As part of our SpeedForce.org celebration, we’re taking a look back to the issue of The Flash that came out the same month that this site started. Back in 2008, we were right in the middle of the “Fast Money” story arc. Wally West has seen the people of Keystone City turn against him, pushed by the villain Spin, who has brought Grodd in to help him in the battle. As for the kids…Iris and Jai have been taken captive by people working for “Boss Dark Side”. That brings us to issue #241 of The Flash, with an August cover date but released June 18th, 2008. (NOTE: Thanks to John at Capitol Comics in Raleigh NC for helping me find a spare copy of this issue for the review when I could not find my own copy in my back issues).

FULL SPOILERS AHEAD!

As we begin this issue, Grodd has immobilized Wally and Jay…and Spin! Grodd answers to no one, and Spin has made a serious tactical error bringing Grodd into this fight. Grodd mentally orders Wally to find and bring back Nzame, the sacred Ape Child. He then tells Jay that there will be some future task that Jay will hate…but will be still forced to accomplish. Finally, Grodd orders Spin to tell him how he brought him here…and what he has done to the city.

Meanwhile, the kids are escaping, but as they do we find that Iris is aging again and is now an adolescent! Jai has not aged similarly, but he confesses to Iris what he has known for some time…that their parents have reason to fear they may suddenly become very old and die far too soon. Iris has already surmised this…which makes sense since their actual age at this point in the series is only three months!

We flip back to Spin telling his origin story – to find that the kids are now on the scene, taking the fight to Grodd and giving enough distraction for Wally to free himself and end this fight quickly. After the battle we find out that Spin is actually the head of KN News, and that he has been using his powers to build his own media empire and to commit crimes while turning the people against the Flash!

We have a very touching scene between Wally and his daughter, with Wally trying not to show the fear any father would have when faced with the potential mortality of his children. But, this scene is cut short by the need to get to the Flash Museum, where an out of control crowd is ready to burn the place to the ground. Wally wants to save one particular exhibit…Intertia!

This story takes place after Inertia has caused the death of Bart Allen. Wally has taken away Inertia’s speed and left him so immobile as to resemble a statue, permanently on display at the museum while facing Bart’s image. We see the internal conflict Wally feels about saving the person responsible for Bart’s death, but in the end we know Wally’s true character will win out, and he does pull Inertia out of the burning building….to find that Iris has aged yet again to adulthood!

That’s where this issue ends, and the “Fast Money” story arc continues from there. It’s also where this site begins…five years ago! As for the story – this issue shows some of the best qualities of Wally West as the Flash. He still has internal doubts and fears and doesn’t always make the best choices (hence this story arc that begins with Wally’s conflict over whether to cash in on his powers and fame to provide for his family). But, he is still at his core a really good guy and a great father. He is, in short, a very compelling character – a very human Wally dealing with the joys and burdens of immense power. This story line was the starting place for Tom Peyer as writer on this series, taking over for Mark Waid just in time to start the “Fast Money” arc. Freddie E. Williams II provided the art, with Tanya and Richard Horie on colors. This was an excellent story to me, and it’s fun to bring this back to you now.

I can’t end this review without a personal note here. I have been a fan of Flash: Those Who Ride the Lightning and Speedforce.org for more years than I care to admit. Thanks to Kelson for making all this possible, and for allowing me to become a part of this amazing site. Thanks to Greg, Devin and Lia for being so welcoming and for their excellent posts here that I enjoyed reading long before joining the team. Finally, a special thanks to everyone who follows this site! Thanks so much for following us here!

The post Five Years Ago in The Flash…Review of Flash #241 appeared first on Speed Force.

Speed Force has set up on Instagram as @SpeedForceOrg. We’ll be posting *ahem* Flash photography by members of the blog team, starting with Ed’s photos from HeroesCon, and very soon we’ll be running…well, that would spoil the surprise. Keep an eye out!

The post Now on Instagram appeared first on Speed Force.

From this week’s The Line It Is Drawn event at CSBG.

Zero Hour: Crisis in Adventure Time

Speed Force is now on Instagram as @SpeedForceOrg. Follow for *ahem* Flash photography.

