Artist for DC Retroactive: Flash 90s – Mike Bowden

DC has announced the creative team and release date for the final DC RetroActive: The Flash special, this one focusing on the 1990s. Each special features an all-new story reuniting one of the decade’s writers with the character, set in then-current continuity, and one reprinted story.

DC RETROACTIVE: THE FLASH – THE ’90s #1

When Wally West became The Flash in the ’90s*, he morphed from a sidekick into a hero in his own right. The creative team of writer Brian Augustyn and artist Mike Bowden set the Fastest Man Alive in another race against evil.

ONE-SHOT • On sale AUGUST 17 • 56 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T

So, now we know the creative teams for all three specials. I’ll admit I’m a bit disappointed that they only managed to reunite both writer and artist on the 1980s special, though in the case of the 1970s special, I think most of the main artists from that run are either retired or passed away.

Does anyone know who Mike Bowden is? I can’t find any credits in a search on Comics.org. For that matter, I only found one credit for Benito Gallego, the artist doing the 1970s book. I wonder if DC is using these specials to try out new talent when they can’t get a period artist.

On another note: I think this is the first time in over a year that the words “Wally West” have appeared in a solicitation for a comic containing new material.

*It was, of course, the ’80s when Wally West became the Flash. Apparently DC is too busy with Flashpoint to get someone to copy-edit their solicitations.

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19 thoughts on “Artist for DC Retroactive: Flash 90s – Mike Bowden

  1. Wally East

    The ’90s comment does have me wondering, despite the creative team, if the 1980s issue will be Barry.

    That probably won’t happen though, right?

    Reply
    1. Kelson Post author

      Probably not…but then, at this point, there isn’t much DC could do to marginalize Wally West that would actually surprise me.

      Reply
      1. cm22

        Given they’re calling Wally the 90’s Flash I’m starting to think the 80’s might be a Barry book too.

        Reply
  2. Kyer

    My cousin just died so I’m not in the best of moods. Figures that I wouldn’t find any cheery news from DC.

    2006? They couldn’t do better than that for a book that’s supposed to be a tribute to the 90’s for a character who debuted as the flash in 1987? Ugh.

    Is this going to be about Wally for realsies or about Bart or Jay talking about Wally?

    Reply
  3. Esteban Pedreros

    I wonder if they tried to get Waid. I guess that he doesn’t want t come back to the character.

    I would have liked to see Paul Pelletier or Paul Ryan drawing this book

    Reply
    1. Kelson Post author

      After the reception he got the last time, could you blame him?

      There was some discussion about that when they announced the writers. I have the impression that there’s some sort of bad blood between Waid and DC right now, so they might not have even asked him.

      Reply
      1. Esteban Pedreros

        I agree and I don’t blame him. He did seem to “fade away” from DC after 52, I guess that the fact that The Brave and the Bold and Flash didn’t do too well, might have played a role in that.

        Reply
  4. Zachary Adams

    You know, it’s semi-arguable that it was the latter part of the Messner-Loeb run and Waid’s run–i.e. the 90s–when Wally went from “a total chumpanzee filling in as the Flash” to “the Flash.” Which, of course, is probably not what they were going for here. 🙂

    Anyway, as for artists who did at least one fairly significant arc in the 90s, there’s LaRocque, who’s already doing the 80s special, Mike Wieringo, who has of course passed away, Salvador Larroca, who IIRC is exclusive to Marvel (and whose current work looks nothing like his Flash work), Oscar Jiminez (whose name I haven’t heard in years)Paul Ryan (retired?), Pop Mhan (still working, but not that often as far as I can tell), and Paul Pelletier (Marvel exclusive? If not they should’ve begged.) I’ll give Bowden the benefit of the doubt until I have a reason not to, but it would’ve been great to see PP on the Flash again.

    Also: the 90s logo for the Retro Active project is nowhere near as fun as the Westminster typeface 70s or the…how would you describe the 80s one?

    Reply
    1. Kelson Post author

      Hmm…sort of a sci-fi look? I kind of associate it with Space Mountain at Disneyland for some reason.

      What’s really interesting about these designs are that the 1970s and 1980s logos use typefaces that once looked futuristic, but now look dated. The 1990s one fits the style of a 1990s logo, but to my eye it could have just as easily been used for the 2000s.

      Reply
  5. Zen

    Also, in the 80s, Wally’s book was just called “Flash”. They didn’t add the word “The” until the 90s. Maybe that’s what they mean.

    Reply

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