Tag Archives: Life Story of the Flash

This Week: Flash #11, Digital Flash(back) #43-45, Life Story of the Flash

This week sees the release of Flash #11 and the arrival of Heat Wave, as the series builds toward August’s Flash Annual. A 3-page preview is available, which led to some heavy discussion here last week. Marcus To and Ray McCarthy provide guest art for the second of two issues, with Manapul and Buccellato taking over again next month.

THE FLASH #11
Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL and BRIAN BUCCELLATO
Art by MARCUS TO
1:25 B&W Variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL

• The New 52 debut of HEAT WAVE!
• THE FLASH is on a crash course with THE ROGUES!

This week also brings three new digital back-issues at ComiXology from The Flash (1987-2009). All three are by William Messner-Loebs and Greg LaRocque.

  • Flash #43: The Trouble with Kilg%re – The stories of Linda’s possession and Kilg%re’s return collide head-on, with the Flash caught in the middle.
  • Flash #44: Balance Sheet – Wally West saves a mugging victim, but can’t move him safely to reach an emergency room. What’s a speedster to do?
  • Flash #45: Dog Days – Flash teams up with Vixen as Grodd leads the animals of Keystone City in a rebellion against the humans. Part 1 of 3.

And finally, ComiXology has a digital copy of The Life Story of the Flash, a 100-page combination prose/graphic novel written as if it were the in-universe biography of Barry Allen by his widow, Iris Allen. Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn wrote it, with art by Gil Kane, Joe Staton and Tom Palmer. Interestingly, DC has given ComiXology the “DC Presents” reprint as the basis for the digital copy. Definitely recommended, even if most of it’s been erased by now.

This Week: Flash #3 & Life Story of the Flash (Updated)

If the Fastest Man Alive is going to capture Mob Rule, he must first tap into his new amped-up super brain to save the citizens of Central City from the EMP that has blacked out the city. Witness a spectacular sequence of out-of-control cars, trains and even airplanes that must be stopped from destroying the city!

Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL and BRIAN BUCCELLATO; Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL; 1:25 Variant cover by JIM LEE; 1:200 B&W Variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL

DC Universe 32pg. Color $2.99 US

Notes: A four-page preview is up on DC Comics’ Google+ page. This is also the issue that Brian Buccellato gave me a sneak peek at when we talked at Long Beach Comic Con, and let me just say: it’s awesome. You don’t want to miss this one.

Update: I completely forgot to include the reprint of the Mark Waid/Brian Augustyn Life Story of the Flash in the new DC Comics Presents format.

DC Comics Presents: The Life Story of the Flash

This striking tale combines comic-book illustration and prose to follow Barry Allen from his humble childhood to his noble death, detailing his transformation from police scientist to one of the DC Universe’s most dynamic heroes.

Written by MARK WAID and BRIAN AUGUSTYN; Art by GIL KANE, JOE STATON and TOM PALMER; Cover by GLEN ORBIK

DC Universe 96pg. Color $7.99 US

Notes: It’s nice to see this back in print, though a lot of it’s been erased from history — first by Flash: Rebirth and then by Flashpoint/the New 52. The 1997 hardcover was written as Iris Allen’s in-universe biography of Barry Allen after his death has made his dual identity public.