Today in Comics History, March 19: Happy birthday, Flash!

Born on this day (in the Pre-Crisis DC Universe)...Barry Allen, the second Flash! (Post-Crisis, it's May 15, and even I can't figger out how that works.)


from Super DC Calendar 1976 (DC, 1975), letrters by Ben Oda

The 1978 2017 2023 DC Calendar of Super-Spectacular Disasters: February Freezing

This is an expanded and updated version of a post originally published February 1, 2017.

It's now February, the winter month that knows better than to hang around too long, what with its icy chills. February is a short as possible, except for every four years when it gets a little too full of itself. Anyway, that means it's time for a freeze-themed (brrrrrrr!) DC Calendar of Super-Spectacular Disasters!

"February: The Flash" in The 1978 Calendar of Super-Spectacular Disasters (DC, 1977); artwork by Irv Novick
(Click picture to iceberg-size)
Packing his Bermuda shorts instead of his snow pants, Flash goes to Florida in February. Much to my disappointment, he doesn't even get to wrestle any alligators. Instead, he's battling two cold-themed criminals, Captain Cold and Mister Freeze! Oooh, I bet there'll be lotsa ice puns in this story! In fact, there may be a flurry of them!


And while Flash and Kid Flash and their pet Cat Flash Fever face off against Captain Cold and Mister Freeze and Black Raspberry Slurpee Dog, let's take a peek at the JLA computer. (Beep! Boop! Bleep!) As you remember, throughout each month you darken specific squares on the grid to eventually reveal the head honcho behind the calamitous catastrophes faced by the Justice League! After following all the instructions in January, here's what he have so far!


Well, it's still early days yet, but I think I see a horsie.

Also, here's another clue to the chief supervillain's identity, and it too is cold-themed!


I haven't the slightest idea who this mastermind could be, but at least we get a big lovely colorful fight sequence illo by Irv Novick all this February. Ice to see that!

Comics Do Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 7: The Flash and outbreak of a fiery mind

from Flash #774 (DC, November 2021), script by Jeremy Adams, pencils and inks by Christian Duce, colors by Hi-Fi, letters by Steve Wands

Today In Comics History, June 20, 1978: Back to the Future, Carrying a Space Alien

from DC Comics Presents #2 (DC, September 1978), script by Martin Pasko, pencils by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, inks by Dan Adkins, colors by Jerry Serpe, letters by Clem Robins

Today in Comics History, March 23: I fall to pieces without you

from Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 (May 1985), script by Marv Wolfman, pencils by George Pérez, inks by Dick Giordano, colors by Tony Tollin, letters by John Costanza
Aw, that's just a comic book gimmick. I'm sure he's okay.


cover of Heroes in Crisis #6 (April 2019), art by Ryan Sook
Whoops.

365 Days of Power and Responsibility, Day 7: Wally's new powers go to his head

Panel from "Meet Kid Flash!" in The Flash (1959 series) #110 (December 1959-January 1960), script by John Broome, pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Joe Giella, letters by Ira Schnapp (?)

365 Days of Defiance, Day 353: I changed the lyrics of this song to make it more about the Flash, as you do

It is the night
My body's weak
I'm on the ride
No time to sleep
I've got to run
Run like the wind
To be free again


And I've got such a long way to go
To make it to the border of Mexico
So I'll run like the wind
Run like the wind


I was born the son of a lawless man
Always spoke my mind with a gun in my hand
Lived nine lives
Gunned down ten
Gonna run like the wind


And I've got such a long way to go
To make it to the border of Mexico
So I'll run like the wind
Run like the wind


Accused and tried and told to hang
I was nowhere in sight when the church bells rang
Never was the kind to do as I was told
Gonna run like the wind before I get old


It is the night
My body's weak
I'm on the ride
No time to sleep
I've got to run
Run like the wind
To be free again


And I've got such a long way to go
To make it to the border of Mexico
So I'll run like the wind
Run like the wind


Panels from Flash: Our Worlds at War one-shot (October 2001), script by Geoff Johns, pencils by Angel Unzueta, inks by Jose Marzan, Jr., colors by Tom McCraw, color separations by Digital Chameleon, letters by John Costanza
Yes, I changed the lyrics for Flash. Here's the real song — well, sort of, from the late lamented SCTV:

365 Days of Defiance, Day 204: Starfish don't want heroes with good taste, starfish want heroes who taste good

Panels from JLA Secret Files [and Origins] #1 (September 1997), script by Grant Morrison and Mark Millar, pencils by Howard Porter, inks by John Dell, colors by John Kalisz, letters by Ken Lopez

Today in Comics History, June 14, 1961: Earth-2 is introduced; fanboys immediately begin arguing over its canon

from The Flash (1959 series) #123 (DC, September 1961), script by Gardner F. Fox, pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Joe Giella, letters by Gaspar Saladino

365 Days of Defiance, Day 87: Stop Admiring Force

Flash! Ah-uh, no, that's the wrong one. Here's Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash, champion of Earth when he and his friends are kidnapped to an alien planet to serve as gladiators in the space-pits!


