Once Upon a Geek

Since Geoff Johns left “Teen Titans”, I’ve felt this was a book looking for direction.  I’ve toyed with the idea of dropping the title from my monthly pull list, but the characters themselves have been interesting enough for me to hang around.  I find the make up of this incarnation of Teen Titans to be quite fascinating:

• Robin
• Wonder Girl
• Miss Martian
• Kid Devil
• Ravager (off the team right now, but will be back in about six months I’m sure)
• Blue Beetle
• and assisted by Marvin & Wendy (yes, Marvin & Wendy from the classic “Super Friends” cartoon)

On this blog yesterday, I talked about how I felt the X-Men weren’t really taking any chances with their roster.  Well, here you have almost the complete opposite.  Besides Robin & Wonder Girl, none of these characters would qualify as “classic” Teen Titans.  I feel selecting these particular D-list heroes was a very brave choice.

This particular incarnation of Teen Titans started during the “One Year Later” storyline towards the end of Geoff Johns’ tenure on the book.  Since then, Sean McKeever has been guiding these characters.  While there hasn’t been any major shake-ups on McKeever’s watch yet, he has been trying to develop the characters further.  For the most part, the character moments is where I’ve been finding my fulfillment from this book.  The overall plots and adventures haven’t been terribly compelling to me.

Now we get to issue #61 - The Red & the Blue… SPOILERS AHEAD

I found myself pleasantly surprised by this issue.  From early solicitations, I knew they were going to try and popularize the pairing of Kid Devil with Blue Beetle (in the mold of Booster Gold & Blue Beetle).  I wasn’t expected to enjoy this quickly-manufactured relationship, but after reading issue #61 I’m warming to the idea.

The basic premise of this story is that Kid Devil is trying to hunt down the supervillain Shockwave in an effort to prove himself an asset to the Teen Titans.  Kid Devil enlists Robin’s help in honing his own detective skills, rather than asking Robin to be involved in the search for Shockwave.  Kid Devil then fails to uncover a pattern to Shockwave’s attacks, but is able to confront the villain after seeing him on a live news broadcast.  Blue Beetle also shows up to confront Shockwave.  The chip on Kid Devil’s shoulder prevents him from willingly accepting Blue Beetle’s assistance.  The two heroes bicker and basically get in each others way, thus allowing Shockwave to escape.  Kid Devil eventually accepts Blue Beetle’s help begrudgingly as BB’s team figures out the pattern to Shockwave’s attacks.  All the attacks are taking place at former Kord Industries locations.  With that uncovered, Blue Beetle now feels vested in the hunt for Shockwave (as the former Blue Beetle was Ted Kord, owner of Kord Industries).   Shockwave attacks again and our heroes finally work together to stop him.  During the battle, Kid Devil’s frustration allows him to unlock the full might of his demonic powers; including teleportation and transfer of intense heat through touch.  After the fight, Blue Beetle and Kid Devil talk.  Once Kid Devil is made aware that Blue Beetle isn’t romantically interested in Ravager, he’s more than willing to be pals with BB.  During the wrap-up, Blue Beetle accepts full membership on the Teen Titans.  Finally, feeling that he’s earned his place on the team and has truly mastered his powers, Kid Devil takes on a new name and costume… Red Devil!

As I mentioned, I found myself pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this issue.  Some of the reasons come from the story itself, while other reasons come from the character backgrounds:

• It was a small story (not epic) featuring a small cast with lots of character moments.
• I like both Blue Beetle and Kid Devil individually.  I thoroughly enjoy the current Blue Beetle monthly series.  And I’ve been interested in the exploration of Kid Devil in Teen Titans (i.e. the impending consequences of his pact with Neron, and the glimpse at the future version of himself).
• I found that the pairing of Kid Devil and Blue Beetle worked.  They bounced off each other well and I think this partnership has potential.
• I’m an old school fan of Blue Devil, which is where Kid Devil originated.  It was cool to see Kid Devil ask Robin for help with detective skills this issue.  Back in the 1980s when Kid Devil was pretty much comedy relief, he spent time working with Robin (Jason Todd, I think).  So I felt this was a nice nod to that old story.  Additionally, Shockwave is an old Blue Devil villain (his first appearance was Blue Devil #2).  It was satisfying to see Shockwave going toe-to-toe with Blue Devil’s former protégé.  Finally, Kid Devil’s new costume (Red Devil) is very reminiscent of Blue Devil’s original costume.

