Comic Book Resources and Newsarama have posted their write-ups on today’s DC Nation Panel at HeroesCon. Newsarama’s coverage includes a breakdown of the question-and-answer session, including some tantalizing hints about the future of the Flash. (The article notes that these are paraphrased.)
Q: What’s coming up in The Flash?
Ethan VanSciver: “No comment” on what’s coming up, but the artist added, “I love the Flash, Absolutely love the Flash.”
Dan Didio – How much?
EVS – Enough to spend some time with the Flash.
Q: Is the Flash that Ethan wants to spend time on Barry?
EVS: Uhhh.
DD: Enough said.
There have been rumors of a Geoff Johns/Ethan van Sciver project for months, and speculation that it might be a Flash series starring Barry Allen.
Johns and van Sciver are, of course, well-known today for their work on Green Lantern, and Green Lantern: Rebirth — the series which brought Hal Jordan back from limbo and reinstated him as DC’s main Green Lantern — seems particularly relevant. They also teamed on the 2001 graphic novel The Flash: Iron Heights, which introduced a half-dozen new villains to the Flash mythos (focusing on Murmur) and established Keystone City’s equivalent to Arkham Asylum. The opening sequence featured a flashback to Barry Allen, police scientist, testifying at Murmur’s trial.
For several years, Iron Heights has been difficult to find, but it’s now been included in the second edition of Flash: Blood Will Run.
Q: Will a Flash die in Final Crisis?
DD: Quite the opposite.
Well, we’ve known since the end of April that Barry Allen was returning from the dead as part of Final Crisis, so this doesn’t give much away. Interestingly, CBR’s write-up has this as “No, quite the opposite.” That single word makes a difference. That phrasing implies that not only does Barry return, but no other Flashes die. That would indicate that Wally, Jay, and yes, even Barry are safe — at least in Final Crisis itself.
Were any readers at that panel? Can you clarify how Didio phrased this?
Update: The Pulse’s coverage doesn’t try to paraphrase the response, but mentions, “one fan joked that it would mean that Wally West would have more kids.”
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!
Van Sciver also did a number of covers during Geoff’s Flash run.
I’d forgotten about that! I can’t remember which ones they were, but they must have been between “Ignition” and “Identity Crisis,” before Howard Porter started doing the covers.
Then there were the 3 covers he did on Flash: The Fastest Man Alive during “Full Throttle.” And I can’t believe I forgot to mention his run as the interior and cover artist on Impulse, starting when Todd Dezago took over with #50.
I’m confused – why can’t we just enjoy the fact that Flash has a history – Jay -> Barry -> Wally? Why do people have to be resurrected/revisited. I like them all, but that’s what back issues are for.