This Week: Flash: Rebirth #4 and more!

Yes, it’s really happening: Flash: Rebirth continues this week! Also on hand are new issues of Wednesday Comics, Justice Society of America, Blackest Night: Titans, and The Last Days of Animal Man, as well as the second volume of Trinity.

The Flash: Rebirth #4

Flash: Rebirth #4Written by Geoff Johns
Art and covers by Ethan Van Sciver

Barry Allen left a legacy that thrived after his death. Now his return threatens it all. What secrets does Barry hold inside him about the fate of the Flash Family? What destiny awaits Wally and his twins? What murderous force targets Bart Allen? And what does it truly mean to be a speedster?

Retailers please note: 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).

4 of 6 · 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Team books and more after the cut. Continue reading →

Failed Event Comics

4 Replies

I’m not entirely sure who started it, but on Friday morning a lot of comics fans and pros on Twitter were posting joke titles with the #failedeventcomics tag. Here are my contributions.

  • Zero Power
  • The Dark Knight Strikes Out
  • Sinestro Corp Store
  • Crisis on Infinite Earths II: Crisis Harder
  • Violins United
  • Vibe: Rebirth
  • Retweet @CapnCarrot: Transformers Disassembled
  • Archie vs. Predator
  • Infinity Ganthet
  • Rain of the Soup, Man!
  • War of the Dogs

Speed Reading: Archenemies, SBP, CFJ, Smallville, Art, and More

3 Replies

Some weekend linkblogging.

Commentary

The Speedster Site Forum wants to know: Who do you consider the Flash’s archenemy?

The Weekly Crisis posts thoughts on comics for November. Regarding Superboy Prime’s upcoming appearance in Adventure Comics #4 (a Blackest Night tie-in), Ryan says, “The only way this won’t make me even more annoyed with the end of Legion of Three Worlds is if the Superboy Prime scenes are actually just him ranting on message boards.”

ICv2’s Confessions of a Comic-Book Guy discusses two events in Justice League: Cry For Justice #2: one now infamous among comics discussion circles, the other the less-commented-on off-panel killing of Jay Garrick’s three dimwitted sidekicks.

Update: IO9 talks to Mark Waid about The Unknown, science, and death, and has the first issue online for free. The Unknown has been an excellent miniseries, and I’m really looking forward to the conclusion on Wednesday.

Art

Photon Torpedoes looks at the use of ghost images to show the Flash’s speed in Blackest Night.

Adventure Comics artist Francis Manapul has posted photos of several convention sketches he’s done this year, including the Flash and Kid Flash! Elfgrove posts a scan of another Francics Manapul Kid Flash. Update: Manapul has posted a follow-up with more sketches after asking fans to send in their scans.

Update: Former Impulse artist Craig Rousseau shares a sketch of Bart Allen.

Television

Geoff Johns drops a hint about his upcoming Smallville episode, “Society:”

The Justice Society will be heroes that come out of ‘retirement’ to see how the current generation operates. Can’t say much more than that right now. Sorry! 🙂

Superhero Shows spotlights the Flash’s TV appearances in cartoons and live-action, from the early Filmation cartoons of the 1960s through to recent appearances on Smallville and Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

Conventions

Long Beach Comic-Con (October 2-4) is running a “Why Long Beach?” series on life outside the convention. So far they’ve posted nearby attractions and a restaurant guide.

Please help identify these Unknown Cosplay Characters from various conventions! I’ve got a few of my own photos in there of people who had interesting costumes, but I still have no idea who they were dressed as!

Can the Flash Survive Another 6-Part Epic Relaunch?

41 Replies

Flash: Rebirth #1 - Variant - thumbnailThe writers and artists have changed. The face under the Flash’s mask has changed. But there’s one thing that the three Flash relaunches we’ve seen since Infinite Crisis all share: pacing.

For some reason, every time DC has relaunched the Flash lately, they’ve done it with a slow burn.

Rising Action: Speedsters Slowing Down

Now, I have no problem with slow burns in general. I really did like most of Final Crisis, for instance (and that was almost all slow burn), and as frustrating as Flash: Ignition was at the time, I really like the story in retrospect — but as a break from the crazy pace of Run Riot and Blitz. Just about everything I’ve read or watched by JMS has used a slow build-up to something huge, from Babylon 5 to Squadron Supreme (some to better effect than others).

But I don’t think it’s the best structure to launch a character whose main claim to fame is speed…especially when it’s serialized.

Continue reading →

Creator Catch-Up: Johns on Shazam, EVS & Guice at C2E2, Remembering Ringo

1 Reply

The Hollywood Reporter, well, reports that Geoff Johns will co-write a Shazam! movie with Billy Birch. So, what do you think? Is Geoff Johns cut out to write a super-hero with a red costume that has yellow and white trim and a lightning motif? featuring Captain Marvel (via CBR and )

Flash artists Ethan Van Sciver (Flash: Rebirth) and Jackson Guice (early Wally West solo issues) are among the guests of honor at C2E2 in Chicago next year.

Ain’t It Cool News talks with Geoff Johns about Blackest Night, Flash: Rebirth, and the Flash and Green Lantern movies.

More sites remember Mike Wieringo: Panels on Pages remembers the artist through Tellos. Pipeline reprints the original column with some updates on matters such as the ‘Ringo scholarship, the What If…? tribute book, and so forth.