As Speed Force marks its fifth birthday, we decided to take a look back at where each of the Fastest Men Alive were in the fifth year of their original titles. Happy Fifth Anniversary, Speed Force!
Join us after the jump, as we journey back to 1944, 1963 and 1992 in search of Flash history, original artwork and more!
Through Comic Book Resources, DC Comics has revealed plans for Justice League 3000 by Keith Giffen, JM DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire. The ongoing series, launching in fall, will feature (at least) future versions of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and Green Lantern
So far, all they’ve really released is the creative team and Howard Porter’s designs, including this one for the Flash.
While the team is best known for the humorous “Bwahaha” Justice League International, they’ve written their share of serious stories as well. (You don’t get more serious than Giffen’s “Five Years Later” Legion.)
No doubt this is what’s behind both the end of the current Legion of Super-Heroes and the Justice Legion rumors: Presumably the LSH has been shifted to another timeframe, since I imagine the two concepts wouldn’t coexist very well.
Also, it’s worth noting: The Flash of JL3000 has red hair and green eyes. I’m not going to read too much into that. Other Wally West fans may be more optimistic, but I’ve been burned too many times to get my hopes up.
As part of our SpeedForce.org celebration, we’re taking a look back to the issue of The Flash that came out the same month that this site started. Back in 2008, we were right in the middle of the “Fast Money” story arc. Wally West has seen the people of Keystone City turn against him, pushed by the villain Spin, who has brought Grodd in to help him in the battle. As for the kids…Iris and Jai have been taken captive by people working for “Boss Dark Side”. That brings us to issue #241 of The Flash, with an August cover date but released June 18th, 2008. (NOTE: Thanks to John at Capitol Comics in Raleigh NC for helping me find a spare copy of this issue for the review when I could not find my own copy in my back issues).
FULL SPOILERS AHEAD!
MTV Geek has an extensive write-up of a Grant Morrison talk in which he discussed (among other things) his long-in-the-works Multiversity. Each issue will focus on a different reality in DC’s multiverse, surrounded by a pair of bookends tying the story together.
One issue focuses on…
“The Just”, taking place on Earth-11, showcasing the return of the Super-Sons and the children of other superheroes. Surprisingly citing The Hills as an inspiration, the disaffected super-kids will be introduced in ways similar to that program, and the utopian world brought on by their parents will be echoed by their dull, meaningless, “shallow” conversational patterns. We’ll also see the remnants of a bored Justice League, filled with nearly-forgotten 90s characters with nothing to do but superhero/supervillain battle re-enactments. When asked who would be appearing, Kyle Rayner will be the Green Lantern featured in the book, but Guy Gardner will be present. Other 90s characters set to appear include Bloodpack, Bloodwynd, Anima, Walker Gabriel and, yes, Wally West, amidst a host of other legacy characters introduced in the era, hinting at appearances by Azrael and the “replacement” Supermen. Knowing that it would always come back to the most iconic versions of the characters, such as Bruce Wayne, Barry Allen and Hal Jordan, Morrison wanted to give these heroes “a world they did inherit, but they didn’t inherit anything” worthwhile.
It’s a slow week for the Flash, with no new comics or collections and only one digital re-release:
Flash #146: Chain Lightning Part 2
Wally West, Jay Garrick, Max Mercury, and Jesse Quick run into a variety of speedsters as they travel the time stream looking to save the lives of future Flashes.
Written by Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn. Art by Paul Pelletier, Vince Russell, Tom McCraw. Cover by Steve Lightle.
Hey Speed Readers,
Now we can finally do this:
Just a friendly reminder that the long-awaited, heavily requested DC Signature Classics Wally West action figure will be available for sale on Mattycollector.com tommorow at 9 a.m. PT/Noon ET.
A figure that has been requested since the very beginning of the DC Universe Classics line, Wally will be sporting an all new specially tooled head featuring his look from around the time of his Justice League Europe appearances along with the appropriate tan from that era. This of course means that Wally will be in his most iconic uniform that he started sporting from the Flash v2 #50 on, as originally drawn by artist, Greg LaRocque. A lot of collectors can also finally put a nightcap on their Morrison-Era League and the modern Titans (for the most part, sorry Garth).
For those interested or still on the fence about the figure I procured one via eBay months ago and managed to snap some close up shots of the figure that you can see HERE . Although if that Flash museum shot isn’t enough to sell you I don’t know what is. Since this could possibly be the last Wally West Flash figure for a long time I suggest you pick one up pronto. Matty has stressed that there will be even more limited numbers available for day of sale purchasers so don’t wait if you want it. I will still be purchasing an official Mattel release as well if only to have the slick box art on display. I don’t think I’m ever going to toss any of those boxes.
Wally West goes on sale tomorrow 5/15/2013 at 9 a.m. PT/Noon ET. You can go directly to the Wally West sale page by clicking HERE. Wally retails for $20.00 usd plus shipping.
So who plans on picking up the long-awaited Wally West figure tomorrow? Does anyone plan on passing? Please let us know why in the comments below.
***UPDATE***
Wally West has sold out at Mattycollector.com! If you missed him you may find some luck on the secondary markets such as eBay or Amazon but definitely expect to pay more than the $25.90 that most of us paid for the figure if you want to get it on card and not loose.
As I mentioned before, this may very well be the last bit of Wally West Flash merchandise that we see for some time. If I hadn’t started going buckwild with finally deciding to collect other DC characters this would have been a great little jumping off point for collecting. But it is what it is.
