Comics Questions and Info

[phoenics]

So they've given Savage a new backstory here?  I didn't think he was entwined with the Hawks.  I thought he was a caveman that fell asleep next to a meteor, long before ancient Egypt.

yeah - that was a twist on his origin story. Maybe he still fell asleep next to the meteor and then somehow figured out how to extend his life-force via the Hawks?

[Trini]

So this Velocity drug is a thing from the comics?

[phoenics]

Velocity 9 is. But didn't Vandal Savage make that?

[mathewt]

They merged two different DC characters here....Vandal Savage and Hath-Set. The former is a caveman who gained immortality from a meteor. The latter was the guy who killed the Hawks and reincarnated just like they do. Interesting that they merged them.

[Chicago Redshirt]

Velocity 9 is. But didn't Vandal Savage make that?

Yes. Back in the late 80s or early 90s, when Wally West was first getting his own comic as the Flash, Vandal Savage had set up a distribution of Velocity 9.

 

Unlike Velocity 6 from the show (at least as we have seen so far), Velocity 9  was pretty bad. It made the user high in addition to being addictive and having other negative side effects.

[phoenics]

Yes. Back in the late 80s or early 90s, when Wally West was first getting his own comic as the Flash, Vandal Savage had set up a distribution of Velocity 9.

 

Unlike Velocity 6 from the show (at least as we have seen so far), Velocity 9  was pretty bad. It made the user high in addition to being addictive and having other negative side effects.

I hope this ties into Zoom and how he got the way he is... I hope it's because of Velocity X or something ... and I hope Harrison from E-2 had something to do with it...

[Trini]

For anyone else like me, who is not that informed, the DC comics website has a feature that gives a nugget of info about elements in each episode that come from the comics.

[Trini]

Time wraiths -- is that from the comics? They really didn't give much of any explanation in the show. Ghosts hunting down time travelers is even more random than usual for this show.

[xyzzy]

Time wraiths -- is that from the comics?

I never read the comics but a friend of mine who is well-versed in the history of The Flash is convinced that the Time Wraiths are at least partially inspired by Black Flash, particularly because their design seems to feature a partial cowl.

[zannej]

The wraiths really do look like former speedsters who met their demise somehow. Maybe any speedsters who get caught and can't escape end up becoming time wraiths themselves.

[Rai]

Knowing what I know about Earth 3, I hope Real Jay Garrick doesn't become a problem down the road.  What with looking like Barry's dead dad and all.  That would be SO cruel!

[Trini]

I swear, it's like the producers are trying to do all the good/big Flash stories before they get embargoed by the movie universe.

[Kromm]

21 hours ago, Rai said:

Knowing what I know about Earth 3, I hope Real Jay Garrick doesn't become a problem down the road.  What with looking like Barry's dead dad and all.  That would be SO cruel!

I know Shipp himself talked about the Comics Earth-3 in an interview, but I don't think there's any way this is the same Earth-3. It doesn't even match. Earth-3's speedster (or rather the original "Earth-Three"--notice the difference) was Johnny Quick, not Jay Garrick. Actually both Earth-Three and Earth-3 had that setup. So this is a brand new Earth 3 (let's notate this one without the dash between Earth and 3, which the comics one actually had).

[phoenics]

On 12/3/2015 at 6:59 PM, phoenics said:

I hope this ties into Zoom and how he got the way he is... I hope it's because of Velocity X or something ... and I hope Harrison from E-2 had something to do with it...

Well - I guessed this right after all (back in December!), lol.  This season had a lot of predictability to it.

[Rai]

I do know all about the comics and Earth-3, Johnny Quick, dashes, and all, thanks.  But since the TV show is its own universe altogether, not even in a meta way, all bets are off.    

[zannej]

I'm glad they aren't sticking to everything the comics have done. I believe in the comics, Johnny Quick died to save his daughter and then at some point Jesse Quick cheated on her husband with her mother's boyfriend or something stupid like that-- but I don't think that counts toward current continuity. I honestly don't know why they ever hired hacks like Devin Grayson and Bill Willingham to write for DC. Both of them destroyed the characterization in the comics they wrote and sales tanked.

