Below is a nice one of the “Blank Slate” and Elemental incarnations of Firestorm.

Avery drew this next one on his iPhone using the Brushes application.  It’s pretty clever.  Look closely at the flames.

Nicely done, Avery!  Keep up the good work!

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Our good friend Jon over at the Fizzit Firestorm-themed blog sent scans of these unique Firestorm collectibles. He received the following cards from Argentina.  The majority of these come from the Spanish-language version of Kenner’s Super Powers line, Super Amigos.

This first one is a trading card from the Super Amigos game.  To see all the cards in the Super Amigos card set, please visit the Aquaman Shrine by clicking here.

The next five are stickers associated with the Super Amigos line.  It appears these were produced from 1985 through 1987.

This last sticker uses specialized ink that really is intended to be viewed under blacklight.

These next ones come from some Superman-related set.  This set was released in 1994.  Nice to see the Elemental Firestorm getting some merchandise action!

Here are some Firestorm stickers from that same 1994 Superman series.

These next two come from a set entitled “Cartas de Poder – DC Super Heroes”.  I really don’t know anything about these sets, but I love that they called Firestorm “el hombre nuclear”.  Also, he’s got an attack of 2,700 and a defense of 2,300!  I have no idea what the scale is, but that sounds impressive!

Once again, our thanks to Jon from the Fizzit Firestorm-themed blog for supplying these images.

Apoyo Firestorm! Avivar la llama!

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Okay, we’re three issues into Brightest Day and we’re starting to get a picture of what’s happening with Firestorm.  I’ll start with what we know, then let’s delve into speculation on where it’s going.

THE FACTS

• Jason Rusch’s girlfriend Gehenna, formerly one-half of Firestorm, was murdered by the Black Lantern Firestorm.  The Black Lantern Firestorm claimed to be the resurrected Ronnie Raymond.
• Later, Ronnie Raymond was resurrected by the light of the White Lantern with no recollection of the Black Lantern’s activities.  Ronnie quickly resumed his college partying lifestyle.
• Jason and Ronnie don’t get along.  Ronnie is coping with the fact that he died and came back, as well as that someone else has had control of the Firestorm matrix.  Meanwhile, Jason blames Ronnie for the death of Gehenna.
• When Ronnie and Jason touched in Blackest Night #0, they fused into Firestorm.  They have been unable to separate into their own individual bodies since.  They are stuck fused as Firestorm.  Ronnie currently controls the body while Jason is able to advise telepathically.
• Ray Palmer, the Atom, shrank and entered Firestorm’s body in hopes of “disarming” the Firestorm matrix.  He commented that Firestorm’s flames are no longer just for show and that it was nearly 1,000 degrees inside his body.    When the Atom arrived at the Firestorm matrix, we saw three electrons circling the nucleus.  Two electrons were bright yellow, the third was a dark gray.
• While waiting for the Atom to finish inside their body, Ronnie heard another voice telepathically that goaded him into an argument with Jason. Their body then suffered a very explosive reaction.
• At the same time Ronnie and Jason are arguing, black tendrils begin to reach out from the Firestorm matrix towards the Atom.
• The cover of Brightest Day #4 features Black Lantern Firestorm.

SPECULATION

• It seems a safe bet that the dark gray electron in the Firestorm matrix represents the Black Lantern Firestorm.  Somehow the Black Lantern Firestorm has survived inside the matrix.  That would explain the voice Ronnie heard which caused the argument with Jason.  That would explain the black tendrils chasing the Atom.
• It also seems a safe bet that the Black Lantern Firestorm will take control of the body, which would explain the cover to Brightest Day #4.
• What I’m left wondering is what exactly is the Black Lantern Firestorm.  Is it a dark reflection of Ronnie?  Is it now a dark reflection of Gehenna (which would be pretty clever)?  Is it simply a random malicious entity?
• It also seems logical that the existence of the Black Lantern Firestorm will absolve Ronnie in the blame of Gehenna’s murder.  Jason may remain uncomfortable around Ronnie, he won’t be able to blame Ronnie directly for the death of his girlfriend any longer.
• Without Nekron or the Anti-Monitor-powered black battery, where is Black Lantern Firestorm getting his power from?
• Once all this business with the Black Lantern Firestorm is finished, who will be in the matrix?  I gotta believe the Ronnie/Jason combination will be Firestorm for the foreseeable future.
• With the mention that Firestorm’s flames weren’t just for show anymore, are they going to incorporate some of the Elemental Firestorm concepts into this version?
• There was a panel in Brightest Day #1 featuring several incarnations of Firestorm.  Perhaps that was foreshadowing (along with the temperature comment) that the current Firestorm will be an amalgam of all previous versions.  That was Geoff Johns’ move with Hawkman in JSA, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he did it here with the Nuclear Man.  See my analysis below of that panel.

