Review: Flash: Rebirth #6 — “Fastest Man Alive”

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Well, it’s finished. And oddly enough, that’s the strongest thing I can say about the conclusion of the Geoff Johns/Ethan Van Sciver miniseries. The main story wraps up rather abruptly, taking up about half of the issue (13 pages out of 22), with the rest devoted to character bits and foreshadowing. There’s certainly nothing wrong with character bits — they’re actually some of my favorite parts of this issue — but instead of a tour de force, Flash: Rebirth #6 wraps up with a resounding…well…it wraps up.

I don’t know if I’d feel differently about this if I’d read it before Blackest Night: The Flash, or before DC canceled their plans for the Kid Flash comic book and the backup stories featuring Wally West. I’m sure it didn’t help.

The best thing about the issue is that I can actually recognize Barry Allen as Barry Allen, not as some guy who has the same name and haircut. That’s one of the problems I had with the series up to this point: why go to the effort to bring back Barry Allen if you’re going to give him a personality transplant?

SPOILERS AHEAD!

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Flash Legacy on Brave and the Bold

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There’s been talk for a while of a “Flash Legacy” episode of Batman: Brave and the Bold. The main Flash on the show is Jay Garrick, who has appeared in at least two episodes: “Trials of the Demon” and “The Golden Age of Justice.” Kid Flash was notably absent from the recent “Sidekicks” episode, but producer James Tucker told the Aquaman Shrine that they have plans for Kid Flash “in the near future.”

In a comment thread on the show’s Facebook page a few days ago, producers confirmed that “Jay, Barry, and Wally will be featured in a upcoming episode that focuses on the Flash legacy.”

New episodes of the cartoon return in March.

Happy Birthday Greg LaRocque

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It turns out that today is Greg LaRocque’s birthday! LaRocque drew The Flash vol.2 through all of William Messner-Loebs’ run and the beginning of Mark Waid’s, finishing up with the well-regarded story, The Return of Barry Allen. He pencilled the book for five years, from Flash vol.2 #15 in 1988 through Flash vol.2 #79 in 1993, with only a handful of fill-in issues by other artists, making him the longest-running artist on Wally West’s series.

Along the way he designed Wally West’s shiny costume, which debuted in the above Flash vol.2 #50. In my opinion, he’s still the artist who made it look the best. As Scott Mateo points out on Comic Bloc, when LaRocque drew Wally and Barry together, you could easily tell them apart even at a glance. The artist talks about the redesign in his interview in The Flash Companion.

It’s interesting that LaRocque and Messner-Loebs worked together on the book for roughly four years, and their birthdays are only a few days apart!

Velocity Returns in May

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Wally West isn’t the only red-headed speedster out there. Velocity, winner of Top Cow’s first Pilot Season, will finally be getting her own series this May.

Well, sort of.

Velocity has been a member of Cyberforce since it launched in the early 1990s, and has had two solo books: a 1995 miniseries by Kurt Busiek and Anthony Chun, and a one-shot in 2007 by Joe Casey and Kevin Maguire. The one-shot was part of Top Cow’s “Pilot Season” event: they released several “first issues” of potential series and asked fans to vote on which one should be picked up. Velocity won, and Top Cow went on to prepare a series. Joe Casey returned, and ChrisCross took over as artist.

That series never actually launched, though. Casey wrote three issues, ChrisCross drew one full issue and several covers, but the book was delayed several times and finally scrapped due to creative differences. With their newly found free time, Joe Casey and ChrisCross went over to DC and did Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance.

Return

Top Cow has announced a new Velocity miniseries starting in May, written by Ron Marz and drawn by Kenneth Rocafort (who did variant covers for the unlaunched series).

Carin Taylor is the fastest woman in the world. At least, she’d better be if she wants to save her own life and the lives of her Cyberforce teammates. When a former Cyberdata scientist — and test subject — seeks revenge against the members of Cyberforce, only Velocity can save her friends before the clock literally runs out.

Ron Marz remarked to UGO:

I’ve been getting to use the supernatural side of the Top Cow Universe as my playground for a while now, so I jumped at the chance to write one of my favorites from the superhero/tech side.

In some ways it does fulfill the promise of Pilot Season, in terms of the character finally getting a book, but it’s an entirely new creative team. And it’s a four-issue limited series, not an ongoing. I guess after two and a half years Top Cow wanted to test the waters again. Kind of a shame, given how rare it is to find and ongoing speedster comic that’s not The Flash (or Sonic the Hedgehog), but it’s probably sensible not to rely too much on the buzz from 2007.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Arrives Tomorrow

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DC’s latest direct-to-home-video animated film, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, goes on sale Tuesday, February 23.

In it, the Justice League answers a plea for help from an alternate Lex Luthor, one who comes from a world where good and evil are reversed. The heroic Luthor fights against the tyranny of such master villains as Ultraman, Owlman, Superwoman, and Johnny Quick (a name that DC has reused several times).

It is, of course, inspired by a long tradition of evil-counterpart stories in DC Comics.

Speedster corner: The story is adapted from an unproduced Justice League Unlimited script, so the Flash is the familiar wise-cracking, thinks-with-his-feet type. There’s also supposed to be a good super-speed fight between him and the evil Johny Quick.

This Week (Feb 24): Flash: Rebirth Concludes, Blackest Night Continues

Here are this week’s Flash appearances, including the long-awaited Flash: Rebirth #6, the conclusion of Blackest Night: JSA and the second-to-last chapter of Blackest Night itself.

The Flash: Rebirth #6

6 of 6 · 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and covers by Ethan Van Sciver

In a battle along the outskirts of time, the secrets of the Speed Force have been revealed! The new archnemesis of those who ride the lightning is coming for Iris Allen. And the Barry Allen you knew is gone forever…or is he? What change does Wally West face? What destiny will Kid Flash choose? Prepare to meet a Flash Family that’s both familiar and different…and get to the starting line for the next epic adventures of the Speed Force!

This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Ethan Van Sciver), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Ethan Van Sciver).

Edit: There’s a four-page preview at The Source.

Blackest Night #7

7 of 8 · 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert
Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari
Sketch variant cover by Ivan Reis

As Nekron continues to wage war on life throughout the universe, Hal Jordan discovers the grim, true mission behind the villain’s return. But the truth is so cosmically abysmal that it threatens to expose a secret that could tear the very universe asunder. You can’t miss this stunning, penultimate issue to the year’s biggest event!

This issue will ship with three covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Rodolfo Migliari). For every 100 copies of the Standard Edition, retailers may order one copy of the Sketch Variant Edition (with a cover by Ivan Reis).

Blackest Night: JSA #3

3 of 3 · 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by James Robinson
Art and cover by Eddy Barrows & Nei Ruffino · Variant cover by Gene Ha

The bloodthirsty combat in Manhattan reaches its stunning conclusion here! Earth-2 Superman returns to prove that the true legacy of the Justice Society of America is death. Can our heroes rise up to defeat their dead mentors, role models and villains? And can even the third- smartest man in the world, Mr. Terrific, devise a way to destroy them – or will Manhattan and the world perish under Nekron’s might?

This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Eddy Barrows & Nei Ruffino), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Gene Ha).

Justice Society of America #36

32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by Bill Willingham
Art by Jesus Merino
Cover by Jesus Merino

The discovery of exactly who was behind the recent attacks on Obsidian and other members of the Justice Society puts the team on the trail of a true Axis of Evil! This means war!