That said, I would like them to stick to some of the elements-- such as Barry and Iris being together. Impulse being a descendant of the Allen and Thawne lines-- and Wally marrying Linda.

[Kromm]

I don't mind some of the changes from the comics, even the ones where they just borrow a name and change everything else, but I think it's a total douche move to move over Godspeed, when that's a villain the comics JUST invented... like 6 months ago. The story of that villain is barely started and developing a parallel TV version so quickly?  Not cool. 

[Trini]

It's Savitar, not Godspeed.

[Trini]

Thought I had posted this here:

On 10/4/2016 at 1:24 AM, Trini said:

DC characters from the CW-verse are getting featured in the comics: namely, Atom, Vixen, the Ray, and Killer Frost.

A little more info about the Killer Frost Rebirth from writer Steve Orlando:

Quote

MS: Lastly, I want to talk a little about Killer Frost. What can you say about her accepting the mantle of a hero in the Justice League after working as a villain for so long?

SO: A lot of her character came from our artist Mirka Andolfo’s work, as my co-writer Jody Houser and I saw it develop on the page. Frost to me is an interesting character. A lot of of it is about owning what you’ve done and finding a way to move forward as an adult and as a person in the world.

She was a promising scientist until an accident that she had no control over forced her to become something else. She can’t control her need for organic heat or human heat, because she’ll die if she doesn’t have it.

I think we’ve all been in situations where circumstances forced us to make decisions we regret later or wouldn’t make otherwise. Hers are, of course, widespread and large on account of the damage. But I look at her as someone who needs understanding.

There’s steps to be taken on both sides regarding Killer Frost. It’s her decision if she wants to be better. And it’s the decision of the heroes around her to understand and not just lock her away in prison. If those two things meet in the middle, you’re left with someone willing to grow and change and put in the work to make herself better.

And it is work. You backslide. You rise back up. But this is someone who’s finally ready to realize that it’s time to start fighting back against her urges. And this is true for anyone with a sickness or addiction. It can be a powerful moment, because she’s not ignoring what she’s done or the thing that she’s become. She’s engaging them and planning a way to come out on top.

So she's getting a redemption arc; seems like that may have been influenced by the TV show - since I doubt they will turn Caitlin full-on villain. (Although, it's definitely a possibility.)

Edited January 15, 2017 by Trini

[Trini]

Preview of Justice League of America: Rebirth #1; featuring Killer Frost vs. Black Canary:

Quote

During the events of Justice League vs. Suicide Squad, Killer Frost demonstrated that she had the will to remake herself into a heroine. Inspired by her example, Batman is assembling a second Justice League to give others a second chance to be heroes as well. Towards that end, the Dark Knight is looking to recruit Vixen, the Ray, the Atom, Black Canary, and Lobo. Yes, that Lobo, and it’s quite a departure for the Main Man. Of course, two questions remain: how will Batman keep Lobo in line? And what are the threats awaiting the new Justice League of America?

[Trini]

Article about what's up with the Flash in the current continuity: DC Rebirth: How The Flash became a mentor again

[Trini]

Heh! I don't know how long this has been going on (I don't read the comics), but in the preview for the next Flash:Rebirth they use the same logos for CCPD and CC Jitters from the show!

[Trini]

The Flash is making an appearance in the Green Arrow comics: http://www.comicosity.com/first-look-green-arrow-26-and-27/

Quote

GREEN ARROW #26
Written by Benjamin Percy
Art by Stephen Byrne and more
Published by DC Comics
Release Date: July 5, 2017

“HARD TRAVELING HERO” part one. Unwilling to let another city suffer the same fate as Seattle, Green Arrow kicks off a new quest to hunt down the Ninth Circle across America! To stop disaster before it can happen, the (in)famously hot-headed Oliver Queen must mend fences with those he’s alienated in the past, starting with THE FLASH! The second epic year of GREEN ARROW REBIRTH begins here!

