Speed Force

More precisely, the book is Flash: Secret Files and Origins 2010 #1. (I’m always faintly amused at the tendency of comic book publishers to slap a big “#1″ on the front of an obviously one-shot issue.) Like most of DC’s Secret Files books, this is made up of a lead story and a series of profile pages.

Lead Story

“Running to the Past” by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins was a fairly standard Flash story. It doesn’t really stand out as particularly good or bad, but it serves as an introduction to Barry Allen, his primary motivation (the retconned-in death of his mother), and the sometimes lonely life of a speedster.

There are some nice moments, like the sequence of panels early on in which Barry hits a light switch, pours himself a glass of water, and then the light comes on (though if you think about it, that only makes sense if the water is sped up too).

Oddly, while the whole story is drawn by Scott Kolins, the epilogue featuring the Rogues looks vastly different. It really highlights something I’ve mentioned before, which is how well-suited his art is to the Rogues.

It is a Barry Allen story, first and foremost, though the rest of the “good guy” speedsters show up briefly. I didn’t really expect anything beyond that, but the solicitation text suggested that Wally West and Bart Allen might be more involved, and I’m sure there are people out there for whom that will be a factor in whether they pick up the book. Perhaps DC planned bigger roles or a second story, back when they still planned a series of backup stories featuring Wally and a Kid Flash book featuring Bart, but if so, it didn’t make it to the finished product.

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DC has released a 6-page preview of the Flash Secret Files and Origins 2010, including 3 story pages and profiles of Iris Allen, Captain Cold, and Barry Allen. It’s…surprisingly decompressed for a single-issue origin story.

You can read the preview at the Source or at Newsarama.

Interestingly, the preview still lists the book as coming out next week, even though it was missing from Diamond’s “Upcoming Releases” list on Monday, DC changed the date to April 7 on their website yesterday, and Diamond listed the change to April 7 on today’s shipping updates. I’m guessing this is a case of the right hand not knowing what the left is doing…or more precisely, the left hand changing things while the right hand is on vacation and doesn’t have a chance to update.

Update (March 29): The book is on Diamond’s upcoming releases list for April 7.

The Flash Secret Files and Origins 2010, originally scheduled for this week, has slipped a second time, from March 31 to April 7. With any luck, this will be the last of the delays that have dogged the series since midway through Flash: Rebirth.

The Flash #1 is still scheduled for its original launch date, April 14.

It looks like Barry Allen will get another chance to say, “Sorry I’m late.” Flash: Secret Files and Origins 2010 was originally scheduled for March 24. According to DC’s website, it’s now on the schedule for March 31.

The ongoing series is still on track for its April 14 launch.

Some Flash news broke over the weekend. In case you missed the original posts…

First, Ethan Van Sciver reports that Flash: Rebirth #6 should be out sooner than March after all — he’s almost done with the art, and expects to finish this week!

Second, the Flash Secret Files 2010 solicitation is up. It’s due March 24.

I’ll be back this evening with a run-down of likely Flash appearances in the full March solicitations.

Newsarama has previews for DC solicitations for March, including Flash: Secret Files.

The Flash: Secret Files and Origins 2010 #1

On sale MARCH 24 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by SCOTT KOLINS, FRANCIS MANAPUL & OTHERS
Cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL

Flash Facts! In the aftermath of BLACKEST NIGHT and THE FLASH: REBIRTH comes the beginning of a new era for Barry Allen and the deadly Rogues! As Barry readjusts to life again, strange happenings explode across Central City that will lead to one of the most bizarre murder mysteries Barry will ever face in the upcoming THE FLASH #1! Plus, don’t miss Wally West, Kid Flash, Gorilla Grodd and a cold case that will send The Flash down a path unlike any other. Run – don’t walk – to pick it up!

DC’s week of 2010 announcements continues with new Francis Manapul art on The Source and a Geoff Johns interview at the Los Angeles Times’ blog, Hero Complex.

First up: the cover for Flash Secret Files and Origins 2010, due in March:

The Source article also features two in-progress images, and quotes Francis Manapul:

The entire creative team is looking forward to introducing new ways of portraying speed. It’s also cool that we’ll be introducing a new generation to Barry Allen as well as myself so I’ll be right in they’re shoes of getting to know this guy. It should be an exciting ride!

The Hero Complex interview doesn’t reveal anything new about the upcoming series, but Geoff Johns does talk about his history with the Flash and thoughts about his approach to the character. Some quotes that stood out to me:

We all have a “thicket of mythology.” You meet someone and they have an entire backstory. A city they were born in. A best friend they lost touch with. An event that affected their whole family. A first job. Everyone has history. And every character has history.

The most frustrating thing for Barry is related to his job as a member of Central City CSI. He investigates crimes that have already happened. Murders he can’t stop. No matter how fast he is, that’s the past.

I look at something like “The Flash” as a long term mission. “The Flash: Rebirth” was the knot to untangle in the shoelace before we could run. I wanted to clear the board, re-examine some key elements of Barry Allen and re-introduce a threat that would play throughout the next several years.

I’d offer more commentary, but I’m kind of swamped at the moment.

Update: Forgot to mention: The first hints of the new Secret Files book had Tony Harris working on the cover. Or, rather, “a” cover. He even posted a snippet of art. Maybe one of them is a variant cover, or maybe DC decided not to use his, or maybe it’ll be an interior splash page.

And the relaunch of the Flash franchise continues! With Flash: Rebirth in progress, Blackest Night: The Flash launching in December, and new Flash and Kid Flash ongoing series launching next spring, it seems that DC has one more element on its way. This morning, artist Tony Harris (Ex Machina) posted the following on Twitter:

@TONYFINGHARRIS: Gonna start a Flash Secret Files cover today. Excited. Never Drawn Flash before except my version in JSA: The Liberty Files.

The last time the Flash had a Secret Files and Origins issue was 2001, shortly after Geoff Johns became the regular writer on Wally West’s series. Since the Flashes’ origins had been covered only a couple of years earlier (1997), Johns used the issue to establish characters and story elements that fed into the next two years of stories, particularly “Crossfire” and “Blitz.”

Now seems like a good time, with three heroes and a villain returning from limbo, a refactoring of the cast and of the nature of the Flash’s powers, and two new series launching, spotlighting at least three characters (Barry Allen in the lead stories in The Flash, Wally West in the backup stories, and presumably Bart Allen in Kid Flash).

[Edited to add:] It would be an ideal way to help potential new readers get in on the ground floor, especially if it arrives the same month as, or right before the new series launches. Considering that DC’s been saying “March or April” for the launch, and Blackest Night: Flash should finish in February, it might even make sense to release this in March and The Flash #1 in April. That would a good way to give the creative team on the series a little extra lead time while still maintaining the momentum of a monthly schedule, kind of like the way All-Flash #1 bridged the month between Flash: The Fastest Man Alive and the relaunch of Wally West’s series.

I’d almost rather DC had just launched the ongoing books last April along with a Secret Files, but I guess they wanted the publicity of a second Geoff Johns/Ethan Van Sciver “Rebirth” book, and I’m sure Geoff Johns wanted more pages to lay a foundation before getting started.

Update: Harris has posted a small section of his art featuring the Flash.

(via MTV Splash Page)