• There is a subtle linkage between Kid Devil and Blue Beetle through an artist by the name of Paris Cullins.  In the 1980s Paris Cullins was the artist that launched both the Blue Devil monthly series, and then the Blue Beetle monthly series two years later.  He was a phenomenal artist with a really great style.  I wish we saw more of his work nowadays.

So at the end of the day, I enjoyed this issue more than I have the last several issues of Teen Titans.  I admit I am biased about these characters, so it’s possible I’m giving this particular issue more leeway than it deserves.  I guess next issue will help me determine whether Teen Titans is steering towards greatness, or if I simply read this issue through rose-colored glasses.  Next issue features Wonderdog, so it could go either way.

On Monday I featured quite a few comic book related t-shirts from my closet.  Today I’m finishing up the tour of my wardrobe by showing off my DC comics shirts.  Please feel free to share any of your favorite t-shirts you own either by commenting or via e-mail!

A great Superman t-shirt given to me by my family a couple years ago.  I really like that the “S” symbol is large.  I strongly believe the “S” on a Superman shirt should stretch across the entire chest horizontally.  Additionally, I like the “ringer” look of this shirt.  A “ringer” t-shirt typically features the jersey shirt fabric in one color, but the ribbing used for the collar and the sleeve bands are of a contrasting color.  I wear this one a lot.

A fun classic Superman style shirt I picked up in the 1990’s. I love the squinty 1940’s Superman!  The primary image above is the back of the shirt with the insert being the front left hand side.

A present from my friend Ed back in the 1990’s.  This shirt came in a cool telephone booth shaped box.

Another gift from the family.  Obviously this one was pre-stressed.

This was a clever idea for a shirt.  The primary image above is the back of the shirt, with the insert being the front left hand side.  I liked the idea of having a Daily Planet staff shirt.  The fading on the word “Staff” happened after one wash.  I was kind of bummed, but it sort of makes it look cooler.

Okay, what comic book reader in the 1990’s didn’t have a crush on Death?  I’m not talking Thanos-style, but the Death character from the Sandman comic.  She was absolutely adorable.  This 1993 shirt was the first Death shirt and was drawn by Chris Bachalo.  It’s still my favorite Death shirt.  The fading/stress on this shirt is genuine; I wore it a lot.

Here is another Death shirt.  I believe this one was done by Chris Bachalo also.

A great Death shirt from 1995 featuring a line from her first appearance.  You can clearly see the Bjork influence on the artwork at the time.

I got this Barry Allen Flash t-shirt from Target just a few months ago.  This was a pre-stressed item that looked so classic I had to get it.  Interestingly enough, if Target had waited just a few more months this wouldn’t have been “classic”, it would have been “current”.

I got this shirt in the 1990’s specifically because I thought it was awesome they made a Jay Garrick Flash t-shirt.  Additionally, this is the only comic book t-shirt I own that’s long sleeve.

A very thoughtful present from my friend Ed.  DC has never produced a t-shirt that just focuses on Firestorm, so Ed made me one!  The image is taken from a cover during Firestorm’s elemental period.  You can see the fading on this shirt is pretty severe.  I wore the heck out of it back in the mid-1990s.  Once it started fading, it became a frequent nightshirt.

Another present from a friend.  This one was a gift a couple years ago from my old college roommate, Serv.  You can see the image is a classic version of Aquaman; early 1970’s Super Friends era.  I really like the “ringer” look on this one along with the pre-faded image.

Another great classic Aquaman image; this time from the late-1970’s/early 1980’s.  The image has a little bit of pre-faded effect which suits it well.  This particular shirt was also given to me by Serv last year.  So do you think by giving me all these Aquaman shirts that Serv is trying to tell me he’s gay for me?

