Wally West: The Flash Appreciation 2021

[Waterfall]

I'm actually worried a bit?

[BohemiaDrinker]

Update. So the reason for the price hike is indeed because they increased the page count. So there is most likely going to be a back up story. I wonder what it could be.

Also its interesting that they would and are able to do this so last minute .

Holy ****. It's like they are actually doing "Flash Rebirth" in reverse. XD

[Johnny]

Update. So the reason for the price hike is indeed because they increased the page count. So there is most likely going to be a back up story. I wonder what it could be.

Also its interesting that they would and are able to do this so last minute .

So kind of like Future State GL where they originally had Priest write a GL/GA backup story that was then changed to a Venditti story that ended on a "to be continued in GL 2021". You could tell that was a rush job by some of the color work where Sinclair had literally left some green scribbles on Hal's ship. Those last-minute changes really start to feel like amateur hour on DC's part.

[WallyWestFlash]

I'm actually worried a bit?

Why is that?

Holy ****. It's like they are actually doing "Flash Rebirth" in reverse. XD

Lol. You mean you think the back up might be a Flash family one? Would love that. Bring on Impulse, Jay, Jesse and Max.

So kind of like Future State GL where they originally had Priest write a GL/GA backup story that was then changed to a Venditti story that ended on a "to be continued in GL 2021". You could tell that was a rush job by some of the color work where Sinclair had literally left some green scribbles on Hal's ship. Those last-minute changes really start to feel like amateur hour on DC's part.

Yeah that was a bit strange and confusing. Glad to see Hal will still be around. Speaking of GL. The new series seems to be bigger sized but with no back up story. Maybe Flash will follow the same route of more pages of the main story. Wouldn't mind that at all. Especially since the majority of the back up stories so far have l had characters I'm not interested in at all.

[BohemiaDrinker]

Lol. You mean you think the back up might be a Flash family one? Would love that. Bring on Impulse, Jay, Jesse and Max.

I have no idea.

Might be a Barry one.

But look: Flash Rebirth we had Barry back with much fanfare, promises made that the Flash family would be very important and a confirmed Wally West back up that was cancelled at the last possible second.

Now we have Wally back as main Flash almost without warning, focus on the family in the same manner, and a backup that no one even knew existed.

IF they can just wipe out Johns seed force retcon, all will be right on the Flash world again.

[Johnny]

Yeah that was a bit strange and confusing. Glad to see Hal will still be around. Speaking of GL. The new series seems to be bigger sized but with no back up story. Maybe Flash will follow the same route of more pages of the main story. Wouldn't mind that at all. Especially since the majority of the back up stories so far have l had characters I'm not interested in at all.

I definitely prefer books that have a bigger story over main story/backup story books. Never been a big fan of those.

[Ilan Preskovsky]

They did the whole backups thing a few years back when they upped the price to, I think, $4 and then after like half a year they dropped the backups and kept the price. They look to be doing it again with $5. You would think they learned their lesson as the price hike was so badly received last time that they had the whole "holding the line at $3" era as a result. I've mostly moved to trade but I can't see how $5 for 22 pages of story is at all sustainable. If they want to fast track the end of single issues, this is definitely the way to do it.

[married guy]

They did the whole backups thing a few years back when they upped the price to, I think, $4 and then after like half a year they dropped the backups and kept the price. They look to be doing it again with $5. You would think they learned their lesson as the price hike was so badly received last time that they had the whole "holding the line at $3" era as a result. I've mostly moved to trade but I can't see how $5 for 22 pages of story is at all sustainable. If they want to fast track the end of single issues, this is definitely the way to do it.

You think it's bad, I'm in Australia. I'm paying $10.00 for a comic priced at $5USD. If that's for a 22 page comic, I think I'll be calling it a day.
Curious that a smaller publisher like Image or BOOM! are able to maintain a monthly pricepoint of $3.99 though....

[Ilan Preskovsky]

You think it's bad, I'm in Australia. I'm paying $10.00 for a comic priced at $5USD. If that's for a 22 page comic, I think I'll be calling it a day.
Curious that a smaller publisher like Image or BOOM! are able to maintain a monthly pricepoint of $3.99 though....

I'm in South Africa so believe me, I feel your pain. Though I'm surprised that the mark up here isn't as bad ($5 to $5.50 for a $4 comic on average) but we're hit bad with the awful exchange rate (R16.50 for $1) so it probably evens out. The severe restrictions on international air travel does seem to have further exacerbated things as a local online retailer that used to sell trades and hardcovers at exactly the converted cover are now charging probably 20% more. Either way, though, it is true that however much an extra dollar might hit a US comics fan, it hurts us international readers a whole lot more.

And yeah, all the indies, even the smallest, are keeping staunchly to a $4 price point even when their books sometimes adds up to closer to 30 pages of story or 20 pages of story and a whole bunch of backmatter. As the industry leaders, Marvel really sets the rules and they have been pumping out multiple $5 titles a month for a while now. Their new event in the latest solicits (can't remember what it's called) seems to be a 7 part weekly series at $5 for, I believe, 28 pages each. And they also have the worst production value of any comics company too with flimsy, glossy paper and covers that are made of the same material. Their trades are especially crappy just as physical products as even the slightest sneeze blows them way out of shape. Marvel then emboldens DC to up their prices (though not always successfully) and they in turn embolden the indies. Image had titles at $3 and $3.50 years after Marvel changed to $4 - and that may well be because DC held the line at $3 for a long time.

But I digress...

[Waterfall]

Why is that?

Because it's expensive. And it shows they don't have enough faith in it if they shoehorn a Barry back up. But if it's a family related back up, I guess I can understand that more. God knows the family needs re-establishing to canon.

[BohemiaDrinker]

And it shows they don't have enough faith in it if they shoehorn a Barry back up.

Even if it's the case, I don't see it that way. They may just be trying to pacify one of the most divided fanbases, is all.

[Hol]

I really can't wait to read some Wally West Flash comics again! Wonder what the back up will be. Hope it is Impulse.

[Kyer]

Ah. (finally reads up on what she missed because rl sucks. And then she lost the 2021 link...)

It's entirely likely that I'm going to have to retire from my only employment after decades there....and well before (hahaha Social 'Security' or Medicare) kicks in. So which is cheaper at the end of an arch: online/physical floppies/physical trade? I'm going to have to cherry pick what I can get.

[Drako]

It's official, Wally is the main flash again!

[Hol]

It's official, Wally is the main flash again!

Awesome! Hope it is a good run and lasts a long while.