Buried in a Newsarama interview about Superman: Secret Origin, Geoff Johns remarked that he’d like to do more “Secret Origin” stories…with the Scarlet Speedster his first choice for number 3.
My hope is to continue these, most likely with The Flash: Secret Origin, which would include the beginning of the Rogues as well.
Personally, I’d rather see some genuinely new stories for a while instead of yet another origin retread. The series has been (in my opinion) far too focused on the past for several years now. Bring back Wally West. Bring back Barry Allen. Spackle the Rogues’ actions during Countdown. Bring back Bart Allen. Bring Back Professor Zoom. Bring back Max Mercury. Retcon Barry’s childhood, early career, and the nature of the Flashes’ powers. Explain Barry’s bow tie.
(Also: he’s already written origins for at least five of the Rogues — six if you count Trickster II.)
Geoff Johns makes the point that origin stories serve as starting points for new readers, but I think The Flash #1 would also be a good place to start. And while I can’t speak for new readers, this long-time reader would like to see something that he hasn’t already read in half a dozen variations.
(Thanks for Fastest for the link.)
I would have been against this a week ago… but that has since changed.
Here’s why.
‘Superman: Secret Origin’ was really damn good.
I was one of those people saying, “Another Superman origin retelling? Didn’t we just get ‘Birthright’? What can Johns say that hasn’t been said before?”
Turns out, Johns can say a lot. The way he tied in past-tellings with modern-tellings and even the CW’s Smallville and still make it a fun book was pretty damn impressive. I’m actually looking forward to what happens next… even though we know what happens next. That’s good storytelling.
If he can give the same love to a Secret Origin of Barry, then why not.
Honestly, what was the last Barry origin? “Mystery of the Human Thunderbolt”? wasn’t that like 20 years ago? More than enough time for another go at it. His “Green Lantern: Secret Origin” was pretty good too, actually.
I think the only reason this is a separate book is because of the Superbooks are doing different things right now. If they weren’t doing the New Krypton storyline, I’m pretty sure Secret Origin would be in the monthlies, just like GL was… I’m expecting Flash to do the same.
Most recent that I can think of at the moment was Mark Waid’s The Life Story of the Flash — a lot more comprehensive than “Mystery of the Human Thunderbolt.” Though I guess it is 12 years old.
I just think that a book about a guy who runs fast should go somewhere instead of stopping dead for 6 months to investigate the starting line. If he does do Flash: Secret Origin, I’d actually prefer that it be done as a separate miniseries so that it doesn’t interrupt the flow of new stories.
Ah, that’s right. I forgot about “Life Story”. Seeing that a lot of that seems to have been retconned (I’m really hoping the Nora Allen thing gets changed back or is part of some elaborate Zoom plot) I can understand why he’d want to do another secret origin book.
I’m guessing if the Superman one is a big seller we’ll see the Flash one become a mini as well. I hope that’s the case, because I’d like to see new stories, too.
Unless it ties in with a current plot thread, like the way he handled GL and Atrocitus. I wouldn’t mind that so much… even then, he should wait a year or two before doing the Secret Origin mambo.
Thinking about it more, I realize it’s not so much that I don’t want Flash: Secret Origin to happen at all, as that I don’t want it to happen at the expense of new stuff.
I agree with Kelson, let’s move on … but anyway, y’all are forgetting a more recent retelling of Barry’s origin: REBIRTH! Isn’t Johns delving into it now? How much more detail do we need?
The irony of these secret origins is that none of them are “secret” at this point.
Although, if the story retold both Barry AND Wally’s origins and early years in a way that made sense, that might be ok.