Pre-Crisis JSA in Convergence Week Four, plus Earth-3 and…Scribbly?!?

DC has revealed the fourth week of Convergence miniseries, focusing on the pre-Crisis versions of characters from Earth-2, Earth-3, Earth-4, Earth-S and Earth-X. Yep, that means classic Justice Society of America (featuring Jay Garrick) and Infinity, Inc., a Marvel Family book where Captain Marvel (I mean Shazam) really is the world’s premiere super-hero, and even an old-school Crime Syndicate (featuring Earth-3 Johnny Quick).

Convergence deals with Braniac’s collection of cities from multiple realities, and what happens when he opens the domes and allows them to interact. The main story will be told in a 9-part weekly series in April and May. DC’s New 52 line goes on a two-month hiatus, replaced by a zillion two-part miniseries focusing on different characters, including a 2000s-era West family and 1980s Flash.

Convergence JSA

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA

Writer: Dan Abnett
Artists: Tom Derenick and Trevor Scott
Colorist: Monica Kubina

Older and in full retirement under the dome, members of the Justice Society get the chance to regain their youths to stave off forces from the Qward Universe. But the promise of youth comes with a deadly price.

Note: Dan Abnett is also writing the Bronze Age Barry Allen miniseries for the event.

Convergence Crime Syndicate

CRIME SYNDICATE

Writer: Brian Buccellato
Artist: Phil Winslade
Colorist: Lovern Kindzierski

The Crime Syndicate’s absolute control of their city is challenged when the dome comes down and changes everything. Now, Superwoman is on death row while the rest of the team fights One Million Universe’s Batman and Superman!

Note: You’ll recognize Brian Buccellato of course as half of the Manapul/Buccellato team from the first two years of the New 52 Flash.

Convergence Worlds Finest
I’m kind of surprised there’s no Silver Age week. I guess the nostalgia wave has passed it by. On the other hand, there’s also this:

WORLD’S FINEST COMICS

Writer: Paul Levitz
Artists: Jim Fern and Joe Rubinstein with cartoons by Shannon Wheeler
Colorist: Paul Mounts

The Seven Soldiers of Victory regroup to defend their city against the Qward invasion, while cartoonist Scribbly Jibbet transcribes their adventures.

Scribbly was a fictionalized version of Sheldon Mayer, a writer, artist and editor going back to the Golden Age who was involved with launching or editing just about every major DC character on the All-American side of the company including the Flash, and made at least two cameos in All-Flash. Mayer also wrote and drew the semi-autobiographical comic strip Scribbly, the Boy Cartoonist.

Scribbly Jibbet!

The Rainbow Raider

i believe in me Rainbow Raider (known as Chroma in the New 52)
Roy G. Bivolo

Roy was born with complete colour blindness, and saw the world in shades of grey. He was quite a talented young artist, but his inability to see colour meant that his work was often garish and ugly, something for which he was mocked. His father — who happened to be a brilliant optometrist — spent his life trying to find a cure for his son, but failed. However, on his deathbed he gave Roy some special goggles he’d recently invented. The goggles didn’t give Roy colour vision, but he discovered they had all sorts of fantastic abilities, which he then used to become an art-thieving criminal.

More after the jump.

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“Castaways” – and a sad passing…Review of THE FLASH #36

Flash36This issue of THE FLASH finds Barry trapped in the Speed Force, future Wally out of the picture (though present Wally does have his moments), and Future Barry taking over in present day Central City. If you thought the big battle between present and future Barry would end this arc, you were very wrong – it’s just the beginning. This issue also represents the last artwork in comics from an excellent illustrator, Andre’ Coelho, who died far too young at age 35.  Coelho took on the “future Barry” pages while Brett Booth handled present Barry’s tale in the Speed Force, in a generally excellent issue of THE FLASH.

LIGHT SPOILERS ONLY

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Blackout! Review of THE FLASH Episode 107

The latest episode of THE FLASH gives us a somewhat Wally West-themed look at the developing power set of TV’s Barry Allen, up against a bad guy who literally adds a huge spark to the show (ouch! Sorry for the pun). Barry also gets to see another side of Harrison Wells…and we see the nature of time in a way in this episode as well. Welcome to another fast-paced, action-packed episode of THE FLASH!

LIGHT SPOILERS ONLY

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Poll Results: Who is Harrison Wells? (Updated)

One of The Flash TV series’ mysteries is Barry Allen’s benefactor at S.T.A.R. Laboratories, Harrison Wells. He’s got secret abilities, secret knowledge, a secret agenda, and only the vaguest of backstories, and if he’s not actually a time traveler, he at least has access to future knowledge.

We ran a poll over the last week asking readers which secret identity they thought was most likely. Here are the results.

Who is Harrison Wells? Poll results

The most popular theory, so far, is that he’s the Reverse Flash. A few people wrote in to specify Hunter Zolomon or Eobard Thawne. Future Barry Allen and “exactly who he says he is” were very a close second and third. After that, it was a sharp drop.

Write-ins Abra Kadabra (a time traveler who uses a lot of future technology) and Hunter Zolomon (wheelchair-bound, obsessed with making the Flash a better hero in his own twisted way) were popular, making me wonder how many people would have chosen them if I’d remembered to include Kadabra on the list, or split the two Zooms across separate options.

Full details below. I’ve combined write-ins where appropriate. Continue reading