Geoff Johns: Why the Flash?

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From CCI: Johns, Van Sciver Present “The Flash: Rebirth”:

“I think everybody, at one time or another, wishes they were faster. Everyone wishes they had more time. Everyone wishes they were never late. Everyone wishes they just had a little bit more time to do something. And that’s a really important element to the Flash,” said Johns. “Because if we had super-speed, we could get everything done that we wanted to do. What would you do if you could do everything that you wanted to do? Instead of thinking, ‘Hey, I could run 10 miles in a second,’ what if you could do everything on your ‘Hey, I want to do this,’ list? If you could do all of that, what would you do? Everyone has a stack of books that they say, ‘Oh, I’m never going to read those.’ What if you could? What if you got all of them done? Then what? You want to learn a language? You just did it.”

San Diego Wrap-Up

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I’m back from San Diego, and I had an absolute blast at this year’s Comic-Con International. I’ve been posting coverage here and at K-Squared Ramblings, and will be posting posted a photo gallery sometime this week (between catching up at work and, well, sleeping.) Links to my full coverage:

I’ll also track down write-ups from events that I missed, and post links to Flash-related info in the next few days.

Iris Sketch by Freddie Williams II

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I stumbled on Freddie Williams II’s Artist’s Alley table at Comic-Con today, and commissioned a sketch of Iris West II in her Flash phase.

I had time, so I waited around while he did the sketch, looked through his portfolio, and talked about the book. Several other people came by to talk, or to look at his art, or to commission sketches of their own. When he was almost done, Dan Didio dropped by to say hello. (To the artist, of course!)

He had original art for sale, including a few pages from the last few issues of The Flash. I was seriously tempted by the page that showed Wally, Iris and Jai running into battle from #241, but I just don’t have the spare $250 lying around…

I mentioned that I’d really liked his run with Tom Peyer, especially the last few issues, and he mentioned that the editor had previously asked him to go with a more open, flat, happy style to his art, and he actually felt better about the art the last few issues. We talked about the harshness of internet fandom — when people like something, they don’t always go out of their way to post about it, but when they dislike it, and when they can hide behind anonymity, it’s almost a compulsion to say so, loudly, as brutally as possible.

Flash @ DC Nation II

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A few more bits about the Flash from my notes on the Sunday follow-up DC Nation panel here at San Diego Comic-Con:

Dan Didio was tired and asked the audience to pipe up with announcements that had already been made. When he asked about the Flash, only one person stuck up his hand. (No, it wasn’t me. I was waaay in the back with a pen and notebook.) “Only one person can tell us what’s going on in Flash?” He then asked, “Barry Allen: Rebirth — a good thing or a bad thing?” The audience applauded.

Geoff Johns said of Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds that “If you like speedsters, you should read the book too. Actually, it you like teenage speedsters, you should read the book.” Perhaps a hint about Bart returning as Kid Flash/Impulse?

One fan asked about speculation that Barry Allen might be Libra. Dan Didio simply said, “Flash: Rebirth.” Geoff Johns added, “I can’t comment, but… I hope not.”

Another asked if, with Barry’s return, we would get some trade paperbacks from his series, specifically the Trial of the Flash. Bob Wayne said, “You mean the Fastest Man Alive and the Slowest Story Printed? Don’t make us!” Someone (possibly Geoff) piped up with “I liked that story!”

Impulse Convergence

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On Friday afternoon at Comic-Con, I went over to Artists’ Alley to see if I could commission a sketch of Impulse from Todd Nauck (Young Justice). He was talking with someone, and they kept talking for something like 5 minutes. When he walked away, it turned out that the guy he’d been talking to was Carlo Barberi — who drew Impulse during most of Todd Dezago’s run!

I talked to Todd Nauck briefly, and asked for the sketch, but I had a panel to get to so I couldn’t pick it up. I went back Saturday around 1:00 or so to pick it up. He was doing a sketch of Secret for someone else. He mentioned that when he started doing Young Justice, he was a huge Impulse fan, but got to really like the other characters over the course of his run on the book. By the end, Wonder Girl had become one of his favorites, because of all the character growth he got to portray.

See also: Autograph/Sketch Tally: SDCC 2008

Flash @ Final Crisis Management

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A couple of items from my notes at the “Final Crisis Management” panel Friday at Comic-Con.

Geoff Johns mentioned that some stuff in Rogues’ Revenge spills over into Flash: Rebirth.

A fan asked Geoff, since he wasn’t alive when Barry died, what he was going to do to make him care. Geoff reiterated his “Trust me” line from yesterday.

Three fans got to go up on stage and read a photocopied proof of Final Crisis #3 and were given the chance to answer questions from the audience. Yes, Barry Allen is in issue #3.

Someone asked, why bring Barry back? And why now? Geoff Johns answered that he led the Silver Age, there were lots of thematic ideas, and that the question will figure into Rebirth, with Barry himself asking, “Why am I back?” Dan Didio added that it brings the Crisis story full circle. And that, like Hal Jordan, Barry never really left — people were always bringing him into stories through flashbacks, time travel, impostors, etc.

And, not that anyone should doubt it by now, the lightning rod from “The Lightning Saga” will be addressed in Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds.

Update: More complete coverage of the panel at CBR, at Newsarama, and at The Pulse.