Heat Wave and the Legion of Doom (Flashpoint)

Comic Book Resources interviews Adam Glass, writer of the miniseries Flashpoint: Legion of Doom, about the miniseries and the key role of long-time Flash villain Heat Wave, who in the Flashpoint reality is “Cyborg’s greatest threat.”

I guess the best way to explain it is, this is basically Heat Wave’s story, and it’s a classic revenge story. Cyborg, who is the Superman of this world, is his target because he stopped Heat Wave from doing something he really wanted. In the process, Heat Wave received burns over 60 percent of his body and he loses his sense of smell and taste. So he can’t smell or feel fire, which sets him off even more.

The series starts out in a supermax prison, and follows Heat Wave and other villains as he plans his escape and revenge. Glass promises a “ton of action” balanced with psychological depth as he explores Heat Wave’s obsessions with fire and revenge.

Head over to CBR to read the full interview. Flashpoint: Legion of Doom #1 arrives in stores next week.

This Week: Flashpoint: Citizen Cold & Impulse (UPDATED w/Preview)

Two Flash-related books are out this week: The first issue of Flashpoint tie-in Citizen Cold, featuring a heroic (or is he?) version of Captain Cold as Central City’s resident hero, and a collection of the Impulse comics that introduced Inertia, Bart Allen’s dark twin.

Flashpoint: Citizen Cold

Covers: Scott Kolins
Writer: Scott Kolins
Art: Scott Kolins

FLASH FACT! He loves someone he should not!

1 of 3, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US – RATED T

UPDATE: Newsarama has a 5-page preview of the issue.

DC Comics Presents Impulse #1

Written by TODD DEZAGO
Art by ETHAN VAN SCIVER, WALTER SIMONSON, ANGEL UNZUETA and others
Cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER and WAYNE FAUCHER

It’s Batman vs. The Joker — with Impulse caught in the middle! Plus, Impulse battles Kalibak, son of Darkseid — and meets Inertia, the Reverse-Impulse! Featuring art by Ethan Van Sciver, from IMPULSE #50-53!

96 pg, FC, $7.99 US

A Brief Timeline of Flash Launches

  • 1940: Flash Comics #1 introduces Jay Garrick. The series runs until 1949.
  • 1941: All-Flash #1 launches, a second title featuring the Flash, running until 1948.
  • 1956: Showcase #4 introduces Barry Allen, ushering in the Silver Age of comics.
  • 1959: The Flash vol.1 #105 launches, featuring Barry, and runs until 1985.
  • 1987: Flash vol.2 #1 launches featuring Wally West in the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths universe. The series runs until 2006.
  • 2006: Flash: The Fastest Man Alive launches featuring Bart Allen. The series runs one year.
  • 2007: Flash vol.2 #231 picks up where the previous Wally West series left off, and lasts another year and a half.
  • 2009: Flash: Rebirth (miniseries) re-introduces Barry Allen.
  • 2010: Flash vol.3 #1 launches, featuring Barry Allen, and lasts one year.
  • 2011: Flash vol.4 #1 launches, reintroducing the post-Flashpoint version of Barry Allen.

Three major launches from 1940-2005 (four if you count Showcase #4 and Flash #105 separately, which I suppose I should if I’m counting Flash: Rebirth separately from Flash vol.3), with remarkably consistent creative teams. Five relaunches from 2006-2011.

Things have changed a bit…

WWWW: Contest Winner, Week Seven!

Thanks to everyone who participated in this week’s installation of our “Where Was Wally West?” contest here at Speed Force!

We posted a panel from a classic Flash comic, featuring Wally West in an alternate reality, the past or a “possible future”.  Correct answers were put into a raffle, and a winner was drawn at random.  To refresh your memory, here is the latest subject:


Tell it like it is, Box of Speed…

Congrats to Robert!  This week’s subject was Flash #136, (February 1998): “Radio Days,” writer – Grant Morrison, artist – Paul Ryan.  Flash is forced to race his childhood imaginary friend across the universe, to the death.  Robert wins his choice of Flash posters!

See you next time, when we’ll ask “Where Was Wally West?”!

Reviews: Flashpoint, Knight of Vengeance and Abin Sur

The first round of Flashpoint miniseries’ arrived last Wednesday.  DC has seemingly selected creative teams based on potential and allowed them to play in the sandbox of this alternate reality however they would like.  To be sure, both of the issues reviewed here do little more than exist in the universe that has just now been created for Flashpoint, at least in their respective openings.  They also succeed on many levels, achievements made possible by the unexplored new world.  If DC is using the minis as a way to ease fans into a reboot, they could have done a whole lot worse.

In Batman: Knight of Vengeance, the Gotham City of Flashpoint is put into harsh focus.  In Abin Sur: The Green Lantern, events in Green Lantern lore both recent and distant are re-cast, and redesigned with an eye towards the upcoming film.

For further comments and some spoilers, see you after the jump…

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