John Ostrander's Firestorm Run (#58-100)

[Elmo]

Has this run ever been reprinted either in trade or in omnibus format?

I think it's one of John Ostrander's best runs ever and one of the best Firestorm runs ever.

[Hilden B. Lade]

I don't believe it has.

Aside from Suicide Squad, DC hasn't collected much of Ostrander's work. (Spectre cancelled after two trades for example)

[Elmo]

I don't believe it has.

Aside from Suicide Squad, DC hasn't collected much of Ostrander's work. (Spectre cancelled after two trades for example)

Lame...seems like they never have the actual runs I want to re-read

[Nomads1]

Has this run ever been reprinted either in trade or in omnibus format?

I think it's one of John Ostrander's best runs ever and one of the best Firestorm runs ever.

Though not one of my favorites, Ostrander's Firestorm run was pretty groundbreaking. A real rollercoster run, with Stein's demise, a new entity joining the firestorm matrix and then him going full elemental. The last ten issues with art by Mandrake are fantastic. I don't think it's ever been collected, though.

I don't believe it has.

Aside from Suicide Squad, DC hasn't collected much of Ostrander's work. (Spectre cancelled after two trades for example)

And it took years (and a big screen film) to get them to actually publish more collected editions of the SS (I figure, one more, and we'll have the complete series). I wish they'd continue to publish the Spectre and Martian Manhunter's TPBs.

Peace

[Rincewind]

I was never a Firestorm fan. I read this because Ostrander wrote it, but I can't say that I finished it liking the character more.

What I loved was how Ostrander put Firestorm in the middle of the DC universe as the stories progressed. The storyline where Suicide Squad and JLI show up was awesome, with great character moments for members of both teams.

DC should collect all of Ostrander's work from this time. Once Suicide Squad is done, move onto Manhunter, Hawkworld, and Firestorm. And finish up collecting Maritan Manhunter and Spectre.

[JackDaw]

John Ostrander is one of the great DC writers for me.

The Firestorm story arc where Martin Stein is desperately ill and Martin and Ronnie make the (probably) poorly judged decision to rid the world of nuclear weapons as one last great adventure was superb...a more under-stated but profoundly well thought answer to the same question (“What would happen if super heroes tried to make a real difference?”) that Alan Moore addressed in Watchmen.

Like a lot of John O’s work it deserves to be even more widely read than it has been.

[JackDaw]

The run is available on comiXology...with exception (last time I looked) of annual 5.

[JLH]

I'm in the process of re-reading this Firestorm series and am about 10 issues into Ostrander's run. While I don't especially think eliminating the Stein/Raymond dynamic helped the character in the long run, I can't deny this was some exceptional storytelling. If I recall correctly, Ostrander's Firestorm and Suicide Squad were two of my favorite titles during this period.

[JackDaw]

I'm in the process of re-reading this Firestorm series and am about 10 issues into Ostrander's run. While I don't especially think eliminating the Stein/Raymond dynamic helped the character in the long run, I can't deny this was some exceptional storytelling. If I recall correctly, Ostrander's Firestorm and Suicide Squad were two of my favorite titles during this period.

Well nobody else can check the accuracy of your recall on that one JL!

But put it this way...if those two didn’t earn a place among your favourites, then there must have been some stupendous comics back then.

[Kaled]

I was a fan of Firestorm but not a huge fan. I followed most of his adventures in the Justice League rather than his own title. I picked up the issue where the Suicide Squad was sent after Firestorm and I noticed it was written by Ostrander. I followed the series from then on out. I liked then new approach he brought to it with the new pairing of Ronnie and Mikhail and then later the revelation he was a fire elemental. I loved the Elemental War story. Later when Firestorm was revived I liked Jason but to me Firestorm should always be Martin and Ronnie. Since Ostrander revealed Firestorm was suppose to be just Martin I felt let down when he returned because with all he saw in space that was never touched upon when Ronnie returned as Firestorm. I remember the advertising for the new Firestorm...it played out like Firestorm was no longer human or more than human..it was very cool at the time.

[Black Manta]

The run started out great. I loved the idea of Mikail replacing Stein. Plus I think he has one of the best costumes ever. I would love to see the Ronnie/Mikail Firestorm brought back.