Tag Archives: Blackest Night

Review: Blackest Night: The Flash #1

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Blackest Night: The Flash #1 (Standard)

Blackest Night: The Flash: #1 shows how to start a Flash miniseries: by hitting the ground running. Literally. While Geoff Johns took a slow burn approach for Flash: Rebirth, this time he starts in media res, with the Flash racing around the world to let everyone know what Earth is up against: the dead are rising from their graves, possessed by Black Lantern rings.

The one-page opening sequence, followed by a dramatic double-page splash of the Flash running, serves another purpose: filling in readers who might not be familiar with the main Blackest Night miniseries. As someone who hasn’t been following the main event directly, I found this page extremely helpful. Similarly, I imagine the two-page recap of Flash: Rebirth would probably help anyone approaching this miniseries from the Blackest Night perspective get “up to speed” with the current status of the Flash.

Once the recaps are out of the way, the issue alternates between high-speed Flash vs. Black Lantern action and interludes of the Rogues as they prepare to face their dead comrades. It’s effective pacing, providing both contrast and a sense of weight to an issue that, despite the battles, is still mostly setup (more about that later).

Rogue Artist

I’ve probably said it before, but Scott Kolins’ art is a perfect fit for the grizzled Rogues. He proves equally well-suited to the undead Black Lanterns. Kolins also does a great job of conveying motion and stillness — important, since that contrast is one of the issue’s major themes. On the downside, there are places where his art comes off as too rough. A one-panel appearance of the Titans stands out as an example.

Connected

The story is surprisingly connected to Flash: Rebirth, following through on several elements established in that miniseries but not (at least as far as issue #5) resolved. It seems that Blackest Night: The Flash will be exploring the fallout from Rebirth‘s changes, paving the way (one hopes) for more stand-alone stories in the new Flash ongoing that launches next year.

Even so, this issue feels less like setup and more like an actual story than the five issues of Flash: Rebirth that we’ve seen so far.

Okay. It’s spoiler time. If you don’t want to know specifics, stop reading now. Otherwise, keep reading after the cut.

Continue reading →

Blackest Night: Flash #1 Preview is Up

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IGN has posted a 5-page preview of Blackest Night: The Flash #1, due in stores this Wednesday. Here’s the final cover by Scott Kolins, complete with logo, next to Ethan Van Sciver’s cover for Flash: Rebirth #1:

Blackest Night: The Flash #1 (Standard) Flash: Rebirth #1

Blackest Night: The Flash #1 (Variant)Interestingly, Francis Manapul’s alternate cover turns out to be the one DC used in the solicitations for issue #3 — which means we have no idea what the real covers for #3 are going to look like!

A couple of things that come to mind reading this:

  • It’s great to see Scott Kolins’ art on the Flash again.
  • Nice touch to list the time-traveling Reverse-Flash on both the living and dead columns.
  • Am I misremembering, or is the new “about box” for Barry’s origin (at the bottom of the splash page) more complicated than the one they used for Wally?

Head over to IGN to read the preview!

More Flash Delays — Rebirth #6 Now Due January 27

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Well, the streak had to end sometime, and DC has rescheduled two upcoming Flash issues.

Before you freak out, Blackest Night: The Flash is still starting next week!

Flash: Rebirth #6 (thumb)However, DC has pushed Flash: Rebirth #6 from December 23 to January 27, 2010. That’s 10 weeks from the November 18 release of issue #5, comparable to the gaps between #3 and #4 (11 weeks) and between #4 and #5 (12 weeks). Flash: Rebirth #1–3 shipped on time, with 5 weeks between each issue.

January 27 came in fourth in the reader poll I ran a few weeks ago, with 14% of the vote. February came in first with 20%, and December 23 and “April or Later” tied for second. (I only listed specific dates for December and January.)

Meanwhile, Blackest Night: The Flash #2 has been given an extra week, and should ship January 20.

For now, Blackest Night: The Flash #3 is holding to its original date of February 17, so it should wrap in plenty of time for the Secret Files book in March and the new ongoing series in April.

Edit: Here’s my previous breakdown of the schedule, including the delays and the gaps. It’s current through the final release date of #5. At this point I’m going to wait until I have #6 in my hands before I update it.

New poll: Which will end first, Flash: Rebirth or Blackest Night: The Flash?

Geoff Johns Talks Flash’s Future

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Geoff Johns posted on Comic Bloc this morning about plans for the Flash through 2010. He recommends that Flash fans read Blackest Night #5, says he’s seen Blackest Night: Flash #1 and goes on to reveal:

  • March sees the release of Flash Secret Files 2010.
  • April features “not one, but two new Flash titles. There have been a few minor top secret alterations that will be revealed soon, I think, about the books.”

Presumably that means The Flash and Kid Flash will both debut in April. The top secret alterations may include a backup feature in Kid Flash, or perhaps an artist change. (I suppose it could mean two Flash books in April and then Kid Flash in May, but that seems unlikely for now.)

He talks a little about the new series:

The first arc of THE FLASH is called THE DASTARDLY DEATH OF THE ROGUES and should be self-explanatory…kind of. 🙂 Other arcs will include MURDER IN GORILLA CITY, THE RETURN OF ### ######## and a brand new Rogue with a power unlike anyone in comics, but perfect for the Flash.

Johns also addresses the delays with Flash: Rebirth, saying it’s “as frustrating for [him] as anyone” and adding that “after much debate, we didn’t want to hand the series over to another artist or spilt up the book.”

There’s a lot more, particularly about Blackest Night: The Flash. He notes that “the ending [of the first issue?] might be my favorite line Captain Cold has ever uttered.”

Blackest Night: Flash Collection Details

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Blackest Night: Black Lantern Corps Vol.2Collected Editions has determined the full contents of the Blackest Night collections. The six tie-in miniseries will be collected in two volumes of Blackest Night: The Black Lantern Corps — one for the first round featuring Superman, Batman and the Titans, and one for the second round featuring the Flash, Wonder Woman, and the Justice Society of America.

So Blackest Night: The Flash will be collected in Blackest Night: The Black Lantern Corps Vol.2, shipping July 13, 2010. I don’t know if this is intended as the actual cover, or if it’s a placeholder provided to Amazon.