A white pocket t-shirt from the WB store with an embroidered Aquaman swimming out of the pocket.  I got this in the mid-1990s.  Fun!

Not truly a T-SHIRT, but still a comic book related SHIRT.  This embroidered denim shirt came from the WB store in the mid-1990s and is all kinds of awesome.  The top image is obviously the front, with the bottom image being the back.  Interesting observation, Aquaman and Green Lantern look all buddy-buddy here.  However, did Green Lantern freak out when Aquaman was killed (like he did when Martian Manhunter was killed)?  Nope.  I’m not even sure Hal has realized that Arthur kicked the bucket.  Well… Hal will know for sure soon enough.  C’mon “Blackest Night”!

This is a really fun take on superhero t-shirts.  This shirt presents the one-page origin of Batman from the earliest days of Detective Comics.  If I remember correctly, I got this shirt in a record shop in Atlanta in the mid-1990s.

This is another unusual item (and I know, not a t-shirt).  It’s a silk robe featuring the Superman “S” symbol.  If you look closely, you can see small versions of the symbol all over the fabric.  Then there is the obvious red “S” symbol on the front pocket and backside.  The robe is really pretty to look at, but somehow a silk robe just doesn’t scream manly to me.  Especially Super-manly.  Needless to say I haven’t worn it much.  But on my wife it looks hot!

Well there you go, a brief look into Shag’s closet.  Don’t forget, share your favorite comic book t-shirts if you’d like!

I bought a new comic book t-shirt this weekend at Kohls and it got me thinking about what to wear to Dragon*Con.  I looked through my closet and was amazed at how many comic book t-shirts I had amassed.  I mean seriously, these things pile up.  Back when I managed a comic book store, you could consider  these to be work clothes.  Nowadays, I don’t get many chances to wear these t-shirts.  So I decided they needed to see the light of day one way or another.  Therefore, today and tomorrow you get to stroll through my wardrobe.

Over the past 15 years, I have gotten so many t-shirts that I’ve split them across two days.  Today I’ll be showing off my new shirt, Marvel comics shirts, Scud the Disposable Assassin shirts, and Astro City t-shirt.  Some designs were purchased pre-faded (or pre-stressed).  Unless specifically mentioned, assume any fading occurred naturally with these shirts.

To see the other comic book t-shirts I’ve previously displayed here at ONCE UPON A GEEK, please click here and then scroll down.

Here is my new shirt!  The image is of the late-Bronze Age Justice League of America (with a few extras thrown in for good measure).  I love the strong white outline on each character; it’s really sharp.  Also, it’s nice to have Aquaman, Flash, and Firestorm all on one shirt!  This is  the second officially-licensed shirt I’m aware of that features Firestorm. Poor Matchhead, he doesn’t get much play.

Cool Marvel Comics t-shirt bought by family a couple years ago.  Certain parts are high gloss (like Cap’s shield).

Pre-faded Marvel t-shirt from Target bought by my wife and kids within the past year or so.  The faces are very reminiscent of the 1980s corner box images.

“Daredevil Yellow” t-shirt by Tim Sale.  I bought this shortly after the series because I’ve always loved Daredevil’s original costume.

Andy Warhol-style Spider-Man shirt.  I believe this is Mark Bagley art from his original run on Amazing Spider-Man.  I wore the heck out of this shirt in the mid-1990s.

Havok from X-Factor drawn by Joe Quesada.  I bought this shirt around the time he was drawing X-Factor, long before his tenure as Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics.  The faded design on this shirt is genuine.  Because I enjoyed Peter David’s run on X-Factor so much, I wore this shirt all the time.  Once it started to fade, it became a frequent nightshirt.

Jim Lee Xtinction Agenda shirt.  Got this for my birthday around the time this story was published.

Astro City shirt I bought in Colorado on vacation a few years ago.

Fantastic Scud t-shirt I bought back in the 1990’s (when Scud was being published the first time around).  Back then you didn’t have internet shopping; you had to order shirts like this via the mail from an ad in the back of the comic book.

