On this edition of the Word Balloon podcast host John Siuntres chats with artist Ethan Van Sciver. The subjects? Two of 2009's most anticipated story events, The Flash Rebirth and Green Lantern The Blackest Night.

You'll hear behind the scenes insight that explores Van Sciver's contributions and the shared enthusiasm for these projects with writer Geoff Johns.

Some quotes from the conversation...

On Flash Rebirth...

"I've been talking about bring Barry back for years. He's been dead for 23 years I think we've paid sufficient homage to the greatness of the original Crisis...you know there's still great stories to tell about this character let's bring him back NOW. He's a crime scene investigator, and we can tell stories in a pg-13 way that couldn't be done in the silver age."

"People are going to focus on Barry Allen being back ...but really what Flash Rebirth is about is restoring the entire Flash mythos. We want to realign everything up again, have it all make sense, and make it more palatable for every Flash fan. The Flash mythos is only partly understood now...There's going to be a big map that explains concepts that people already kind of have an inkling about, will be totally explained therein.

Because of that, there's going to have to be a few changes visually for some of these characters ...including one of the most controversial thing to ever be done in FLASH, a new costume for Wally West... be afraid, be very afraid (laughs).

I don't do things (without a) reason...I can't remember if Geoff asked me to do this or (editor) Joey (Cavalleri) but it occured to me ... If "A" is going to happen in the story, then "B" must happen as well...when you see the redesign, in the context of how were presenting the characters it will all make sense ...I'm doing this in the hopes that it will stick I'm not ,making some schticky costume that disrespects Wally in any way . It's just about redefining Wally's role and relation to Barry and to the entire Flash Family.

I know people will be scared ...I'm excited that people are talking about it and have theories about the story, but I ask that they withhold judgment on the idea that this is "DC's ultimate regression” until the book is out.

To suggest that this story is a slide into "DC's infancy" is just wrong ... you can't get a more progressive writer as Geoff Johns, and I refuse to be called a regressive artist...I'm always trying to push forward with new looks and ideas for these characters...we just hope we've earned the faith."

for those who are fans and haven't heard. found it on newsrama.

Actually, I thought the Blackest Night stuff was more intriguing...

"My title on Blackest Night is like production designer...my job is going to be to re-design DCU characters as Black Lanterns...I'll also be designing Blue, Indigo, and Violet Lantern Corps...I have a list of dead characters to re-do as Black Lanterns and I really thought they'd be more corpses to play with it's really not that big of a list. We need a Wonder Woman Black Lantern, a Batman Black Lantern ...As we're talking I'm re-designing a DC character as a Black Lantern and fans will be shocked ..."

He's probably talking about the Earth-2 Superman....ugh...I hate DiDio.

I was thinking more about Connor Kent

I was thinking maybe Ch'p.

-RmL

Or Martian Manhunter?

I have nothing to back up the guess, but he said 'Batman, Wonder Woman..and leaving off the one member of the 'trinity' so to speak..which would be Superman E-2. I've nothing to go by with that, really.

I still hate DiDio.

Ditto on Didio. Just like Joe Quesada, Didio wants to grow up to be Jim Shooter.

I'll have to see. Being 20 years old and the same time Wally became Flash, I've only known one Flash my whole life. This ought to be interesting.

I mean, Geoff and Ethan never let us down, right?

I hate the notion of dead characters coming back as Black Lanterns. I suspect that when all is said and done, Geoff Johns will have had at least as much to do with that as Dan Didio. Maybe we ought to save a little hate to go around.

On a side note, is it too early to start this pool - 5 years after the end of Darkest Night, how many of the Black Lanterns will have been either brought back to life or revealed not to have ever been dead in the first place?

Dibs on 3.

They can kill Wally West off and then turn him into a Black Lantern. He will then be the fastest Black Lantern ever.

"I'm Wally West and I'm The Fastest Man Ali...., Dead?"

Or we can get "Impulse, the Fastest Black Lantern Undead", that way we don't need to kill off Wally...

But wait, Barry Allen has so much more experience being dead. Do you honestly want to trust the important role of Black Lantern Flash to someone who's either hasn't died yet or has only been dead a couple of years? Barry Allen has 20 years experience and a well-established record of being dead. Until Wally West or Bart Allen have been dead for 20 years, they shouldn't even bother applying for this job.

Remember: In '09 vote for a time-tested candidate. Vote experience. Vote Barry Allen for Undead Black Lantern Flash!

Actually, I think we need some body 'fresher' for the job. Vote Wally West. It's time for Barry to come back. It's actually way past time.

I doubt they're killing Wally anyway, Van Scivier has redesigned his costume for his new role...i don't think that's a Black Lantern position, though.