We have entered event season. It is that time of year when the Big 2 publishers battle to see who can change everything and survive (or maybe not survive) an extinction level event. We are left with solicits filled with tie-ins, banners, and promises of not needing to buy everything (but please do!) Fandom wrings their hands and curses the saddle stich gods in heaven. Then they go and buy the event.
We, the hardcore comic book fan base, are drawn to the event. It seeks out and clutches onto our continuity jones. Fans were the ones that pushed for continuity back in the day and that thread is still running through our community. We really do enjoy the fact that Superman and Batman live in the same world. I complain about events and the endless marketing of events…a lot. I have sworn off of events several times in my fan life. Then an event comes up that hits my sweet spot. There is no sweeter spot for me than The Flash, so the upcoming Flashpoint event has lured me back into the event fold. I’m not crazy. Not every single one of the Flashpoint tie-ins is getting into my house. Only a select few will make the cut. I have enough experience to know how to avoid burning myself out. How do I decide which ones to get? I am glad you asked because here is TOM KATERS’ PERSONAL GUIDE TO FLASHPOINT TIE-IN PURCHASES: TOM KATERS EDITION:
Please note that my one of my favorite Marvel stories of all time is Age of Apocalypse. The fact that Flashpoint looks like a Flash-centric AoA just makes it more intriguing in my eyes. Is it kind of a rip off? Yes. Should we call shenanigans? No. I believe in discouraging the copying of bad ideas, not totally awesome ones. There is nothing that speaks to the soul of the comic book industry than taking a page from the competitor’s playbook.
Also note that I am getting Flash and Flashpoint. This is just going to be looking at my excitement for the tie-ins. Anything I pass on now is going to be available at a con in the future, so I am not overly worried about missing a book and not EVER being able to find it. It basically comes down to pure personal excitement about the characters or creators. Your mileage will and should vary. I ain’t no expert on what you like.
Many of the artists on the tie-ins are unknown to me personally so I don’t feel comfortable passing too much judgement on the artist choices. When availabe, I have put links to their art sites to get a sense of their style.
FLASHPOINT: BATMAN – KNIGHT OF VENGEANCE #1
Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO Art by EDUARDO RISSO
Excitement (On a scale of 1-10): 4
Sacrilegious, I know. Everyone seems really hyped for this, but I haven’t really loved the superhero work I have read from Azzarello. The pace of his stories doesn’t usually work for me in the realm of Superhero antics. The Risso art will be beautiful and if there is a character in the DCU meant for Azzarello it is Batman.
FLASHPOINT: SECRET SEVEN #1
Written by PETER MILLIGAN Art by GEORGE PEREZ & SCOTT KOBLISH
Excitement: 7
The Perez and Koblish art is what has me the most excited. Perez is made for this type of an event. An artist who wants to draw everyone being thrown into an alternate universe where he hasn’t drawn anyone? It is almost unfair to the poor man. We need an intervention.
FLASHPOINT: ABIN SUR – THE GREEN LANTERN #1
Written by ADAM SCHLAGMAN Art and cover by FELIPE MASSAFERA
Excitement:3
FLASHPOINT: HAL JORDAN #1
Written by ADAM SCHLAGMAN Art by BEN OLIVER
Excitement: 2
These are victims of my Green Lantern overload. I am following and enjoying the Green Lantern books so getting the Green Lantern tie-ins feel a bit like overkill. Unless Hal Jordan is an insurance salesman in the Flashpoint universe, I will be sitting this out. Abin Sur is like Uncle Ben, I don’t need to see him alive at any point.
FLASHPOINT: THE WORLD OF FLASHPOINT #1
Written by REX OGLE and others Art by PAULO SIQUIERA
Excitement: 6
Tough one here. I love world building and this book looks like an overview of the Flashpoint universe. Realistically though I see this as parsley for the story. It is nice to have but probably not absolutely necessary. Don’t email me parsley freaks.
FLASHPOINT: EMPEROR AQUAMAN #1
Written by TONY BEDARD
Art and cover by ARDIAN SYAF and VICENTE CIFUENTES
Excitement: 7
Bedard has impressed me with his REBELS work and I haven’t loved what Johns has done with Aquaman since Blackest Night. I eagerly look forward to a new writer taking a shot at a different angle of Aquaman. One of my favorite elements of the modern Aquaman stories is the royalty element. Thanks Peter David! Too see this completely embraced should be fun.
