Discuss: Fabulous or Fiasco? Flash Finale

Karen: Anybody want to chat about last night's season finale of The Flash? I thought that despite an uneven but mostly entertaining season, the finale really delivered. And what a cliffhanger! It looks like this will be feeding directly into the new CW series, Legends of Tomorrow. There was so much going on, it's hard to focus on any one thing. How about Barry's decision? And is his timeline a paradox? Start chatting kids.

Gerry Conway has Something to Say on DC's Compensation Policy

Karen: Gerry Conway posted a very interesting article on his blogspace the other day about DC policies towards recognition and compensation for artists/writers whose characters are being used in other media. He used an example from the Flash TV show, but there are many more out there. Please read his article here, and then jump back to comment.

Karen: This whole "derivative character" concept is so ludicrous, it's stunning to me that anyone could discuss it with a straight face. DC has several successful TV shows on the air right now featuring dozens of characters, but they've created a loophole that allows them to credit no one - it's as if they were somehow magically created from thin air, or by this great mass organism known as DC Comics. It's not as if DC is going to break the bank by giving credit (and compensation) where it is due. 

Karen: A few months ago I spoke with a writer who had worked at both DC and Marvel and we began discussing the Marvel films, as some of his characters were appearing in them. He said that Marvel, particularly since Disney had taken over, had become much better at crediting and compensating creators. He felt that part of it came because of the backlash over leaving Jack Kirby's name off of The Avengers. They "became enlightened" after that. But DC/Warners, he said, has always seemed to have taken the other route. They own it and that's that. It's a sad attitude. We can only hope that as more people shine a light on it, DC will do what's right and treat the comic book creators, without whom they wouldn't have material for their TV shows, movies, toys, etc., fairly.

Guest Post - A Flash in the Pan?

Doug: Loving all of these guest posts -- just loving them! Hey, today Mike S. (aka Martinex1) is back with another Open Forum on one of the all-time greats, the Flash! Although the Scarlet Speedster has made a few appearances on the BAB, he's certainly not received his due given the long history of the character. Today's a step in the right direction. And, as you read through this, note how ol' Mike/Martinex is playing the same riff our "Paint It Black" covers post of a few weeks ago was blasting!

Mike S.: I have been watching the new Flash television show and have been surprised by how much I enjoy it. It is definitely light fare, and in tone it probably leans more toward the action adventure shows of the late 70’s (threat of the week, cast of supporting characters, romantic undertones, episode bridging mystery, etc.) rather than the dark mood and cynicism of more recent primetime shows. One aspect I like is that the creators are not shying away from its comic book genesis and are embracing some of that genre’s inherent oddities and drama. The template for the show seems to be to throw in everything and the kitchen sink, keep it all generally good spirited, and keep it moving.

Introduce a new rogue nearly every week? No problem. Actually present Grodd, a telepathic genius gorilla? Sure why not. Name drop many of DC’s characters and hint at future subplots?  There are easter eggs galore. How about time travel? Throw it in; mix and stir.

 

I have always known Barry Allen’s Flash origin and cannot even tell you when I first heard about the crash of chemicals and lightning strike; that story must have somehow been ingrained in me by the time I could read. But I have never owned many Flash comics. If I said I have five Barry Allen issues that may be exaggerating. I did follow Wally West’s adventures a bit in both Teen Titans and his own series, but I cannot recall much detail.

With my newfound interest in the Flash because of the series, I decided to look at some old Silver and Bronze Age covers to see what I may be interested in reading. I was surprised by a style and motif in the cover art that is the polar opposite of what I envisioned. Interspersed throughout the years, particularly in comics dated 1966 through 1974, there are some interesting concepts that I don’t think I have seen used much elsewhere. Although sometimes touched with Silver Age insanity (i.e. Barry’s head growing to the size of a watermelon in issue #177), there was a serious edge to the Flash. There was a type of grimness that I would have thought common in Batman, but in my limited exposure to the Flash would not have expected. And some of the design is better and more cutting edge than I realized. Certainly Marvel did not often employ this vibe in its superhero standards at the time. I am not a DC aficionado so I am not sure if this was the house style and would be interested in hearing others' thoughts on the topic.

Here are some of the details around that styling and some examples of issues I am referring to:

1) The covers broke the fourth wall. It seems fairly common for the character on the cover to address the reader. Whether featuring the Flash himself or the villain of the issue, the cover challenges the customer to purchase or even partake in the adventure. See issues #163, #172, #193, and #222 for examples. This of course was long before series like She-Hulk by John Byrne commonly employed this tactic of self-awareness. I think this was rare in the Bronze Age (it was a dated technique in some regards that lost its appeal, but seems somewhat novel in retrospect).

 

2) The text itself was part of the cover’s appeal. See Issues #174 and #184. The logo in #174 is so eye catching and seems like a technique that Steranko or Eisner would use.

3) There was an element of fear or tonal darkness to the covers, often including the Flash’s death and stark black backgrounds. Some covers would almost seem appropriate in a horror anthology like “Unexpected”; the only differentiation is the brightness of the Flash’s costume. Check out Issues #186, #190, #191, #194 and #227.

 

Each of the above covers intrigue me. I have no idea if the stories inside are any good at all, or if the atmosphere changes at all. But I like these covers and I have to say I want to read them. If I had been buying comics at the time of their release I would have purchased these comics. The artists for the instances shown include Ross Andru, Nick Cardy, Neal Adams, Carmine Infantino, and Joe Kubert.   No slackers there, and even the artists with mixed reviews show nicely. It seems to me that with such a varied group of contributors, much of the feel must have been editorial’s choice. It is hard to say for sure. The coloring of the books had a large impact. The Flash’s costume is a classic and hasn’t changed much in the fifty plus years of existence. The red and yellow are so striking particularly against dark backgrounds, so I am sure that contrast led to some of the decisions. But the stretching of the art form and the forbidding aura add a complexity that I was not expecting from that era’s scarlet speedster comic.

 

What do you think about the Flash? Do you like the new television show? And what is your opinion about the cover art I mentioned? Did the stories match their covers’ appeal? Was DC pushing any boundaries with this title or were they always chasing Marvel? Did other DC books share this approach or was it limited to the Flash?  Do you prefer Barry Allen or Wally West? What are some great Flash stories? What else did I miss that was just plain Flashtastic?

Discuss: DC's Current Crop of Live-Action TV Shows

Karen: I'm only watching The Flash, and so far I find it to be about a C+ for me -neither terrible but not really a 'must-see' show. It seems to have potential so I'll hang with it (I stuck with Smallville for years so I must have some masochistic tendencies). I saw two episodes of Constantine and dropped it. I have no interest in Arrow (or "we wish we could do Batman on TV" as I see it) or Gotham -a Batman show without Batman? Anyone else watching any of these shows? What do you think of them?

First Full Look at the CW's Flash

 

Doug: A couple of weeks ago we posted the mask; today (courtesy of the folks at www.comicscontinuum.com) we post the whole enchilada.  What sayest thou now?

TV's New Flash

 

Doug: Sheesh! It's like a Postapalooza around here today!

Doug: Entertainment Weekly has the first photo of the Flash costume (well, kinda) as well as a brief article. What sayest thou?