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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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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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In the meantime, it’s time for more original Firestorm pages from our friend Jon at the Fizzit Firestorm-themed blog.  He happens to own several of the original Firestorm pages and has been kind enough to allow me to publish scans of them here. I’ve been horribly negligent in publishing his more recent acquisitions, so I’m playing catch up today.  Jon’s been a great contributor to FIRESTORM FAN and my thanks go out to him. You may view scans of his entire art collection online by clicking here.

Below is an amazing shot from the series 52.  This is page three from issue #24 featuring Firestorm’s attempt to create a new Justice League.  It was drawn by Phil Jimenez with inks by Andy Lanning.  Such a wonderful shot of a truly quirky team.  I love every character in this group!

Below are two preliminary sketches by Matt Haley as he tried to figure out the design for the cover to Firestorm vol III #11.

Below are two pages from Firestorm vol II #19.  These were drawn by the legendary Gene Colan. The second page was even signed by the artist!

The following page is a nice piece from Firestorm vol II issue #30 by penciller Rafael Kayanan and inker Romeo Tanghal.

These next two pages come from Firestorm vol III issue #5 and were penciled by ChrisCross and inked by Keith Champagne.  In these pages, Firestorm meets Superman and the Flash for the first time.

This next one is from Firestorm vol III issue 11 and features a great shot of Killer Frost.  This was drawn by penciller Dale Eaglesham and inker Wade von Grawbadger.

The next page is from Firestorm vol III issue 12 and features the return of the Ronnie Raymond Firestorm!  In this shot he’s chasing down his long-time foe Multiplex.  This nuclearrific page was penciled by Jamal Igle and inked by Rob Stull.

The page below is from Firestorm vol III issue 22 and features the fusing of Jason Rusch and Professor Martin Stein.  This page was penciled by Eddy Barrows and inked by Rob Stull.

Finally a nice quiet diner scene from Firestorm vol III issue 32.  This one was penciled by Jamal Igle and inked by Keith Champagne.  Be sure to watch for the characters in the background!

My thanks again to Jon at the Fizzit Firestorm-themed blog for providing me with theses scans to publish!

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Jamal was kind enough to spend some time discussing his run on Firestorm with FIRESTORM FAN.

Firestorm Fan: How did you get the Firestorm assignment and were you familiar with the character before taking the job?

Jamal Igle: Well, I was actually approached on two different occasions, once by Dan Jolley and later by Peter Tomasi, who was the editor at the time. I turned Dan down initially because although I did want to do it I was otherwise committed. The second time I was still working on one project full time and doing a fill in on Marvel Age Spider-Man when Pete asked me if i was available to do a fill in on the series and I turned him down again. I thought that would be the end of it, but Pete called the next day and offered me the series.

I said no again, hung up the phone and walked about 3 feet before screaming out loud “WHAT ARE YOU DOING???”. So I called Pete back and took the job.

I was of course very familiar with Ronnie Raymond, having grown up reading the Fury of Firestorm and watching him on the Superfriends. At one point Jay Faeber and I had pitched a Ronnie-centric Firestorm series to DC that went pretty far before ultimately being killed.

FF: You worked with both Dan Jolley and Stuart Moore on Firestorm. What were some of the differences in their writing styles? Were they full-script or plot-first? How collaborative were your relationships with them?

JI: They were both full script writers and that made it very easy for me. Style wise they were very similar but tonally very different. Dan, by the time I came on the book, was trying to right the sinking ship I guess. DC had asked him to make the series very Vertigoesque in tone but there was a bit of a backlash, not just from the book but the revelation of Ronnie’s death in Identity Crisis. So, he and the editors decided to bring in more aspects from the original series and give Ronnie a proper heroic send off. Stuart was much more about incorporating as much real science into the stories but making them more fun.

FF: Do you have any favorite issues or storylines from your time on Firestorm? Or from any other era of Firestorm?

JI: Wow, well issue 17 is one of my favorites,which had Jason taking on the Secret society. issues 24 and 25 were fun because it was the first time that I got to draw both Mr. Freeze and Batman.

FF: You designed a fantastic new costume for Jason Rusch. How did you go about creating the redesign? Were you provided any input, or was it solely your design?

JI: It was my design. We were given the go ahead to design a new suit actually around issue #14 , where we have what I like to call the proto-costume. We wanted the change in costume to coincide with Martin Stein’s return but One Year Later was put in place when we make the jump in issue #23 you see Jason’s current costume.