• The top left Firestorm was patterned after the Al Milgrom cover to Firestorm volume I #1.  This would represent the classic Firestorm.

• The bottom left Firestorm was patterned after the Matt Haley cover to Firestorm volume III #8.  This would represent the early days of Jason Rusch as Firestorm.

• The center Black Lantern Firestorm appears to be patterned after the Ethan Van Sciver variant cover to Blackest Night #3.  If you look closely at Black Lantern Firestorm’s face, you can see the similarities.

• The bottom right Firestorm was patterned after the Tom Grindberg cover to Firestorm volume II #85.  However, they used the coloring from the later Tom Mandrake issues.  This would represent the Elemental Firestorm.

• I believe the top right Firestorm was patterned after the Steve Lightle cover to Extreme Justice #8.  While the facial expression is different and the pose is reversed, the coloring on the headgear is consistent.  This is the only drawing I’ve ever seen where the classic Firestorm has yellow accents on his headgear.  If so, this drawing would represent the years Ronnie flew solo with the Firestorm matrix.

• This leaves the “Blank Slate” era as the only major incarnation not represented.  It’s possible the top right panel represents the “Blank Slate” era of Firestorm, but I can’t think of a corresponding scene.

So what do you think is going to happen with Firestorm in Brightest Day?

Just a final note, my favorite scene in all of Brightest Day so far is the panel below:

“Just take care of these boys.”  Instead, Martin may as well have said, “Just take care of my boys.”  After all Ronnie and Jason are like sons to him.  Some people may not realize that in comic book time, Jason spent a year working with Professor Stein as Firestorm.  This was during the One Year Later timeframe.  Love this panel!

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• The biggest Firestorm news is that Brightest Day #0 ships today!  Be sure to stop by your local comic book store and pick up yours.  Hopefully Firestorm will play a role in the issue.

• 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.

• Behind the Voice Actors – Check out this fun side-by-side comparison of the voice-over actors who have played Firestorm with sound clips and images.  Listen to each clip, then vote for your favorite in poll on the right-hand side.  For me, Mark Taylor will always be the voice of Firestorm.  Super Friends was my first exposure to the character, so that portrayal holds a special place in my heart.  When you’re done with that, check out the Behind the Voice Actors for Killer Frost!

• Click here for an interesting list of folks with flaming hair on the TV Tropes website.  Includes characters from comics, literature, movies, video games, and more.

• Below is another custom Mugg of the Black Lantern Firestorm.  Really great job on this custom!  You can view the whole set of Blackest Night Muggs over at Fried Gold Productions.

• If you are looking for more classic Firestorm action and back issues aren’t satisfying your craving, you could always try some fan fiction.  The Faux DC site features a series of prose adventures starring Firestorm V (Ronnie Raymond while he was solo prior to his death in Identity Crisis).  There are 12 issues of the fan fiction Firestorm available.  Also, the Justice League of America series features Firehawk.  Click here to check out the Firestorm issues and click here to check out the Justice League of America stories.

• Over at Comics Alliance there is a hilarious parody entited Blackest Night in 60 seconds.  Below is the panel relevant to Firestorm.  My thanks to the Girls-Gone-Geek for sending this my way.

• Below is a fantastic sketch of the Elemental Firestorm done by Yildiray Cinar (artist of the Ravager co-feature in Teen Titans and the upcoming Legion of Super-heroes series).  I really like his take on the Elemental Firestorm!  It’s just gorgeous!  Click here or the image to visit Cinar’s website.  If you’d like to see the previous sketch, click here.

• Below is a cute sketch of Huckleberry Hound as Firestorm by ~zombiegoon on Deviant Art.

• Below is another cute sketch of Firestorm, this time by *jbrant047 on Deviant Art.

• These next few are fan reimaginings from the Superbuddies.net forum. This first one is by cattjay12345 and represents their vision of Firestorm from the Ultimate universe.

