Full sales estimates aren’t available yet, but the November top 10 list shows that Flash: Rebirth #5 took the #9 spot (The Comics Chronicles, via Robot6). That’s lower then the debut issue (ranked #2 for April), but considerably higher than Flash: Rebirth #4, which had dropped to #14 for August.
DC Comics took seven of the top ten slots…four of them written by Geoff Johns: Blackest Night, Green Lantern, Adventure Comics and Flash: Rebirth.
Artist Ethan Van Sciver dropped in at Comic Bloc this morning (for the first time since July) to apologize for the lateness of Flash: Rebirth and to answer fans’ questions. A couple of items that stand out are, first, on inking one’s own pages:
The allure of inking one’s own work is simply to work in a different medium (drawing with ink, as I do, is smoother…the effect of putting solid blacks down instead of scratchy pencils is often more pleasant.) and to be sure that the final product meets with my approval.
And second, on conventions:
Conventions are not “vacations.” They are a vital function of what we do, to promote the comics and meet fans. I do not ride roller coasters, lie on beaches, or relax in any sense. They are work.
That’s something worth remembering. For you or me as fans, a convention might be a vacation. But for someone who makes comics for a living, it’s a promotional event, it’s professional networking, it’s a trade show.
Of course, the sentence that will probably interest the most readers is this: “Issue 6 is more than halfway finished.”
Well, of the 261 votes, the overwhelming consensus was that Flash: Rebirth #5 was good…but those responses were split between those who thought it was “absolutely” worth the wait and those who thought three months was too long. Those who thought the delay was excessive edged out the rest with 47% of the total vote to 35% for those who thought it was worth it.
Those who found it disappointing (or worse) or had already given up on the miniseries made up a sizable minority at 16%.
The latest poll: Which will end first, Flash: Rebirth or Blackest Night: The Flash?
Let’s check in on the internet and see what people have been saying about the latest issue of Flash: Rebirth.
IGN – “Rebirth’s biggest flaw is that it all too often feels more like housekeeping than storytelling….Flash: Rebirth isn’t a bad comic; it’s just far from Johns and Van Sciver’s best.”
DoubleDCoverage – “With just one more issue to go I’m beginning to feel a little concerned about the entertainment value of this series versus it’s existence purely to “fix” things.”
Major Spoilers – “3.5 out of 5 stars overall, by getting past the dark-and-gritty and remembering that some of the best Flash comics are about fun, about dynamism, about family and about a guy who runs fast and does neat stuff…”
Comic Book Resources – “I couldn’t help but be reminded of Unbreakable. And I don’t mean that as an insult. But I do mean that this issue has some of the same assets, and some of the same deficiencies, as that Shyamalan movie”
Mania – “This is a book for fans of superheroes and has all of the classic ingredients thrown in this time around. The stakes are high, the villain is truly villainous and the fists are flying just as much as anyone could want.”
Creative Loafing – “I’m excited about what the future holds for the characters … even though I’m not too thrilled about the present.”
Newsarama: Best Shots – “With some of the method behind Geoff Johns’ madness getting revealed, this issue certainly means big things to the Flash family — as well as fans of the Scarlet Speedster.”
Newsarama: Best Shots Rapid Fire – “[E]ven with Barry sharing the spotlight, this issue was still chock full of great character moments…I can’t wait to find out what the future holds for the new and improved Flash franchise.”
iFanboy: JumpingJupiter – “in spite of it’s ridiculousness and tropes Johns and Sciver do turn this clunky fast-running engine around.”
Paradox Comics Group – “often so entrenched in Flash lore that it becomes difficult for anyone bar the hardcore elite fanboy to fully engage in the action.”
Comicgasm – “This issue finally comes along and explans why Barry’s angsting all this time…But the thing that I really loved about Rebirth #5 is that the Flash family’s finally the spotlight.”
Reilly2040 – “…the best issue of Rebirth so far. The pace finally felt right to me, and it built on the Zoom stuff from issue 4 well.”
Multiversity Comics – “The long and short of it is? It’s awesome.”
Exile in Geeksville – “Geoff Johns has single handedly started the Second Silver Age of Comics.”
Mart Gray is Too Dangerous For a Girl – “The eeeeevil Professor Zoom faces off against more good super-speedsters than you can shake a winged helmet at at an issue with the wow factor on pretty much every Flash-packed page.”
SciFiPulse – “Geoff Johns continues to intrigue and amaze as he re-defines the Scarlet Speedster for DC Comics. Ethan Van Sciver’s art pulls me in and makes me feel I’m experiencing what Barry Allen is going through”
And a few podcasts I haven’t had a chance to listen to yet…
Rokk’s Comic Book Revolution Podcast
And finally, there’s my review of the issue.
I didn’t find nearly as many reviews as I usually do. I guess the slow schedule is killing enthusiasm for the book.
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!
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 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:
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.”