Category Archives: Flash News

Gaming Bits from San Diego

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I didn’t manage to try out DC Universe Online myself — there was always a longer line than I wanted to wait for — and I missed the two gaming panels on Friday. (I think it was Friday. It’s all sort of blurred together.) So here are some write-ups I found online.

Newsarama’s J.K. Parkin writes about playing a speedster in the DCU Online demo:

The coolest part, though, was when I hit the right joystick and turned on the Speed Force. Throwing rocks at my enemies and slamming them with my staff was cool and all, but you’d expect that in any superhero-based MMO. Having my character run through the streets of Metropolis at super speed, trailed by what looked like the Speed Force that all comic fans know from the comics? That’s the kind of detail this game needed to really set it apart. And from what I’ve seen so far, it has it in spades.

They’ve also got an article on the DC Universe Online presentation that Sony made Wednesday night.

IGN has extensive coverage of the gaming side of the con, including a write-up of Friday’s DCUO panel, video clips, an interview with Jim Lee before the show, and Greg Miller’s demo experience:

I chose to quit, take Jim Lee’s advice, and try out the speedster.

Named Rock Solid and decked out in black and gold, the speedster was just about everything I could want in a low-level superhero. Clicking L3 put the dude into super-speed mode so that he could scoot around Metropolis with a wicked speed effect at his feet, run up the sides of buildings, and get away from foes, but being earth-based gave him some more nifty powers.

Moving on to Mortal Combat vs. DC Universe, Newsarama’s article on the MK vs. DC panel, includes a description of one of the fights in the preview video:

Finally, the Flash darted around Soyna, leaving her spinning and dazed before running her off a cliff, the pair trading blows all the way down before the Flash got the upper hand and whipped his opponent into the ground, creating a small crater.

Each brutal blow drew “oooohhhs” from the crowd, who also cheered when Superman cut loose with his heat vision, and when Flash delivered several attacks at his trademark speed.

IGN had its own panel write-up, including the video clip, and added that gameplay is structured in chapters, with each character associated with a chapter. That might explain why we keep seeing the same match-ups in the demo footage.

(Images via IGN)

Flash @ DC Nation II

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A few more bits about the Flash from my notes on the Sunday follow-up DC Nation panel here at San Diego Comic-Con:

Dan Didio was tired and asked the audience to pipe up with announcements that had already been made. When he asked about the Flash, only one person stuck up his hand. (No, it wasn’t me. I was waaay in the back with a pen and notebook.) “Only one person can tell us what’s going on in Flash?” He then asked, “Barry Allen: Rebirth — a good thing or a bad thing?” The audience applauded.

Geoff Johns said of Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds that “If you like speedsters, you should read the book too. Actually, it you like teenage speedsters, you should read the book.” Perhaps a hint about Bart returning as Kid Flash/Impulse?

One fan asked about speculation that Barry Allen might be Libra. Dan Didio simply said, “Flash: Rebirth.” Geoff Johns added, “I can’t comment, but… I hope not.”

Another asked if, with Barry’s return, we would get some trade paperbacks from his series, specifically the Trial of the Flash. Bob Wayne said, “You mean the Fastest Man Alive and the Slowest Story Printed? Don’t make us!” Someone (possibly Geoff) piped up with “I liked that story!”

Flash @ Final Crisis Management

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A couple of items from my notes at the “Final Crisis Management” panel Friday at Comic-Con.

Geoff Johns mentioned that some stuff in Rogues’ Revenge spills over into Flash: Rebirth.

A fan asked Geoff, since he wasn’t alive when Barry died, what he was going to do to make him care. Geoff reiterated his “Trust me” line from yesterday.

Three fans got to go up on stage and read a photocopied proof of Final Crisis #3 and were given the chance to answer questions from the audience. Yes, Barry Allen is in issue #3.

Someone asked, why bring Barry back? And why now? Geoff Johns answered that he led the Silver Age, there were lots of thematic ideas, and that the question will figure into Rebirth, with Barry himself asking, “Why am I back?” Dan Didio added that it brings the Crisis story full circle. And that, like Hal Jordan, Barry never really left — people were always bringing him into stories through flashbacks, time travel, impostors, etc.

And, not that anyone should doubt it by now, the lightning rod from “The Lightning Saga” will be addressed in Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds.

