New 52: Kid Flash Clarification

For those who are still wondering, Teen Titans artist Brett Booth stepped in last week to clarify:

https://twitter.com/#!/Demonpuppy/status/129259180027686912

While DC hasn’t been very clear in the Teen Titans solicitations, Kid Flash has been identified as Bart Allen in articles and interviews as far back as June. Last week’s Teen Titans #2 explicitly referred to him as Bart Allen, so this should end speculation (most recently seen here) that the series features Wally West in line with the Young Justice cartoon.

Of course, there are still plenty of questions about Bart’s origins. Is he still related to Barry Allen? If so, how? Is he still from the future? How did he get his powers? (Come to think of it, Smallville never did reveal an origin for Bart beyond being in some sort of accident with a flash of light.)

If Bart is still from the future, and if he is still Barry and Iris’ grandson, the fact that they aren’t married in the present is no more a contradiction than the fact that Booster Gold’s grandparents haven’t even been born yet in the present day. In that case, he comes from a future in which they do. Even so, it doesn’t have to lock down the Barry/Iris question. As Yoda once said, “always in motion is future.”

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5 thoughts on “New 52: Kid Flash Clarification

  1. ElfGrove

    I’d thought that was long-since cleared up. This issue 2 page should put that to rest.

    More than the ID now, I’d like his reboot origins specified. This page in particular has some really ambiguous punctuation on a key (to me) sentence for Bart history.

    “Got super powers Really fast.”

    There’s no punctuation between “powers” and “really”, but “really” starts an entirely new speech bubble set, with no connecting line to the prior.
    Is it meant to be read as:
    “I got superpowers really fast.” — as in his powers just suddenly manifested, a more Wally-like origin story.
    Or is it meant to be read as:
    “I’ve got superpowers. I’m really fast.” — providing no real information about his origins and thusly leaving open the possibility that he’s always had his speed in keeping with the prior incarnation of Bart?

    Reply
  2. Keith

    So this raises and intersting question: Is Barry’s future already written? If exists, then Barry marry’s and has a kid who has a kid. Maybe this is how they introduce a new, conflicted aspect of the character… Bart tells him, “I’m your grandson from the future, Iris is my Grandma…” etc. Barry struggles with knowing what’s going to happen before it does… maybe?

    Reply
    1. ElfGrove

      Definitely could be a really fun conflict to present for the character. He’s “dating” one woman. How do you deal with having someone pop in from the future and tell you he’s your grand kid with a completely different woman?

      Reply
  3. A. Nonymous

    They didn’t color his eyes the right color, so of course I was confused. They still aren’t coloring his eyes right, even in this page. It’s so frustrating, because his eye color is important! And how am I supposed to tell which of the Flash family he is if his eyes aren’t done right? I can’t see what he looks like under the costume, and it’s not like he kept the adorkable hair from his 90s incarnation. It’s just frustrating to see a character and not know who they are because key factors about their looks are missing.

    Reply

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