I just got out of the DC nation panel at Long Beach Comic-Con. At the start, Geoff Johns announced that the new Barry Allen Flash series will be a 30-page book with a Wally West Flash co-feature (backup story) by Geoff Johns & Scott Kolins!
YES!!!
Other Flash news from the Question & Answer segment:
No current plans to reissue trades from Geoff Johns’ Wally run.
Both Captain Boomerangs will appear in Blackest Night. As will Rainbow Raider – or rather the “Black and White Raider.” And he’s “really upset about it.”
Wally will have his new costume in Blackest Night & the new backup stories.
The new speedster Geoff mentioned in San Diego will be female. I’m thinking maybe Iris’ link to the speed force kicks in?
Update: Newsarama’s and CBR’s articles are up, both of which include a bit I’d missed posting: One fan asked whether, with Flash and Kid Flash, Wally was going to be “medium Flash.” Geoff Johns pointed out that Jay Garrick is still called Flash…
Update 2: My full write-up and photos from the con are now online!
Awesome! Now if only we didn’t have to wait so long to see the new costume. Still, great news, and a very good reason to pick up the new ongoing.
Could be Iris as the new speedster, but does that mean she’ll be a new “Kid Flash”? Will she co-feature in Bart’s new book (assuming Bart is still Kid Flash as well).
Also, any word on who the Kid Flash artist will be? I think I read somewhere that Dan Didio hadn’t picked an artist for that book yet, which is crazy considering its debut is (potentially) only about 5 or 6 months away.
YES! That’s awesome, Wally deserves as much. And I hope Iris isn’t the new speedster, that would just be weird. Hopefully it’s someone brand new.
If Iris, Which Iris?
Wally’s daughter. She’s already shown that she has the potential to be a super-speedster during Tom Peyer’s run on Wally’s series, and it was mentioned during Waid’s run that she had used super-speed once before the West family made it back to Earth.
The only reason I hope it’s not her is because Geoff said there’s only one new speedster, so what would happen with Jai? I don’t want him to fall behind his sister. Plus, a brand new character could be pretty fun.
I was making the suggestion that the Original Iris, Barry’s Wife, might become a speedster.
I’m trying to remember the exact exchange. A fan asked something to the effect of, “The new speedster you mentioned – is there any chance that it’s not a boy?” And he said, “It’s a girl.” Whether that’s girl as in child, or girl as in not-a-boy, I don’t know.
I guess the run-down of likely candidates would be:
1. Iris “Irey” West II – young girl, already has powers, likely to grow into super-speed at some point.
2. Jesse Quick/Liberty Belle – has had super-speed in the past, but wouldn’t exactly be new.
3. XS – already has super-speed, but could be new to the present-day DC Universe.
4. Linda Park, Iris Allen, or Joan Garrick – seems unlikely, but possible.
5. Someone who hasn’t been seen in a while, like Carol Bucklen, Tina McGee, Patty Spivot (who has shown up in the flashbacks) or Angela Margolin
6. Someone entirely new.
Jesse Quick has had her speed back for a while now.
Yeah, that was me (asking the question.) I’ve been going on about it since San Diego.
Margaret’s latest blog post: Long Beach Comic Con Day #3: Batmouse
Funny that we both ended up asking questions at that panel!
This is GREAT news!!! We get NEW Barry stories, FINALLY!!! And more Wally stories by Geoff!
I would have loved more Barry’solo adventures and no Wally at all, but this should make almost everybody happy, so it is ok. Hope we will not have to wait too much for the new monthly…
Aw, poor Raider
Awesome news all around, though, especially about the Wally co-feature!
It’s SOOOO obvious that Irey West will become the new Impulse. The solicitation for Rebirth #5 said that a new speedster will step into an old speedster’s boots, and #4 had Zoom “untangling” her connection to the Speed Force just after she was talking about how she wants to be just like Bart.
Lee that sounds like a great theory. Especially since it seems like the mini-series is pretty much out to try and please every Flash fan in one way or the other.
Hey! Was that you in the Black Flash shirt?
Margaret’s latest blog post: Long Beach Comic Con Day #3: Batmouse
Yes, that was me, way in the back at DC Nation.
Great news. It really will be an “All-Flash” sort of title.
I wouldn’t mind if the backup alternated between Wally and Jay. You’d get 4 months of Wally, 4 months of Jay, 4 months of Wally… and so on and so forth.
Luke’s latest blog post: Upcoming: Superman: World of New Krypton #8
Hmm. Flash, Uncle Flash, Flash Junior, Kid Flash, Young Miss Flash… And they’ve gone to so much trouble to destroy the Marvel, I mean Shazam, family…