Another Scud t-shirt I bought back in the 1990’s.  The stress on this shirt is genuine.  I did everything I could to get people to read Scud, even promoted it on my own body.

Another Scud t-shirt.  The primary image above is the back of the shirt, with the insert being the front left-hand side.  This shirt was designed to look similar to the body of the Scud robot.  The only downside to this shirt was that it was bright yellow.  It takes a brave man to wear a bright yellow shirt.

Drywall, Scud’s sidekick.  Great shirt!  Very colorful and fun!

This is a fairly unusual one.  I got this for attending Diamond Comics 11th Annual Retailers Seminar.  It was held in Baltimore in 1994.  Diamond Comics distributes the majority of comic books in the United States.  That particular year they took us to a Baltimore Orioles game; thus the baseball jerseys.  Very cool!

As promised in a previous blog entry, here is my “Tony Was Right” t-shirt!  I can’t wait to wear this to Dragon*Con!

There were a few other comic book t-shirts I owned previously that I’ve gotten rid of over the years.  A few that spring to mind:

• A Rob Liefeld drawn “New Mutants” shirt from around the time of issue #90.  This was before his art got too wild.  If you exclude Superman t-shirts as a kid, this was the first comic book t-shirt I ever owned.
• A mega-print shirt of Jae Lee’ Doctor Doom from the “Namor” comic book series.  Mega-print shirts were all the rage in the 90’s.  A mega-print shirt would feature one primary image that had been blown up to cover the entire shirt.  For example, this Doctor Doom shirt featured a close-up of Doom’s face, but was blown up so the image spread to the entire shirt (including the sleeves), and was then repeated on the back side.
• A mega-print shirt of Todd McFarlane’s Spider-Man.
• A Kyle Rayner Green Lantern t-shirt.  Essentially designed to look somewhat like Kyle’s original uniform.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of “Shag’s Closet”.  Come back tomorrow for the DC shirts…

This week I attended a day-long educational workshop related to my job.  The workshop was held in one of the meeting rooms at the Tallahassee Antique Car Museum.  It was a pretty good workshop with interesting speakers.  On a break, I was strolling through the museum thinking about the topics and real-world applications for use back at the office.  Needless to say I was in total “work mode”.  Then I rounded a corner and found myself face-to-face with a major piece of geekdom… Batmobiles!

Yup!  I said Batmobiles… as in plural.  I’ve known for years that the museum had at least one of the Batmobiles, but I wasn’t expecting all the items I found.

Here is the 1960s Batmobile from the TV series.  There was no sign, so I can’t vouch for whether this particular car was actually featured in the TV series, or if this is a replica.  Either way, it’s a really sweet looking car!  It’s amazing how a 40 year old design can still look awesome.

The Batman Returns Batmobile.  According to the placard, this is one of two Batmobiles constructed and used in the filming of “Batman Returns”.  There is a corvette engine in this bad boy!  And for the record, this is my favorite Batmobile.  When I actually saw it with my own eyes, I was astounded.  This car is REALLY big. I’d hate to have to park it.

Batmobile from Batman Forever.  Again, no sign so I can’t validate whether this is original or not, however, I imagine it’s the real article.  For the record, I don’t care for this design. It looks like a Hot Wheels car to me… hate the big fin on top.

The 1960’s TV Bat-Cycle…

…including the Robin sidecar!

The Batskiboat from Batman Returns!  Neat to look at in real life.

Here is the Penguin’s Yellow Duck transport from Batman Returns.

So after picking my jaw up off the floor, I snapped these pics for your enjoyment.  Then I had to figure out a way to purge all my geeky giddiness and get back into “work mode”.  Eventually I was able to focus on the workshop, but there were fleeting moments of daydreams filled with, “Atomic Batteries to Power…”

Dude … Friggin’ Sweet!  Mattel keeps finding ways to get my money!  They are planning to put out quite possibly the coolest Aquaman figure of all time!  In 1986, there was a fantastic Aquaman mini-series by Neal Pozner and Craig Hamilton.  In this series, they gave Aquaman a new costume (supposedly designed to be underwater camouflage).  Regardless of the reasons for the new suit, the design was great.  This was a costume that looked like it belonged on a water-based hero.  While the mini-series is still fondly remembered by just about everyone, the costume did not last.  Tempest (formerly Aqualad) now wears a modified red version of this suit.  Nice job, Mattel!  As long as you keep making quality figures like these, I’ll keep buying them!

