Killer Frost

This week, the Flash is good, but Abra Kadabra? He's magic. Also, Caitlin goes into surgery, and Joe deals with a moral dilemma. "Abra Kadabra" was directed by Nina Lopez-Corrado, with a story by Andrew Kreisberg, and teleplay by  Brooke Roberts & David Kob.

The first ever comic convention on a cruise took place last weekend on Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas sailing from Tampa, Florida, to Cozumel, Mexico. Despite the unusual venue, Fan2Sea featured everything you'd expect from a landlocked con, including panels, signings, parties, screenings and, of course, cosplay. Being out at sea didn't stop these dedicated cosplayers from pulling out their best looks, often with a strong nautical theme, whether it was a seafaring Deadpool or two, or a watery Disney villain like Ursula or Tamatoa. ComicsAlliance was on the scene, courtesy of Fan2Sea, to capture some of our favorite cosplay on the cruise. This is the best cosplay ever... on a ship!

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our years on the Internet, it’s that there’s no aspect of comics that can’t be broken down and quantified in a single definitive list, preferably in amounts of five or ten. And since there’s no more definitive authority than ComicsAlliance, we’re taking it upon ourselves to compile Top Five lists of everything you could ever want to know about comics. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, there is a greater than average chance that you are currently buried in snow or will be some time in the next six weeks. In that case, you know the true power of the ice and cold. This week we're counting down the five most nefarious villains to wield that destructive-at-worst, annoying-at-best power to blanket the earth in frozen water.

This week, Caitlin goes rogue as her ice powers kick in, Wally becomes an Inhuman, Savitar pops his claws, and Alchemy is revealed. "Killer Frost" was directed by Kevin Smith from a story by Judalina Neira, and a teleplay by Andrew Kreisberg and Brooke Roberts.

This week, Wally is tempted by the dark side, Caitlin is frightened of what she might become, and The Flash fights an actual shadow, because hey, if you have a theme, why be subtle about it? "Shade" was directed by JJ Makaro and written by Emily Silver and David Kob.

Earlier today, we broke the news that The Ray will be joining Steve Orlando and Ivan Reis' upcoming Justice League of America ongoing with a one-shot by Orlando and Stephen Byrne but Ray Terrill won't be alone. Throughout today at various outlets and on DC's own website, the publisher has announced the new Justice League of America line-up featuring some fan-favorite characters getting their moment in the sun!

A hero is defined by their villains, and the world of superhero comic books is filled with some of the scariest and silliest bad guys around. Rogues’ Gallery aims to settle the score and determine who is the true arch-nemesis for some of favorite superheroes, and we need your help to do it! However, this week we're stepping out of the usual status quo to talk about villains in a different context; that being the team of villains coerced into heroic acts by the United States government --- The Suicide Squad

Welcome back to Up To Speed, in which Flash TV show veteran Dylan Todd and newbie Ziah Grace break down the latest episode of The Flash, dispense some Flash Facts, and talk about what works, what doesn’t, and where the series might be headed. But Ziah is on vacation this week, so guest commentator Chris Sims has stepped in to keep his spot warm! This week, Barry has lost his speed and has to live like a boring norm, but can he still save the day when an elderly teenager threatens Harrison Wells? "Back To Normal" was directed by John F. Showalter and written by Brooke Roberts & Katherine Walczak.

In a Reddit Ask Me Anything yesterday, actor Danielle Panabaker confirmed that her Flash TV show character Caitlin Snow will eventually take on her comic book alter ego, the supervillain Killer Frost, stating, "from the beginning I knew that Caitlin Snow becomes Killer Frost. And I can't wait to suit up and duke it out with the boys!" That's good news for fans who want to see more of Caitlin in action, but it might be bad news for those fans who enjoy seeing her on the side of the heroes. In a timely bit of synergy, Monday's installment of the Flash: Season Zero digital comic also sees Caitlin in action, and this time on the side of the heroes, in a one-shot story by writer and artist Phil Hester that puts Caitlin in the spotlight --- and we have an exclusive preview!

Writer Gerry Conway, who created several characters during his time at both Marvel and DC (including Firestorm, Killer Croc, Vixen and The Punisher) took to his blog recently to discuss and throw a spotlight on the way DC pay credit to their creative talent for the characters they created while working for the company. By introducing what they call ‘creator equity participation’, DC was one of the first publishers to offer royalty payments to creators for when characters were used outside of the comics medium --- such as in television, cinema, toys, or video games. Chuck Dixon, for example, is paid whenever Bane appears in a film or video game, as he is cited as the character’s co-creator.