Keep your eyes peeled for pictures as soon as Wally arrives!
New Flash comics this week include:
Flash #19: Trapped in Iron Heights without his powers (as a result of Dial H #11), Barry Allen has to fend off the attack of the Outlanders. All he has are his wits…and the Rogues’ confiscated weapons. Brian Buccellato and Marcio Takara, cover by Francdis Manapul. Preview at Uproxx.
Justice League Dark #19: The House of Mystery is under seige—can special guest star The Flash help Justice League Dark battle this unexpected threat? Jeff Lemire & Ray Fawkes, Mikel Janin. Preview at BuzzFeed.
Teen Titans #19: Which new member of the Teen Titans reveals his true colors? Scott Lobdell, Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira. Preview at CBR.
Meanwhile in digital back issues:
Flash #128-129: “Hell to Pay” parts 2-3. The dead Rogues have returned to earth — or rather, their reanimated bodies have, and without their souls to keep them in check, they’re laying waste to Keystone City! Only Wally West can stop them, but he’ll have to make a literal deal with the devil to do so.
Impulse #67: After the events of “Mercury Falling,” heroes gather to celebrate the life of Max Mercury. Todd Dezago, Ethan Van Sciver & Andrew Hennessy.
Impulse #68: Impulse “rescues” Adam Strange from a Zeta beam and ends up on the alien world of Rann. Part one of a two-part “Green Lantern: Circle of Fire” epilogue. Todd Dezago, Battle & Buzz. (I meant to review this story for The Indigo Tribe’s Circle of Fire event, but didn’t have enough time after I reviewed the Green Lantern/Adam Strange issue.)
I’d like to add that Impulse #67 was the best fake-out I’ve ever seen in the era of online solicitations and spoilers everywhere. DC didn’t write a fake solicitation or block out parts of the cover art. All they did was post the artwork showing Max Mercury (I’m such a digital packrat that I still have it) and state that heroes gathered together to honor him. Then the next two issues put Bart off-planet on Rann for the Green Lantern/Adam Strange guest spot, so there was literally no way to know whether Max would survive “Mercury Falling” until the conclusion hit the shelves.
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN’T READ SMALLVILLE SEASON ELEVEN
Lately, I’ve been trying to figure out just what is more dangerous in the DC Universe – to be a Robin or to wear a lightning bolt on your shirt? There seem to be a lot of beloved characters falling by the wayside lately, and it bears some examination. After all, Jason Todd, Stephanie Brown, and now Damian Wayne have all died while wearing the symbol of Robin. It hasn’t been the safest role to take on in the DCU…although I would make an argument that running fast seems to attract even more trouble.
In the latest print issue of Smallville Season Eleven we find the conclusion of the story arc that features Bart Allen, the Impulse of the Smallville-verse. In this story, Clark and his good friend Bart are reunited in a globe-hopping battle against the Black Racer, the enemy of Flashes past and present. In the end, Bart saves the day…but sacrifices himself to do so. All we are left with are Clark’s plans to build “a big statue” to Bart, and another Flash that has left some form or other of DC continuity.
This adds to the demise of the Wally West of Earth 16 in “Young Justice”, and the deaths and disappearances of Flashes over the years. Let’s take a partial toll here:
This doesn’t even start to list other dead or missing speedsters like Johnny and Jesse Quick, Max Mercury, or Wally’s kids. It really doesn’t seem safe to run fast these days.
The toughest part of all this for me is the way the actual deaths are being handled lately. Bart’s passing in Smallville felt forced…it wasn’t truly necessary. Yes, he got rid of the menace…but how did that help Clark and the rest of the Smallville gang? Believe it or not…exposure to Speed Force energy somehow cleansed Clark of the tracking radiation Luthor was using to follow Superman’s every move. This allowed Superman to resume acting as Clark Kent without being found out by Luthor.
In other words…Bart’s sacrifice was made so that he could act as a “spot-remover” to some radiation that was creating an inconvenience for Clark.
I have supported (and continue to support) the New52 volume of The Flash, as it represents some of the finest scripting and art in the DC lineup today. I’m not the guy that would ask “Where’s Wally?” for the thousandth time to Dan Didio at a con. I do like most of what I see from DC – I’m a DC guy and have been for over 40 years of collecting. I’m just sad to see the plot device of killing off speedsters used so much. It seems that being a Robin or a Flash means you are wearing a red shirt in the metaphorical sense as well as in the literal sense…and both roles are simply too valuable to the history of the DC Universe to continue to be treated in that way.
Justice League #18 begins a story arc centering on Cyborg, with interesting parallels to some pre-Flashpoint tales. But, rather than Batman having files on all the heroes in the DCU, it is now Cyborg who has been tracking and filing info on every hero operating in the New52. While this is most useful in sending invitations to potential League members, there is always some danger in keeping those kinds of files…and that obviously will lead us into the next few issues of JL. The moments of most interest to Flash fans, however, concern Wal…I mean Barry’s interactions with the other League members and with the potential members invited to the Watchtower.
Hello Speed Readers,
As many of you are aware the last episode of Young Justice aired this past Saturday. I finally got a chance to watch it this morning and wow, what a heart breaking episode for Flash Family Fans.
Spoilers for Young Justice Season 2 Episode 20 “Endgame”
****SPOILERS*****