FLASHPOINT: DEATHSTROKE AND THE CURSE OF THE RAVAGER #1
Written by JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art and cover by JOE BENNETT and JOHN DELL
Excitement: 8
My excitement is due to Palmiotti, Bennett, and Dell. Deathstroke is one of my least favorite characters. His stories seem to fall into two patterns which I hate. They either focus on his amorality to the point where I don’t care about him on any level or they involve killing B-list characters to remind us of his badassness. I usually wouldn’t give this a look, and then I saw the creators.
I love Palmiotti’s superhero work. He knows how to carve out odd little corners of a universe and explore the characters to their fullest. See Freedom Fighters for an excellent example. Combine that with Bennett’s art and a pirate angle and I am all in.
FLASHPOINT: FRANKENSTEIN AND THE CREATURES OF THE UNKNOWN #1
Written by JEFF LEMIRE Art by IBRAIM ROBERSON
Excitement: 9
Aside from the actual Flashpoint book this is the title I am looking forward to the most. I have been impressed with Lemire’s work on Superboy and I am huge fan of the DC universe Frankenstein. Lemire has the most Canadian of writer super abilities. It is the ability to capture isolation in a way that isn’t necessarily weepy style sad. He has written stories that make me tear up the excellent Essex County), but he doesn’t have to lean on that (the also excellent Sweet Tooth, Superboy). A great Frankenstein story has to have that element of isolation to work. Lemire’s range means that this story could go in any direction, but I feel confident he is going to hit the right tone on Frankenstein.
FLASHPOINT: PROJECT SUPERMAN #
Plot by SCOTT SNYDER Script by LOWELL FRANCIS Art and cover by GENE HA
Excitement: 8
Gene Ha art will get me to go anywhere.
FLASHPOINT: CITIZEN COLD #1
Written by SCOTT KOLINS Art and cover by SCOTT KOLINS
Excitement: 7
One of my favorite villains cast as a hero and I am there. Kolins’ writing worries me a little bit. His stories have great art but tend to be a little too slow (Solomon Grundy). Yes, I do enjoy Kolins’ new style. He did draw one of my favorite single issues (Flash #182) and was heavily involved in the rehab of the Rogues, so if anyone has finger on that pulse besides Johns it is probably Kolins. Cold has always walked just on the wrong side of the law so it will be interesting to see him as the hero could have always been.
FLASHPOINT: GRODD OF WAR #1
Written by SEAN RYAN Art by IG GUARA
Excitement: 8
Grodd alone is probably worth a 10, but my lack of familiarity with the creators makes me a bit nervous. Seriously though, it is Grodd book, of course I am getting it.
FLASHPOINT: WONDER WOMAN AND THE FURIES #1
Written by DAN ABNETT and ANDY LANNING Art by SCOTT CLARK and DAVID BEATY
Excitement: 6
FLASHPOINT: LOIS LANE AND THE RESISTANCE #1
Written by DAN ABNETT and ANDY LANNING Art by EDDY NUNEZ
Excitement: 7
I am happy to see Abnett and Lanning outside of Cosmic Marvel. The Annihilation mega story was interesting but I have gotten a little burnt out on it. Now we see them tackle two of the biggest female characters in comics. Wonder Woman doesn’t interest me quite as much as Lois Lane does. Will she use Kryptonian martial arts? Wait…will she know kryptonian martial arts? Is there a Krypton? Who is her love interest? Lois Lane judo chopping bad guys should be a fun ride.
FLASHPOINT: DEADMAN AND THE FLYING GRAYSONS #1
Written by J.T. KRUL Art by MIKEL JANIN
Excitement: 3
I am still recovering from The Rise and Fall of Arsenal. This is going to be a wait and see.
FLASHPOINT: LEGION OF DOOM STARRING HEATWAVE #1
Written by ADAM GLASS Art by RODNEY BUCHEMI and JOSE MARZAN, JR
Excitement: 5
Heatwave is awesome, but the creators are a toss-up for me. Heatwave is awesome though. I wish I could go tell 10 year old Tom that there would be a big DC event heavily featuring the Rogues. He would freak out.
FLASHPOINT: THE OUTSIDER #1
Written by JAMES ROBINSON Art by JAVI FERNANDEZ
Excitement: 8
Robinson’s JLA has been disappointing for me, mostly because of my high expectations. My favorite part of Robinson’s work is his rhythm of storytelling. It can feel like you are wondering around lost, but it all starts to pull together, and pays off beautifully. The JLA requires a tightness that doesn’t play to his strengths. This looks more up his alley as it also features a guy in a suit.