FF: Your new costume for Jason has appeared on two action figures (with a third coming out this year), numerous comics, and is set to appear in the Batman: Brave and the Bold cartoon. What is it like seeing something you designed grow beyond your original involvement?

JI: It’s pretty cool actually, you don’t really get used to it. I’ve designed a few other characters like the new Vigilante and Dreadbolt from Terror Titans.  I have to admit I get a little upset when I see other artists drawing the costume wrong, LOL.

FF: You had the opportunity to redesign several classic characters (Firehawk, Pozhar, Multiplex) as well as design some new ones yourself (Pupil, The Pionic Man, DOLLIES). Were there any you enjoyed more than the others?

JI: There were designs that never saw print that I loved but were cut for space and time issues. The Pupil is one of my favorites , I modeled him after a caricature of Peter Lorre from an old Bugs Bunny cartoon. He was just so creepy.

FF: You took over the Firestorm book with issue #8. This issue started the return of Ronnie Raymond storyline. Were you aware of some fans concerns surrounding Jason replacing Ronnie? If so, did this affect the way you approached the storytelling?

JI: I did, but I try not to think about those things. The truth is, if I let people getting upset about creative decisions bother, I wouldn’t get anything done. I don’t draw to please fans necessarily. Everyone has an opinion about what you should and shouldn’t do. I have to please myself as an artist, and be satisfied with the work first before anyone else sees it. I don’t want to sound like a tool or conceited but you can’t serve so many masters. I’m just happy that other people seem to like my work.

FF: You are truly an amazing storyteller, from action sequences to subtle facial expressions. You can do it all. Once you get the script/plot from the writer, how do you tackle it?

JI: Usually I read a script two or three times to get comfortable with the story and then I thumbnail the entire story over the course of a day, working out the major beats and getting the general layout down. I really prefer working from a full script because the dialog allows me to think about the acting each character does and staging. Depending on the script and what’s required it’s the hunt for reference. After that I take the first day of the week and layout that weeks pages. So I layout 5- 6 pages in one day and then I spend the rest of the week penciling.

FF: You’ve worked with a few different inkers, each bringing their own distinctive feel to the art. What are some characteristics that different inkers bring out in your pencils?

JI: Well, let’s concentrate with the three guys I had the longest collaborations. Rob Stull has a very graphic drawing style. Sharp angles and a very slick stylization. Keith Champagne’s work was equally as fluid but Keith in many ways was far more faithful to my line. I always liked Keith’s work because he was a brush inker like myself and inked me in a similar way that I inked my own work. Jon Sibal is phenomenal as well. His style actually brings a rougher quality than I normally have but for some reason it works so well.

FF: I understand you’ve lectured for the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art and the Art Students League of New York. Would you tell us a little more about your involvement?

JI: Well I was involved with MOCCA very early on but it wasn’t in an artistic manner. In a former life I worked in public relations so I was assisting them with their PR and marketing. I lectured a few times afterward. the League was my first actual teaching experience. I taught there for two semesters, starting their comics program.

FF:  Looking back at all the work you’ve amassed, what are you most proud of? What do you consider a high point both personally and creatively?

JI: I don’t know. I haven’t done it yet. I’m a work in progress, I feel like my work is getting better with each issue so the next project is the one I’ll be proudest of.

FF: Your work on Supergirl is awesome and has been very well-received. Are there any other projects you are currently working on or have coming up?

JI: I’ll be penciling World’s Finest #3 but it’ll be Supergirl for the next year.

FF: What would your dream comic book project be?

JI: I still haven’t done my Superman run.

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Thanks again to Jamal Igle for generously donating his time to this interview.  Be sure to visit Jamal Igle’s blog by clicking here. Jamal’s blog features amazing artwork, updates on current projects, and his convention schedule.  Be sure to stop by and tell him FIRESTORM FAN sent you!

Also, be sure to support Jamal’s current work on Supergirl.  Supergirl #45 is on stands now – check it out!

