Not Just One Flash Book?

From the latest 20 Questions with Dan Didio:

12. Is there word on a creative team for Flash post Rebirth? Obviously, it’s assumed that Geoff [Johns] will be writing it…

DD: Yes it is, it is assumed. (laughs)

NRAMA: What are the chances that Ethan will join him?

DD: Right now, we’ve got Ethan [Van Sciver] and Geoff pushing pretty hard on Flash: Rebirth, and once we get a little closer, we’ll be announcing the team on the Flash monthly comic. It’s all part of a bigger announcement, because it’s not just about one Flash book. [emphasis added]

Reeeeeallly…?

The obvious implication here is that there will be more than one Flash-related series spinning out of Flash: Rebirth. We can probably safely assume that one will be The Flash, starring Barry Allen, written by Geoff Johns. As for the other(s), Didio may simply be referring to the 3-issue miniseries, Blackest Night: The Flash, which starts in November. DC hasn’t announced the creative team for that book, either, so they could be planning to announce the mini and the ongoing together.

But what if he is talking about something more ambitious? What might a second Flash-related book be?

Kid Flash, starring Bart Allen?
Flash Family, starring Wally West and the twins?
Flashback (i.e. Flash: Classified), featuring stories of Barry, Wally, and/or Jay in times gone by?
All-Flash, starring a speedster team or rotating cast?
The Rogues, starring…well…the Rogues?

What else would you like to see? What else would you expect to see?

(via @collecteditions)

How Soon is Too Soon to Judge a Serialized Story?

10 Replies

Following up on my Lightning in a Bottle/Flash: Rebirth comparison, one of the issues I found myself flip-flopping on was how early you could fairly judge an incomplete story. In addition to my frustrations with Flash: Rebirth, I’ve picked up at least 8 other first issues over the last three months. Times (and storage space) being what they are, I’m taking a hard look at what I’m buying, including the new books.

To the Question

So, at what point is it fair to write off an incomplete story?

On one hand, I’m the kind of person who hates to leave a book unfinished. Even if I don’t like it much, I’ll generally slog through it (as I did with A Game of Thrones). So if I’d picked these miniseries up as complete editions rather than individual chapters, I’d probably read all of them through to the end.

But I’m not buying them as trade paperbacks or as hardcovers. I’m buying them one chapter at a time, and while I’m happy to let details unfold over time, if I’m just not interested, what’s the point in spending an additional $12+ to get the rest of a story I don’t want to read?

Making the Cut

Mysterius the Unfathomable All those new books I’ve picked up in the last few months are at #2 or #3 now, and I’ve realized that’s my threshold these days. If I really don’t like a first issue, I’ll stop there, but if I’m sort of lukewarm toward it, I’ll usually give it a second chance. That worked out well with, for instance, Ignition City and Mysterius the Unfathomable. In both cases I wasn’t quite sure about the series at the end of issue #1, but issue #2 sealed the deal.

Ignition City #1 So, The Unwritten and The Unknown, both of which grabbed me in the first issue? Already on my list. Final Crisis: Escape and Unthinkable, both of which had me just intrigued enough to pick up a second issue? Gone after issue #2. Still not sure about Final Crisis: Dance, which I think I’ll give one more issue. If not…it’s on the chopping block.

And yet…

Epiphany

A few weeks ago I watched The Illusionist. I won’t say much about the plot, because it’s better without spoilers, but…I hated the first hour of the movie. Just couldn’t stand it. The two leads were just acting so stupid and self-destructive that I couldn’t sympathize with anyone except the police inspector, and even that was probably in part because he was effectively narrating the story.

If it had been a two-part TV miniseries, I wouldn’t have bothered with part two.

But I stuck through with it, and the tone changed significantly in the second half…and then the ending was so good that it completely made up for everything that had bothered me about the beginning.

So I have to wonder, what might I be missing by dropping a book two issues into a 5– or 6-issue story?

Any thoughts? When do you decide to stick with or drop a miniseries?

This Week (July 1): Neon Light!

To the best of my knowledge, the Flash doesn’t appear in any comics this week, with the possible exception of the trade paperback of Amazons Attack.

On the other hand, there’s this spiffy neon sign…

The Flash Mini Neon Sign

Decorate your home or store with this exciting, affordable neon sign featuring The Flash’s classic lightning strike logo!

The adjustable base unit can sit on a tabletop or be mounted to a wall.
Powered by a plug-in, UL-adapter, the sign itself measures approximately 8″ wide x 9″ high and has a base measuring approximately 5.5” in diameter. Packaged in a 4-color box.

$89.99 US.

Looking Back at Velocity

Compared to the Flash

The emphasis on running away reminded me of Flash: Rebirth, which has made a point of characterizing Barry Allen’s life (unfairly, but he is depressed right now) as a series of choices from which he ran away. Both miniseries are about taking a character who is not ready to be a hero (Barry with his not-quite acknowledged death wish, Carin with her inability to overcome fear) and moving them to where they need to be in order to become better heroes. Continue reading →

Speed Reading: Secret ID, Impulse Alumni, and More

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At CBR, Geoff Johns wants your questions! Submit questions for the next Q&A by Monday, June 29.

Scans_Daily demonstrates how Barry Allen kept his secret identity. Or, rather, didn’t.

Comic Bloc has Noah Van Sciver’s comedic recap of Flash: Rebirth #3.

An old post turned up on my other blog a few days ago, reminding me of those “world’s fastest man” commercials for MovieTickets.com. Remember those, with the superhero who had wings on his head, a round symbol on his chest, yellow boots, and a lightning motif (but the website was still faster)? Okay, so the costume was blue, but still…

Beyond the Flash

I’ve written a guest review of Perhapanauts: First Blood at Collected Editions. Perhapanauts, an adventure series about strange creatures like Bigfoot, chupacabras etc. created by Impulse alumni Todd Dezago and Craig Rousseau.

Robot 6 reports on Katelyn Rae Rochelle, first winner of the Ringo Scholarship. The Ringo is named after the late Mike Wieringo, who co-created Impulse during his run as Flash artist.

Lots of sites have linked to this guide to comic book message boards. Seems pretty accurate for the boards I visit from time to time. The DC Message Boards really are that scary, and Newsarama is only marginally better.

Tickets are now available for the Long Beach Comic-Con coming up in October. I’m going to have to figure out which day I want to go!

This Week (June 24): JSA, JLA, Animal Man

Justice Society of America #28

Written by Jerry Ordway
Art by Jerry Ordway & Bob Wiacek
Cover by Jerry Ordway

A Japanese spirit has appeared to exact revenge on the living symbols of America’s atomic warfare while the rest of the JSA reaches out to another founding member for assistance: The Spectre! Continuing the haunting new arc by Jerry Ordway and Bob Wiacek.

32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

The Last Days of Animal Man #2

Written by Gerry Conway
Art by Chris Batista & Dave Meikis
Cover by Brian Bolland

Buddy Baker’s powers have picked the wrong time to desert him — a thousand feet above the San Diego skyline! He’ll have to rely on the help of a most unlikely ally if he wants to survive his rematch with Bloodrage. But there’s more than one homicidal maniac out there with designs on his life, and the Mirror Master’s daughter won’t settle for the scraps Bloodrage plans on leaving behind!

2 of 6 · 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Justice League of America #34

Written by Len Wein
Art by Jose Luis & JP Mayer
Cover by Ed Benes & Rob Hunter

The cards are against the remnants of the Justice League! And those cards are the Royal Flush Gang! Can even Superman and Wonder Woman save a team whose luck has run out? Featuring the deadly return of an old foe in part 1 of a 2-part story.