 

[Trini]

Justice League movie tie-in; variant cover for The Flash #34 by Mike McKone:

[Trini]

http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/10/06/flash-war-will-answer-who-is-the-better-flash-barry-or-wally

Quote

During DC Comics’ Dark Nights: Metal/New Age of Heroes panel at New York Comic Con, three announcements for new stories and comic books were revealed.

First among them was “Flash War,” a new storyline from writer Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter. Williamson explained how he always gets asked who is the better Flash, Barry Allen or the classic Wally West, so he’s going to use this story to address that fan debate. It will kick off in The Flash Annual #1, out in February.

[GHScorpiosRule]

5 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

 

Unless the show follows the comics, in which Ralph Dibny is very happily married (his wife Sue even becomes a sort of surrogate mother to Gypsy and Vibe).

Speaking of Sue...wasn't she murdered in Identity Crisis by...Ralph's ex? Or was Sue the one who killed his second wife? I just remember the last panel, I think it was, of Ralph talking to where his wife would have been, next to him, as if she were still alive.

Can anyone refresh my memory? I was too tired to pull out my comic and double check. Thanks.

Edited November 1, 2017 by GHScorpiosRule
Because Identity is not the same as Infinity!

[tennisgurl]

3 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Can anyone refresh my memory? I was too tired to pull out my comic and double check. Thanks.

If I remember right, it was actually Ray Palmer's ex who killed Sue, in some convoluted plot to get him back. Sue was basically collateral damage. If they do introduce Sue for Ralph to fall in love with, I really hope they dont take much from that particular story line. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

13 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

If I remember right, it was actually Ray Palmer's ex who killed Sue, in some convoluted plot to get him back. Sue was basically collateral damage. If they do introduce Sue for Ralph to fall in love with, I really hope they dont take much from that particular story line. 

Right! It's coming back to me! Ray's ex was whackadoo! Thanks @tennisgurl!

[tennisgurl]

No problem @GHScorpiosRule ! Comic book Ray actually had worst luck in romance than TV Ray does! That lady was all kinds of wacked out! Like, lady, just call your ex and ask if he wants to go out? Why complicate things? 

Edited November 1, 2017 by tennisgurl

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 minute ago, tennisgurl said:

No problem @GHScorpiosRule ! Comic book Ray actually had worst luck in romance than TV Ray does! That lady was all kinds of wacked out! Like, lady, just call your ex and ask if he wants to go out? Why complicate things? 

I know! Who did the artwork? Jim Lee? Because whoever it was, did an AMAZING job to show how batshit crazy she was! It's all in the EYES!

[tennisgurl]

Oh my God I know @GHScorpiosRule she had a serious case of the crazy eyes! The art was really great, even if the story was rather hit and miss. What makes the whole thing especially confusing is that I`m pretty sure Jean, the character in the comic who killed Sue (and became a super villain) was a minor character in Arrow. She of the Crazy Eyes.  I think she was one of the Queens rich friends? Either way, its a weird connection. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

Oh my God I know @GHScorpiosRule she had a serious case of the crazy eyes! The art was really great, even if the story was rather hit and miss. What makes the whole thing especially confusing is that I`m pretty sure Jean, the character in the comic who killed Sue (and became a super villain) was a minor character in Arrow. She of the Crazy Eyes.  I think she was one of the Queens rich friends? Either way, its a weird connection. 

Yeah, nothing sane about this one, whacked out, batshit crazy Jean...

 

[legaleagle53]

And from what I remember of her, she once had a nervous breakdown even before she married Ray.  In fact, when Ray revealed his secret identity as the Atom to her on the eve of their wedding, she stood silent for a couple of minutes, and Ray was afraid that the revelation had been too much of a shock for her.  As it was, she freaked out and questioned whether she could even go through with marrying a man that she didn't feel she even knew anymore, but she got over it enough that the wedding went off without a hitch the next day.  Of course, that's not counting the fact that the wedding party -- made up of Ray and his best man and groomsmen (Barry Allen, Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Ralph Dibny, Arthur Curry [Aquaman], and Oliver Queen) and Jean's maid of honor and bridesmaids (Dinah Drake Lance [Black Canary], Linda Danvers [Supergirl], and Diana Prince [Wonder Woman]) -- had just the day before successfully defeated a supervillain who called herself Maori, the Goddess of Love, who tried to enslave the male heroes and goad them into killing the females!

