Comments on: Contest: What do you like about Firestorm?

By: Shag

Shag — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 04:42:39 +0000

UPDATE: If you voted prior to 11:00pm EST on Monday, February 25, please vote again. I apologize for the inconvenience. Due to some voting inconsistencies, I had to delete the original poll. The new poll was launched just after 11:00pm on Monday. You may select up to six responses, but please don’t vote for the same response multiple times. If there is a repeat of voting inconsistencies, I will terminate the voting and select the winners myself.
The new poll URL is: http://twtpoll.com/m17u99

Happy voting! May the best Match-head win!

By: Shag

Shag — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:03:10 +0000

My thanks to all that submitted their Firestorm stories!

Voting is now open! Be sure to cast your vote for your favorite six stories! Voting is open until Sunday, March 3 at 11:45pm EST
http://firestormfan.com/2013/02/25/vote/

Shag

By: Randy

Randy — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 03:08:15 +0000

I have liked Firestorm ever since I bought my first comic book, JLA #179, the issue where he joined the JLA. Now, I’ll be honest and say that Aquaman is/was/always will be my #1 hero, but old Flame-brain is a verry, verrry close #2. His cockiness was something that the old-guard, known-each-other-for-years JLA needed at the time. here was a young kid playing in the big leagues, probably the first time this had been done in comics. After all, teen heroes usually hung with the Teen Titans or the Legion. When he joined the Superfriends a few years later on TV, well, that cemented my love for him. And his series was one of the first #1 issues I ever bought. He’s a great character and I am proud to say his is the only Super Powers figure I was able to hold onto after losing them all in a flood.

By: Kyle Benning

Kyle Benning — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:23:18 +0000

Where to start, there are so many great reasons to love Firestorm, he’s a great character, and reaffirms that two heads are better than one! He is such a perfect blend of so many elements, in the original incarnation the blend between youth & age & in most incarnations the blend of brains & brawn and strength & tranquility. And what a great power set, no one else can turn lethal objects into harmless items. My favorite incarnation would have to be the original Professor Stein and Ronnie blend in Gerry Conway’s run, but Dan Jurgen’s recent run has been absolutely amazing. I can’t recommend it enough, it’ll be sad to see the book ending with issue #20 when I feel like it was picking up so much momentum & heading in such a great direction. It really has been the best Firestorm stuff we Matchheads have gotten in about 25 years.

My absolutely favorite Firestorm moment would have to be in Fury of Firestor The Nuclear Man #4 (1982) when Firestorm successfully defeats Killer Frost, and channels his power through a frozen Red Tornado to safely thaw New York City. At the end there is a great Steve Martin (my favorite comedian of all-time) reference to his Wild & Crazy Guy stand-up comedy album. It was pure gold!

By: BlUsKrEEm

BlUsKrEEm — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:30:41 +0000

What I like most about Firestorm is his future. I know his book just got cancelled but hear me out; Firestorm will save the Justice League. I’m not talking about about some major threat or plot arch, what I’m talking about the book itself. My wife calls the N52 justice league the grumble league, and she’s far from the only one to make that complaint. The League has spent most of it’s time bickering. They’ve been together for five years, but they can’t seem to stand each other for five minutes. The one shining moment I can see was Supes and Diana’s civilian date in JL#15. It was exactly the lighthearted humanizing moment the book needs, and I think Firestorm will inject more of that into the mix. I just don’t see Jason and Ronnie getting into the the posturing and scowling matches that seem to plague this book.

He’s really the perfect choice to lighten things up when you think about it. Firestorm definitely has the more laid back attitude that the league needs, but not so much so that he’ll completely break the mood of the book. Can you imagine Dianna and Arthor arguing over the use of lethal force and suddenly Plastic Man pops in with one of his zany jokes? Bleh. The League needs a heart not a clown. Firestorm can be that heart, and the best part is he does this while being relevant. He fits in well with the current league’s themes. Firestorm is a powerhouse on the level of league, but more than once it has been asked if he can be trusted with that power. He’s the perfect foil for the league and while I’m sad his book is ending, I think all DC fans want to see the Justice League book succeed, and Firestorm may be it’s only hope.