My thanks to Rob over at The Aquaman Shrine for the heads up on this new figure.  Here is the whole group of Mattel DC Universe Classics figures they showcased at San Diego Comic Con.  The Blue Beetle figure looks great!  Also, check out these awesome JSA figures from DC Direct!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by during FLASH WEEK.  Based upon comments and unique visitors, it appears to have been well received.  Just a few additional pieces worth mentioning that came up after last week …

Flash Companion by TwoMorrows Publishing

The highly-anticipated Flash Companion was recently published by TwoMorrows (the company that puts out the magazines “Back Issue” and “Alter Ego”).  I just picked up my copy on Monday.  I flipped through it quickly and was thoroughly impressed.  If nothing else, it’s worth it for Craig Rousseau’s artistic tribute to Mike Wieringo on page 167 (yes, I teared up like a sissy when I saw it).  It’s full of interviews and analysis on all the various incarnations of the Flash.

You can also hear some of the inside scope on this book by listening to my buddy Michael Bailey’s podcast, “Views from the Longbox“.  He interviewed the editor Keith Dallas and had a great discussion; well worth your time.

• Views from the Longbox: The Keith Dallas Conversation Part 1
• Views from the Longbox: The Keith Dallas Conversation Part 2

Update on the future of Wally West

During a recent Comic Book Resources interview, Ethan Van Sciver (artist of the upcoming “Flash: Rebirth”) mentioned he’s working on a redesign for Wally’s costume.  So I guess that confirms that Barry will retain the classic Flash costume, while Wally will undergo some form of alteration to his uniform.  Kind of bums me out.  I just hope Wally’s new uniform doesn’t look goofy.  It wouldn’t surprise me if Wally ends up with an open cowl exposing his red hair (like he had in his Kid Flash costume).

Are there any changes in store for current Flash Wally West’s costume?

“I’m redesigning Wally West’s costume right now, and it’s terrifying.” While Sinestro’s costume, with its seemingly random blue color and “jester collar,” was ready for a redesign in Van Sciver’s eyes, “Wally West is the most perfectly designed costume ever, aside from Green Lantern’s costume, in my opinion.” Van Sciver said the challenge was to redo the costume without either making it less cool or more cool than Barry Allen’s and thus implying that one character is better than the other.

Noting some audience member’s skepticism about bringing Barry back at all, Van Sciver explained his motivation for doing so. “I want Barry to come back and be King Arthur. He’s the most straight-laced, perfect Flash, rigid in his morality and his ethics,” making the looser, cooler, more laid-back Wally a Lancelot figure. Van Sciver told the audience “Kick me in the ass if I fail.”

Speed Force.org

Finally, my thanks to Kelson over at Speed Force.org for pimping FLASH WEEK here at ONCE UPON A GEEK.  I really enjoy his blog and appreciate his support.  If it weren’t for his blog, I wouldn’t have heard about the Comic Book Resources interview with Ethan Van Sciver above.  I also agree whole-heartedly with his recent post, “What I want to see after Flash: Rebirth“.

If you like the themed week concept, drop me a line.  I’m considering doing more based around other characters.  As always, thanks for reading!

FLASH WEEK concludes here at ONCE UPON A GEEK…

Okay, first let me say that I’m in New Orleans and smashed as hell.  Seriously, I’m friggin’ hammered right now.  I’m drinking my second hurricane, after several drinks (which included a “hand grenade”).  I sorta kinda can’t feel my face right now.  So whatever I say in the next few paragraphs may be stream of consciousness.  Needless to say, I’m feeling pretty good right now.  

In regard to the future of the Flash:

First, there is the current monthly Flash comic that will continue for at least a while longer.  You can see upcoming issues at DC Comics.com.