• The next one is by Jor-El and is essentially a fancy version of Firestorm’s contemporary costume.

• Here’s how Ronnie Raymond might look on the Smallville TV show, again by Jor-El.

• And now, just for fun, the Jedi version of Firestorm, also by Jor-El!

Watch this space for more information on Firestorm in Brightest Day!

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Below you can see the magazine poly-bagged with the figurine.  The white circular sticker is a warning that if you get the lead figurine anywhere near your house your entire family will die an agonizing death.  Well… something like that.  Its lead folks, don’t put it in your mouth.

Below is a close-up of the lead figurine.  Dude, this thing is a work of beauty!  He’s about 3.75 inches tall, just a bit shorter than the recent Infinite Heroes action figure.  This is probably the most faithful representation of the Ronnie Raymond/Martin Stein Firestorm costume ever produced for a figure.  The 1985 Super Powers figure and the 2004 DC Direct figure are probably the closest behind this lead figurine.  They got everything correct – chest emblem, gloves, boots, puffy sleeves, design on the briefs, even the headgear.  It looks great!  It’s just a shame it’s made from lead, rather than plastic or pewter.

The magazine itself provides a detailed history of Firestorm in all his incarnations.  Included are recaps of some classic Firestorm story lines, specifically Legends and Firestorm the Nuclear Man: Reborn (trade paperback collecting the post-One Year Later adventures). There is also a feature on the people who have united to become the Nuclear Man.  Finally, installment #37 of the DC Timeline covering 99 BC to 1 BC (not specific to Firestorm, but obviously a feature every issue of the magazine).

The magazine does a wonderful job breaking up the text with gorgeous images from Firestorm’s history.  I’ve provided a few snapshots below to give you a flavor of how the magazine looks.  Stephen Wiacek, writer of the articles, clearly knows his Firestorm history.  The only thing I found unusual was the disproportionate amount of time spent on the “Blank Slate” incarnation of Firestorm.  While I like the “Blank Slate” version, it was odd to see more space dedicated to him as compared to the Elemental version or Jason Rusch.

Overall this was a great purchase!  The figurine is fantastic and the magazine is an enjoyable read for Firestorm novices and experts.  If your local comic shop doesn’t have it in stock, ask if they can order it.  It’s worth your time and money.

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The Elemental Firestorm was a fascinating character and a tremendous departure from what had come before.  Two years prior writer John Ostrander had changed Firestorm from the classic Ronnie Raymond/Professor Stein combination to the more complex “Blank Slate” incarnation.  Not content to rest on his laurels, Ostrander continued to evolve the character by revealing that Firestorm was actually a fire elemental.  This new Elemental Firestorm was detached from human emotions and an environmental crusader.  This was a new direction for the series and artist Tom Mandrake brought an entirely new look as well.

What a great time to be collecting the character!  I love me some Elemental Firestorm! Ostrander was pushing this book in different and thought-provoking directions, while Mandrake’s art created a unique mood to the series. This wasn’t just a straightforward superhero comic, this series had depth and substance.  The elemental era of Firestorm walked the line between standard superhero comics and the mature supernatural titles of the time like Sandman and Swamp Thing (keep in mind this was before Vertigo).

This new elemental incarnation first appeared in the final pages of Firestorm #85.  The letters page of that issue carried the following advertisement boldly declaring that Firestorm would never be the same.

While Tom Mandrake didn’t draw issue #85, this advertisement within the issue marks his first published work on the character.  In addition to house ads, DC was getting the word out to retailers about this dramatic change for Firestorm. Special preview copies of issue #86 were sent to retailers along with a letter from Bob Wayne, then Retail Promotions Manager.  Below is the text from the letter.

Dear Retailer:

We’ve got a brand-new look for FIRESTORM.  A look so different that we want you to take an advance peek at it!  Writer John Ostrander has reunited with his former Grimjack collaborator, artist Tom Mandrake.  Together, Ostrander and Mandrake will show you a new FIRESTORM… not just a superhero… but a force of nature!  Will he remain mankind’s protector… or will he become its destroyer?

An ongoing series in the DC Comics Standard Format (and part of The Janus Directive sequence), FIRESTORM #86 ships April 11 from Spartan Printing.

Enjoy this preview of FIRESTORM #86.