What's really odd is that I remember reading a later story involving her where she was as super-supportive of Ray's identity as the Atom as Iris West was of Barry.  I had no idea that she went completely around the bend years later!

Edited November 3, 2017 by legaleagle53

[scarynikki12]

This thread has been updated to replace the Spoiler tag with the Book Talk tag.  You may discuss the relevant comics here but do not discuss show spoilers.  The Spoiler and Media threads are still your destination for those discussions.

[Trini]

DC article looking at the Barry/Iris relationship in the comics: http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2018/01/30/relationship-roundup-barry-allen-and-iris-west

 

Quote

That's something that specifically matters for the two of them because the Flash weirdness I was just talking about? That's all part of something much bigger. Believe it or not, comics are very rarely weird and confusing for the sake of being weird and confusing. The complicated parts of Flash stories almost always circle back around to being huge engines that drive not just the Flash Family, but the entire DC Universe forward.

Seriously. I know people like to credit Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman for being the heart of the DCU, but really, if they're the heart, the Flashes are the blood. They keep things going, even when it costs them everything they've got. Barry and Iris exemplify that endless forward momentum to a T. They're constantly evolving, constantly shifting forms and constantly in motion.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Not really comic info, but I didn't know where else to put these. I much PREFER THIS version of Elongated Man.

[Trini]

 

I think this is the conclusion (or the start of the conclusion) of this arc with Grodd.

[Trini]

Just discovered this youtube channel, and here's a summary of The Flash throughout his 78-year history, but also mentions his appearances in other media (animation, TV, movies, etc.):

Londyn's 78 Facts for 78 Years of The Flash!

 

[Trini]

Barry Allen getting a 'Year One' comic in 2019: NYCC ’18: Williamson and Porter Give The Flash a ‘Year One’

Quote

Announced today at New York Comic-Con’s DC “World’s Finest” panel, current “Flash” writer Joshua Williamson and artist Howard Porter will be giving Barry Allen a ‘Year One’ arc in the pages of “The Flash.” Williamson said on the panel this is the story that he’s been wanting to tell since he started writing the title when ‘Rebirth’ began two years ago. The story will follow Barry’s first year as the Flash, and how he came to find hope and optimism after his mother’s murder and his father’s arrest for the murder.

[Trini]

More context about 'The Flash: Year One': http://www.denofgeek.com/us/books/the-flash/276804/the-flash-year-one-coming-from-dc

[Lantern7]

Weird that we got a nemesis from the Impulse run, and it’s a one-shot butthole from a story neither Mark Waid nor Humberto Ramos on. To be honest, I don’t think Bart had anyone that could come to the show. White Lightning was a thrill-seeking thief, but her name? So problematic.

On 2/7/2018 at 4:26 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

Not really comic info, but I didn't know where else to put these. I much PREFER THIS version of Elongated Man.

 

 

That costume worked. And was Ralph in any of Batman: The Brave and the Bold?

[Trini]

Some more info on the Year One comic from the author: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-flash-is-getting-an-origin-story-update-heres-/1100-6462617/

Quote

"Everyone thinks they know the story but--well--let's just say there's something that happens in the early days of [Barry's time as the Flash] that Barry never talks about," Williamson teased. "There's going to be some twists and turns. It gets really nutty--there's a lot going on that people are not going to expect."

And make no mistake--this isn't just going to be about Barry. Williamson teased that there will definitely be other characters present, and we're going to be getting an entirely new look at their earliest days as well. "We're going to have a returning villain who hasn't been in the book for a while show up to be part of that first year, but we're also going to have a new villain that is going to be part of that story," Williamson said. "We're going to see some other villains too, and see what they were like in that first year before they became the costumed criminals we know today."

The story is going to be "loaded with Easter Eggs" for Flash fans, and aim for a tone that will be considerably more light-hearted than something like Miller and Mazzucchelli's Batman. "This is Barry definitely running before he can walk," Williamson explained. "We want it to be more fun--but there will definitely be some darker moments in there, too. You know, after his mom died, before the lightning, Barry was really standing still. He wasn't moving forward. So we're going to get to see that version of him, too. And that's something I don't think we get to see from him very often."

