You can find the third 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 (42 MB).

Thanks again to my co-host Rob Kelly, Sea King of THE AQUAMAN SHRINE, for doing all the post-production on these episodes! Additionally, special thanks to Daniel Adams and his band The Bad Mamma Jammas for our super-cool outro theme!

Thanks for listening! Send your feedback to: firewaterpodcast@comcast.net

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Before we look at Firestorm #100, check out Brimstone’s entry in DK’s DC Comics Encyclopedia, Updated and Expanded Edition (2008):

To showcase Brimstone’s unbelievable power, check out these GORGEOUS pages by writer John Ostrander and artist Tom Mandrake from Firestorm #100.  I picked just a few pages to display.  First up, page 34.

Below you’ll find page 36.

Next up is page 38.

Finally, look below for the two-page spread on pages 44 & 45!  Click the image to enlarge!

As you can see, Brimstone is crazy-powerful and a worthy adversary.  While the Elemental Firestorm was able to combat Brimstone within the Sun, I’m not sure any other incarnation of Firestorm would survive.  An impressive battle with impressive art!  Well done, Mr. Mandrake!

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Click here to check out the 1992 Impel DC Comics Firehawk trading card that we covered a while back!

Remember a few years ago when the Booster Gold comic did an official Zero Hour tie-in issue, over ten years after Zero Hour was over?  Today’s post is a little like that.  Last year several superhero blogs teamed-up to cover the 1992 Impel DC Comics trading card series.  Frank Lee Delano invited me to join in the fun, but my own personal schedule got in the way.  So consider this my late addition to the crossover!

Idol-Head of Diabolu (A Martian Manhunter Blog)

• Martian Manhunter
• Darkseid
• Despero
• Vandal Savage
• Gorilla Grodd

DC Bloodlines

• John Stewart
• Bronze Tiger
• Eclipso

Justice League Detroit

• Elongated Man
• Amazo
• Vixen

Diana Prince as the New Wonder Woman

• Troia
• Golden Age Cheetah
• Ares

Power of the Atom

• Nightshade
• Peacemaker
• Chronos

Comics Make Me Happy

• Adam Strange

Better late than never!

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Firestorm the Nuclear Man #70 – cover art by J.J. Birch (a.k.a. Joe Brozowski)

Firestorm #99 – cover art by Tom Mandrake

Keeping watching FIRESTORM FAN in the near future for the exclusive interview with John Ostrander!

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Before we get to that, we need to recognize Frank from Power of the Atom for joining our coverage of “The Elemental War”!  Captain Atom was featured in a one-page cameo during this storyline suggesting the silver-clad hero may actually be another Elemental, specifically a Quantum Elemental.  Click here to visit the Power of the Atom blog for more on this cameo, as well as to read Frank’s hilarious musings on Red Tornado in this story.  My thanks to Frank for sharing in our coverage!

Also, Doug came back with further coverage of “The Elemental War” over on the Red Tornado’s Path.  Check out Red Tornado trashing the mess out of a small Japanese town and a look at his origin by clicking here!  Thanks to Doug for continuing his fantastic coverage!

Today we’ll be covering a few scenes from Firestorm #92 and #93.  In each of these scenes Firestorm interacts with the Swamp Thing.  This was fairly unusual as appearances by Swamp Thing during this era were rare outside of his Mature Readers comic.  Also worth noting, at the time “The Elemental War” was published writer Rick Veitch had just left the monthly Swamp Thing title in a widely publicized creative dispute.  These were interesting times for the earth Elemental.

The scene below picks up immediately after Firestorm’s vision of Maya.  The fire elemental remains trapped at the bottom of the sea after being knocked unconscious by his fellow water and air Elementals.  I love the “pabloodleloop” sound effect!

For those of us that loved the “Eden” storyline in Firestorm #77-79 during the “Blank Slate” era, this served as a somewhat sad epilogue.  Also worth noting in this scene was Firestorm forswearing the use of his transmutation powers going forward.  While the Elemental Firestorm had rarely used them anyway, this officially closed the door on that power.

Next up are some pages from Firestorm #93.  As we join the scene, Naiad and Red Tornado have already destroyed the Japanese city of Nohana and are making their way towards Tokyo…

Wow! I love that scene where Swamp Thing grows to cover the entire city of Tokyo!  That’s so cool!  Godzilla’s got nothing on ole Swampy! 

The battle rages amongst the Elementals until Firestorm shows what fury he’s truly capable of (pun intended).  Here once again is the splash page we looked at on Wednesday.  Click to enlarge.

Once Naiad agrees to listen, Firestorm describes Maya and her plan for the Elementals.  Naiad chooses to call off her war and retreats into the sea contemplating the role Maya intended for her. Firestorm then turns to Red Tornado…

Once Firestorm burns the empty shell left behind by Swamp Thing, he addresses the citizens of Tokyo…

Awesome!  Just plain awesome!  John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake crafted a fantastic superhero comic that also conveyed a message.  A message that still resonates.  Nowadays we live in an era where every corporation pats themselves on the back for their “green” initiatives.  We should take a moment to recognize Ostrander and Mandrake for their work spreading this message over 20 years ago.

