Tag Archives: Mark Waid

Speed Reading: Rogues Rebellion, Arrow & More

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Some recent Flash-related articles…

Brian Buccellato talks about Villains Month, Rogues Rebellion, Forever Evil, Zero Year, and more at CBR. In addition to co-writing the main Flash series, he’s solo writing the Grodd and Rogues one-shots and the Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion miniseries.

EW reports that Arrow is casting Barry Allen and will begin shooting the Flash’s first episode on September 30.

Scott Lobdell talks about Kid Flash’s origin at Newsarama.

Mark Waid, who has been accused by some comics retailers of trying to put them out of business with his digital comics efforts (particularly Thrillbent), has bought a comic store to prove that he’s not anti-print.

Ron Marz talks about hanging onto ideas for the right time, describing how a concept for an unused Hourman revamp in the early 1990s eventually inspired the story structure of the Velocity miniseries.

Plus a few links from early August that made it to Twitter and Facebook but somehow never made it onto the blog:

In a reprint column, Peter David rounds up a discussion on comic book villainy.

Lots of people talk to Newsarama about the Flash’s lasting appeal (including me!)

Brian Buccellato’s Top 8 Flash Rogues.

Kid Flash appears in the twelfth Who’s Who Podcast episode.

Speed Reading: Notpocalypse Edition

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Sorry I haven’t had time to keep this round-up column going lately. I’ve picked a few highlights since the last round-up, focusing on the more recent ones:

Sterling Gates talks about that Kid Flash series that was announced in 2009 but never actually launched, saying “I don’t think it ever made it past the initial pitch and a couple written scenes.”

The FLASHPOINT: KID FLASH LOST mini I wrote in 2011 was sort of the tone we were planning on for that series: serious stories with humor in the mix. Woulda been a belter, too, with Bart, Max Mercury, and Xs returning to Blue Valley, Nebraska to fight villainy…and other super speedsters.

Comic Book Legends Revealed brings us a Christmas story with the Three Dimwits — who were basically the Three Stooges, inserted wholesale into the Golden Age Flash comics by Gardner Fox.

Mark Waid & Impulse DrawingNewsarama tells the story of how Mike Wieringo’s first Impulse drawing made its way back to Mark Waid.

Speaking of Mark Waid, his run on the Flash was voted #36 in the Top 100 comic runs as selected by Comics Should Be Good readers back in October, the only Flash run to make the list.

Brian Buccellato is writing a revival of The Black Bat, a pulp-era superhero who’s been largely forgotten in favor of that other guy who dresses up as a bat and fights crime. Here are two interviews at Newsarama and at CBR.

Jim Zub breaks down where your $2.99 goes on a typical indie comic. There isn’t much left over for the writer and artist. Follow-up: looking at digital sales.

Jill Pantozzi has resurrected “Hey, That’s My Cape!” at IGN, starting with a piece of advice that sounds simple on its face, but seems to be hard for comics fans to follow through on: Stop reading comics you don’t like. For me, the last straw was Countdown to Final Crisis. From that point on, I resolved to only read comics that looked interesting, not those that I felt obligated to read. I slip up sometimes, but overall I enjoy my comics more than I used to.

Update: CBR has the results of their poll for who fans want to debut in the New 52. A certain missing speedster handily takes the number one spot.

This Week’s Digital Flashbacks: Born to Run and Impulse’s Family Reunion

Flash #62: Born to Run Part 1 Impulse #23

It’s an all-Mark Waid week in ComiXology’s digital Flash/Impulse back-issues. Last week they finished re-releasing the last of the William Messner-Loebs run on The Flash, and this week, they begin Mark Waid’s classic run on the series with the first two parts of “Born to Run,” re-telling Wally West’s origin in the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths universe (Flash #62-63).

In Impulse #23-24, it’s an origin of sorts for Bart Allen as well: his mother catches up with him from the 30th century and wants him to return to his own time, and we get to see for the first time the centuries-spanning Thawne-Allen feud. Interestingly enough, this is near the end of Mark Waid’s run on this series. In a few weeks, they’ll begin on the run by…William Messner-Loebs.

