time in which Bart and Kon are lamenting that “my comic got canceled” (supposedly referring to their favorite series to read), and commiserate until Robin walks into the room — and they proceed to glare at him. Does anyone remember what issue this was?

Anyway, back to DC Nation. CBR’s write-up adds another note.

Asked about the further ramifications about Barry Allen’s return as the Flash, “We are not retiring Wally West,” Sattler said to applause.

As reassuring as it is to know that DC does recognize that Wally still has fans, it’s more reassuring to know that the comment got applause. Of course, the best reassurance is still Geoff Johns’ remark that “Wally’s not only going to be fine, he’s going to kick ass.”

On the other hand, @weeklycrisis pointed out that “at DC, heroes either die off or live long enough to become the bad guy.” Ray of sunshine, there…

A couple of final notes from CBR’s article:

“Wednesday Comics” will be collected into trade according to strips rather than altogether, Sattler said.

I wonder if this means 15 separate books (which would actually be more volumes than the original 12-part series!) or whether it means they’ll be combining them by tone, style, character connections, etc.

“Aquaman Reborn” by Geoff Johns? “Ah, Aquaman,” Sattler sighed. No answer, but not in a “maybe” way–more exasperated.

Aquaman? Really? Not Vibe? 😉

Speed Reading

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A whole bunch of linkblogging for the week!

Reviews and Commentary

The Comic Treadmill is doing summer reruns with a look back at Flash v.2 #206-219 from 2005.

Blog@Newsarama looks at a panel from Blackest Night #1 and concludes that Barry died sometime between 1991 and 1996 if “the internet” is new to him today…and then there’s his using the term “geek” to refer to himself and Clark Kent, and Grant Morrison’s comment that “When geeks get power, you get Hitler.” Um…yeah.

Comix 411 reviews Green Lantern #44, guest starring the Flash.

Video Store Blues shows a couple of pages from the 2000 Superman and Bugs Bunny miniseries, featuring the Flash vs. the Road Runner.

The Weekly Crisis wishes DC and Marvel would engage in more world-building dealing with the impact of superheroes on Earth, like the Flash Museum and Superhero Memorial Day.

News and Interviews

CBR interviews Karl Kerschl and editor Marc Chiarello on Wednesday Comics

CBR has their own write-up of the DC Universe panel.

The Source has pictures from Geoff Johns and Dan Didio on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

The Source announces JSA All-Stars, a spinoff of Justice Society of America, and Newsarama interviews Matt Sturges.

Art

Comics Should Be Good has a John Byrne commission showing Doctor Doom defeating various DC heroes including Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and the Flash.

CBR has The Nerdy Bird’s Flight to San Diego, including pictures of her as a Red Lantern with her custom-made plush Dex-Starr, Red Lantern Kitty of Rage!

The webcomic Kidd and Geezer presents Kiddo Cosplays at SDCC [link gone] with a trio of super-heroes who all have something in common…

Flash: Rebirth #4-6 Rescheduled, Will Finish in November

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DC has delayed Flash: Rebirth #4 again to August 26, making it a full 2 1/2 months after issue #3. Additionally, they’ve rescheduled issues #5 and 6.

Flash: Rebirth #4	August 26	2 1/2 months after #3
Flash: Rebirth #5	October 14	1 1/2 months after #4
Flash: Rebirth #6	November 18 25	1 month after #5

That pushes them up to a deadline, because Blackest Night: Flash is supposed to spin out of Flash: Rebirth and start in ~~November~~ December [Edit: see comment thread]. Presumably it will need to line up with the rest of the Blackest Night tie-in miniseries (though we saw how well that worked with Final Crisis). Fortunately, Blackest Night: Flash is being drawn by a different artist, so Scott Kolins can start work on it while Ethan Van Sciver is still working on Flash: Rebirth.

Update August 13: On DC’s website, issue #6 has been pushed back another week to November 25.

