Flash/Arrow Spinoff in Development Featuring Firestorm, Atom, Captain Cold and Canary

I read about that last night and I am giddy! Those are some of my favorite side characters in both series.

I'm still waiting to see the D.C. universe be as good on the big screen as it has been on the boob-tube. Therefore, I'll take this series (if it comes) so I don't have to hold my breath on how they'll screw up another movie in theaters.

We're still gonna need Captain Cold to make appearances in The Flash...

How would that timeline work, exactly? Canary was dead before Capt. Cold got his freeze gun.

Yeah, I'm not sure how Caity Lotz could be Black Canary...Lazarus Pit, maybe? And I'm wondering who the 3 new characters could be...Green Lantern, Elongated Man, Cyborg, Metamorpho...the possibilities are endless!

I'm way behind on my Arrow and Flash. I thought Black Canary died last season?

I've always loved the Silver Age Atom. Not sure what they did with him since then.

Shadow_Ferret said:

I've always loved the Silver Age Atom. Not sure what they did with him since then.

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From the look of the suit: Iron Man by way of Antman.

Cyia said:

From the look of the suit: Iron Man by way of Antman.

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The Atom may predate Iron Man in the comics. He had an atomically powered suit that gave him super strength and allowed him to fly. It wasn't until after the second year of his run that he discovered the suit could shrink him. The Atom also predates Antman, I believe.

CrastersBabies said:

Can I ask a serious question? I love comic book movies (and some of the television series that have come out). I haven't read any comics because, quite frankly, there's no way I could ever afford to do so nor would I have the time to start with BATMAN #1 in X_series, or Superman or whatnot.

People here (e.g. Diana and others) have such a comprehensive background of comic book characters and stories. How? How much have you read? Is there a source of getting some of this info w/o reading? Or is that cheating? Sometimes, I peek on Wiki, but then I think, "Hmmm... this feels strange doing this."

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I collected comics from ages 12 TO 30, and I still watch the DC animated shows and films here and there, and of course am a huge fan of the movies. I follow superherohype.com for comics/movie news still. And, occassionally I use Wiki to fill in gaps in my knowledge of comics. So, Wiki is not cheating.

Comic books when I was younger, cartoon shows and movies, live action shows and movies, and wiki. There is no cheating especially since there are several different versions of the superheroes. That's why I like how the recent tv shows have been done. Yes, there are little hints and shoutouts here and there, but the general audience isn't left out and has no problems following the story.

Yeah, I started reading comics when I was a kid (back in the 70s), though I stopped and started again a couple times along the way.

If you want a cheaper way to check out classic comic book stories, there's always DC's Showcase Presents series(or Marvel's Essentials line) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Showcase_Presents
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_Marvel

They're in black and white, but they're way cheaper than the prestige formats. There are plenty of colour reprints of classic material, but they're more expensive.

I started reading comics when I was 8. Superhero comics exclusively, with my dad. We'd go to the store every Saturday and come home with a stack that we'd tear through the rest of the day and then talk about the plots. My bat mitzvah present was Uncanny X-Men #94 - 100 in mint condition: first appearance of the new team with Storm, Wolverine, Thunderbird, Nightcrawler, Colossus and, of course, Cyclops and Professor X. #100 ended with the birth of Phoenix (not yet Dark Phoenix). Best. Present. Ever.

I kept reading comics until I went to college, when I couldn't afford to buy them. I did pick up Sandman (thank God) and Mage (ditto) while in college, and in the (ahem) 23 years since then (eek), I pick up a title here or there (Batman's Hush, for example).

But I can't keep up with all the changes -- Superman died and returned, Batman died and...I don't know, did he (Bruce Wayne) return? Spider Man rebooted and was no longer married to MJ, Colossus's sister Illyana became a child again and then got killed, I think...? Aquaman became a badass, a few times over. Then there was DC's New 52, and now I'm really out of date.

So...I know the classic stories (Golden Age) fairly well, and the stories from the 1960s - 1980s very well (Silver Age), but that's about it.

Like, I had no idea about Linda Park and Wally West. I remember reading about

CrastersBabies said:

How much have you read? Is there a source of getting some of this info w/o reading? Or is that cheating? Sometimes, I peek on Wiki, but then I think, "Hmmm... this feels strange doing this."

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I was a huge, mainly Marvel, fan as a tween and teen. I'll still pick a book up at the discount book store now and again, but I haven't read mainstream in a while.

A lot of these stories make an impression, and they often have more information packed into them than you realize. I think it's a consequence of the visual medium. The pictures stay with you longer and in more detail than regular print writing would, and they often reference things that happened in the past, so you can get a feel for older story arcs, too.

If you want some of the big story arcs, then go to a half-price books, if there's one in your area. They've usually got a comic book bin, and if you're lucky, you'll find some of the "collected" volumes, with all of the parts of an arc in one bound unit. Second hand shops are great for this, too. There was a shop my grandparents frequented when I was a kid who always sold comics at face value. If it was priced as a nickel on the cover, then you only paid a nickel for it.

CrastersBabies said:

Can I ask a serious question? I love comic book movies (and some of the television series that have come out). I haven't read any comics because, quite frankly, there's no way I could ever afford to do so nor would I have the time to start with BATMAN #1 in X_series, or Superman or whatnot.

People here (e.g. Diana and others) have such a comprehensive background of comic book characters and stories. How? How much have you read? Is there a source of getting some of this info w/o reading? Or is that cheating? Sometimes, I peek on Wiki, but then I think, "Hmmm... this feels strange doing this."

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You wouldn't have to start with #1 of whatever series. Some of the first comics I read were Uncanny X-Men issues when the series was in triple-digits.

If you do end up taking that plunge, maybe start with particular arcs and fill-in blind spots with Wikipedia or other internet research? Also, libraries seem to be adding more and more trade paperbacks and collections.

Also, you can't go wrong watching Batman: The Animated Series from the early 90s or Superman: The Animated Series, or even Justice League to get canonically accurate (90%) origins of villains, hero's, etc. Batman:TAS is probably the truest to the comics of any screen version, and the film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the best Batman film. Period. With lovely Noir highlights, pacing, and mood.

Diana Hignutt said:

...and the film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the best Batman film. Period. With lovely Noir highlights, pacing, and mood.

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While I hugely enjoyed B:MotP, my favorite, bar none, is Batman Begins: Return of the Joker.

dragonjax said:

While I hugely enjoyed B:MotP, my favorite, bar none, is Batman Begins: Return of the Joker.

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You have excellent taste!

I stopped folloowing superhero continuities long ago because they got way too complicated. (And when I did try and check up on the major crossover events, I was usually disapponted. Crisis on Infinite Earths was nearly unreadable!) I gave the New 52 a shot because, look, no baggage!, but I dropped most of the titles quickly because they felt like trading water. So, yeah, I can see how those continuities can seem overwhelming as well as soulless.

That's why I follow the online discussions. I pick up on what seems to be worth checking out, and if ComiXology offers free #1 issues I check those out, too.

Recent favorites: New 52's Flash, Batgirl and Batwoman, last year's Ms. Marvel, aaand I'm afraid that's it in superheroes, at least from the top of my head. Anyway, I'm convinced superhero comics can still have soul. But, as in every marketplace that's full of stuff that screams at you, you have to find it.