DC is over at the ComicsPRO retailer conference in Dallas, and putting out some intriguing scoops on their Source blog, including the solicitation for May’s Flashpoint #1. And, well, here it is:
FLASHPOINT #1
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by ANDY KUBERT
1:25 Variant cover A by ANDY KUBERT
Variant cover B by IVAN REIS and GEORGE PEREZEverything You Know Will Change in a Flash!
Not a dream, not an imaginary story, not an elseworld. This is a Flash Fact: When Barry Allen wakes at his desk, he discovers the world has changed. Family is alive, loved ones are strangers, and close friends are different, gone or worse. It’s a world on the brink of a cataclysmic war – but where are Earth’s Greatest Heroes to stop it? It’s a place where America’s last hope is Cyborg, who hopes to gather the forces of the Outsider, the Secret 7, S!H!A!Z!A!M!, Citizen Cold and other new and familiar-yet-altered faces.
It’s a world that could be running out of time, if The Flash can’t find the villain who altered the time line!
Welcome to FLASHPOINT!
On sale MAY 11 = 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US = Rated T
The publisher also added that each issue of Flashpoint is 40 pages at $3.99, and all tie-ins and one-shots will continue to “draw the line at $2.99.”
February 10th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
So, I was content to wait out Blackest Night and read it the trades, borrowed from the library. And I loved it. All my “this sounds awful” whining for six months was totally offbase.
Thus and therefore, seeing as I like the clues we’ve been getting about Flashpoint, seeing as how Johns really knows how to write events, I am in. At least for the main series. And if it’s like BN was, there will be one or two key offshoots and the rest will be extraneous and I can pick and choose. (As much as I enjoyed part of the Flash and Wonder Woman BN miniseries, I am so glad I didn’t actually buy them.)
That said, this is DC’s House of M. House of F, if you will. If I skip it, I suspect I won’t miss a lot in terms of the stuff I read every month (which hasn’t actually included Flash).
February 10th, 2011 at 12:56 pm
I’ll pick up the main Flashpoint series, and the Kid Flash Lost and World of Flashpoint books, but the rest of the mini-series’ hold no interest for me. That’s not to say that they couldn’t be interesting, but I doubt they’ll have that much of an impact on the main story itself or the DCU proper once this event is finished.
February 10th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
Much life “Fear, Itself” I am only buying the main series. I have no interest in feeding the event machine more than that.
February 10th, 2011 at 1:29 pm
Hmm i didnt expect them to make an event centered around barry quite this quick. Looks very promising.
February 10th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
I’m taking the opposite approach, I might get a few of the tie-ins if the ideas seem interesting, and I’m avoiding the event itself.
In spite of their “This is not an Elseworlds” claim, the Elseworlds-like aspect of some of the tie-ins is what makes them look like fun. I don’t want this event interrupting the on-going books I enjoy, but a few neat side-trips could be a hoot.
February 10th, 2011 at 1:47 pm
I like it!
February 10th, 2011 at 1:48 pm
question is.. Does DC still publish the regular stuff during this story, or does the mini’s and one shots replace them?
February 10th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
As much as I want to read this, they kind of lost me at the “each issue costs $4″ part. And the Kuberts aren’t exactly known for their timeliness anymore, so unless this is just an obscenely awesome story that comes out on time each month, I’ll pass.
February 10th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
TEJAY: That IS the million dollar question at this point, one I’ve been wondering as well. Guess we’ll find out on the 22nd or so when the full solicits go up.
February 10th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Yet another Flash story that could have just as been easily told with Wally instead of Barry. I realize there’s no use griping about it now, but still wish it was Wally’s book.
February 10th, 2011 at 2:56 pm
Still sounds like the Super-Friends episode where they screw with the heroes origins. I’ve been DC fanboy for almost 30 years, but the only thing I’m reading on a monthly bases is the GL-universe, REBELS and Action.
The Batman Arkham Asylum mini has my attention way more that this “flash” in the pan event…
February 10th, 2011 at 3:01 pm
I hear you, jloder. But Wally will be back sooner or later. If there can be four GL books (including Red Lanterns), there can be more than one Flash book.
February 10th, 2011 at 3:05 pm
Shouldn’t kubert be almost finish drawing this book, he’s been drawing it since the Flash series started
February 10th, 2011 at 3:26 pm
this sounds cool I can hardly wait plus unlike alot the marvel cross over this actually makes since to have tie ins
February 10th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
Tejay: I think the Flashpoint miniseries will replace some books. It sounds like there’s a Secret Six tie-in, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see that go on hiatus until the miniseries is over. It’s not that big of a seller to need to have both books out at the same time. I think the Batman tie-in will coexist with the rest of the Batman books.
As for Andy Kubert not be able to get this out in time, supposedly he’s been working on this since around when Flash #1 hit the stands. So, it shouldn’t have too many delays.
Personally, while I’m not reading Flash right now (and I’m more interested in Wally over Barry), I’ll definitely be buying the first issue and deciding from there. I’m excited and I’m fine with the $4 price for 40 pages.