By: Metal Mikey

Metal Mikey — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:13:03 +0000

To me, Firestorm was one of my favorite characters… that I never even knew existed in the comics. Rewinding the hands of time, let’s flash back to when the fusion of Ronnie Raymond and Professor Stein first achieved immortality as an action figure in the “Super Powers” line. I remember distinctly that, out of that second wave, Firestorm was one of the most visually dynamic characters to my eyes. Heck, I think I even remember he was the first hero I wanted an action figure of from that line! You heard me right; before Batman or even Superman, or yes… even Aquaman, Firestorm was a desired hero figure for my adventures. Sad to say, it never entered my life. (Come to think of it, the only “Super Powers” figure I remember owning was a Brainiac… and while he may have been of a “superior intellect”, his brain kick totally made one of his legs fall off the figure. Nice work, Brainy.) But since then, and I believe I got to learn more about Firestorm around that time from the “Super Friends/Powers” cartoon, he’s never been far from the background of my mind. Because of the “Fire and Water” podcast, I’ve been backtracking as many early Firestorm solo appearances as I can, but in the realm of comics, I felt he was one of the most exciting members of the Justice League in the 1980’s. (I even feel he should’ve been kept on the team as a transitional mentor figure to the Detroit League. Besides, who wouldn’t want to see Ronnie completely shoot down Vibe in the wit department?) So, visually striking… check. Cool powers… check. In conclusion, Firestorm is one of those magic-in-a-bottle characters for the DC universe that people like myself, even if they aren’t 100% aware of his history, realize he’s truly a special creation.

By: negativsteve

negativsteve — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 02:17:11 +0000

I was initially attracted to Firestorm by the character design, specifically the fact that his head was on fire. I was 12, and that was AWESOME. As I continued reading Furt of Firestorm, I really got to like Ronnie Raymond, lovable lunkhead. Even as a kid, I appreciated how they inverted the Peter Parker paradigm; I thought it was hilarious that the dumb jock was constantly being tormented by the class valedictorian. The split aspect of Firestorm also really interested me. Although Ronnie didn’t know much about chemistry, he had Professor Stein rattling around inside his head to help him out with the formulas. As a teenager, this seemed like the greatest of superpowers. Who wouldn’t want a brilliant adult inside your head, to give you answers and help you through the awkwardness of life. Throughout the many identity changes that Firestorm would go through in later years, this was always my favorite aspect of his character, that there were always two personalities in his head, and that they didn’t always agree.

By: Paul Bowler

Paul Bowler — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 22:02:03 +0000

I’ve always liked Firestorm, especially the original version of the character, and it was great when he was part of the JLA. It was brilliant when Firestorm returned during the launch of The New 52, the story really started to take shape when Joe Harris took over writing duties, and the art by Yildiray Cinar was just brilliant!

When Dan Jurgens took over after Zero Month the book really started to recapture the look and feel of the original Firestorm by Gerry Conway and Al Milgron. Although I liked the separate Firestorms, I think it was a great move to go back to Firestorm being two people fused in one body again. That is what always made Firestorm so unique, Ronnie and Jason had to learn to work together again, juggling their new powers and responsibilities with their every day lives in High School.

But the thing I really like about Firestorm is the sense of fun that has always surrounded the character and his colourful rogue’s gallery – especially Killer Frost. Its a shame that Firestorm has been cancelled again as it’s been such a great time for Firestorm; appearing in his own book and as a reserve member of the Justice League during Throne of Atlantis.

So let’s enjoy Firestorm while we can. We still have a few issues to go and your awesome Fire and Water Podcast as well, and hopefully Firestorm will become a full member of the JLA.

Fan the flame and ride the wave :O)

By: Olokin

Olokin — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 08:21:33 +0000

Firestorm has the coolest costume among all DC heroes. In the Super Friends cartoon of the 80’s Firestorm stood out from the rest of the heroes because of a design that is ahead of its time. It became such a classic that even today it would still fit well among current comics. In the cartoon, I had no idea what his origin was but because of the design, the colors, the flaming hair and the powers, I thought he was a character as cool as Batman or Superman.

By: firestormfan89

firestormfan89 — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:49:52 +0000

As a little kid I loved watching Saturday morning cartoons as most little kids who grew up in the ’70s did, and I especially loved “Challenge of the Super-Friends” and re-runs of the live action Batman TV series which would precede the cartoons on my local station. Whenever I went to the supermarket with my parents or my grandma I would beg them to buy me a comic book off the rack, usually opting for Batman or some other character from the cartoons. One day I chose a copy of Flash and discovered Firestorm in the backup story beautifully drawn by George Perez. He looked awesome with his flaming hair and I was captivated by his tremendous powers. It would not be long until Fury of Firestorm debuted and I started collecting from about issue #7. The Hyena story really got my attention, since I had recently watched “An American Werewolf in London” and was terrified of lycanthropes so it was great to see my new favorite superhero kick some were-creature butt. But the reason I most identified with Firestorm was because of Prof. Stein. He looks a lot like my dad and when I hear my own conscience it sounds like my dad. So I really dug the scenes where Prof. Stein would appear as Ronnie’s conscience to give him advice. That kind of thing happened to me every day and kept me out of trouble.