Update: More complete coverage of the panel at CBR, at Newsarama, and at The Pulse.

Johns & Van Sciver on Flash: Rebirth

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DC has announced that Geoff Johns and Ethan van Sciver are working on Flash: Rebirth, starring Barry Allen. It’s a 5-issue miniseries starting in January. Some quick linkblogging:

Speed Force: LiveBlogging DC Nation (where the announcement was made).

Newsarama: SDCC ’08 – Johns & Van Sciver Talk Flash: Rebirth.

CBR: CCI: Johns and Van Sciver Team Up for “The Flash: Rebirth”.

Flash @ DC Nation (San Diego) — Barry Allen: Rebirth

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I’m in the DC Nation panel, and it looks like wifi is working. Dan Didio just walked up on stage and walked back off.

I won’t be trying to post everything as it happens, but any Flash-related stuff will go up as quickly as I can type it.

Dan Didio, Judd Winick, Keith Giffen.

It just hit me that I’m liveblogging something.

Geoff Johns & Ethan Van Sciver are working on Barry Allen: Rebirth. Bunch of applause.

More people on stage.

Talking about Trinity.

Someone in the audience said something like “Thanks for bringing back the best Flash.” So Didio responded, let’s settle this, and had the audience vote. About equal applause for Barry, Wally, Bart. Almost as much for Jay. Someone shouted out, “Flash Thompson!”

Polling panelists:

  • Bill Willingham – “The guy in the flower delivery hat”
  • Peter Tomasi – Flash Gordon
  • Barry
  • Greg Rucka? – Pass
  • Jay Garrick
  • Jann Jones – “I’m the coordinating editor, not the story editor”
  • Bob Wayne – Jay
  • Mike Carlin – Flash Flood
  • Keith Giffen – (didn’t catch his answer)
  • Judd Winick – Quicksilver
  • Johns & Van Sciver: All of them!

Barry Allen: Rebirth or Flash: Rebirth is due in January. [Note: Final Crisis and Alan Burnett’s arc on Flash, “This Was Your Life, Wally West,” both end in December.]

Talk about Batman: RIP.

Kevin Smith walks in — huge audience reaction. Doing a Batman mini, Cacophony. Joking about how it’ll take 6 years.

Turning over to questions.

“Does that mean ‘Crisis’ is done?…are we going to use ‘calamity’ next?”

Fan to GJ: Just read RR, loved it. “When are you and Kolins coming back? It’s been a mess.” GJ: “Ethan and I are doing Flash: Rebirth. So we are coming back.” [Note: This doesn’t say anything about whether they’re staying after Rebirth, or just coming in to fix it.]

Fan asks what went wrong with Countdown. DD wants to know what we thought was broken about it. “If we don’t know what the problems are, we can’t address them. We can’t fix them.”

DD: “One of the things we wanted to do with Countdown was to try to be completely different from 52. Obviously we succeeded.”

Elseworlds: Mike (Carlin?) & Cary Bates on one project.

Fan: “If I’m allowed one man-crush on a team, Geoff & Ethan.”

DD re: Justice League movie: “No plans at this time.”

Fan: Crisis books keep scaring people off by killing characters off. Will you bring Rainbow Raider back? Geoff: “Sure, I’ll bring him back.” (Not clear how serious.)

Fan: Really excited about Barry — how will you distinguish them? Geoff: Read the book. (Longer, but that’s basically what he said.)

Geoff JOhns will be staying on GL after “Blackest Night.”

OK, I’m off to dinner.

Related: Vaneta Rogers at Newsarama interviewed Johns & Van Sciver about Flash: Rebirth. (Thanks to Stormking at Comic Bloc.)

Rogues’ Revenge Gets Second Printing (Updated)

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DC’s Direct Channel newsletter reports that Final Crisis: Rogues’ Revenge #1 and Final Crisis: Requiem have sold out at the publisher. Both will be going back for second printings to be released on August 13 — a week before issue Rogues’ Revenge #2 arrives.

According to the release, the reprint will have “a recolored version of the issue’s cover by Scott Kolins.” Since the same artist did both covers (warning to low-bandwidth users: image-intensive page), it’s not clear which cover will be used for the reprint.

Update (Wednesday): ComicNewsi has the cover designs. They’re using the Captain Cold art with the sliver design.