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The original Killer Frost (Dr. Crystal Frost) premiered in Firestorm vol I #3 (1978) and died in The Fury of Firestorm vol II #21 (1984).  After Frost’s death, her good friend Dr. Louise Lincoln recreated the conditions that turned Crystal Frost into Killer Frost.  Lincoln was imbued with the same powers and became Killer Frost II in The Fury of Firestorm the Nuclear Man #34 (1985).  In 1995, Killer Frost II made a deal with the demon Neron which granted her even greater power.  Since then, Killer Frost has appeared in numerous places across the DC Universe (i.e. Green Lantern, Suicide Squad, Villains United, Salvation Run, Justice League of America, and even the Justice League Unlimited cartoon).  I won’t delve further into her history as the encyclopedic entries below will cover that better than I could.

Below is the cover for the original Killer Frost’s first appearance (June 1978).  Art by Al Milgrom.  Writers often use the “opposites attract” nature of hot and cold to create sexual tension between Firestorm and Killer Frost.  This helps to make their ongoing encounters more interesting.

Below is the Killer Frost entry from Who’s Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #12 (February 1986). The art in the entry below is by Al Milgrom, co-creator of Firestorm and artist on Firestorm vol I. This particular issue of Who’s Who was published around the same time as The Fury of Firestorm the Nuclear Man vol II #45, so information presented was current to that point.

If you are interested in reading the text, click to enlarge the image.

Below is the fantastic cover to Who’s Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #12 (February 1986).  I love that Killer Frost plays such an important part in the cover image. Art by Paris Cullins (of Blue Devil fame) and Dick Giordano.  Click to enlarge the image.

The entry below was published in DK’s DC Comics Encyclopedia, Updated and Expanded Edition (September 2008).  The Killer Frost entry was written by Scott Beatty.

The piece below comes from the DC Heroes Role-Playing Game second edition produced by Mayfair Games in 1989.  Specifically this came from the “Background/Roster Book”.  This wasn’t the first time Mayfair produced stats for Killer Frost, but these are the updated ones as her first edition stats were changed.

Finally we’ve got the Killer Frost Heroclix from Wizkids released in 2004 as part of the DC Unleashed set.  HeroClix is a collectible miniatures game in which players construct teams of heroes and villains to play out a battle turn-by-turn on a grid map.  This figure looks great!  The translucent blue really makes her stand out.  Nicely done, Wizkids!

That’s it for our first installment of the Firestorm Rogues Gallery!  Be sure to come back later this week for more on Killer Frost.

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Also, be sure to support Jamal’s current work on Supergirl.  Supergirl #43 ships this week – check it out!

Here is a fantastic Ronnie & Jason Commission from 2008

Before Jamal was even attached to the series, Jay Faerber (writer of Dynamo 5 and Noble Causes) and Jamal put together a Firestorm pitch. Below are two of his initial redesigns for the character.

Below is an interim costume that was created after issue #13. The reason for the interim costume was because they knew they would be changing it after ONE YEAR LATER.

Below is the first sketch Jamal did for the costume Jason Rusch now wears.

Below is a nice character study of Firehawk.

Below are two sketchs of the D.O.L.L.I. cyborg soldiers Jason fought

My thanks again to Jamal Igle for letting me republish his artwork here.  The original posts on Jamal’s blog can be found at the links below.

• Firestorm Commission
• Various Firestorm designs
• Firehawk and D.O.L.L.I.

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The art on the poster was done by ChrisCross, with the bottom portion of the poster making up the cover to Firestorm (volume III) #1.

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Today we’ll be looking at the current Firestorm, Jason Rusch.  Sadly, the current Firestorm hasn’t had many opportunities for encyclopedic entries.  There is no Who’s Who series being published nowadays, and only a handful of Secret Files have been produced in recent years.  With that said, Jason has been fortunate enough to be highlighted in a few high-profile publications.

DC published a weekly comic book entitled 52 from May 2006 through May 2007.  Issues #12 through #51 featured two-page Secret Origin back-up stories starring a different hero each week.  This was a really great, yet concise way to highlight lesser known characters in the DC universe!  The Secret Origin back-up in issue #37 (March 2007) is presented below and starred the Jason Rusch incarnation of Firestorm.  The text was written by Mark Waid with art by Jamal Igle and Keith Champagne.  Like all the origins shown in 52, this can be found on the DC comics’ website (and is where I took these images from).  This particular issue of 52 was published around the same time as Firestorm the Nuclear Man (volume III) #33, so information presented was current to that point.