The last time I went to a comic con in costume, I went as Jay Garrick, the original Flash. I ran into someone else with the same idea.

On a related note, @SpeedForceOrg is on Instagram! Please follow for Flashy photos.

 As most fans are aware by now, James Robinson has announced in a series of Tweets that he is leaving Earth 2 and DC Comics. This marks the beginning of some uncertain times for Jay, Alan, Kendra, Khalid, Al and company. This has been a consistently excellent series, one near the top of my pull list for some time. The fact that it has done so well is testament to Robinson’s talent as a creator, and he will be sorely missed. There is certainly time for DC to try to make this right, as they previously have done wih Gail Simone on Batgirl…but just in case this is a good time to say a few words about James Robinson’s excellent run on Earth 2.

Earth 2 has been both a critical and sales success, with Robinson taking on one of the most difficult and controversial changes in the New 52 – the complete redesign of the Justice Society.  Robinson took the Golden Age Heroes who for years had literally been the elder statespersons of the DC Universe and made them young again, placing them on a parallel Earth for the first time since before the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths in the 1980s.  In doing so, he revamped both the look and origin stories for characters long cherished by DC fans, with many fans (including myself) waiting for the results with skeptical eyes.  What we got was something truly special, and something that has been one of the great success stories of DC’s lineup.

Jay Garrick in particular had caused some early concern.  The initial drawings released to the public didn’t cast the new uniform in the best light, and while the first issue allayed that concern with a very interesting new look it also cast Jay as a bit of a slacker who couldn’t keep his life together.  Yet, over the issues so far we have seen Jay grow as both a person and as a hero.  Jay Garrick didn’t ask for his powers, but he didn’t shirk the responsibility that came with them.  And, he is still growing and becoming both a true hero and a leader.  Jay as the everyman hero has become a great character in this series.

Even the change that generated the most news in the mainstream media, revamping Alan Scott as gay, was handled expertly by Robinson.  We find an Alan Scott who is noble, brave, truly heroic, and a strong leader who happens to be gay.  It is one part of who he is, not merely a stunt to generate controversy or sales.  In remaking these characters, Robinson has taken the best of their Golden Age and Silver Age qualities and reshaped them to fit the sensibilities and realities of today.

I could go on and on about the characters created for this series, from the great Hawkgirl to the wonderful new Doctor Fate, to the new Al Pratt and the new Mr. Terrific (who doesn’t seem so interested in “fair play” at the moment, if you are following the storyline).  This is a series that I didn’t want to like, didn’t want to believe in…yet James Robinson won me (and a lot of other fans) over with his excellent storylines and characterization.  He has proven that writing matters, that good writing can make most any character compelling, and that a good story is always worth reading.

I’m still holding out hope that something can be resolved a la Gail Simone and her return to Batgirl.  If not, DC will have the very difficult task of finding someone who can effectively continue James Robinson’s excellent vision for this team and this series.  Jay Garrick and company have lost an excellent friend…and so has the DC Universe.  Wherever you go, Mr. Robinson, we will anxiously await your next work.  Thanks for a great ride with Earth 2!

The post Jay Garrick Loses a Good Friend – Robinson Departs Earth 2 and DC appeared first on Speed Force.

fastestfanalive:

New 52 Earth 2 Flash Custom Action Figure by Draubner

Hey all,

Came across this guy on eBay a few days ago and man am I impressed. I contacted the seller and customizer, Draubner and asked him a few questions about himself and the figure. 

Draubner is based out of the Philippines and has been working on custom action figures for about 3 years now. However he isn’t a huge comic book fan; he just likes working with visually interesting characters and bringing them to life. When he comes across something he likes he researches the character back and forth and uses this knowledge to really bring out the personality and details.

I have to say that he did a damn good job using that knowledge in this case. Figure was obviously made from Mattel’s DC Universe Classics base with some Flashy additions from the Flash figure but a lot of new sculpting such as the gauntlets, boots, zippers, and helmet! The paint job is also super clean and the colors chosen pop like no other. 

The figure is currently at $260 on eBay with about 10 hours to go. Way too rich for my blood but if I had the money I would drop it in a heartbeat. Excellent custom. You can see and bid on the custom, HERE.