Best,

Bob Wayne
Retail Promotions Manager

Click here to read the preview copy of Firestorm #86 (PDF Format, 5.3 MB), including the letter from Bob Wayne.  My thanks to Jon over at the Fizzit blog for supplying the preview copy.  Thanks Jon!

I’m pretty impressed at the efforts DC went to attract attention to this new Firestorm.  Today’s post was solely about the promotions surrounding the launch of the Elemental Firestorm.  Sooner or later I’ll dedicate some posts detailing this fantastic era.  It really was an amazing run and well worth your time if you’ve never read it.

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• We’ve got a sneak peek of Firestorm from the Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths DVD scheduled for release next Tuesday, February 23. These photos confirm that the Firestorm that appears in the movie is the Jason Rusch version and he’s from the “good” Earth.  I guess in hindsight it’s not too surprising that it’s the Jason Firestorm since Dwayne McDuffie wrote the story for this movie; McDuffie wrote a few issues of Firestorm vol III and a JLA run with Jason.  It’ll be interesting to see if there is an “evil” counterpart to Firestorm within the Crime Syndicate.  Firestorm will apparently have a speaking part as Cedric Yarbrough has been identified as doing the voice of Firestorm in this film.  Also worth noting is that Firestorm’s costume is based upon the Jamal Igle version from Firestorm vol III.  Huge thanks to Rob over at the Aquaman Shrine for granting me permission to republish these images here.  Also, my thanks to Joshua Wolf for directing me towards this news.

• Comic Book Resources had some great coverage of the New York Toy Fair earlier this week.  They managed to get some amazing shots of upcoming DC figures from Mattel.  Below are the images they ran of Firestorm from the Justice League Unlimited line.  This figure is due out sometime in 2010 and will be available online and at Target.  Check out the Comic Book Resources article for pictures of other fantastic figures on the horizon (i.e. Blue Devil, several Aquaman figures, Blue Beetle, Ultra-Humanite, and more.  They’ve even got Cyclotron?!?!)

• I just stumbled across a nice blog post about Shadowstorm, the evil Firestorm doppleganger from the Elemental-era.  The post was written by NicodemusLegend for his Transforming Seminarian blog.  Click here to read the Shadowstorm post.  Additionally, NicodemusLegend did a thorough three-part series on “The Hard Life of Professor Martin Stein”.  Check out that series by clicking on the following links: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.

• Steward Cook (a.k.a. bricolage) laid out his Firestorm: Rebirth proposal that he pitched to DC back in the 1990s.  Sounds like it would have been interesting.  Check it out by clicking here.
• The episode of Batman: The Brave & the Bold that featured Firestorm is now available to view online.  Click here to be watch.  My thanks to Jerrod Porter for sending this link my way.

Don’t forget to pick up your copy of the Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths DVD this coming Tuesday!

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• Disappointing news… Firestorm will no longer be a member of the Justice League of America when James Robinson takes over the book in October.  The only member that remains of Dwayne McDuffie’s League is Dr Light.  The new team was revealed in an advertisement in the newest issue of Blackest Night (see below).  The new team consists of: Congorilla, Donna Troy, Mon-El, Batman (Dick Grayson), Green Arrow (Oliver Queen), The Atom (Ray Palmer), Dr Light (Kimiyo), Starfire, Cyborg, Guardian, and Green Lantern (Hal Jordan). While I’m looking forward to this new incarnation of the League, I was hoping Firestorm would remain on the team.  Rumor is that Geoff Johns will be writing a secondary JLA book starting in 2010.  Johns is a fan of Firestorm and he’s making some big changes to the character in Blackest Night.  If Johns does actually write a secondary JLA title, hopefully he’ll include Firestorm on his roster.

• It’s been announced that Tyler James Williams (Everybody Hates Chris) will be providing the voice for the Jason Rusch Firestorm on the Batman: The Brave and the Bold cartoon.  No word on an air date for the episode, but it’s encouraging to know that it’s moving forward.
• Alan Kistler, famed comic book historian, recently pulled together a comprehensive history of Firestorm.  You can read it here at Alan Kistler’s Universe – Kistler’s History of Firestorm.  Really worthwhile article.
• Major Spoilers: The Comic Casting Couch recently turned it’s attention towards the Jason Rusch Firestorm.  You can read their recommended plot and casting by clicking here.  Inspired casting recommendations for Jason, his father, and Killer Frost.
• There are lots of reviews for Blackest Night #3 on the net.  I provided several links already, but click here for that list of links again.
• Andrew over at Comics Bronze Age recently reviewed The Fury of Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #1.  He previously reviewed Firestorm volume I #1 and was disappointed by it.  I’m happy to report that he enjoyed the premiere issue of The Fury of Firestorm, the Nuclear Man.
• For further reviews of The Fury of Firestorm, the Nuclear Man check out Comic-Per-Day Reviews.  They’ve got reviews for issues 1-7 and for issues 8-15.
• Have you seen those “Mugg” toys in the stores?  You know, the big bulky rounded caricatures of characters.  Well, Sid has done a custom Black Lantern Firestorm Mugg.  One shot is below, but check out Sid’s site for a whole bunch more pics and description.