This next item is taken from DK’s DC Comics Encyclopedia (October 2004).  This was an impressive oversized book with loads of great information!  Nearly everything presented in the Firestorm entry is about the Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein incarnations of Firestorm.  However, the very last line on the page, in the “Burning Up” section, does mention Jason Rusch.  This book was published around the same time as Firestorm (volume III) #2.  Given the lead-time necessary for a book of this nature, the Jason Rusch Firestorm was probably still in development when the text for this entry was being compiled.  The text was written by Daniel Wallace with art taken from various Firestorm comic appearances (JLA/JSA Secret Files & Origins, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Who’s Who in the DC Universe 1991, Power Company, and JLA).  If you are interested in reading the text, click the image for a larger version.

Anyone besides me notice the error above stating that Ronnie Raymond was a college student when Firestorm was first created?  He was actually in high school at the time.  Sorry, the fact-checking geek in me couldn’t resist pointing this out.

The final entry was published just a few months ago in DK’s DC Comics Encyclopedia, Updated and Expanded Edition (September 2008).  I recommend all DC fans pick up either edition of the DC Comics Encyclopedia.  These are outstanding resource books and make for fun reading.  Maybe I’m just a junkie for organized and categorized data, but I love these books!  The Jason Rusch Firestorm does get more attention in this updated entry, but still the majority of information presented is about the Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein incarnations of Firestorm.  The text was written by Daniel Wallace with art taken from various Firestorm comic appearances (Firestorm volume III, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Who’s Who in the DC Universe 1991, and JLA).   If you are interested in reading the text, click the image for a larger version.

That wraps it up for Firestorm encyclopedic entries.  I’m happy to say that nearly every incarnation of Firestorm has been covered.  He’s had a long varied career and every version is deserving of attention.  If I happen to have forgotten any encyclopedic entries, please feel free to let know.

Thanks for sticking with me all week long.  If you enjoyed this week and would like to see further Who’s Who entries of characters like Firehawk, Killer Frost, Multiplex, Hyena, etc, just drop me a line or post a comment!

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Welcome to the FIRESTORM FAN blog!  You may be asking yourself, “A blog about Firestorm?  Seriously?”  Well, I say YES!  I’m a huge fan of the character and think he’s deserving of the attention.

I’ve been running my other blog, ONCE UPON A GEEK, for almost a year.  While I love writing a blog about anything and everything geeky, I wanted to start another site that really focuses on one subject.  In the past year, I’ve become interested in some comic book character blogs, such as: The Aquaman Shrine, Speed Force (dedicated to the Flash), and Idol-Head (dedicated to the Martian Manhunter).  Firestorm has always been my favorite character and after searching around the web I haven’t been able to find an active blog dedicated to the character.   There are a handful of good reference sites and some defunct sites, but no currently active blog.

So, combine the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl (a.k.a. the world wide web)…

• My interest in starting a more focused site
• My long-standing interest in the Firestorm character
• The lack of a blog dedicated to old match-head

Take the resulting crackpot idea, bake for 8 to 10 seconds in preheated oven. Allow insanity to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely… and viola – FIRESTORM FAN is born!

THE PURPOSE OF THIS BLOG

This blog was created to cover anything and everything Firestorm-related.  You’ll find things here such as merchandise, comics, toys, cartoons, news, and my thoughts and feelings about the character.

While I’m primarily a Ronnie/Martin Firestorm fan, I’ve really grown to like the Jason Firestorm.  I may be critical of Firestorm related matters from time-to-time, but this site will not degenerate into a “Jason-hater” site.  I have the utmost respect for all the creators of the various Firestorm series and wish to honor all incarnations of the character.

Also, this blog is not intended to be an all-knowing reference site.  If that’s what you are looking for, there are some great sites with reference information out there already.  Here are just a few:

• Nuclear Reactions – A very informative fan site
• Wikipedia – Firestorm (Ronnie Raymond) entry
• Wikipedia – Firestorm (Jason Rusch) entry
• The Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe – Firestorm Chronology
• Wikia DC Database – Firestorm Entry
• ComicVine – Firestorm Entry

Finally, I expect to post here only once or twice a week for now.  Given my hectic schedule (work, wife, kids, etc), my commitment to my ONCE UPON A GEEK blog, and the finite amount of Firestorm-related items out there, I think this is the best strategy.  Otherwise I risk running out of things to talk about or burning myself out too quickly. If this situation changes, I’ll be sure to let you know.

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