Covers

On a related note, Ethan Van Sciver has posted the final cover to Flash: Rebirth #4 on his Facebook page. It’s very similar to the solicited one, with some color alterations. He mentioned on the Half-Hour Wasted podcast a few weeks ago that the solicited covers for #4-6 were all altered to prevent spoilers. I’m going to go on record here and predict that the final cover for #5 will be exactly like what we’ve seen, only the Black Flash carrying Professor Zoom’s lightning wand will be recolored as Professor Zoom.

Flash News from San Diego

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DC made only a few Flash announcements at Comic-Con, but they were big ones!

Blackest Night: Flash miniseries by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins — 3 issues starting in ~~November~~ December. (announced at the Geoff Johns Spotlight on Thursday) The book will star Barry, Wally, and a whole lot of dead Rogues. [Note: I was originally under the impression that the second round of Blackest Night tie-ins would launch in November, and at the panel I was focused on the official announcement and the people involved, so I missed the fact that the month was one syllable off from what I was expecting. DC has audio of the panel, and he did say December.]
Flash ongoing series written by Geoff Johns, to start after Blackest Night: Flash. They’re not ready to announce the artist, but Geoff assures us that he’s “awesome.” (announced at DC Universe on Saturday)
Kid Flash ongoing written by Sterling Gates. No artist or start date announced. (also announced at DCU panel)
A new speedster will join the Flash family by the end of Flash: Rebirth (DCU again.)

I liveblogged both panels (though a technical glitch prevented the DCU post from actually going up as I wrote it, which really annoyed me), and there are some other remarks in those panels (and in DC Nation) that Flash fans might find interesting.

Comic Book Resources has an interview with Geoff Johns in which he talks about the Blackest Night miniseries and the ongoing series. The first story is called “The Dastardly Deaths of the Rogues,” and he says that “all the Flashes in the Flash Universe will be major players in both Flash books.” There’s a lot more at the interview, such as this:

In “Blackest Night: Flash,” it’s the Rogues versus the Black Lantern Rogues and Flash is caught in the middle. And Captain Cold will be facing off against Black Lantern Golden Glider.

Ouch…that’s going to be one nasty fight!

DC Universe at Comic-Con: Big Flash News UPDATED

AARGH! Liveblogging failed. Lots on Twitter. BIG news: Geoff Johns on Flash ongoing after Blackest Night: Flash, Sterling Gates on Kid Flash ongoing.

Update: Now that the day’s tweets have been imported, here’s my full running commentary on the panel.

Inkpot award to Bob Wayne
SDCC is like “longest Thanksgiving dinner ever” – con staffer
Flash:Rebirth – bunch of Flashes behind him on final cover
GEOFF JOHNS ON FLASH ONGOING!
Some costume changes & a new speedster by end of Flash:Rebirth
Sounded like Flash ongoing starts after Blackest Night:Flash. They’re all Geoff Johns-written.
Troia, Batman, Hal &…Monel w/ S symbol In JLA.
Good Dr. Light vs Black Lantern evil Dr. Light
Guessing Batgirl’s ID: Stephanie Brown? DD: “No spoilers here.”
DCU panel info is coming fast & furious – hard to keep up
Titans’ new leader…let’s just say it’s not Wally as rumored on ComicBloc.
GS: WW to renounce Amazons & become more of a super-hero than ever
Sterling Gates on Kid Flash series!
Rainbow Raider will be a Black Lantern. GJ: “I guess he’ll be the Black & White Raider.”
C’mon, random fanboy…wait till you see the new writer’s work before begging Geoff to come back to Teen Titans.
Question cosplayer at mike: “I have a question…”
DD on renumbering books that have been relaunched: content more important than number on cover, low numbers may bring in more new readers.
Geoff Johns: artist lined up for Flash ongoing, can’t talk about it yet. [Edit: GJ adds that he can only say the artist is “awesome.”]
Fan requests a Snapper Carr & Jimmy Olsen team-up in Brave & the Bold.