Francis Manapul Wins Shuster Award

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The 2011 Joe Shuster Awards were presented at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo on Saturday, and Flash artist (and soon-to-be co-writer) Francis Manapul has won the award for Outstanding Comic Book Artist.

The summary reads:

In 2009, Francis Manapul adopted an ink-wash style that semi-renders his figures and backgrounds, and combined the new approach with his already solid skills as a comics penciler to add a depth and tonality to his environments that gives his work a unique quality. His work on the Flash in 2010 is both mature in its storytelling and some of the best use of his new technique so far.

The Joe Shuster Awards are given to honor outstanding Canadian comics creators, and are named after Superman co-creator Joe Shuster.

This is Francis Manapul’s second nomination (he was previously nominated in 2010) and first win for the award.

Congratulations to Francis Manapul!

Speed Reading

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Some weekend linkblogging…

Flashy Links

DC Relaunch

Other Comics

Flashpoint Previews: Reverse-Flash and Kid Flash Lost

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DC has released previews of several Flashpoint issues coming out next week, including Flashpoint: Reverse-Flash and Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost #1.

They also offer a little more information on The Source. Flashpoint: Reverse-Flash has a new, more intriguing catchphrase: “The man I’d give anything to kill has to live…or I die.” Writer Scott Kolins adds, “Flash’s arch nemesis sets up Flash’s greatest trial in this issue.”

As for Kid Flash Lost, Bart Allen also remembers the original timeline, and brings in Hot Pursuit to help…but is this the same Hot Pursuit? Sterling Gates explains:

KID FLASH LOST is a FLASHPOINT mystery, as Bart and the mysterious character known as Hot Pursuit try to unravel what has happened when the world they wake up in is not their own. Bart will deal with many of the character threads set up in Geoff Johns’ “Road to Flashpoint” storyarc even as he confronts the greatest danger the 31st century has ever seen.

One thing that makes these two tie-ins unusual is that they both focus on the main-timeline versions of the lead characters. It sounds like the Reverse-Flash book is a mix of origin story and creating the Flashpoint world, while Kid Flash will be facing the same kinds of questions that the Flash is facing in the main series, and Booster Gold is facing in his own book.

On a side note: it’s interesting to see that they brought back the One Year Later–era Flash logo for the Reverse-Flash one-shot.

The Flash’s New Boots

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DC has started running a series of ads for Converse shoes featuring different versions of their characters from the Golden Age through the upcoming September relaunch, under the slogan, “Classic Heroes. Classic Shoes.” The Flash ad, seen in pictures at Bleeding Cool, gives us another look at the new Flash costume, and our first view of his boots. [UPDATE: Here’s a better scan that I made from Flashpoint: Legion of Doom]

Personally, I think the new boot design (like all the seams on the costume) is a bit busy, but I’ve seen far worse.

The poses are so similar that I’m pretty sure they’re all new art, but whoever did these drawings did a great job mimicking the styles of particular artists over the decades.

Update: We have an explanation for the boots! (Sort of.)

Annotations: Flash #280, “The Wrong Man!”

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We’re back with the latest in our analysis of Cary Bates’ Flash comics, leading up to Showcase Presents: The Trial of the Flash.  This week, we look at one of the biggest plot twists in the Death of Iris Allen arc.  Links to research and artwork art included throughout this post.  For a look as past weeks/issues, click here!


UP TO SPEED: Last week, Flash was almost killed by the psychic freak known as Clive Yorkin.  Yorkin is the man Flash holds responsible for the death of his wife Iris (issue #275).  Meanwhile, Barry Allen and Det. Frank Curtis continued to descend into the underworld in search of answers to the mysteries of Barry’s drugging (also #275) and the heroin smuggling plot discovered at police HQ (issues 270-275).  After surviving a bomb blast that destroyed his attacker, Barry took off to reign in Yorkin once and for all.  Unknown to the Scarlet Speedster, the psychic teen known as Melanie is also on the trail…

Continue reading →

Flash & Flashpoint Sales for May

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ICv2’s May sales estimates are up, including the final issue of Flash vol.3 and the first issue of Flashpoint. Flashpoint #1 sold an estimated 86,981 copies, ranked #2 for the month (right behind Marvel’s big event comic, Fear Itself #2), while The Flash #12 sold an estimated 54,914 copies to rank #15.

Sales have been steady the last three issues, and have held above the low point at issue #8, suggesting that the series found its level at around 54-55K…just in time to be canceled for DC’s September relaunch. (Or maybe it was just being propped up by people curious about Flashpoint?)

Issue Rank Month Units Sold % Change
Flash v.3 #1 2 April 2010 100,903
Flash v.3 #2 12 May 2010 76,560 (-24.1%)
Flash v.3 #3 11 June 2010 68,799 (-10.1%)
Flash v.3 #4 15 July 2010 64,832 (-5.8%)
Flash v.3 #5 14 September 2010 62,063 (-4.3%)
Flash v.3 #6 15 November 2010 57,673 (-7.1%)
Flash v.3 #7 12 December 2010 56,304 (-2.4%)
Flash v.3 #8 18 December 2010 53,975 (-4.1%)
Flash v.3 #9 9 February 2011 55,980 (+3.7%)
Flash v.3 #10 18 April 2011 54,953 (-1.8%)
Flash v.3 #11 19 April 2011 54,633 (-0.6%)
Flash v.3 #12 15 May 2011 54,914 (+0.5%)
Flashpoint #1 2 May 2011 86,981

It’s surprising that Flashpoint #1 sold fewer copies than Flash #1, though I suppose it shouldn’t be. Between event fatigue, a feeling that the Flash mythos hadn’t been built up sufficiently to support a major event, and a general sense that the event was simply an alternate universe story and not as “important” as, for instance, Blackest Night, I remember the buzz being relatively poor beforehand. Over the last month, lots of people have remarked that the book has been under-ordered. (Even the tie-ins have been. I got the last copy of Flashpoint: Grodd of War from my local shop yesterday, the day it was released.) Clearly readers are responding better to the actual comic book than retailers expected, based on the multiple sell-out issues.

It’ll be interesting to see the figures with re-orders and the second printing included…and it’ll be interesting to see the sales figures on the later issues of the miniseries.