Panels from "The Planet of Sport" in All-Flash #31 (October-November 1947), script by Robert Kanigher, pencils and inks by Everett E. Hibbard
Say, does the Flash ever, ever, ever, give up?


No! the Flash never, never, never gives up! (Aw, you shoulda guessed that.)


Also you guys: STOP ADMIRING FORCE. That's a great message for today, too. Thanks, Golden Age Flash!

366 Days with J. Jonah Jameson, Day 213: Crisis on Infinite Jonahs Week, Day 8: This world is not my home / I'm just a-passing through

Well, now, here's one we didn't expect! Yep, that is Jonah and Peter...alongside Billy Batson and Linda Park, inside the DC Universe. Which DC Universe? That's a very good question! Let's see...no collars, but underpants on the outside. No Clark Kent Superboy, but still a Legion of Super-Heroes. Cyborg's in the Teen Titans, not the JLA; Wally West is the Flash, Kyle Rayner is Green Lantern, and Ambush Bug freely roamed the world. I'm guessing this is (inhale) post-Crisis, post-Zero Year Hour, pre-Flashpoint, pre-New 52, pre-DC You, pre-rebirth, and yet somehow post-Apokolipton. (That's really, really horrible iced tea.)

Anyway! J. Jonah Jameson on Earth-1! What's he doin' there? Looking surprised.


Panels from Flash (1987 series) #107 (November 1995), script by Mark Waid, pencils by Oscar Jimenez, inks by Jose Marzan Jr., colors by Tom McCraw, letters by Gaspar Saladino
We now return J. Jonah Jameson to his native dimension.

Today in Comics History, July 22, 2015: Justice League arrives for Batman's surprise birthday party, but it isn't his birthday

from Justice League of America (2015 series) #1 (DC, August 2015), script and pencils by Bryan Hitch; inks by Daniel Henriques with Wade von Grawbadger and Andrew Currie, colors by Alex Sinclair with Jeromy Cox, letters by Chris Eliopoulos

Stuff Bully Got Wants: Happy Flash is happy

Today in Comics History, December 11, 2013: Enter Mopee

from Flash: Season Zero #1 (DC, December 2014), story by Andrew Kreisberg, script by Brooke Eikmeier and Katherine Walczak, pencils by Phil Hester, inks by Eric Gapstur, colors by Kelsey Shannon, letters by Deron Bennett

Today in Comics History, July 17, 1911: Edwardian society forcibly maroons Captain Picard cosplayer

from The Flash (2011 series) #37 (DC, February 2015), script by Robert Venditti and Van Jensen, pencils by Brett Booth, inks by Norm Rapmund, colors by Andrew Dalhouse, letters by Dezi Sienty

There Is No Hope in Crime Alley, Night 12

Panels from JLA: Age of Wonder #1 (July 2003), script by Adisakdi Tantimedh, breakdowns by P. Craig Russell, finishes by Galen Showman, colors by Dave McCaig, letters by Bob Lappan

Teniversary Countdown #5: Previously, on the CW's The Flash

Panel from Flash (1987 series) #10 (March 1988), script by Mike Baron, pencils by Mike Collins, inks by Larry Mahlstedt, colors by Michele Wolfman, letters by Steve Haynie

Today in Comics History Future, April 25, 2024: Worlds will live, worlds will die, but newspapers will still be around

from The Flash "Pilot" (DC Entertainment/Warner Bros. Television, October 7, 2014), script by Andrew Kreisberg and Geoff Johns, directed by David Nutter

Today in Comics History, April 20: f u cn rd ths, u cn bcm th flsh

from "A Day in the Life of the Flash" in Bizarro World graphic novel (DC, February 2005), script by Eddie Campbell; pencils, inks, and letters by by Paul Grist; colors by Phil Elliott

Welcome to Starbuck's...let's talk about race.

A little something I whipped up for Twitter, and now you can enjoy it too!