For those of you that own these issues, I recommend you give them a re-read.  If this story is new to you, seek out these issues from back issue dealers.  You won’t be disappointed.

Once again, here is a rundown of the links for “The Elemental War” coverage:

• An overview of “The Elemental War” storyline and some gorgeous Tom Mandrake artwork – FIRESTORM FAN
• Red Tornado enters the fray of “The Elemental War” – RED TORNADO’S PATH
• Firestorm’s vision quest and first meeting with Maya, the Soul of the Earth – FIRESTORM FAN
• Captain Atom’s cameo and commentary on Red Tornado’s role in “The Elemental War” – POWER OF THE ATOM
• Red Tornado & Naiad destroy a Japanese city and a look at Red Tornado’s origin – RED TORNADO’S PATH
• Firestorm’s encounters with Swamp Thing during “The Elemental War” – FIRESTORM FAN

My thanks to Doug and Frank for supporting this team-up, and an extra special thanks to you for reading it!

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Before we get started, I want to give a shout-out to Doug with Red Tornado’s Path! Doug has joined us in our coverage of “The Elemental War” this week, tackling some of Red Tornado’s activities during this storyline.  Click here to visit the Red Tornado’s Path blog where you can read several more pages of “The Elemental War”! Also, don’t miss his insightful comments regarding the coloring on these issues.  My thanks to Doug for sharing in our coverage!

Today we’ll be looking at a scene from Firestorm #92 which chronicles our favorite fire Elemental’s vision quest and first meeting with Maya.  The scene only lasted seven pages, but it helped answer some of the questions that had been surrounding Firestorm for the previous six months.

In Firestorm #91, our hero was knocked unconscious and trapped at the bottom of the sea by his fellow water and air Elementals.  This is where issue #92 picks up…

Wow!  That’s deep stuff for a superhero comic!  There are some seriously cool mythology-building moments in the panels above.  I really enjoy John Ostrander’s take on the Elementals.  It was purposefully different from what we’d seen previously in Swamp Thing, yet still managed to work (as we’ll discuss tomorrow).  Did you take time to appreciate the gorgeous Tom Mandrake storytelling going on above?  Some were full splash pages while others were six panels.  This is how comics should be done!   Another win for Ostrander and Mandrake!

Check back here tomorrow as we conclude our look at “The Elemental War”!

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“The Elemental War” ran four issues through Firestorm vol II #90 – #93.  The comics were written by John Ostrander and drawn by Tom Mandrake.  The story featured a newly-created water elemental and the Red Tornado (in his air Elemental form) as they attempted to cleanse the Earth.  Firestorm (the fire Elemental) and the Swamp Thing (the earth Elemental) opposed water and air, eventually convincing them to give humanity another chance.

“The Elemental War” was such a fantastic storyline!  Excellent, thought-provoking writing combined with stunning visuals!  What more could you ask for?!?!?  For the rest of this week we’ll be looking at some pages from “The Elemental War”.  We’re only going to touch on certain elements of this story, rather than a comprehensive review.  If you want the complete story, be sure to pick up these comics from the back issue bins.  Along the way this week, a few other bloggers might join us in our coverage.  Stay tuned for more on that later this week.

As I re-read Ostrander’s run on Firestorm, I was once again impressed with the maturity displayed in these comics.  While most series in the late 80s featured a villain-of-the-month, Firestorm was regularly tackling socially relevant subjects such as: environmental pollution, international politics, famine, philosophy, cancer, and the grief resulting from the loss of a loved one.  These stories went well beyond other standard superhero comics of the age.  In fact, these issues really straddled the fence between superhero and mature reader comics.

“The Elemental War” focused primarily on environmental pollution.  This story also demonstrated how international the series was at the time.  These issues took our hero from the coast of Alaska to New York City, and then to Russia, Africa, and finally Japan.  He definitely got around!

Y’know, DC has pretty much closed the door on the Elemental Firestorm in Brightest Day, however, I believe this story is an ideal candidate for their new DC Comics Presents reprint program.  It’s a great self-contained tale that is big on action and writing.  I’d love to see it get the collected treatment.  In the meantime, be sure to seek out these issues from back issue dealers, or simply re-read them if you already own them.

Okay enough of my jibber-jabber.  Time for some beautiful Tom Mandrake artwork!  Below you’ll find the splash page to Firestorm #91.  Get it?  “Splash” page?  I’m funny.  Click the image to enlarge.

Below you’ll find another splash page, this one from the climatic battle in Firestorm #93.  Click the image to enlarge.