FLASHPOINT: GREEN ARROW INDUSTRIES #1
Written by PORNSAK PICHETSHOTE Art by MARK CASTIELLO
Excitement: 2
I just haven’t been feeling Green Arrow for a couple years now.
FLASHPOINT: KID FLASH LOST STARRING BART ALLEN #1
Written by STERLING GATES Art by OLIVER NOME
Excitement: 6
There is a hyphen and a “starring”, which makes me suspicious. Gates has been hit and miss with me but the allure of the lightning bolt might drag me in. Bart has been tossed around a bit carelessly the last couple years so this might be a good place for him to get back on track. Not a great sign that you have to explain who Kid Flash is now in the title of the series.
FLASHPOINT: REVERSE FLASH #1
Written by SCOTT KOLINS Art by JOEL GOMEZ
Excitement: 5
Kolins’ writing without the art kills a bit of the interest for me. It does reek of the type of tie-in that will be important.
FLASHPOINT: THE CANTERBURY CRICKET #1
Written by MIKE CARLIN Art and cover by RAGS MORALES
Excitement: 8
A concept so weird that I have to buy it. . It is a giant cricket who is being shot at by guards. In a world flooded with Batman books I like to support any weirdness, even if it is a one shot.
That is where I stand right now. There will be titles I am excited about that won’t set my world on fire and there will be surprises. I don’t know when I am going to get another Flash event so I am going to stop complaining, relax, and dip my toes back into the event water. I am only human.
Tom can't tell you what to do. You have to climb that mountain yourself.
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Canterbury Cricket is a Knight and Squire tie-in, right? 🙂
I’m only interested in 3 of this ties in. FLASHPOINT: DEATHSTROKE , FLASHPOINT: WONDER WOMAN and FRANKENSTEIN, mostly for the creators
Grat article Tom
There are a number of strong tie-ins here. I’m fairly certain I’ll end up spending more on the tie-ins than on the actual “event” issues.
Also, I’m looking forward to your review of Canterbury Cricket.
I love the line about George Perez, lol.
Feeling the same way about the Green Lantern tie-ins. I’m really enjoying the GL books right now but 3 issues a month feels like maximum capacity.
At a quick glance I’m interested in about 8 of the one shots. I like that they’re keeping these tie-ins short.
They should call this DelayPoint. Srsy, I have no faith in DC getting all these out on time. Which means that you’ll have things happening that are talking about events which haven’t happend yet….
Nicely done, Tom.
For me the highest level of excitement comes from BATMAN, FRANKENSTEIN, SECRET SEVEN, and PROJECT SUPERMAN.
Interested, but cautious, would be DEATHSTROKE, THE OUTSIDER, and maybe the WONDER WOMAN and LOIS LANE titles.
Curious but skeptical of CANTERBURY CRICKET — I’ll likely pass unless I hear GREAT things.
The rest: no real interest based on the concept and/or creative team. But again, if I hear amazing things or flip through it in the store and am impressed, I’m willing to give anything a shot.
Nice column Tom. You have some pretty cool insights on why and why not your willing to spend you hard earned money. Hopefully you guys keep this type of column for other major events.
“I am huge fan of the DC universe Frankenstein.”
That is a sentence I have never seen nor heard before now. Tom, you continue to surprise and delight us.
I bought “Legion of Three Worlds” primarily for the George Perez art. I was happy that I got a fun story to boot, but I spent hours just looking at all the characters he drew in there. How he kept track of all of them is beyond me. I’m looking forward to his Flashpoint tie-in and the Canterbury Cricket the most.
Thanks for the list Tom, along with your honest thoughts on each one. I’m going to keep this list bookmarked to help me keep track of all the tie-ins.
I’m still in event fatigue, only reading the odds and ends of the big 2 univereses (Rebels, Secret Six, X-Factor) on a regular basis. That plays perfect with this type of event. As long as DC doesnt flood these out there at the same time I’m liable to get all these except the Green Lantern & Deadman books. Unless the Deadman book is real pretty, then I’ll get that too.
The Canterbury Cricket is wearing a jump suit w/ shorts. Yes, I will be reading this…I am also making it the Pick Of The Year.
You can hear Tom talking more about Flashpoint at http://www.Alt3redEgos.com. The episode name Is “Tom vs Charlie Sheen”. i kid you not!
Do you know which of these are one-shots and which are minis?
I hate to admit it, but I’ll be getting them all.