From what Geoff Johns said during interviews, Bart Allen will return in “Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds“.  It wouldn’t surprise me if he becomes the Flash of the 31st century going forward.  You could retroactively squeeze this time in his last issue as the Flash.  After he figures out he’s going to die, and before the rogues kill him.  Or it may be revealed that the adult Bart was from a parallel Earth.

“Flash: Rebirth” starring Barry Allen is on the horizon.  It’s coming our way, whether we like it or not.  So watch for this mini-series by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver.

It’s pretty much an accepted assumption that there will be a subsequent monthly series to follow-up on “Flash: Rebirth”.  The real question is who this series follows. Will it strictly follow the adventures of Barry Allen, or will it alternate between Barry, Wally, and Jay?  Also, which Flash will be a member of the JLA?

Additionally, there have been LOTS of discussions recently about the potential live-action “Justice League” movie,  This project has been on and off again … so who knows what will happen.

Looking forward, Wally’s daughter (Iris West) eventually took on the mantle of Kid Flash during Kingdom Come.  She currently appears in the Flash comic.  Whether she eventually graduates to the “Kid Flash” role remains to be seen.

John Fox is the Flash of the Justice Legion Alpha.  He’s the Flash of the future that spent some time in our era.  Cool character.  

Wrapping up FLASH WEEK here at ONCE UPON A GEEK, here are a few web sites of interest:

Flash: Those Who Ride the Lightning

Crimson Lightning

Speed Force

Long live the fastest men (and women) alive!

FLASH WEEK continues here at ONCE UPON A GEEK…

Today I decided to highlight some of Flash’s exploits captured for television.

This first clip is probably the best TV Flash moment ever! It stars the Wally West Flash from the Justice League Unlimited episode “Divided We Fall”. The voice was provided by Michael Rosenbaum.

This next one is from “Justice League: New Frontier” starring the Barry Allen Flash.  The voice was provided by Neil Patrick Harris.  Yup, that’s Doogie playing the fastest man alive!

This next one is the opening of the 1960’s animated series.  If you play this one, be aware that the first few seconds are just a black screen.

The opening & closing credits from the 1990 live action “Flash” TV series starring John Wesley Shipp.  Love that Danny Elfman theme!

Here is a nice clip of Impulse on Smallville played by Kyle Gallner.

Normally I don’t go in for the fake music videos on YouTube, however, the following is a good one that showcase’s Kid Flash on the recent “Teen Titans” cartoon. The voice for Kid Flash was done by Michael Rosenbaum, the same guy who did the voice of the Flash on the Justice League cartoons.  By the way, an added bonus to watching this music video is that I didn’t have to suffer through an actual episode of “Teen Titans”. 

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t include a clip from the totally camp 1979 “Legend of the Superheroes”.  Wow, this is really terrible.

Sorry that I’m missing a few clips of the Flash, however, I have my reasons:

• I couldn’t find any decent video recordings to post that highlighted the Flash character in the “Justice League” live-action failed pilot from 1997.  However, here is an image of Kenny Johnston in costume from the show.  Be thankful this pilot failed.
• I was surprised that I wasn’t able to find any decent scenes starring the Flash from the Super Friends cartoons.  Very disappointed in that.
• I didn’t include the Flash appearance from ”Superman: The Animated Series” and/or “The Batman” cartoon.  I felt he was too similar to the Justice League version to merit posting a video of it here.

Enjoy!

FLASH WEEK continues here at ONCE UPON A GEEK…

Today we’re talking about my Flash collecting and spotlighting some of my favorite covers.

As I mentioned on Monday, I didn’t start collecting the Flash comic faithfully until 1992 with Mark Waid’s run.  However, I had managed to pick-up several issues here and there prior to 1992.  I always liked the Flash, but for whatever reason the comics didn’t captivate me enough to merit collecting on an ongoing basis.  I was actually surprised when I counted the other day and realized I owned 37 issues of the Barry Allen run of the Flash.  The bulk of my run was from issues 289 - 309; this was primarily because of the Firestorm & Doctor Fate back-up stories in those issues.  Here are a few of my favorite covers from that series.

