This post originally featured a costumed quintet spotted at HeroesCon last week, featuring Supergirl, Power Girl, Zatanna, the Flash, and Batgirl, with the goggle-wearing Flash holding his pocket watch. That photo is no longer available, but this is the same group (with a few more members), The Guild of Justice-Minded Citizenry, at another event.
Comic Book Resources and Newsarama have posted their write-ups on today’s DC Nation Panel at HeroesCon. Newsarama’s coverage includes a breakdown of the question-and-answer session, including some tantalizing hints about the future of the Flash. (The article notes that these are paraphrased.)
Q: What’s coming up in The Flash?
Ethan VanSciver: “No comment” on what’s coming up, but the artist added, “I love the Flash, Absolutely love the Flash.”
Dan Didio – How much?
EVS – Enough to spend some time with the Flash.
Q: Is the Flash that Ethan wants to spend time on Barry?
EVS: Uhhh.
DD: Enough said.
There have been rumors of a Geoff Johns/Ethan van Sciver project for months, and speculation that it might be a Flash series starring Barry Allen.
Johns and van Sciver are, of course, well-known today for their work on Green Lantern, and Green Lantern: Rebirth — the series which brought Hal Jordan back from limbo and reinstated him as DC’s main Green Lantern — seems particularly relevant. They also teamed on the 2001 graphic novel The Flash: Iron Heights, which introduced a half-dozen new villains to the Flash mythos (focusing on Murmur) and established Keystone City’s equivalent to Arkham Asylum. The opening sequence featured a flashback to Barry Allen, police scientist, testifying at Murmur’s trial.
For several years, Iron Heights has been difficult to find, but it’s now been included in the second edition of Flash: Blood Will Run.
Q: Will a Flash die in Final Crisis?
DD: Quite the opposite.
Well, we’ve known since the end of April that Barry Allen was returning from the dead as part of Final Crisis, so this doesn’t give much away. Interestingly, CBR’s write-up has this as “No, quite the opposite.” That single word makes a difference. That phrasing implies that not only does Barry return, but no other Flashes die. That would indicate that Wally, Jay, and yes, even Barry are safe — at least in Final Crisis itself.
Were any readers at that panel? Can you clarify how Didio phrased this?
Update: The Pulse’s coverage doesn’t try to paraphrase the response, but mentions, “one fan joked that it would mean that Wally West would have more kids.”
Anyone who read The Flash during the mid-1990s will remember artist Mike Wieringo‘s run on the book with Mark Waid. Wieringo’s brief run as regular artist and occasional covers over the next year or so set a standard for Wally West as the Flash, and he co-created Bart Allen, a.k.a. Impulse. His sudden death last August shocked fans around the world.
This weekend, Heroes Con in Charlotte, North Carolina will see two tributes to Mike Wieringo.
First, the Hero Initiative will release What If…This Was The Fantastic Four?: A Tribute to Mike Wieringo. This was the project he was working on at the time of his death.
With Mike’s passing, Marvel Comics generously provided access to the script and Mike’s art to The Hero Initiative, and Mike’s friends stepped up to finish the story, and pay tribute to Mike. Now, What If…This Was The Fantastic Four?: A Tribute to Mike Wieringo is a massive, 48-page tribute book that contains the full story, and additional written tributes to Mike.
The tremendous list of talent participating in the book includes Jeff Parker, Arthur Adams, Paul Renaud, Stuart Immonen, Cully Hamner, Alan Davis, David Williams, Sanford Greene, Humberto Ramos, Skottie Young, Mike Allred, Barry Kitson, and Val Staples. Cover artwork is by Mike Wieringo and Paul Mounts, and The Hero Initiative is publishing the book with the full support of both Marvel Comics, and the family of Mike Wieringo.
The book will be available at the Hero Initiative booth at the con, and will arrive in stores next week. (There’s also a Newsarama interview from back in March.)
Second, the artist’s family has gotten together with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) to create the Mike Wieringo Scholarship, or ’Ringo. (via Warren Ellis)
Created by Mike’s brother Matt and his sister-in-law Suzanne, the ‘Ringo is designed to help provide similar help to artists at the Savannah College of Art and Design or SCAD. Domestic and international students with have a minimum 3.0 grade point average who demonstrate financial need and display a serious interest in pursuing comics as a career are eligible. The scholarship will take effect in the artist’s second year of classes, and is renewable for up to two additional years, provided the student continues to meet the criteria.
The recipient will be chosen from three finalists determined by the college in a portfolio review by Matt and Suzanne Wieringo, along with a rotating group. The ultimate goal for the ‘Ringo is to raise enough funds so that it can cover a full year’s expenses at SCAD, approximately $30,000.
The scholarship will be raising funds in Artists Alley at Heroes Con through selling sketchbooks, comics featuring his artwork, original art, sketches by other artists, and collecting donations.
Update June 22: Newsarama has coverage of the scholarship at HeroesCon, and adds that they plan to have an annual presence at the con.