DC Direct Solicitations for April 2012

A new Flash action figure is headed our way via DC Direct in April of 2012:

 JUSTICE LEAGUE: HEROES & FOES SERIES 1 THE FLASH ACTION FIGURE

Every hero is defined by his foes … and by the allies who stand ready to back him up!

All four figures feature multiple points of articulation and include display bases. Character-appropriate accessories are also included.

Batman measures approximately 6.75” high.

The Joker measures approximately 6.75” high.

Wonder Woman measures approximately 6.75” high.

The Flash measures approximately 6.75” high.

 

4-color clamshell blister card packaging.

On sale April 11, 2012 * Action Figures * PI

I can’t lie, I squealed like a teenage girl when the image first loaded and I saw the belt. Then grim reality set in and I realized it was just a new version of Barry sporting a costume closer to the DCnU version. It looks like they used the great sculpts from the DC Direct Blue Lantern and White Lantern Flash released earlier this year and of course the kicker is the blue eyes. Still a great looking figure that will make a great birthday present to myself come April.

Devin “Flash” Johnson 

Flash #3 in November, plus Captain Atom & the Life Story…

DC Comics’ November solicitations are up. In addition to The Flash #3 and the usual Justice League spot, the Flash guest-stars in Captain Atom #3, and Mark Waid’s “The Life Story of the Flash” is reprinted.

The Flash #3

Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL and BRIAN BUCCELLATO
Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
1:25 Variant cover by JIM LEE
1:200 B&W Variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
On sale NOVEMBER 23 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

If the Fastest Man Alive is going to capture Mob Rule, he must first tap into his new amped-up super brain to save the citizens of Central City from the EMP that has blacked out the city. Witness a spectacular sequence of out-of-control cars, trains and even airplanes that must be stopped from destroying the city!

Captain Atom #3

Written by J.T. KRUL
Art by FREDDIE WILLIAMS II
Cover by STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU
On sale NOVEMBER 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Captain Atom is taking his powers to new heights – saving people all across the world in the blink of an eye. But he’s not the only one who can move at super speed. Enter: The Flash! And when their paths cross, don’t expect them to share the secret hero’s handshake – because Captain Atom may be a bigger threat than any villain.

DC Comics Presents: The Life Story of the Flash #1

Written by MARK WAID and BRIAN AUGUSTYN
Art by GIL KANE, JOE STATON and TOM PALMER
Cover by GLEN ORBIK
On sale NOVEMBER 16 • 96 pg, FC, $7.99 US

This striking tale combines comic-book illustration and prose to follow Barry Allen from his humble childhood to his noble death, detailing his transformation from police scientist to one of the DC Universe’s most dynamic heroes.

Note: It’s worth considering that the structure of this book hinges on the Barry/Iris relationship and marriage. Just a thought.

Speed Reading

Flashy links

Other stuff:

  • Comic Book Format Wars at CSBG
  • Next for the DC Comics new universe? We have some ideas! Comicbook.com
  • Comics You Should Own: Noble Causes (CSBG) – If you only know Jay Faerber from his, um, less-than-popular Titans run, you’re missing out on his creator-owned stuff. It’s worlds better.

Flash 101 – Get Up to Speed

Along with the Flash 101 sale mentioned yesterday, DC and ComiXology have released a free Flash 101 digital booklet featuring origins, a rough timeline, and a collection of covers.

The timeline’s the most interesting part, to me.

It’s also got the two-page origins of Gorilla Grodd, the Trickster and the Pied Piper from Countdown to Infinite Crisis, and a similarly-styled two-page origin of Barry Allen by Scott Beatty, Howard Porter and Livesay that I think is new. None of the Flashes got profiled in 52, which was where the hero origins appeared, and the second page features the post-Rebirth costumes for Wally West, Iris West and Jesse Quick, as well as the Countdown-era costume for Jai West.

Flash Costumes at Comic-Con (2011)

As fandom moves onto the next big convention of the season, I hope you’ll take a few moments to look back at San Diego and the people who dressed as the Flash (and related speedsters) at Comic-Con International.

San Diego Comic-Con

United Underworld’s incredible gender-swapped Justice League, featuring Psykitten Pow’s Flash. Photo by John Austin.

It turns out that the Flash was the inspiration for the group theme:

“A couple of us like to do female versions of preexisting male characters. One of our friends, Psykitten Pow, she had a female Flash,” says Tallest Silver, who organized the group and who dresses as Batma’am. “One night, we were all hanging out and I said how funny it would be if we had a whole Justice League with swapped sexes.”

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Photograph by Chuck Cook Photography.

The group previously appeared at WonderCon, and Psykitten appeared as the Flash last year. Continue reading