February 10th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
what a bore… so uninterested about Barry…
February 10th, 2011 at 4:27 pm
This is going to be very cool!
The teasers for the tie in books look awsome. I also like that they’re doing the mini series like they did with Blackest Night, short 3 issue stories that get to the point and tell the story.
Ron
Rons Comic World
Armory Plaza – 1690 Rt 38
Mount Holly, NJ 08060
February 10th, 2011 at 4:34 pm
Not an ‘Elseworlds’? Well, i guess thats true if it takes place in the DCU proper…but it sure as heck sounds like one to me. I guess if they put a pretty bow on it, the fans will never notice, huh?
And i’m super impressed they waited like 2 months before recanting on their ‘No book over 2.99 promise’. DC rocks!
February 10th, 2011 at 5:08 pm
Yet another Flash story that could have just as been easily told with Wally instead of Barry. I realize there’s no use griping about it now, but still wish it was Wally’s book.
Yet here you are bitching about it again. Wally fans are the dregs of the comic community.
February 10th, 2011 at 5:17 pm
“Yet another Flash story that could have just as been easily told with Wally instead of Barry” Nope. Flashpoint spins specifically out of the relationship between Barry and Prof. Zoom
February 10th, 2011 at 5:36 pm
Yeah, your right NYJ. They couldn’t have done a story with Wally and Zolomon about time being changed around them at all.
Except for the part where they probably could have, without ever bringing in the negative speed force concept.
That said, I’m pretty confident Wally will get some mileage in this event. I’m more curious to find out how/if at all Max Mercury and Jay Garrick will factor in, to be honest.
I always enjoyed the Flash family more than whoever was the specific flash at the time.
And wally fans the dregs of the net? Really? I haven’t been on many forums since Wally was taken out of the lead role, but I seem to recall fairly aggressive campaigns for Barry to return without much justification other than “I grew up with him!”.
Same thing is happening now. Flash fact: Flash fans are way to territorial about who wears the boots. Lets just get some good stories to read and remember it’s all fictional, yeah?
February 10th, 2011 at 5:40 pm
@Simon DelMonte,
Oh hi, welcome to 2005, cheap ass.
February 10th, 2011 at 11:01 pm
One word is why I will be picking up this series: AMETHYST. End of post.
February 10th, 2011 at 11:27 pm
Yawn… Flashpoint is going to be terrible like previous Geoff John’s events from Infinite Crisis to Blackest Night. Please have more news on Fear Itself, a summer event people care about and written by a reliable writer like Matt Fraction.
February 11th, 2011 at 3:26 am
Well its another one of those character wakes up in an alternate reality only with a bunch of tie in’s. I have plenty of character wakes up in alternate reality comic’s already. I’ve been trying hard to like this new flash title with boring allen a character thats been worshipped in the pages of comics for the last 20 years but in the lead role of what was once a respected DC comic – man its painful to read. I suppose there is an action figure line coming out as well, Wally fans are the dregs of the net?? well expect more of it bland.
February 11th, 2011 at 1:05 pm
Everytime, I say I won’t get sucked in…but I do…this time is no different. I’m all in.
February 11th, 2011 at 4:00 pm
@Tim Says:
February 10th, 2011 at 11:27 pm
Yawn… Flashpoint is going to be terrible like previous Geoff John’s events from Infinite Crisis to Blackest Night. Please have more news on Fear Itself, a summer event people care about and written by a reliable writer like Matt Fraction.
—–Dude you’re nuts! Blackest Night was a huge hit critically and finacially. Although Matt Fraction is very talented I’m afraid “Fear Itself” wont be that big of a hit. Marvel hasn’t had a crossover worth reading since Civil War! Now Flashpoint will never be the original CRISIS of Infinite earths but I’m sure it’ll be better than “Fear itself” ….
Hey I have an Idea lets go back to the 90s and name everything fear, death and blood! This is what this reminds me of! Pass ON FEAR ITSELF!
February 11th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
This whole “this story could have been done with x character [in y continuity]” is some awful, awful logic. The only way it’s logical is if the story largely DOES NOT change. If you had to make major alterations (like, I dunno…completely switching the main villain), then guess what? The story could NOT have been told with that character. Sorry.
BTW. “Hold the Line” only ever applied to ongoing comics. Not mini-series.
February 12th, 2011 at 9:26 am
They all look great! I’m going to buy each and every series that spins out of THE FLASH. G. Johns is the greatest DC writer since Gardner Fox! I loved Blackest Night and Brightest Day. DC Comics Rules!!! The Number 1 Publisher with the GREATEST ROSTER of CHARACTERS in all of Comicdom.
February 13th, 2011 at 8:15 pm
Sounds way too much like why everyone hated Trinity after the first 1/3.
February 15th, 2011 at 6:01 pm
It’ll be what it’ll be. I’m just looking for a good story to read. If you don’t want to buy it now, wait and get the trade after it becomes a hit (or a miss though I doubt that.)/
February 16th, 2011 at 5:12 am
I’ll be buying every single bit. I’m a little Flash addicted.
And no it couldn’t be done with Wally, when is that boring bit of chat going to end…