Tag Archives: Blackest Night

Geoff Johns on Word Balloon

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The Word Balloon podcast interviews Geoff Johns, and the writer talks about Flash: Rebirth, Blackest Night, and Legion of Three Worlds. Newsarama has a few excerpts, including this bit about reader reaction to Barry Allen’s characterization:

I love the discussion and debates, because I know where this story is going …I remember when we did The Sinestro Corps Wars, and Kyle at the end of the first issue was possessed by Parallax. People went crazy! They couldn’t believe how we could do this (laughs) …and Ethan was saying ‘We should tell them that he’s not going to be Parallax,’ and I said ‘No! Let them get riled up, because they should, but we know where this story ends.’ … In Flash: Rebirth, Barry is searching for the same answers…this story is trying to solve a crime, but Barry is moving much too fast to do that. [Emphasis added.]

The whole interview is about an hour long. I know what I’m going to be listening to at lunch!

Update: I forgot my headphones, so I had to wait until I got home to listen. 🙁

Things that stood out, Flash-wise:

  • Trying to go against expectations
  • Twist coming for Wally
  • Flash is back, but Barry isn’t yet (figuratively speaking)
  • Bart’s attitude toward the Rogues is sort of “Nyah, nyah, missed me!”
  • Bart and Barry are in sync in terms of sensing that something’s wrong.
  • Expanding the Flash mythos so that there could be more than one Flash book post-Rebirth

Geoff Johns on the Future of Kid Flash

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Kid FlashNewsarama’s Vaneta Rogers has interviewed Geoff Johns about Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds, character returns, and what’s next. (Note: Major spoilers for Legion of Three Worlds #4.)

Most of the article focuses on the Legion and the upcoming Adventure Comics, but there is a little bit about Bart Allen:

What role does Bart Allen play in the DCU now that he’s back as Kid Flash?

GJ: Well, you’ll see that in Flash: Rebirth and beyond that. Kid Flash and Superboy both play pretty big roles in the DCU coming up. They’re both in Blackest Night. They’re going to be front and center in the DCU over the next year. As will the Legion.

That makes sense: Aside from indications that Blackest Night will involve the entire contents of the DC Encyclopedia, the story is about the dead rising from their graves — and here are two characters who have just returned from death, though admittedly they’re a bit more lively than the Black Lanterns appear to be. Though given the way Conner returned, there’s still a body lying around in the present day. I can imagine it being animated as a Black Lantern and the heroes having to put it back where it was so that he can be resurrected in the 31st Century.

But I’m beginning to wonder, between this and other interviews, just how many characters can be “front and center” of the DCU! 😀

Speed Reading: Ruminations and Reviews

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Catching up on linkblogging before Flash: Rebirth #2 hits the shelves…

Ruminations

4thLetter!’s Esther Inglis-Arkell considers the resurrection trend in comics, and likes it — “Because I like characters to be alive.” Photon Torpedoes, however, seems more resigned to the idea.

The Comic Treadmill considers what should go into an All-Star Flash series.

BSI Comics contemplates the fallout Blackest Night will have on DC’s many character variations.

Robot 6’s Grumpy Old Fan wonders if it was really necessary to kill off Bart Allen and a certain other character just to bring them back to great fanfare in Legion of Three Worlds.

Reviews

Last month I missed this review of Flash: Rebirth #1 at Secret Wars on Infinite Earths.

Major Spoilers reviews Legion of Three Worlds #4, giving it 2 of 5 stars.

Quick Review: Blackest Night #0

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Blackest Night #0I made it out to one of my local comic stores on Saturday for Free Comic Book Day, and picked up several books (some free, some not). As a Flash fan and long-time DC reader, I grabbed Blackest Night #0, the prelude to this year’s huge event.

Now, some background: Geoff Johns is really hit-or-miss for me. I loved his run on The Flash and Final Crisis: Rogues’ Revenge, but JSA and Justice Society of America just doesn’t click with me, I couldn’t stand Infinite Crisis, and I’ve never been particularly interested in Green Lantern no matter who’s writing it. (I’m not sure why — you’d think sci-fi space action would be right up my alley.)

Anyway, Blackest Night #0 left me with a resounding “meh.” There wasn’t anything wrong with it, it just wasn’t terribly compelling. It did its job, or at least one part of it, which was to establish which major characters had died recently, show that death in the DC Universe is not always permanent (by focusing on two characters who have come back fro the dead), and introduce the Green Lantern Corps and the groups based around the other colors. for those who might not be keeping up with Green Lantern. But it didn’t catch my interest for picking up the main story, which is what I’m sure DC really wanted it to do.

For some contrast, one of the other books I picked up was the trade paperback, Powers Vol. 12: The 25 Coolest Dead Superheroes of All Time (not free, obviously!). I haven’t read Powers in several years, and I suspect I may have missed a few issues between when I stopped reading and the beginning of this volume. I opened it up when I got home to take a quick look at the first few pages and get an idea of how much time had passed, and couldn’t put it down.

Why Blackest Night #0 is a Free Comic Book

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Blackest Night #0I took a quick look at a site where people were discussing scans of a few pages of Blackest Night #0, one of DC’s offerings for Free Comic Book Day. While there I noticed a discussion as to why this continuity-heavy lead-in to the big 2009 event was not suitable for a new reader who has just wandered into a comic store for the first time (or the first time in several years) to check out the free stuff (that being the primary purpose of FCBD).

Here’s the thing: I don’t think it’s intended for that audience.

I think DC has realized that Free Comic Book Day brings in a lot of regular comics readers looking for something free, like a sale, and they’re going after that audience. This isn’t aimed at people who have never read a comic book. It’s aimed at people who are at least somewhat familiar with DC Comics but maybe haven’t been reading Green Lantern and need a primer for the multiple Corps and the Blackest Night prophecy so that they can jump into the event. It’s aimed at people who read some DC Comics, but weren’t planning on picking up the next big event, but hey, since this one’s free, why not take a look?

And given that it sounds like DC’s entire line is going to be involved in this event over the next 8 months or so, it still works as an introduction to their output.

Flash in Blackest Night

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Green Lantern #44It looks like the Flash will be more heavily involved in this summer’s epic gigantic crossover event Blackest Night than previously suspected. We knew that Barry Allen would co-star in Blackest Night #0, this year’s Free Comic Book Day (May 2) entry. We learned recently that there will be a 3-issue Blackest Night: The Flash miniseries during the second half of the event. Now IGN has the solicitations for the first month of Blackest Night comics, and it looks like he’ll be guest-starring in the Green Lantern issues that comprise the event as well.

Green Lantern #44 (July 22)

“Blackest Night” continues! As Hal Jordan and Barry Allen investigate a bizarre crime in Gotham City, they come face to face with one of their oldest allies – J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter! But their old friend is not there for reunions; he’s come for much more. Meanwhile, Sinestro seeks to rebuild his army and take his revenge on the being who would usurp it – Mongul!