A few months ago, Dan Didio said that “we’re leaving every door open” after Convergence. It’s easy to read that as suggesting that all those old versions of the characters are now officially out there somewhere in the multiverse….
…except they aren’t. Not according to Convergence #8 anyway.
Spoilers for Convergence #8 below
The print edition of Flash Season Zero #9 is out today, featuring the conclusion of the King Shark/Suicide Squad story.
A new digital chapter of Flash Season Zero went up on Monday, featuring a one-shot in which Barry and Joe try to take a day off…but a superhero’s work is never done. (Ben Sokolowski/Marcus To/Nick Filardi)
DC continues to add more of the 1987-2009 Flash Annuals to the digital backlist:
Flash Annual 9 (1996), part of the Legends of the Dead Earth theme. In the distant future, humanity is spread throughout the universe and Earth is only a legend. On one world, inspired by the Book of Iris and the power of the speed force, two brothers fight to protect — or control — their people. (Peter J. Tomasi/J.H. Williams III/Mick Gray)
And they’ve finally picked up the 1960s silver age Flash comics again, right where they left off:
Flash #157 (1965): “Who Stole the Flash’s Super Speed?” and the Top in “The Day the Flash Aged 100 Years!” (Fox/Infantino/Giella)
Flash #158 (1966): “Battle Against the Break-Away Bandit” and “The One-Man Justice League!” (Fox/Infantino/Giella)
As part of their big post-Convergence relaunch, DC is offering a massive digital sale this month. The first wave, from today through June 8, features issues #1-38 of the New 52 Flash series at 99 cents each. Upcoming weeks are listed at DC’s blog
This includes almost all of the New 52 Flash series: The entire Manapul/Buccellato run, plus the first year of the Venditti/Jensen/Booth/Rapmund run, with a few exceptions: The September one-shots (#0, Villains Month, Futures End) and Annuals aren’t included, but you can still get them at their normal price.
DC has an eight page preview of the post-Convergence direction of the Flash in which we see Barry Allen’s new costume, his new living situation (with a surprise roommate), plus a reminder of his family history…which looks like it may be important, now that Professor Zoom (the Reverse Flash) is back — and the Professor has brought his students along.
I’m not sure if this is part of the upcoming The Flash #41 or if it’s an independent preview.
According to Brett Booth on Twitter, this is a stand-alone preview that is not part of The Flash #41.
Apparently Funko has a line of plush toys called Mopeez. They’re adding a set of DC Mopeez in August built around the idea that “Even your favorite DC superheroes have bad days!”
It reminds me a bit of Super Emo Friends, only without the clever captions.
But the name….
Long-time Flash fans may have heard the name Mopee, or might remember the “Heavenly Helpmate” in Flash #167 (1967) who claimed to have given Barry his powers by directing the lightning bolt at the window…only to learn later on that he’d screwed up because Barry didn’t own the chemicals himself. Barry agreed to earn the money to buy the chemicals as the Flash, in order to keep his powers.
The story was so widely reviled that it was quietly forgotten and never mentioned again in canon. Who’s Who spared one sentence to explicitly reject it. Eventually in-jokes started to show up. An Ambush Bug story had him claim to be responsible for a half-dozen other superheroes’ origins. Another story had “mopee” as the nickname of a street drug. But mostly the character has become a label for the kind of retcon that’s so bad that it’s retconned away just as quickly.
Season One of the Flash TV show is done, but the comics continue through the summer, and so does DC’s progress through their backlist as they add more digital editions.
This week, DC adds two Flash Annuals starring Wally West.
Flash Annual #7 (1994) is an Elseworlds tale. A battle with Captain Cold left Barry Allen dead and Wally West in a wheelchair. Now Wally wants to make a movie about Barry Allen’s life and sacrifice, but Captain Cold wants the world to remember a different take on what happened. Written by Mark Wheatley; Pencils by Ed Benes; Inks by Rene Micheletti and Eddie Wagner.
Flash Annual #8 (1995) is a “Year One” tale about when Wally West first took up the Flash identity. Green Lantern and Jay Garrick intervene when a battle with Dr. Alchemy goes badly. Mark Waid, David Brewer, Mark Stegbauer. In a backup story, “Kid Flash Day Two” features the young Wally West vs. Mr. Element. Tom Peyer, Humberto Ramos, Wayne Faucher, Ken Branch.
