The New 52 may be going on hiatus for Convergence in April and May, but the TV and other continuity books keep going, including…
THE FLASH SEASON ZERO #7
Written by ANDREW KREISBERG, KAI WU and LAUREN CERTO
Art by PHIL HESTER and ERIC GAPSTUR
Photo cover
On sale APRIL 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST
It’s The Flash vs. King Shark! Can Barry save his friends (and himself) from this terrifying death machine?
DC has solicited the next Flash collection:
THE FLASH VOL. 6: OUT OF TIME HC
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI and VAN JENSEN
Art by BRETT BOOTH, NORM RAPMUND, RON FRENZ and LIVESAY
Cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
On sale JUNE 17 • 208 pg, FC, $24.99 US
In these tales from THE FLASH #30-35, THE FLASH ANNUAL #3 and THE FLASH: FUTURES END #1, the fastest man alive is a broken man. His powers have failed him time and again at great cost to him and the city he has sworn to protect. Now he’s coming back to the current time to stop the one event that destroyed his life. And in the present, Barry Allen must contend with thieves trying to capitalize on the devastation of FOREVER EVIL. It’s a tale of two timelines that ushers in one of The New 52’s most anticipated character debuts!
It’s a bit different from the original announcement, which was for a trade paperback that stopped at Flash #34. I’m guessing the format was changed based on either sales or an editorial decision to keep the hardcovers going, and the inclusion of Future’s End: The Flash and The Flash #35 happened when someone pointed out that the main story didn’t actually end in #34!
Newsarama has* the first week of Convergence solicitations, including:
CONVERGENCE: SPEED FORCE #1
Written by TONY BEDARD
Art by TOM GRUMMETT and SEAN PARSONS
Cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
Variant cover designed by CHIP KIDD
On sale APRIL 8 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 2, $3.99 US • RATED T
STARRING HEROES FROM THE PRE-FLASHPOINT DCU! The fastest family alive loses its powers as Wally West and his kids face an uncertain future while trapped away from home. Will they be able to outrun the chaos that follows the arrival of Flashpoint Wonder Woman? Plus, don’t miss the most unexpected Zoo Crew character of all!
Also, Jesse Quick is in Justice League:
CONVERGENCE: JUSTICE LEAGUE #1
Written by FRANK TIERI
Art by VICENTE CIFUENTES
Cover by MARK BUCKINGHAM
Variant cover designed by CHIP KIDD
On sale APRIL 8 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 2, $3.99 US • RATED T
STARRING HEROES FROM THE PRE-FLASHPOINT DCU! The Justice League story you never expected to see begins when Supergirl, Zatanna, Vixen and Jade attend Jesse Quick’s baby shower, which quickly turns into a life-and-death struggle with Flashpoint Aquaman!
*They posted it two days ago, and somehow I missed it. Busy week!
DC has been unveiling their March 2015 solicitations (CBR), including…
THE FLASH #40
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI and VAN JENSEN
Art and cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
MOVIE POSTER Variant cover by BILL SIENKIEWICZ
On sale MARCH 25 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US RATED T
Barry Allen finds a way to escape the Speed Force – but can the Fastest Man Alive return home and stop Future Flash’s murderous plans?
After this issue, the New 52 line will go on hiatus for two months for Convergence, during which we’ll see two issues focusing on a 1980s-era Barry Allen and two focusing on Wally West and his children. A lot of titles are ending, but since this isn’t marked as such, it looks like the New 52 Flash will be back in June with #41.
And beyond the New 52…
THE FLASH SEASON ZERO #6
Written by ANDREW KREISBERG
Art by PHIL HESTER and ERIC GAPSTUR
Photo cover
On sale MARCH 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST
A new story arc begins here! When peculiar homicides start to occur in Central City, Barry and Joe recruit the S.T.A.R. Labs team to help with the investigation. It isn’t long before the gang discovers something even more shocking when reports indicate that the wounds on the deceased appear to have been caused by…a great white shark!
DC has revealed the fourth week of Convergence miniseries, focusing on the pre-Crisis versions of characters from Earth-2, Earth-3, Earth-4, Earth-S and Earth-X. Yep, that means classic Justice Society of America (featuring Jay Garrick) and Infinity, Inc., a Marvel Family book where Captain Marvel (I mean Shazam) really is the world’s premiere super-hero, and even an old-school Crime Syndicate (featuring Earth-3 Johnny Quick).
Convergence deals with Braniac’s collection of cities from multiple realities, and what happens when he opens the domes and allows them to interact. The main story will be told in a 9-part weekly series in April and May. DC’s New 52 line goes on a two-month hiatus, replaced by a zillion two-part miniseries focusing on different characters, including a 2000s-era West family and 1980s Flash.
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA
Writer: Dan Abnett
Artists: Tom Derenick and Trevor Scott
Colorist: Monica Kubina
Older and in full retirement under the dome, members of the Justice Society get the chance to regain their youths to stave off forces from the Qward Universe. But the promise of youth comes with a deadly price.
Note: Dan Abnett is also writing the Bronze Age Barry Allen miniseries for the event.
CRIME SYNDICATE
Writer: Brian Buccellato
Artist: Phil Winslade
Colorist: Lovern Kindzierski
The Crime Syndicate’s absolute control of their city is challenged when the dome comes down and changes everything. Now, Superwoman is on death row while the rest of the team fights One Million Universe’s Batman and Superman!
Note: You’ll recognize Brian Buccellato of course as half of the Manapul/Buccellato team from the first two years of the New 52 Flash.
I’m kind of surprised there’s no Silver Age week. I guess the nostalgia wave has passed it by. On the other hand, there’s also this:
WORLD’S FINEST COMICS
Writer: Paul Levitz
Artists: Jim Fern and Joe Rubinstein with cartoons by Shannon Wheeler
Colorist: Paul Mounts
The Seven Soldiers of Victory regroup to defend their city against the Qward invasion, while cartoonist Scribbly Jibbet transcribes their adventures.
Scribbly was a fictionalized version of Sheldon Mayer, a writer, artist and editor going back to the Golden Age who was involved with launching or editing just about every major DC character on the All-American side of the company including the Flash, and made at least two cameos in All-Flash. Mayer also wrote and drew the semi-autobiographical comic strip Scribbly, the Boy Cartoonist.
Scribbly Jibbet!
DC Comics has announced the titles that will make up the third week of Convergence’s miniseries that will take the place of the New 52 line for two months next April and May. Convergence tells the story of what happens when Braniac takes all the fragments of different realities he’s collected from across the multiverse…and allows them to interact.
The first week was all about the 2000s versions of DC’s characters (including the West family) interacting with worlds like Flashpoint. Week two is all about the 90s right around the time of Zero Hour. Week three, not surprisingly, seems to be focusing on the early 1980s pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths heroes.
And there’s this solicitation and art at Nerdist:
THE FLASH
Writer: Dan Abnett
Artist: Federico Dallocchio
Colorist: Veronica GandiniTrapped in Gotham, Barry Allen has nowhere to run. He fights on, seeking justice as well as a way to save the city. But he faces a Tangent Universe foe that thinks faster than the Flash could ever move.
I’d guess that’s the Tangent universe’s Superman he’s up against. I really hope somewhere in all this they do a Flash of Two Worlds cover. Anyway, here’s a splash page from the book, via @dccomics on Twitter:
