• Be sure to pick up Brightest Day #6 from your local comic shop.  We finally see the new Firestorm in action!

• Not much Firestorm news came out of San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) this year.  I’ve only come across two news items, both toy related.  I’ve outlined them below, click here for the full scoop on Mattel’s panel at SDCC on DC toys.
  • The Batman: Brave and the Bold Action League is being re-branded into the DC Universe Action League.  The line will now have added articulation and feature characters from all over the DCU. A DC Universe Action League pack containing Firestorm and Black Lantern Firestorm has been announced.  No specific release date identified.  I gotta assume this re-branding is being done to compete with Marvel’s highly-successful Super Hero Squad.
  • The Justice League Unlimited Firestorm action figure (featured here previously) will be repackaged in a three-pack with Killer Frost and the Angle Man.  Watch for that in early Spring 2011.  I don’t have a Killer Frost figure, so that will be nice.  An Angle Man figure… really?  Lovely.

• Just before Comic-Con, Geoff Johns had a few things to say about Brightest Day over on Comic Book Resources.  Check out the Firestorm bits below:

CBR: Allen Thornton noted that many people, he included, missed a very significant clue in “Blackest Night” #8 that Deadman was the new White Lantern. It wasn’t until it was mentioned to him that he saw the White Ring on his finger, which he then mentioned to a friend, passing the awareness on. His question is was there any other subtle clues like that in “Blackest Night” and “Brightest Day” that he and others may have missed and once they’re revealed will cause a collective head slap? And if there are clues, are you surprised that people are not seeing them?

GEOFF JOHNS: There are clues for just about everything. There are clues about Firestorm. His story is just beginning and where Jason and Ronnie go, you can go back to “Blackest Night” and see some seeds that will be touched on. The stories were really set up because we knew we were going to be doing a lot with Jason and Mera post-“Blackest Night” and “Brightest Day,” so you should go back, and check out what was planted, especially with Mera and Firestorm, but there are other things too, with the White Lantern, specifically. The history of what the White Lantern is doing on Earth and where it’s going and what’s happening to it now, all comes to light in #7.

• Brightest Day cover artist David Finch addressed characters he finds difficult to draw during an interview with Comic Book Resources.  Here is the quote relevant to Firestorm:

CBR: Are there any heroes that you find particularly tricky or difficult to draw?

DAVID FINCH: Characters that have very structured costumes, as opposed to more anatomical ones are always challenging for me. I always struggle with characters that have energy powers, too. Firestorm is a great character, but I always feel like I’m fighting with my drawings of him.

• The DC Source Blog revealed the Return of the Black Lanterns will appear in October.  No one is really sure what that means yet, but Black Lantern Firestorm is featured in the promotional image.

• It’s been announced that the DC Direct Brightest Day Firestorm action figure will be part of the second wave of Brightest Day figures. Therefore it should ship in April 2011.

• Get your own Firestorm magnet over on SuperHeroStuff.com!  Looks like someone colored the Ed Benes Firestorm sketch and then slapped the original comic book logo on it.  You can get this magnet for $4.99 plus shipping (and the shipping ain’t cheap).

• While Firestorm foes Summer Day and Dr. Jivan Shi may be deceased, the Hyena curse lives on!  Several were-hyenas appeared in Zatanna #2, written by Paul Dini and drawn by Stephane Roux and Karl Story.  My thanks to tigner02 on the DC Comics Message Board for pointing out this appearance. See the pages below.

• Firehawk made a one-panel cameo in Justice League of America #45, written by James Robinson and drawn by Mark Bagley, Rob Hunter, and Norm Rapmund.  Notice below she’s wearing one of her older costumes.

• Our good buddy Frank, a friend to the FIRESTORM FAN site and author of numerous blogs, shared his own personal thoughts about the Nuclear Man over on the DC Bloodlines blog.  Be warned, Frank does not have a very high opinion of Firestorm’s adventures, however, his comments are well-written and well thought out.  I find myself agreeing with some of Frank’s points, while disagreeing with others.  That’s the beauty of civilized fandom, we can have differing opinions and yet all get along.  Frank’s other sites include blogs dedicated to: Martian Manhunter, Justice League Detroit, Wonder Woman, Captain Atom and the Atom, and his own blog …nurgh…

• Back in June, Phillip Martinez wrote a review of Brightest Day #4 asking for more Firestorm content.  You can read his review of Brightest Day #4 on The Examiner by clicking here.

• Firestorm appeared once again on the Batman: Brave and the Bold cartoon back on June 13.  In the episode, “The Siege of Starro! Part One” Firestorm was featured prominently along with a handful of other heroes.  Part Two has not aired yet, so I gotta believe Part One was the season finale or mid-season finale.

• The Aquaman Shrine blog has a model sheet for the Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths animated DVD that was released back in February.  Firestorm is one of the characters featured on the model sheet.  Click here to see the model sheets on the Aquaman Shrine blog.

• xBrandonHexx has put together a YouTube tribute video to Killer Frost.  It’s got some good music and is worth your time if you are interested in the character.  Click here to watch the Killer Frost YouTube tribute video.

• The Back to the Bins podcast recently tackled DC Comics Presents #45, a 1982 Superman/Firestorm team-up published a month before the Fury of Firestorm series premiered.  Back to the Bins is hosted by my good buddies Scott Gardner and Michael Bailey.  To listen to Back to the Bins #59, please visit the Two True Freaks site by clicking here.  Here is the description for the Back to the Bins podcast:
  • Disenfranchised by the modern comics industry, Scott Gardner and Michael Bailey (of “View From The Longbox” and “From Crisis To Crisis: A Superman Podcast” fame) now ply the timestream in a never-ending quest to re-discover and re-connect with that unique brand of fun and excitement that can only truly be found in good ol’ fashioned randomly-selected Comic Book back issues!! Journey with them now…back…Back To The Bins!

• I recently came across a 13-inch custom Firestorm doll on eBay (see below).  When the auction ended, it had not received any bids.  Click here to see the eBay auction.

• Also on eBay I came across a custom Heroscape Firestorm piece made using the Firestorm Heroclix.  Click here to see the eBay auction.

• Finally, I came across this cool fan art recently.  It features Superman, Green Lantern, and the current Firestorm.  It was drawn by Rex Zachary.  You can visit his website by clicking here.

That’s it for today!

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Such a cool shot, and so full of clues!  Below I’ve zoomed in on Ronnie and Jason so you can get a better look at what they’re doing.

JUST THE FACTS, MA’AM:

We see Ronnie and Jason working to either bury or uncover the Black Lantern Firestorm. Ronnie is standing on top of the rocks looking at the Black Lantern Firestorm, while Jason is on the ground standing in the shadows looking away from the Black Lantern Firestorm. Both Ronnie and Jason have flames around their heels. (There is also a shield and net near Jason’s foot, but I think that’s a clue for another character. I’m gonna ignore it for now.)

OKAY, NOW FOR A LITTLE SPECULATION:

What are Ronnie and Jason doing?

• Option 1: Ronnie and Jason are working together, rather than against each other, burying the Black Lantern Firestorm.  This could represent them working together to bury the past and put the tragedy of Gehenna behind them.
• Option 2: Ronnie and Jason are working together, rather than against each other, to dig out the Black Lantern Firestorm.  This could represent them working together to fully explore the Firestorm matrix.
• Option 3: Ronnie is burying the Black Lantern Firestorm, while Jason is uncovering the Black Lantern Firestorm.  If you look at the direction each character’s head is facing, an argument could be made for this interpretation.   Also, Ronnie is on top of the pile of rocks (as if he put the rocks there) and Jason is on the ground (as if he’s taking the rocks off).  This could represent Ronnie trying to bury what happened as the Black Lantern Firestorm, while Jason is trying to uncover the truth.

Why flames around their feet?

• This could simply represent them as Firestorm.  More likely it represents something else.   Perhaps something to do with an “Achilles heel” and fire? I really don’t know.

Why is Ronnie on top of the pile of rocks while Jason is on the ground?

• See Option 3 above.  Alternatively, this might represent that Ronnie is the person “on top” in the matrix, meaning he controls the body. Or it may mean nothing. I don’t think Jason in the shadows symbolizes anything.

What do y’all think?  Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!  By the way, I first became aware of this teaser image over on Luke’s Hawkman blog – thanks Luke!

*UPDATE* – Thanks to the magic of the interwebs, I read that this teaser image is an homage to an existing painting.  Click here to see the basis of this artwork.  With this knowledge it makes deducing the clues more difficult.  The fact that Ronnie and Jason were drawn to conform to the pre-set orientations of the characters in the original painting makes it all the more difficult to interpret.

SOLICITATIONS FOR UPCOMING ISSUES OF BRIGHTEST DAY:

Brightest Day #6 – On Sale Today!
Deadman discovers the truth behind the formation of the White Lantern and what it means to the twelve returnees and the rest of the DC Universe. Plus, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Hawkman, Hawkgirl and Firestorm discover the price for their resurrections…and why they may be doing more harm than good to the world.

Brightest Day #7 (on sale Aug. 4) and Brightest Day #8 (on sale Aug. 18)
There can be only one who wields the White Lantern…but is it truly Deadman? And what will happen when he attempts to charge the white ring? Meanwhile, Ronnie Raymond risks everything for Firestorm, Martian Manhunter uncovers more clues about the bizarre string of murders stretching across the country, Aquaman searches for the key to the ocean’s survival and the Hawks come face-to-face with the evil that lurks within the strange land known only as Hawkworld!

Brightest Day #9 (on sale Sept. 1) and Brightest Day #10 (on sale Sept. 15)
The resurrected have discovered their purpose for being back, but where will the knowledge lead them? Who is the new Aqualad? And what strange event is taking place around the White Power Battery in New Mexico?

Brightest Day #11 (on sale Oct. 6) and Brightest Day #12 (on sale Oct. 20)
The return of the Black Lanterns! Has time run out for our resurrected heroes? Plus, you must not miss the stunning origin of the new Aqualad, the battle between Aquaman and Black Manta, and the bizarre journey of Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond as they delve into the inner workings of the Firestorm matrix and uncover its secret!

Woo Hoo!  I’m looking forward to this story unfolding!

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It all started when they first met in Justice League of America #183-185 (Oct. – Dec. 1980).  It was the annual JLA/JSA team-up and they were dealing with a New Gods crisis.  Below are a few panels from those issues written by Gerry Conway and drawn by George Perez and Frank McLaughlin.  As you’ll see, Power Girl actually starts the flirting…

While Power Girl and Firestorm didn’t end up together in this story, you can sense romance is in the air between the two.

The next time Firestorm and Power Girl met was during Justice League of America #195-197 (Oct. – Dec. 1981).  This time around she shot him down pretty fast.  Poor guy.  Below is a panel from that story written by Gerry Conway and drawn by George Perez and John Beatty.

What the heck kind of pick up line is that anyway, Ronnie?!?!  No wonder she shot you down cold.

Next up was Justice League of America #207-209 (Oct. – Dec. 1982).  “Crisis on Earth-Prime” was a massive crossover between the JLA, the JSA, and the All-Star Squadron.  This event was so large it spilled over into All-Star Squadron #14-15 (Oct. – Nov. 1982).

Below are some panels from the JLA issues written by Gerry Conway and drawn by Don Heck.  This time around Firestorm finally gets the girl!  Way to go hot-head!

Way to go Firestorm!  I wonder how the next scene went.  Did Professor Stein politely turn his floating head around to give them some privacy?

Firestorm and Power Girl next saw each other a year later in Justice League of America #219-220 (Oct. – Nov. 1983).  Now Firestorm being a bonehead in the romance department hadn’t bothered to call Power Girl during the past year.  Just imagine, you hook-up with one of the hottest women in the Multiverse and you don’t call her for a year!?!?  What an idiot.  Thankfully Elongated Man, Zatanna, and Hourman were willing to give our Nuclear Dork some advice in matters of the heart.

Below are some panels from that story written by Roy Thomas & Gerry Conway and drawn by Chuck Patton & Romeo Tanghal.

Well… he got knocked unconscious trying to impress Power Girl, but he could have ended up in worse places than leaning against her chest. Too bad he slept through it.

While Firestorm and Power Girl appeared in other scenes and stories together, those really cover the ones with romantic undertones.  Two years later Crisis on Infinite Earths came along and wiped out the whole Multiverse.  After that Firestorm and Power Girl existed on the same Earth, but they never really connected again romantically.  They did spend some time together during the Invasion event a few years later while Firestorm was in his “Blank Slate” incarnation.  At first she seemed bothered when he gave her the cold shoulder, but when he eventually started flirting with her it was awkward and not reciprocated.  The “Blank Slate” Firestorm was not known as a ladies man, that’s for sure.

I recently had the opportunity to ask Gerry Conway what were his long-range plans for Firestorm and Power Girl back when he was writing JLA.  He said it made sense there would be a natural affinity between the two characters as each was the youngest member of their respective teams.  He went on to say that given Ronnie’s other romantic interests (i.e. Firehawk and Doreen Day), it probably wouldn’t have gone much further with Power Girl.

Suppose you had to choose between Doreen Day and Power Girl… not really much of a choice, is it?

Nowadays Ronnie Raymond is part of Firestorm again and Power Girl is a major player in the DC Universe.  Who knows, perhaps some sparks could fly between these heroes once again.  I’m not counting on it, but it would be fun to read!

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During the Extreme Justice series in the mid-90s, Ronnie Raymond began drinking heavily.  At the start of the series, Ronnie was no longer Firestorm and was undergoing treatment for leukemia.  Due to a series of incidents involving chemotherapy, the Justice League, and the Elemental Firestorm, Ronnie was miraculously cured of leukemia and he regained his Firestorm powers (this time he was flying solo with no one else sharing the matrix).  Somewhere in here Ronnie adopted a “live for today” attitude.  This translated into Ronnie drinking more often.  Eventually Ronnie’s drinking interfered with his superheroic activities.  See below…

Extreme Justice #16  (May 1996)

• Writer: Robert L. Washington III
• Pencils: Tom Morgan
• Inks: Ken Branch

Now we skip forward a few pages…

The follow-up to this story was published in Showcase ‘96 two months later.  It was a surprisingly dark and serious look at addiction.  See below…

Showcase ‘96 #6 & #7  (July & August 1996)

• Storm’s Clearing – Part 1: Drying Out and Chasing the Clouds Away
• Writer: Robert L. Washington III
• Artist: Randy DuBurke

The second issue continued the dark and serious themes.  Here is how the story ended…

As you can see, DC took the time to deal with Ronnie’s alcoholism very seriously.  It’s not often that a comic addresses real-life issues like alcoholism in such a way.   Whether you liked these stories or not, you gotta admire DC for being brave enough to publish them.

So as you can imagine, long-time fans of Firestorm are concerned about Ronnie falling off the wagon.  To be fair, in Brightest Day we’ve only see Ronnie drink a few times.  We don’t actually know how much or how often he’s been drinking.  It’s implied that he’s getting blitzed a lot, but we don’t know for sure.  It’s quite possible this is part of the building story.  Perhaps Brightest Day will deal with Ronnie’s continued struggle with alcoholism.  In 2002 during a JLA story it was revealed that Ronnie had at least one night of binge drinking, but that is the only reference I’m aware of after Showcase ‘96 and prior to Brightest Day.  Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi are excellent writers and I’m hopeful this Brightest Day subplot will resolve itself, yet pay respect to what has come before.

This post was inspired by Scott Mateo’s entries on the Comic Book Resources forum and the ComicBloc forum.  On those sites Scott posted the majority of these scans.  I’ve added a few here myself to further show the impact of the story.  My thanks to Scott for his inspiration!  Visit the thread at Comic Book Resources by clicking here.  Visit the thread at ComicBloc by clicking here.

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FIRESTORM DC COMIC LOT #1-100 COMPLETE JOHN OSTRANDER

This is a lot of FIRESTORM comics from DC Comics! A total of 105 issues with NO DUPLICATES!

Lot includes: #1-100 + Annuals #1-5, a COMPLETE collection!

The comics in this lot range from Very Good to Very Fine/Near Mint condition. Most are Very Fine/Near Mint.

This is not my auction and I’m not endorsing it.  However, it sounded like a good deal so I wanted to bring it to your attention in case you are looking for back issues.

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The Fury of Firestorm the Nuclear Man Annual #2 (1984)

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The Fury of Firestorm the Nuclear Man #33 page 2  (March 1985)

Aren’t they awesome!?!?!  Do you have any other favorite Firestorm-related splash pages?  If so, let us know!

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Last week Geoff Johns gave a fantastic interview to IGN about Brightest Day. Click here to read the entire interview. I’ve posted below the Firestorm-related discussion points.

It appears Scott Clark is the artist drawing the majority of the Firestorm scenes…

IGN Comics: Can you talk a little about how the art chores are being broken down?

Johns: As you can tell, each artist is taking lead on a character. Ivan Reis is doing all the Aquaman and Deadman stuff; Ardian is doing Hawkman and Hawkgirl; Patrick is doing Martian Manhunter; and Scott is doing Firestorm. Everyone has their own character, and every character has a different feel.

Some interesting commentary on post-Blackest Night Firestorm…

IGN Comics: From these early issues of Brightest Day, it seems like Aquaman’s experience in Blackest Night has left him with an uncertainty about the water and his powers, and we see why in issue #1 when he summons a bunch of undead sharks. Can you talk a little bit about what Aquaman is struggling with at the onset of Brightest Day?

Johns: He’s back, but there’s something off and he feels it. Maybe more than any of the others, he feels that there’s something darker still left in all of them. He’s more in touch with that than anybody else. Except maybe Firestorm.

Finally, here Geoff discusses Firestorm directly and teasing us about what is to come…

IGN Comics: Let’s jump over to Firestorm. With the possible exception of the New Teen Titans characters, Firestorm is one of the most successful new superhero characters to be introduced in the Bronze Age of the DCU. He had a nice run and long shelf-live as far as new characters typically go, but fell off in popularity and appeal over the past two decades. What’s your take on the character and what makes him special?

Johns: I like Firestorm because I like the duality of two very different people having to work together for the betterment of those around him. Conceptually, what Gerry Conway set up there really fascinates me. It creates great drama. Especially now that you have Jason and Ronnie together. Everything Jason went through in Blackest Night and everything he’s going through now, he’s been through hell. He looks at Ronnie as this carefree type who wants to hang out with his friends and celebrate being back by throwing parties, and on the surface Ronnie just can’t see the pain and suffering he’s caused. The truth behind it, though, is that Ronnie remembers everything. He’s aware of it and trying to shut it all away. Ronnie and Jason are going to come to a pretty dramatic confrontation about everything, one that will change both of them for a while. I really wanted to bring the new, Jason, and the original, Ronnie, together.

IGN Comics: Besides the character’s duality, one of the defining aspects Gerry Conway set into place was the idea that Ronnie was the one member of the Justice League who was green behind the ears, and lacked the life and heroic experience of the others. Now, with Jason in place of Professor Stein, you have two immature characters stuck together in the Firestorm persona, and I imagine that will fuel a great deal of drama as well.

Johns: Absolutely. They’re both college students now. They’re both pretty young characters, and the responsibility they both have is about to get a lot bigger once they discover what the Firestorm matrix really is, what it means to them and how they’re going to deal with it. Or are they going to be able to deal with it?

Looking forward to further Brightest Day issues with Firestorm!

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• Brightest Day #4 came out yesterday.  This is the issue with the Black Lantern Firestorm cover.  Be sure to stop by your local comic shop and pick up a copy!

• There was some hubbub amongst Firestorm fans after Brightest Day #3 hit the stands two weeks ago.  In the issue they portray Alvin Rusch (Jason’s father) as having two hands.  The reason for the confusion is that Alvin Rusch lost his hand in an industrial accident before Firestorm vol III even started.  There is lots of speculation, everything from a simple artist mistake to Jason re-growing the hand.  At this time, I don’t believe we have an official explanation.
• Over at Primary Ignition, they’ve identified Firestorm the Nuclear Man Annual #5 from 1987 as a hidden gem.  This is the issue where the “blank slate” Firestorm was created.  Click here to read their commentary on this great issue.

• There is a really great column over at Comic Book Resources on Firestorm vol II artist J. J. Birch (a.k.a. Joe Brozowski).  J.J./Joe drew Firestorm during the “blank slate” era. This column specifically focuses on Firestorm the Nuclear Man vol II issues #70 & 71.   Click here to check out the article.

• The folks at the DC Multiverse blog pointed out something I never realized.  Firehawk (a.k.a. Lorraine Reilly) shares a last name with the second Firebrand (a.k.a. Danette Reilly).  This is interesting because they both have fire powers.  Could Lorraine Reilly be related to Danette Reilly?  Something to consider.  Click here to visit the DC Multiverse blog.
• If you’ve got $600 to spare, you can pick up a slightly charred Firestorm action figure on eBay.   Yes, you read that right, $600.  Clearly this is some kind of joke, but it’s an odd one.  Click here to see the eBay entry.

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I’m thrilled Firestorm rated enough to appear in this artwork, on the second row to boot!  I assume they chose the classic Firestorm look (as opposed to his current Brightest Day look) because the Consumer Products division focuses on the “iconic” versions of the DC heroes.  Other “iconic” characters appearing include: Batgirl, Blue Devil, and Martian Manhunter.  Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) appears in his current costume (post-Green Lantern: Rebirth), but that sort of makes sense as DC is pushing him and banking on his future popularity created by the upcoming feature film.  The oddball is Aquaman appearing in his Brightest Day costume.  I guess since his costume change was so minor they didn’t have issue with using the new version.  Total speculation on my part.

The layout of characters is actually quite interesting from a marketing point of view.  The primary focus of the image is Green Lantern, Batman, and Superman. This seems to suggest they are the new trinity for DC from a merchandising perspective.  Sorry Wonder Woman, you’re stuck on the second row wedged behind Clark and J’Onn.  Beyond the big three in the front row, the eye seems to travel in a triangle upwards to Aquaman, Flash, and Green Arrow.  Those six characters form what I’ll call the “central pyramid” in this image.  That seems logical given the amount of merchandise out there featuring the characters from the central pyramid.  What is surprising is that Wonder Woman didn’t make it into the central pyramid, and that characters like Martian Manhunter and Zatanna share the front row.  WTF?  Are we celebrating Justice League Detroit here or something?  And Firestorm, Blue Devil, and the Weather Wizard rate the second row?  Really?  Not Hawkman, Atom, Captain Marvel, or others?  I can only hope this is foreshadowing to a major merchandising push for Firestorm!  That’s right folks, let’s celebrate the rising of the Nuclear Man!  Before you know it, he’ll be on lunch boxes, spiral notebooks, puffy stickers, and silly bandz.  … not.  Oh well, a boy can dream.

For those of you that read both FIRESTORM FAN and ONCE UPON A GEEK, sorry for some repeat information today.

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]]> http://firestormfan.com/2010/06/10/wb-consumer-products/feed/ 1 http://firestormfan.com/2010/06/08/nuclear-news/ http://firestormfan.com/2010/06/08/nuclear-news/#comments Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:30:50 +0000 Shag http://firestormfan.com/?p=1876 Welcome to another installment of FIRESTORM FAN’s Nuclear News! Here are some news and web findings on our favorite hothead.

• A few weeks back I did a post on the 2003 Ronnie Raymond Firestorm series that almost was.  I’m over-the-moon happy to report that I received very nice notes about my post from both writer Mike Carey and artist Lewis LaRosa.  Great guys! Be sure to support their projects!
• Check out this amazing Firestorm sketch on eBay by Ed Benes (Justice League of America, Birds of Prey, Superman).  Gorgeous sketch!  It sold for $374.  Wow!

• Brightest Day #3 came out last week and there is a good Firestorm-related scene.  Not going to spoil it for you.  Visit your local comic book shop and check it out!
• DC Comics has created a Brightest Day mini-site and Firestorm has his own page.  Not much to see there yet, but check it out by clicking here.  Also, you can get some Brightest Day desktop wallpapers and buddy icons on their Download page by clicking here.
• Peter Tomasi gave an interview to Newsarama about Brightest Day in early May.  Click here for the entire interview.  Below is an excerpt that included Firestorm:

Nrama: Then let’s switch our attention to this new Firestorm. Ronnie Raymond is obviously still irresponsible, and Jason already despises him. Are you hoping to explore the contrast between the two characters by throwing them together as Firestorm?

Tomasi: Ronnie and Jason’s characters are polar opposites in the truest sense of the word, and that makes them incredibly interesting to read about. All you need to do is put them in a room together and the tempers run high – put them in each other’s head and you’ve got a battle royale. Ronnie and Jason have a pretty epic storyline in place that will test them both and bring them right to the emotional edge of who they are and what they believe in.

• During the DC Nation panel at HeroesCon this past Saturday, an audience member asked about Firestorm.  Click here for the entire DC Nation rundown at Newsarama.  Below is an excerpt that included Firestorm:

An audience member wanted to thank DC for using Firestorm again. [Ian] Sattler replied that he is fascinating and has so much planned for him. Long term stuff.

• Back in early May, Chris Sims wrote a post over at Comics Alliance on “The Racial Politics of Regressive Storytelling”.  The editorial makes the observation that DC is replacing legacy heroes that happen to be racially-diverse (such as Jason Rusch/Firestorm and Ryan Choi/Atom) with the classic iconic versions.  It just so happens that all the classic iconic versions are white Americans, therefore DC is eliminating their racially-diverse characters.
  Now this editorial was written in early May.  Since then, a legacy superhero that happens to be non-white has been murdered in the pages of DC Comics (being vague on purpose so not to spoil it for anyone that doesn’t know).  Combine this editorial with the recent death and you’ve got a literal fandom firestorm on the net (no pun intended… well, maybe a little bit).  Just go to any comic message board and this topic is being argued.  I’ve also stumbled across dozens of comic news sites and blogs discussing this issue.  There are valid arguments on every side of this issue.  I’m not going to comment on the issue, but I encourage you to check out what everyone is saying.
• David Wolkin did a review of Brightest Day #1 on his blog Wolkin’s House of Chicken and Waffles (and Comics!).   The review is very humorous and worth your time.  Additionally, he referred to Ronnie and Jason as “The New Odd Couple” and included a link to the following Twitpic he posted.  Friggin’ hilarious!

• Our good buddy Jon over at the Firestorm-themed blog FIZZIT has posted several really cool Firestorm-related items in recent months.  Check these out!
  Firestorm sketches by Nicola Scott (Secret Six, Birds of Prey) and Francis Manapul (Flash)
  Firestorm sketches by Mike Allred (Madman) and Agnes Garbowska (Peter Porker, Spider-Ham)
  Original art for Firestorm v2 #45 page 12 and analysis of the editorial marks
  Batman: The Brave and the Bold toys of Orion and Firestorm have some words
  Jon’s funny rendition of Shadow Thief’s trial for the murder of Firestorm from Manhunter.
• I found some more Firestorm fan fiction on the web.  If you enjoy adventures in prose of our favorite Nuclear Man by your fellow fans, check out the Firestorm stories on DC2: New Adventures of the DC Heroes.
• Click here for a cute Jason Rusch Firestorm lego custom.  Adorable!
• As always, if you are looking for some lively discussion on our favorite nuclear man, head over to the DC Comics Message Board Firestorm forum.  There is always some good Firestorm talk going on over there.
• And just for fun, click here for a recipe to a drink called the Firestorm.  It has nothing to do with the Nuclear Man, but what the heck.  Let’s toast Ronnie Raymond resuming the path to alcoholism!  Cheers!

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