DC Comics has announced two more annuals to see print this August 29th, alongside their already announced Detective Comics and Superman annual that we talked about yesterday. Both of these 48-page one-shots look to bring some action back to the books they’re tied to, with some major changes. Over in The Flash Annual #1 we can expect a return of a rather familiar keystone city organization. “One by one, the Flash’s rogues have been returning to the pages of THE FLASH — along with some new faces, like the mysterious Turbine,” said Flash editor Matt Idelson. “But surely everyone’s been waiting for the main event, and we’re thrilled to tell you it’s coming your way in The Flash Annual! The reunited Rogues hate the Flash just as much as they always have (if not more) — but this time, they’re gunning for Captain Cold, too! It’s all-out mayhem, everybody vs. everybody, with an even bigger and nastier threat preparing to swing into the fray at exactly the wrong time.” Sounds like we might be seeing some changes in the Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul penned comic series. Idelson continues that “We couldn’t be more excited about this one, and we hope you will be too! It really is a story so big, it needed the giant size of an Annual to contain it… and we’re still kinda worried it might blow the cover off. So please use caution when purchasing.” The Flash Annual will be written by the series creative writing duo of Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul, with art by Manapul. Both creators are promising the annual will be a big story that ties together a lot of what these done-in-one style stories in the on-going have been leading up to.

Meanwhile, on a more cosmic front, Green Lantern is getting it’s first annual in 12 years (since Green Lantern Annual #9 from back in 2000, during the Planet DC annuals that showed heroes around the world). The 48-page issue, set to release on the same August 29th date all of the August Annuals appear to be dropping on, will be penned by the series regular writer, and DC’s CCO, Geoff Johns. Johns will be reunited on the annual with long time collaborative artist, Ethan Van Sciver. The pair had previous worked on Flash: Rebirth and several Green Lantern stories, including Green Lantern: Rebirth and The Sinestro Corps War. As Geoff puts it, “Working with Ethan means things change, things are revealed and new characters rise. It’s the madness of our collaborations that started all this and will continue it. The universe is a dangerous place. And it’s about to get even more so.” This ominous hint of things to come in August’s annual are only made more chilling by the design cover currently released for the annual (seen on the right). Editor Matt Idelson doesn’t make the storyline much clearer, but he does give us another hint of where things may go, saying that the annual “not only brings the Black Hand story to a truly unexpected close, but sets up the major events that will heavily impact the entire Green Lantern franchise in a truly devastating way”.

Both annuals look to be much more a part of their on-going titles than the previous two announced, with hints that they might bring major changes to the characters involved. Will these changes potentially tie into the upcoming Trinity War of 2013 or have any connection to the mysterious Pandora or the events seen in DC FCBD issue? It seems unlikely, but it is hard to say as these changes will hopefully bring in the second year of DC’s New 52 with a bang. We will certainly all find out together in just another three and a half months, but expect some news to trickle out with Comic Con International and the other conventions of con season starting up this month.