Collected Linkblogging for 7-2-11

Rich Johnston had yesterday's big scoop on Bleeding Cool, that rumor has it due to retailer pressure DC Comics will release the Flashpoint hardcover in October.

The release time is actually not all that monumental in comparison to Blackest Night. That series ended in May 2010, and the collections came out in July; Flashpoint will end in August, and the collection may be out in October. With Blackest Night, however, we knew about DC's collection plans the previous November, while here we are staring down the end of Flashpoint with no official word, and speculation has been that it could be into next year before the Flashpoint collections emerge. Seeing this in October -- with, hopefully, the other miniseries collections alongside -- would be a fantastic development.

Flashpoint's main lead-in trade Flash: The Road to Flashpoint is scheduled for the end of October. DC has been generally good about releasing these books in order, so potentially that last week in October might be where we should look for the main Flashpoint collection to emerge.

At random, I also thought it was interesting that Rich had some scheduled DC Relaunch writers who didn't quite make it, including one "C. O. Austen" on Blackhawks. Is it ... ? Could it have been ... ? I remember well the Chuck Austen flap from a few years ago, and I'd have been very curious to see DC give the writer a second chance (albeit under a paper-thin new moniker) and the fan reaction thereof, but unfortunately it seems not to be.

That's what I've got for today. Visit Bleeding Cool for lots more great insights into the DC Relaunch, and be back here Monday for our review of the classic Time Masters miniseries, before we cover the Flashpoint-connected Time Masters: Vanishing Point trade later in the week. See you then!