I feel guilty that the Elemental Firestorm hasn’t been getting much love here lately.  After all, it’s one of my favorite eras of Firestorm!  To remedy that, here are a couple sketches I found on the net.

• The first sketch below is by Dominic Vivona and was done at a recent convention.  Click here or the image to visit Dominic’s website.

• This next sketch below was done by Yildiray Cinar (artist of the Ravager co-feature stories in Teen Titans).  I love the coloring on this one.  Click here or the image to visit Cinar’s website.

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John recently had some very expensive surgery.  Without the surgery, he would not have been able to retain his sight.  Unfortunately, the resulting medical bills are more than John can afford.  This is where we come in…

A benefit auction has been announced to raise money to pay the medical expenses of John Ostrander.  His friends and colleagues Mike Gold, Adriane Nash and Peter Katz have organized the benefit auction with the aid of Wizard Entertainment to help pay the medical bills after John’s insurance ran out. The event will take place on the Saturday night (August 9) of Wizard World Chicago Comic-Con in a nearby hotel.  If the auction isn’t an option for you, they are taking donations as well.

John gave us years of excellent Firestorm stories (as well as numerous other comics).  This is your chance to give something back to him.  I feel this is important enough that I’m posting it both here on FIRESTORM FAN and on my other blog, ONCE UPON A GEEK.

Please visit Comix4Sight.com for all the details and how to help.  Anything you can give would be appreciated.

Firestorm volume II #84 – “Souls of Fire”
Writer: John Ostrander
Penciller: Tom Grindberg
Inker: Sam De La Rosa
Letterer: Duncan Andrews
Colorist: Nansi Hoolahan
Asst Editor: Dan Raspler
Editor: Denny O’Neil

This is a fairly important issue.  This issue Ronnie and Mikhail begin to realize there is more to the Firestorm matrix than they understand.  This issue also features Svarozhich, a failed Russian attempt to clone Firestorm which produced a soulless creature instead.  In the issue following this, Ronnie, Mikhail and Svarozhich combine permanently (somewhat) to create the first Elemental Firestorm.

Here is the cover of issue #84 from Comics.org.

Below is page 2 from issue #84.  Click the image for a enlarged version.  I really like seeing Ronnie and Mikhail meeting face-to-face.  This is something that almost never happened in this run of Firestorm.  Nice work by Grindberg & De La Rosa showing Ronnie & Mikhail sapping power from Svarozhich.

Jon mentioned that the yellower parts in these pages are pre-printed textures that have been stuck to the page. He says it actually gives them a nice touch as opposed to just being straight black and white on the original pages.  I’m not 100% sure, but I believe that process is called zip-a-tone or screentone.

Below is page 4 from issue #84.  Click the image for a enlarged version.  A nice subway chase scene by Grindberg & De La Rosa with Ronnie, Mikhail, and Svarozhich.

Below is page 5 from issue #84.  Click the image for a enlarged version.  Here we also see Firebird, Mikhail’s telepathic niece and leader of the Russian teen team Soyuz.  Soyuz were an interesting group of supporting characters during this run of Firestorm. It’s be nice to see them again.  Also on this page, a great shot of Svarozhich flying through the subway!

Below is page 15 from issue #84.  Click the image for a enlarged version.  Here we see the mysterious Rasputin, possibly the infamous Rasputin who helped cause the Russian Romanov dynasty to fall in the early 1900s.  Regardless of his true identity, this Rasputin eventually helps Ronnie and Mikhail realize the Elemental potential of Firestorm.  Also on this page is Ronnie being a bad ass.  Love it!

Thanks again to Jon from the Fizzit blog!  I’ll be posting some further scans from him in the coming weeks!