Thanks for reading,

-Flash Johnson

In Smallville Season Eleven, issue 11 we follow Bart and Clark’s efforts to track down the elusive Black Racer, to see if there is a way to end its threat to speedsters past and present.  This issue treats us to a meeting with the Smallville version of Jay Garrick, the original Flash…but is he still ready to run?  Can he help…or is he even willing to try?  This issue of Smallville Season Eleven collects the digital editions (chapters 33 through 35) as we attempt to answer these questions and more…

SOME MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD – PLEASE READ THE ISSUE BEFORE CONTINUING!

The story picks up with “Speed Storms” springing up all over the globe, coinciding with places Bart has used his powers in the recent past.  While the death tolls from these “storms” are rising, Clark and Bart track down Jay in Utah, finding him dressed in a version of the old Golden Age shirt that JSA fans will love to see.  We find that Bart has no recollection of his life before he gained his powers…but he knew some very important names as soon as he connected to the Speed Force.  That explains the false ID cards he carries for Bart Allen, Barry Allen, Jay Garrick and Wally West (wow, another mention of Wally…but unfortunately outside normal New52 continuity).

When asked for help, Jay makes his own revelation…that he wants nothing to do with his powers as the Flash!  His leg was broken by the Feds when they rounded up the JSA members many years ago, and he never had his leg set.  The reason? He had seen the Black Racer himself and knew that if he continued to run he would have to face it again.  He tries to warn Bart that if he continues to run he will die.  In a speech that reminds me of a site related to SpeedForce.org, Jay said, “We only ride the lightning, son.  We sure as hell don’t own it.”

As they talk about the “Speed Storms”, Jay tells Clark and Bart that this may be the Black Racer’s doing, sending out pieces of the Speed Force in an effort to create a new speedster that he can then track down and consume.  The three get word of a new “Speed Storm” in Las Vegas, one that is more deadly than those that have come before.  Fortunately, they find that there may be help available from S.T.A.R. Labs - in the form of a containment suit that Clark can wear to siphon off the excess Speed Force energy found in Vegas.

Clark dons this containment suit, which is vaguely reminiscient  of the “Superman Blue” uniform found pre-New52, and gathers up Speed Force energy, having his own speed boosted as he runs along.  This grabs the attention of the Black Racer…who is now ready to go after Superman!

Back in Utah, Bart decides that he must go to help Clark no matter the risk to himself.  Jay tells him one more important thing…that when he first gained his own powers, Jay heard Bart’s name as well!  He tells Bart that he will never be alone, and wishes him Godspeed as he runs to help Clark.

There is even more to be found in this issue of Smallville Season Eleven than Bart and Clark’s adventures against the Black Racer.  While Oliver and Chloe anxiously await their child, Chloe is having strange visions that show her the Earth 2 memories of her doppelganger from that world.  Lex is trying to get Tess Mercer out of his head…literally, as her consciousness is somehow planted into a part of Lex’s own brain.  And, Tess is somehow able to impact events using Lex’s own body without his knowledge!  What will happen to Clark and Bart?  How will they be able to go up against a Black Racer that has so far defeated every speedster it has ever faced?  Will Lex be able to get Tess (literally) out of his mind?  Those are questions for upcoming “episodes” of Smallville Season Eleven – available through weekly digital chapters and monthly print editions.

Bryan Q. Miller does the scripting for this series with art by Jorge Jimenez and colors by Carrie Strachan.  They do an excellent job of bringing to print the live Smallville series, faithful to both the look and feel of that show.  This comic is presently drawing in a lot of non-traditional comic readers who have been fans of the TV series, and that is great news for those of us who love comics as a medium.  Even if you weren’t well-acquainted with Smallville before, this series is very accessible, and no matter your comics background it is definitely worth a closer look.

Bart and Clark Come Face to Face With The Black Racer! (review of Smallville Season Eleven #11) is a post from Speed Force. .

Jay Garrick in Smallville Season 11.

Update: check out our review of the issue.

Out this week: Earth 2 #10. Read our review of the issue here.