In this episode we bid goodbye to The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man, featuring an overview of the series followed by a recap of the 20th and final issue, by Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund, Travis Lanham, and Hi-Fi Color!

You can find the 53rd episode of THE FIRE AND WATER PODCAST on iTunes. While you’re there, please drop us a review on the iTunes page. Every comment helps! Alternatively, you may download the podcast by right-clicking here, choosing “Save Target/Link As”, and selecting a location on your computer to save the file (27 MB).

As always, thanks to my co-host Rob Kelly, Sea King of THE AQUAMAN SHRINE, for doing all the post-production on these episodes! Intro theme, “That Time is Now,” by Michael Kohler. Special thanks to Daniel Adams and Ashton Burge with their band The Bad Mamma Jammas for our fantastic original closing theme!

Have a question or comment? Send us an e-mail at firewaterpodcast@comcast.net. Visit our Tumblr site at fireandwaterpodcast.tumblr.com.

Below you’ll find The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #20 cover by Dan Jurgens, Ray McCarthy, and Hi-Fi Color!

Support Firestorm and Aquaman! Fan the Flame and Ride the Wave!

Quit goofing around on the internet. Go read The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #20 in stores today! This is the final issue of series, with story and pencils by Dan Jurgens, finished ink art by Norm Rapmund, and colors by Hi-Fi!

If you can’t get to the comic shop right now (what’s wrong with you?!?!), then head over to iFanboy.com to check out a five page preview! Click here to check it out!

SPREAD THE WORD

Please join the #FirestormFarewell social media send-off! By my count, over 100 people have already changed their avatars across Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and Tumblr! For those participating, please be sure to generate some posts today about our favorite Nuclear Man! On Twitter, I recommend using the hashtag #FirestormFarewell. Also, you may wish to tag various Firestorm writers and artists letting them know you appreciate their work on the character over the years. Heck, go ahead and tag DC Comics and Dan DiDio, just play nice. Let’s not bite the hand that feeds us our favorite superheroes.

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Shag and Rob record in the wee hours of the morning to discuss the latest issues of Firestorm and Aquaman (which explains why Shag is even more rambley than normal)! This time we review Aquaman #13 (by Geoff Johns, Rod Reis, Julio Ferreira, and the outgoing art team of Ivan Reis and Joe Prado) and The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #13 (by the new creative team of Dan Jurgens, Ray McCarthy, and Hi-Fi)! One issue wraps up a fantastic storyline, while the other begins a new era with a bang!

Also, please help victims of Hurricane Sandy by donating to the Red Cross through THE AQUAMAN SHRINE. Anyone who donates through the SHRINE will be entered into a drawing for some amazing prizes! For more details, click here.

You can find the 34th episode of THE FIRE AND WATER PODCAST on iTunes. While you’re there, please drop us a review on the iTunes page. Every comment helps! Alternatively, you may download the podcast by right-clicking here, choosing “Save Target/Link As”, and selecting a location on your computer to save the file (36 MB).

As always, thanks to my co-host Rob Kelly, Sea King of THE AQUAMAN SHRINE, for doing all the post-production on these episodes! Intro theme, “That Time is Now,” by Michael Kohler. Special thanks to Daniel Adams and his band The Bad Mamma Jammas for our fantastic original closing theme!

Have a question or comment? Send us an e-mail at firewaterpodcast@comcast.net. Visit our Tumblr site at fireandwaterpodcast.tumblr.com.

Finally, check out the gorgeous covers to the Aquaman and Fury of Firestorm issues covered on this podcast!

Support Firestorm and Aquaman! Fan the Flame and Ride the Wave!

This trade collects the exciting first six issues of the series! If you haven’t tried the series before now, this is a great opportunity to read the entire first arc from Gail Simone, Ethan Van Sciver, and Yildiray Cinar! Also, you get six issues for the price of five! Not a bad deal!

For those that have already read the issues, in addition to the great story and art, you’ll get bonus materials such as: Yildiray Cinar pencil pages, character designs, and improved coloring (there were some coloring errors in the first few issues of the series).

Here is the solicitation:

THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN VOL. 1 – THE GOD PARTICLE

• Two FIRESTORMS make their explosive returns in the DC COMICS – THE NEW 52 series!
• As RONNIE RAYMOND and JASON RUSCH learn to work together, they learn that they are hardly the only FIRESTORMS!
• Collecting THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN #1-6!

Written by: Ethan Van Sciver, Gail Simone
Art by: Yildiray Cinar, Norm Rapmund
Cover by: Ethan Van Sciver
Page Count: 144
U.S. Price: $14.99

Also worth mentioning, on the last page it says, “Continued in Firestorm – The Firestorm Protocols“! To my knowledge the second Fury of Firestorm trade paperback hasn’t been solicited yet. I’ve been a little worried because it should have been advertised by now. So this teaser is encouraging news! We need to support Firestorm-related trade paperbacks. Let’s send a clear message to DC that we’ll support Firestorm comics in trade paperback format. Who knows, perhaps this will eventually lead to DC collecting the classic Fury of Firestorm run from the 80s!

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Below is Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #13 cover by Dan Jurgens & Norm Rapmund!

Below is the cover to Firestorm The Nuclear Men #65 by Ross Andru!