Death of Iris issue, and it features a guy dressed up as the golden age Sandman on the cover.  Awesome!

Gotta love some Firestorm action!  After appearing as a back-up for several issues, Firestorm actually got to team-up with Flash in this one.

Carmine Infantino is credited with the following cover, but I swear that looks like a Keith Giffen Doctor Fate.  My suspicion is supported by the fact that Keith Giffen drew the Doctor Fate back-up in this issue.

By the way, did I ever tell you that I’m a big Trickster fan?  Love that character!

I’m also a big Justice League of America collector.  I have nearly every issue from 100 of the original series onward (that’s over 400 comics).  Here are a few of my favorite JLA covers featuring the Flash (I even threw in one JLE cover for good measure).  Going through this recently, I was surprised the Flash wasn’t prominently featured on more JLA covers. 

For Wally’s run of the Flash, I’ve managed to go back and get lots of issues prior to Waid’s run.  Out of the 242 issues published so far, I’m missing 56 issues (some in the 30’s, some in the 50’s, 160’s, 170’s, and 180’s).  Sadly I have to admit that I missed out on the first part of Geoff John’s Flash run.  About the time Mark Waid finished his run, I was looking to cut back on my monthly spending.  I saw a good “jumping off” point with Flash, so I took it.  Obviously I now regret that decision.  I’m in the process of picking up the trades for the early Geoff Johns issues.  Here are some of my favorite covers from Wally’s Flash series.

My all-time favorite Flash cover.  Drawn by the late Michael Turner.  Say what you will about his art, I think this cover is awesome!

 A nice creepy cover from Wally’s early days as the Flash.

Another great cover by another fantastic artist taken too soon… Mike Wieringo.  It honestly took me a little while to warm to his style.  But once I “got” his style, I couldn’t get enough.

I’ve always loved the cover above.  Interestingly enough, I didn’t realize until today that this was actually a tribute to an old Barry cover.

Not a lot of good things I can say about Bart’s run as the Flash.  While the series did improve about halfway through, it really doesn’t stand out.  Here is one particular cover that I liked and some Impulse-related covers.

This next one is Bart’s first appearance.  I love how they positioned the word “Kid” just above Flash, especially since he went by Impulse back then.

I chose this next one because it is by Ethan Van Sciver (artist on the upcoming “Flash: Rebirth”), and this was the first issue in a run where Bart started to take his superhero role more seriously.  I think this helped eventually play into him becoming Kid Flash and then Flash.

 Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t showcase some Jay Garrick covers that I like.

The following cover is from the last issue of the short-lived, but fantastic, Justice Society of America series in 1992.  Once again, another great artist that was taken before their time… Mike Parobeck.   

Alex Ross is the best thing to happen to comics in the last 20 years.

Gotta respect the oldies…

Love me some Jerry Ordway and the 1980s portrayal of the WWII era.

The return of Jay’s old enemy called the Rival.

While I don’t own every issue I highlighted here, I do own most of them.  If you can think of any other fantastic Flash covers I missed, feel free to share!

Come back for more Flash action tomorrow…

FLASH WEEK continues here at ONCE UPON A GEEK…

Sorry if this is spoiling it for you, but Barry Allen came back from the dead in issue #2 of Final Crisis.  I’ve been ranting about this for a while here at ONCE UPON A GEEK and on THE UNIQUE GEEK list serv.  Since this is my blog, I’m going to continue to rant a bit more.

It was recently announced that in early 2009, there will be a “Flash: Rebirth” mini-series by Geoff Johns & Ethan Van Sciver (the guys who did “Green Lantern: Rebirth” and “Sinestro Corps War”).  This comic is going to reintroduce Barry Allen as the Flash to the DC Universe.  Geoff Johns has said that all the different Flashes will be touched upon in this mini-series (i.e. Jay Garrick and Wally West).  It’s also assumed this mini-series will lead into a monthly Flash book with Barry Allen in the lead role.