Below you’ll find the four gorgeous Tom Mandrake covers to “The Elemental War”.  Issue #91 features one of my all-time favorite Firestorm covers!  Also, I really dig the iconic pose for the Elemental Firestorm on the cover to issue #92.

That’s all for today.  Check back here tomorrow for more Elemental War action!

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]]> http://firestormfan.com/2010/11/10/elemental-war-1/feed/ 2 http://firestormfan.com/2010/05/24/brightest-day-speculation/ http://firestormfan.com/2010/05/24/brightest-day-speculation/#comments Mon, 24 May 2010 10:34:22 +0000 Shag http://firestormfan.com/?p=1906 Warning… the following contains SPOILERS for Blackest Night and Brightest Day #0 – #2.

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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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The Elemental Firestorm was a fascinating character and a tremendous departure from what had come before.  Two years prior writer John Ostrander had changed Firestorm from the classic Ronnie Raymond/Professor Stein combination to the more complex “Blank Slate” incarnation.  Not content to rest on his laurels, Ostrander continued to evolve the character by revealing that Firestorm was actually a fire elemental.  This new Elemental Firestorm was detached from human emotions and an environmental crusader.  This was a new direction for the series and artist Tom Mandrake brought an entirely new look as well.

What a great time to be collecting the character!  I love me some Elemental Firestorm! Ostrander was pushing this book in different and thought-provoking directions, while Mandrake’s art created a unique mood to the series. This wasn’t just a straightforward superhero comic, this series had depth and substance.  The elemental era of Firestorm walked the line between standard superhero comics and the mature supernatural titles of the time like Sandman and Swamp Thing (keep in mind this was before Vertigo).

This new elemental incarnation first appeared in the final pages of Firestorm #85.  The letters page of that issue carried the following advertisement boldly declaring that Firestorm would never be the same.

While Tom Mandrake didn’t draw issue #85, this advertisement within the issue marks his first published work on the character.  In addition to house ads, DC was getting the word out to retailers about this dramatic change for Firestorm. Special preview copies of issue #86 were sent to retailers along with a letter from Bob Wayne, then Retail Promotions Manager.  Below is the text from the letter.

Dear Retailer:

We’ve got a brand-new look for FIRESTORM.  A look so different that we want you to take an advance peek at it!  Writer John Ostrander has reunited with his former Grimjack collaborator, artist Tom Mandrake.  Together, Ostrander and Mandrake will show you a new FIRESTORM… not just a superhero… but a force of nature!  Will he remain mankind’s protector… or will he become its destroyer?

An ongoing series in the DC Comics Standard Format (and part of The Janus Directive sequence), FIRESTORM #86 ships April 11 from Spartan Printing.

Enjoy this preview of FIRESTORM #86.

Best,

Bob Wayne
Retail Promotions Manager

Click here to read the preview copy of Firestorm #86 (PDF Format, 5.3 MB), including the letter from Bob Wayne.  My thanks to Jon over at the Fizzit blog for supplying the preview copy.  Thanks Jon!

I’m pretty impressed at the efforts DC went to attract attention to this new Firestorm.  Today’s post was solely about the promotions surrounding the launch of the Elemental Firestorm.  Sooner or later I’ll dedicate some posts detailing this fantastic era.  It really was an amazing run and well worth your time if you’ve never read it.

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Here is a Firehawk HeroClix game piece from WizKids.  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.  Firehawk is #004 from the “Justice League” set produced in 2007, and is considered to be a “common” piece (meaning easy for collectors to obtain).  Her rank is “experienced” and the point value for the figure is 63.  If all that is meaningless to you, don’t worry.  The cool thing is they made a Firehawk game piece and used her current costume (the one she wore when fused with Jason).  She looks friggin’ cool!

Here is the front and back of the card that came with the Firehawk Heroclix game piece.  It provides a brief background on the character, as well as details on the powers her figure has in the game.  It’s interesting to see how they classified her powers in order to fit their game structure.

Next up is the Firehawk card from the “VS System” collectible card game produced by Upper Deck. In the system, players build and play a deck of VS System cards in an attempt to win a game against their opponent.  This card is named “Firehawk, Flaming Justice” and is #DCL-012 from the “DC Comic Legends” set produced in 2007. Her attack rating is 5, while her defensive rating is 4. She has a casting cost of 3, and when activated the target player loses 1 endurance for each character he controls.  Again, if all that is meaningless, don’t sweat it.  Just be happy we got a cool game card featuring Firehawk!  I don’t know who the artist was, but they sure did a nice job!

This final Firehawk piece comes from the 1991/1992 DC Comics trading card set produced by Impel Marketing.  Firehawk is #49 in the series and the art was done by Firestorm (volume II) artist, Tom Mandrake.  Man, I love his artwork!  He always does such a great job.  It’s impressive that Firehawk got her own card in this series, especially since the monthly Firestorm book had been canceled a year earlier.

That wraps up our coverage today.  Come back on Friday when we close out FIREHAWK WEEK!

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