Yildiray posted this to Twitter sometime last year.  Sorry I’ve lost track of the details, but I believe this was a convention sketch someone commissioned. Great job by Yildiray on the classic Firestorm costume! I’d love to see more of these!

You can see Yildiray Cinar’s rendition of the Elemental Firestorm by clicking here or clicking here.  Check out Brightest Day Firestorm artwork by Yildiray by clicking here, clicking here, clicking here, or clicking here.

Support Firestorm (and Yildiray Cinar)! Fan the flame!

Rob and Shag start the episode talking about The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #5 (by Ethan Van Sciver, Gail Simone, Yildiray Cinar, and Norm Rapmund) and Aquaman #5 (by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Eber Ferreira, and Rod Reis)! Next up they share some of your listener feedback! Finally, they end the show with a discussion on the overall direction of Firestorm!

You can find the 12th 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 (32 MB).

Thanks again to my co-host Rob Kelly, Sea King of THE AQUAMAN SHRINE, for doing all the post-production on these episodes! 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

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

As an extra bonus, Sheldon is wearing the Firestorm t-shirt in this photo! Double Word Score! In case you are unfamiliar with this particular figure, it’s Jason Rusch from the DC Direct Infinite Crisis line of toys.  See image below.

Thanks again, Randy!

Support Firestorm! Fan the flame!

My thanks to Rob Kelly from The Aquaman Shrine, and my co-host for The Fire and Water Podcast, for sending this my way! Thanks, Rob!

Support Firestorm! Fan the flame!

This next Darryl Banks piece was drawn for Roland Reedy back in 2002. Personally I love the joyous expression on Firestorm’s face and the crackling energy! Fun drawing!

Here is one final Darryl Banks drawing of Firestorm. This was done in 2005 for Robert Pozzi.  My only issue with this drawing is it identifies Robert as Firestorm’s biggest fan. Ahem, really?!?!? 

Support Firestorm (and Darryl Banks)! Fan the flame!

That’s so friggin’ cool! As a mid-transformation piece, this is Firestorm’s equivalent of Clark Kent ripping open his shirt to reveal the “S”. Nice!

As reported previously, Fury of Firestorm co-plotter and cover artist Ethan Van Sciver has been spending time over on the DC Comics Message Board in the Firestorm forum. He’s been popping into numerous threads, in addition to his own dedicated thread, “FIRESTORM QUESTIONS FOR ETHAN VAN SCIVER! Ask here!”  You should really visit the message board and check out his comments. He’s been very open with the fans and has shared quite a lot!  We’ve posted some previously and today we’re going to look at some more!

Here are some enlightening comments regarding Fury:

• Ethan: Fury isn’t a character. It’s something else. Just let me and Joe Harris show you.
• Ethan: Not an entity either. I have to say, Fury isn’t supposed to speak. Gail made him talk. He’ll never utter another word from here on out.

Here is a comment about further international Firestorms:

• skaddix: So will see an Indian, Pakistani, and Israeli Firestorms?
• Ethan:  Yep. You’ll see one of those in #9.

Here is an exciting comment about a possible crossover:

• mhm22264: An Iranian Firestorm as well as a North Korean Firestorm would make for a great JLI crossover. The concepts of rogue nations making knock off Firestorms is scary as well. This concept has great potential to entertain and put underoos in a twist.
• Ethan:  We’re down to crossover with JLI! That’s almost definitely happening now. Stay tuned.

Here is a comment in response to a question about the Firestorm costumes:

• Ethan:  Costume changes are coming!

Finally, here is a revealing post by Ethan about the genesis of the new series:

Martin:

I’d respond to everyone if I didn’t think it wouldn’t be annoying. Sometimes I feel the need to respond, and other times I just don’t. I’m very shy and retiring, you see.

But it’s a good question, although one that I’m not sure you’ll like the answer to. I’ll tell you anyhow.

Dan Didio offered me Superman. He didn’t specify the capacity in which I’d work on Superman, but he said that’s where he wanted me. I love Superman, but I don’t think I draw him better than most artists. I like to read about him, not draw him. Dan asked what I wanted to do, and I told him I would love to draw FIRESTORM covers. He told Geoff Johns that, and then both of them told me that I should take the entire book. I declined, because I didn’t have an idea at that moment, and really wasn’t inspired by Brightest Day’s treatment of the character. I’m sorry, that’s just true.

But then I thought about it. I love the Cold War, and always thought that what made Firestorm unique wasn’t utilized properly in the series. Nuclear energy, radiation…it’s been frightening Americans (and the rest of the world) for 60 years. The idea that nations have been scrambling to gain control, power, and respect from each other by acquiring nuclear weapons interests me.

Also, the fact that Firestorm’s powers are what I refer to as an “applied power”, meaning that it’s the type of superhero fantasy that can happen to you or I, rather than Superman or Batman’s “powers”, opens up a very broad, very interesting opportunity. While riding in a taxi with Bob McLeod, we started talking about Firestorm, and I told him what I was thinking. And then it hit me, “What if Iran was trying to make a Firestorm?” And it was unstable and dangerous because it was bootleg technology, not to mention the fact that it was in the hands of a nation America doesn’t trust.

I talked to DC and asked about Martin Stein. They told me that he was dead, and that we couldn’t use him, except to refer to him in the past tense. So there was that slight obstacle to work with, although I had an idea for working around that.