[Lantern7]

Given the teaser for the next episode, who else is thrilled about Ragdoll? For those not in the know, Ragdoll has had several incarnations. The one that sticks out is Gail Simone's interpretation of the character in Villains United and Secret Six . . . a masked and perverse sociopath that's oddly lovable and extremely funny. From what little I saw, the guy popping up on The Flash will at least have that look.

[Trini]

On 10/31/2018 at 1:08 AM, Lantern7 said:

Given the teaser for the next episode, who else is thrilled about Ragdoll? For those not in the know, Ragdoll has had several incarnations. The one that sticks out is Gail Simone's interpretation of the character in Villains United and Secret Six . . . a masked and perverse sociopath that's oddly lovable and extremely funny. From what little I saw, the guy popping up on The Flash will at least have that look.

Unless it's a recurring character, these metas-of-the-week rarely get much personality, so I doubt he'll be more than visually interesting on the show. But I'd love it if they surprised me!

-----

[SimoneS]

With the arrival of Monitor in the crossover, it does seem like Berlanti is moving towards the Crisis books in which Barry dies/goes missing although the headline ties his disappearance to the Reverse Flash. Do you think there will be time jump to 2024 which is where the newspaper story is from? 

[Trini]

Info on The Flash issue of the Giant/Walmart series from DC:

Quote

All Titles in Participating U.S. Walmart Retailers by February 17, 2019

...

Additions to the lineup include the SWAMP THING 100-Page Giant #1 and THE FLASH 100-Page Giant #1. As with the other Walmart titles, each book will retail at $4.99 and combine new original stories with “flashback” content from popular DC story eras such as DC Rebirth, the New Age of Heroes and the New 52. “DC has been incredibly successful in attracting new readers through its relationship with Walmart,” said Nancy Spears, VP, Mass Book, Digital Sales and Trade Marketing. “These two titles are the perfect extensions to the Walmart line, given the successful Flash tv show and the popularity of last October’s SWAMP THING HALLOWEEN HORROR Special.”

....

THE FLASH 100-Page Giant #1 features an all-new tale of the Scarlet Speedster, written by Gail Simone (BIRDS OF PREY, SECRET SIX, PLASTIC MAN) with art by Clayton Henry (BLACK LIGHTNING: COLD DEAD HANDS). In the 12-part arc “Glass Houses,” Barry Allen is dedicated to keeping the streets of Central City safe as the Fastest Man Alive. But when his old foe Mirror Master shows up looking to cause trouble, it’s up to the Flash to stop him. This book also debuts classic tales of the New 52 version of the Flash by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato, in addition to the spacefaring adventures of Adam Strange from 2004 by Andy Diggle and Pasqual Ferry, plus the classic New 52 “rebirth” of the World’s Mightiest Mortal, Shazam, from Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.

[Lantern7]

Is there any way to get that issue without going to a Wal-Mart? There's not one near me, I'm lazy, and I am a huge fan of Gail Simone. Aside from "The Hypothetical Woman" in JLA Classified, I don't think she's written a Flash before.

[Trini]

On 1/22/2019 at 9:28 PM, Lantern7 said:

Is there any way to get that issue without going to a Wal-Mart?

I didn't do a lot of looking, but it looks like it's only in stores. Unless you get it secondhand.

------

DC Daily has info on the Absolute Edition of Flashpoint. (starting at 4.44)

 

Okay now I see why they made that 'commercial,; they are charging a lot for this: https://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/flashpoint-2011/absolute-flashpoint

[Trini]

[SimoneS]

On 1/31/2019 at 1:42 AM, Trini said:

DC Daily has info on the Absolute Edition of Flashpoint. (starting at 4.44)

Okay now I see why they made that 'commercial,; they are charging a lot for this: https://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/flashpoint-2011/absolute-flashpoint

$75?! I can't to hear how that sells.

Edited February 18, 2019 by SimoneS