I have no doubt these comics will be well-written and be drawn excellently.  I’m envisioning a sort of superhero version of “CSI: Central City”.  My issue is with the lack of necessity in bringing Barry Allen back from the dead and the impact on Wally West.  I feel that bringing Barry back after being gone for 22 years is simply to satisfy the writer’s sense of nostalgia, rather than a story that grew naturally from the recent plotlines in the DCU.  Wally West was a very strong character that made an excellent Flash.  There is no denying that he was handled poorly since Infinite Crisis, but just like any other comic book problem it could have been fixed.  Instead now Barry Allen is going to take the spotlight as the primary DCU Flash, while Wally and Jay take a back-seat.

This really bums me out as the character of Wally West spent the past 20 years growing out of the shadow of Barry Allen and trying to live up to the heroic ideal that Barry represented.  Now with Barry back, Wally’s hero will once again be the Flash.  Why would Wally continue to be the Flash, and in the same costume as Barry?  Will Wally retire and simply raise his kids?  Will he continue on as the Flash and look like a carbon copy of Barry?  Will Wally change his codename and/or costume?  Will he become the Nightwing of the Flash family?   Or will he be more like Connor Hawke; same superhero name, but different costume than his namesake.  For me personally, any of these options are a disappointment.  Wally represented growth in the DC Universe.  Here was a young hero suddenly left on his own to make his way.  He idolized Barry, strived to be like Barry, and eventually surpassed Barry in abilities (at least that is how he was portrayed during Mark Waid’s initial run).  Wally’s journey to become a hero was a fantastic tale to follow.  Now with Barry returning to the primary Flash role, it feels that Wally’s journey was simply clocking time.

I also get the sense from reading interviews with Geoff Johns and Grant Morrison that they feel Barry Allen “deserves” to be the Flash more than Wally.  That statement hasn’t been in print, it’s just my gut instinct from reading their interviews.  It’s like they feel that Barry is the “real” Flash, while Wally has simply been keeping the legacy alive.  I take issue with Barry “deserving” to be the Flash more than Wally.  As I mentioned above, during Mark Waid’s initial run Wally surpassed Barry in abilities.  Does that mean Wally deserves to be the Flash more than Barry?  If you base the decision solely upon publication history, then it’s not really clear.  Yes, Barry obviously came before Wally as the Flash.  However, the amount of time each of them have been the primary Flash has been very similar.  See below…

• Barry Allen had a 247 issue run; Flash (volume 1) 104-350.
• Wally West has had 242 issues so far as the Flash (and will go at least a few more); Flash (volume 2) 1-242 (and still going).
• Barry Allen was the Flash from 1956 to 1986 = 30 years.
• Wally West has been the Flash from 1986-2008 = 22 years.
• Barry Allen was a member of the Justice League for 232 issues; Justice League of America (volume 1) 1-232.  While Barry wasn’t in every issue, he was around for the majority of issues.
• Wally West has been a member of the Justice League as the Flash for 205 issues; Justice League Europe 1-68, JLA 1-125, and Justice League of America (new series) 12-23 so far.  While Wally wasn’t in every issue, he was around for the majority of issues.

If you’ve been following the recent “Flash: Rebirth” thread over a THE UNIQUE GEEK, you can see several sides to this.  My buddy Michael Bailey and I are pretty much in-synch on this issue.   My friend Terry believes that a title can carry multiple characters as the Flash.  While I agree conceptually, the title will eventually select one individual to be the lead character.  As of right now, that looks to be Barry Allen.  So Wally West and Jay Garrick may continue to call themselves “The Flash”, but DC comics will be pushing Barry Allen as the primary Flash character.  Another alternative would be to launch a “Flash Corps”-like title, but I’m not sure that would be successful.

Okay… I’ll get off my soapbox now.  Truth is, I’m going to buy the ”Flash: Rebirth” mini-series and the subsequent ongoing.  I’m probably going to love both because Geoff John’s is a brilliant comic book writer.   I’m even over my previous issue of Barry being boring.  My friend Terry convinced me that is the fault of previous writers, rather than a fault with the character.  While I’m sure I will enjoy Barry’s new adventures, I’ll always be sad that Wally has lost his place as the premier Flash in the DCU.