Both are great covers! While the covers aren’t exact matches, there are several similarities. For example: Firestorm is looking off to his right while floating upright; shooting an energy blast with his right hand, while his left hand is raised; battling technological marvels; and so on.

Here is the most surprising coincidence… both issues feature a new incarnation of Firestorm! The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #13 will feature the new Firestorm incarnation of Ronnie & Jason sharing a single body (this new Firestorm will premier in the issue just prior to #13, The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #0). Firestorm the Nuclear Man #65 featured the new “Blank Slate” incarnation of Firestorm (who premiered on the final page of the previous issue, Firestorm the Nuclear Man Annual #5).

New Firestorm incarnations and similarities in cover design? Makes you wonder whether the cover similarities are a happy accident or purposeful! My thanks to fellow Match-head Shane Snyder for bringing up this topic! He suggested there might be some similarities between the upcoming cover and previous issues.

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“We’re going to take Firestorm back to being one character again.”

“We’ll concentrate on Jason and Ronnie’s relationship and what it means for two people to share one body.”

Well, there you have it Match-heads! We suspected it from the solicitation artwork, but this confirms that Ronnie and Jason will act as one Firestorm going forward! Spread the word to classic Firestorm fans that haven’t been following the current series. Let’s get them to pick up the book starting with issues #0 and #13!

On a barely-related note… below you’ll find a panel from Booster Gold vol II #1 (Oct. 2007) written by Geoff Johns, with art by Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund. Notice the top right-hand section of the chalkboard. And after that, notice that Rip Hunter’s white chalk draws black. Weird.

I find the panel above somewhat ironic. Geoff Johns wrote this Booster Gold comic, and later went on to write Firestorm in Brightest Day (with Ronnie & Jason together as a single Firestorm). Norm Rapmund helped ink several issues of The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men (with Ronnie and Jason as independent Firestorms). Finally, Dan Jurgens did the layouts for this panel, and now he’s taking over Fury of Firestorm (with Ronnie and Jason together as a single Firestorm). It’s like the creative talent that developed this panel have come full circle!

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Even if you already have the issues, order a copy of this trade! Let’s send a clear message to DC that we’ll support Firestorm comics in trade paperback format! Order today!

Here is the solicitation:

THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN VOL. 1 – THE GOD PARTICLE trade paperback
Two FIRESTORMS make their explosive returns in the DC COMICS – THE NEW 52 series! • As RONNIE RAYMOND and JASON RUSCH learn to work together, they learn that they are hardly the only FIRESTORMS! • Collecting THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN #1-6!
Written by: Ethan Van Sciver, Gail Simone
Art by: Yildiray Cinar, Norm Rapmund
Cover by: Ethan Van Sciver
Page Count: 144
U.S. Price: $14.99
On Sale Date: Sep 12 2012

Support Firestorm!  It’s not just slogan!  Seriously, SUPPORT FIRESTORM by ordering this trade paperback! Fan the Flame!

This episode Shag and Rob talk about Aquaman #9 (by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Oclair Albert, Andy Lanning, and Rod Reis) and The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #9 (by Ethan Van Sciver, Joe Harris, Yildiray Cinar, Marlo Alquiza, Norm Rapmund, and Hi-Fi)! We’re building towards an inevitable confrontation between Aquaman and Black Manta, then the JLI stops by for a visit with our favorite Nuclear Men! The podcast wraps up with your listener feedback!

You can find the 21th episode of THE FIRE AND WATER PODCAST on iTunes. While you’re there, please drop us a review on the iTunes page. Every comment helps! Alternatively, you may download the podcast by right-clicking here, choosing “Save Target/Link As”, and selecting a location on your computer to save the file (31 MB).

As always, thanks to my co-host Rob Kelly, Sea King of THE AQUAMAN SHRINE, for doing all the post-production on these episodes! Intro theme, “That Time is Now,” by Michael Kohler. Special thanks to Daniel Adams and his band The Bad Mamma Jammas for our fantastic original closing theme!

Have a question or comment? Send us an e-mail at: firewaterpodcast@comcast.net

Check out the gorgeous virgin covers (meaning without the logos) to the The Fury of Firestorm and Aquaman issues covered on this podcast!

Support Firestorm and Aquaman! Fan the Flame and Ride the Wave!

We’ll talk later. There’s lots to discuss. Be sure to leave your comments here!

While you’re thinking about Firestorm, check out who is saying what today…

• On Twitter, watch Joe Harris, Ethan Van Sciver, Yildiray Cinar, Norm Rapmund, Hi-Fi color, DC Comics, & Firestorm Fan
• On Facebook, watch Ethan Van Sciver, Joe Harris, Yildiray Cinar, Hi-Fi Color, DC Comics, & Firestorm Fan
• On Google Plus, watch DC Comics, Yildiray Cinar, Hi-Fi Color, & Firestorm Fan
• Watch or start a discussion over at the Comic Book Resources Forums

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This issue is plotted by Joe Harris & Ethan Van Sciver, written by Joe Harris, pencilled by Yildiray Cinar, inked by Marlo Alquiza & Norm Rapmund, and colored by Hi-Fi. This issue marks the return of Yildiray Cinar on art duties and features a crossover with Justice League International! Can’t wait for tomorrow!

Below is one of the four pages in the preview (click to enlarge). Be sure to visit IGN to see all four preview pages!

Don’t forget, pick up your copy of The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #9 tomorrow!

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