Impulse TPB & Flash Chronicles vol.4 coming in 2013

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Impulse #1

DC has posted a list of collections for Spring 2013, including this surprise:

Impulse Vol. 1: Runs in the Family TP
Writer: Mark Waid
Artists: Humberto Ramos, Wayne Faucher and Brad Vancata
Collects: IMPULSE -6, 8-9 and 12-13
$19.99 US, 240 pg
March 2013

It’s been 15 years since DC first tried collecting Impulse in Reckless Youth. That book collected Bart Allen’s three-part debut from Flash -94, plus the first six issues of his solo series. A few years back, during Flash: Rebirth, they capitalized on Ethan Van Sciver’s name by releasing the oddly titled The Flash (Featuring Impulse): Mercury Falling, which collected Impulse #62–67.

These issues feature the first appearance of White Lightning, guest appearances by XS of the DnA Legion of Super-Heroes, and several stories focusing on Bart’s circle of friends at school.

So, what’s missing?

  • Impulse is a fill-in by Martin Pasko, Nick Gnazzo and Mark Stegbauer in which Impulse battles a villain called Gridlock.
  • Impulse -11 are part of the “Dead Heat” crossover with The Flash, and were previously collected (again, over a decade ago) in Flash: Dead Heat. Dead Heat is also out of print, but I’m encouraged by the fact that DC has been re-releasing the Wally West series digitally, and the fact that they’re actually reprinting something by Mark Waid here.

Update! (July): The book is now available for pre-order.

Also coming next year:

The Flash Chronicles Vol. 4 TP
Writers: John Broome
Artists: Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella
Collects: THE FLASH #119-124
$14.99 US, 160 pg
April 2013

This brings the Chronicles series of Silver Age reprints up to 1961, and the Flash Chronicles v.1-4 line up with Flash Archives v.1-3. This collection features the Mirror Master, the Trickster, the Top (with the now-infamous Atomic Grenade!) and Captain Boomerang (launching the Flash into space), as well as well-known stories “Land of the Golden Giants” and the classic “Flash of Two Worlds!”

Justice League: Doom Blu-Ray Release To Feature Exclusive Flash Figurine *Updated*

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Retailer, Best Buy will be adding a little something extra to the Blu-Ray release of Justice League: Doom; an exclusive miniature Flash figurine. The figurine will be similar to past DC Animated release exclusives and will be the eighth statue released thus far:

 

Justice League: Doom is the latest direct to video film to be released through DC Animated. Slated for release February 28th, the film adapts the Tower of Babel story line from the “Morrison Era” League and penned by Mark Waid. In the story it is revealed that Batman has devised different methods of incapacitating his allies if they ever were to go rogue. Unfortunately the plans fall into the hands of the bad guys and we get to witness the fall out.

The story was adapted for the screen by the late, great Dwayne McDuffie and features Michael Rosenbaum, the voice of Wally West on Justice League and Justice League Unlimited and Lex Luthor on Smallville, as Barry Allen this time around.

I personally have to say, great move on DC’s part to include the  Flash figurine. Now I will be picking it up on launch day as opposed to not at all. Who else is picking up the release now that the Flash figurine has been added? Who would have picked it up otherwise? Let us know in the comments below.

Thanks to Phantom Stranger for the tip.

*****UPDATED*****

I picked up Justice League: Doom on my break today and I was able to snap some pictures of the exclusive Flash figurine:

 

–Devin “Flash” Johnson

Digital “Flash 101” Sale This Weekend

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DC Comics has announced a “Flash 101” sale on digital comics. All listed Flash titles will be only 99 cents for 48 hours starting August 13. They don’t say where, but I think it’s safe to assume it’s at ComiXology, because they’re DC’s exclusive online vendor at this point.

And they’ve added a lot more issues.

Up to this point, ComiXology has had everything from Flash: Rebirth onward. Over the last few days, readers have spotted early issues from Wally West’s series, the beginning of Impulse, and a few scattered issues from the Bronze Age. Check out the full list of titles on sale after the jump:  Continue reading →