We’re left with Ronnie and Jason. Instead of having them merge to become a superhero, making them each half of a superhero, with the awkwardness of whose face was the face being shown at any given time, I liked the idea of each boy being a Firestorm, but, to begin with, discovering that they could merge and become a very dangerous super-Firestorm.

Now, why did I feel free to make the change? Because DC told me I could. Because I spent the year touring and doing DC panels where Dan asked the audience which characters in Brightest Day were the most interesting, and time after time, no one clapped for Firestorm except for me. And because I think this idea, when it’s being done correctly, is far more compelling.

Moment of extreme truth: We got off to a rough start. I’m very shy when in a new collaboration. I didn’t speak up until issue #4, which I plotted entirely by myself, trying to steer the book into the direction that it was meant to go. There was messiness behind the scenes, obviously, and a new writer was brought on board to put the train squarely on the rails that follows my original proposal.

DC knows what’s going on, obviously. There’s a lot of buzz about Joe Harris and issue #7 at the office. We’re asking for a second chance. I think you’ll be amazed.

Ethan Van Sciver

PS, I love the letters columns too.

Wow! That really puts a lot of the new series in perspective. I really appreciate Ethan letting us know all these background details in the development of the new series. I can’t wait to read more, especially the Joe Harris issues!

Keep up with Ethan’s thoughts on Firestorm by visiting the DC Comics Message Board!

Support Firestorm (and Ethan Van Sciver)! Fan the Flame!

THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN #8
Written by JOE HARRIS and ETHAN VAN SCIVER
Art and cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER
On sale APRIL 25 | 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US | RATED T

Jason Rusch rockets to Europe to thwart the next Rogue attack, only to find that other Firestorms have beaten him to it! Introducing the all-new Firehawk, France’s own atomic defender, and Hurricane, Great Britain’s officially sanctioned Nuclear Man! Meanwhile, out of the ashes of last issue’s shocking climax, Ronnie Raymond and the Russian Firestorm, Pozhar, begin a long, mutual descent toward the dark underbelly of the Firestorm Protocols. New cowriter Joe Harris (Ghost Projekt) continues this acclaimed series with superstar artist Ethan Van Sciver, who provides another stunning issue of full interior art!

Wow! Joe and Ethan are really taking things up a notch! First off, what an amazing cover! Firehawk, Hurricane, and Jason look fantastic! I’m dying to learn more about these new Firestorms. I really dig the way the Great Britain flag was worked into the Firestorm costume design. So cool! And the new Firehawk is beautiful and off-putting at the same time. Interesting. Personally, I’m speculating that Firehawk will NOT be Lorraine Reilly, and that Hurricane will feature some nods to the old Firestorm villain Typhoon. Just my current guesses. We’ll have to see!

Below are the pencils for Ethan’s cover to issue #8. Such an amazing amount of detail! Click the image to enlarge.

Below is a page from The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #7! Click to enlarge!

I’m really enjoying the current issues of Firestorm, but I’m also getting really anxious for issues #7 and #8! Can’t wait!

Support Firestorm! Fan the flame!

Well… if you can’t get your hands on a copy at this exact minute, then head over to the DC Universe: The Source blog and check out what Firestorm editor Rachel Gluckstern has to say about the upcoming issues of the series!

Okay, now go read the comic!  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 Facebook, watch Ethan Van Sciver, Gail Simone, Joe Harris, DC Comics & Firestorm Fan
• On Twitter, watch Gail Simone, Yildiray Cinar, Norm Rapmund, Joe Harris, DC Comics & Firestorm Fan
• Watch or start a discussion on the DC Comics Message Board, Gail Simone Forum at Jinxworld, or Comic Book Resources Forums

Support Firestorm! Fan the flame!

This issue is written by Ethan Van Sciver and Gail Simone, with art by Yildiray Cinar and Norm Rapmund. I really like Jason’s inner monologue in this preview, and the art is gorgeous! This issue looks to be fantastic! I can’t wait for tomorrow when this issue hits the stands!

Below is one of the three pages in the preview. Be sure to visit ComicVine to see all three preview pages!

My thanks to match-head Brandon Leonard for the heads-up about this preview! Don’t forget, pick up your copy of The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #5 tomorrow! “Good day to you, sir!”

Support Firestorm! Fan the flame!

Rob and Shag start the show this time talking about a Yildiray Cinar exclusive and the “Name That Aquadog Contest”! Next they discuss some of their favorite Firestorm and Aquaman merchandise! Finally, they wrap up the show with your listener feedback!

You can find the eleventh 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 (32 MB).

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

Here are links to some of the merchandise mentioned on the show:

• Firestorm products on DC Comics’ Zazzle store
• Aquaman products on DC Comics’ Zazzle store
• Firestorm 2004 DC Direct JLA Series 2 Action Figure
• Firestorm Custom Statue
• Firestorm Custom Baseball Cap
• Firestorm Boxers
• Mego Aquaman Action Figure
• Mego Aquaman vs The Great White Shark
• Superheroes Checkers
• Mera Super Queens
• Aquaman Super-Deformed
• Aquaman on JLA WB Store Jacket
• Aquaman on JLA WB Denim Shirt
• Aquaman Microfiche

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

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

]]> http://firestormfan.com/2012/01/23/fire-water-11/feed/ 7