While DC still isn’t saying much about what happens after Flashpoint (“The first rule…”), they’ve just made an announcement about the Flash:
But like issue #12 was the final issue of THE FLASH by Johns, the final issue of FLASHPOINT will conclude Johns’ run on FLASH titles for the foreseeable future.
Geoff Johns wrote a long run on The Flash (vol.2) starring Wally West in the early half of the last decade, then returned in 2009 for the miniseries Flash: Rebirth and Blackest Night: The Flash, and the short-lived series The Flash (vol.3) starring Barry Allen, culminating in the Barry Allen-centered Flashpoint.
So what is coming up for The Flash after Flashpoint?. We don’t know much (see that first rule again), but DC’s subscription service says The Flash #1 is coming in September (thanks to Deron Morgan for asking them!). This may fit in with the rumors of a line-wide post-Flashpoint renumbering, or it may simply be the logical choice to launch The Flash (vol.4).
UPDATE: Some Thoughts
I’m of mixed feelings on this. On one hand, I’ve been disappointed with the relaunched series. There’s quite a bit about the Rebirth-era Flash that I haven’t liked, and my favorite aspect, in fact, was the fantastic art by Francis Manapul. So bringing in someone new — perhaps someone more interested in telling stories about a speedster than telling me how wonderful this particular speedster is — is probably something I’d welcome.
Plus with his job as Chief Creative Officer, chances are that Geoff Johns has been awfully busy, which may have contributed to the now-infamous delays.
That said, what stands out the most for me about The Flash vol.3 are the missed opportunities. I wanted to read “Murder in Gorilla City.” I wanted to read those backup stories featuring Wally West (I’m still waiting to see him “kick ass,” as Geoff Johns promised a year and a half ago) and those Kid Flash solo stories by Sterling Gates. I wanted to read about Abra Kadabra’s other enemies scattered across the centuries. I thought “Mara Thawne” was a cool name for a villain. Presumably, we won’t even see The Flash: Secret Origin, which Geoff Johns has said on several occasions that he wants to do.
Most of all, I wanted to believe (wasn’t convinced, but wanted to believe) that everything I didn’t like about Geoff Johns’ take on The Flash was part of a long-term plan that would have some sort of payoff. For that to happen, he had to be committed to the character long-term.
Now we know that Flashpoint is the endgame. That’s a lot for the next four issues to live up to.
Hmm… before this, I had trouble believing the rumors that Johns and Lee would be doing a Justice League book. I thought that would be too many ongoings for Johns to do along everything else he does. But now it’s looking more likely to happen.
Would love to see Johns & Lee on a Justice League run!!
I, too, was looking forward to all of the stuff that had been set up. Jai. Reintroducing Wally and Jay and everyone else.
I wonder who will be on the book next. Gail Simone would be an interesting choice. It’ll definitely be someone high profile though.
Gail Simone would be great! I’d love to see her write Pied Piper, at least.
I could see Johns acting as an editor or a consultant to a replacement Flash title, to ensure some consistency with the Flash mythos.
Well, we can scratch Gail Simone. She said on Twitter that she doesn’t think she’d be a good fit for the Flash. SIGH…
Maybe Bryan Q. Miller. I’d love a writer with a sense of humor and fun.
Sometimes, I think they should just put the Flash book on hold for a while. Put out a few miniseries and one-shots, and then bring back a monthly.
I’d like to think a high profile writer would take over The Flash as well. But first I wonder which Flash would headline the book? Despite the apparent strained relationship between Waid and Didio, Waid has experience and could do a great job with either of the Allens or Wally West as Flash.
Does anyone remember that there is also supposed to be a Speed Force book launching this year? My impression was that it would feature the rest of the Flash speedsters.
Waid is writing the new Daredevil ongoing, so I couldn’t really see him doing high-profile ongoings for both Marvel & DC. That said, his last work on the Flash (The Wild Wests) was sub-par at best…
To say i’m frustrated and angry right now would be putting it lightly. After all the massive delays and lost buzz on the book finally Flash seemed to be back on track. Flashpoint was ahead of schedule and building really positive buzz again and all things pointed to Flash finally taking off with the relaunch in September.
And just like that it’s another kick in the teeth, right now all the goodwill that DC and Johns have built with me these past 7 years is running out. Whatever they have planned after Flashpoint better be incredible because i’m ready to take another 10 year vaction if it’s not smfh.
EJ, for once we’re in almost complete agreement.
Here, here.
I’m simply tired of all the Flash relaunches.
Considering the various Flash series not written by Johns over the past few years have totally sucked (my opinion, obviously), I’m pretty bummed. I hope we don’t go back to that again.
Johns said he wanted to make the Flash one of the premiere characters in the DCU — what the hell happened?
Yeah, it’s been a tough 6-7 years to be a Flash fan. From Dan Didio’s “Can’t have a crisis without a dead Flash” back in the lead-up to Infinite Crisis through relaunch after relaunch where it felt like DC had no idea what to do with the character and was just throwing new directions at the wall, hoping they would stick.
It’s been one kick in the teeth (as EJ puts it) after another, with servings of ice cream in between — only for some of us, it’s been promises of ice cream that’s never actually delivered, except maybe as an ice cream sandwich that’s stuck to the bottom of someone’s shoe while it’s kicking you in the teeth. [Edited for perspective.]
Why am I still following this book, again?
Another reason to be concerned is that pretty much every other writer who handles the Rogues does so badly. And Johns himself has acknowledged that and done his best to fix the damage. I trust Kolins but it’s too soon to determine his overall writing ability, IMO.
A friend had her brake pads fail yesterday due to ice cream somehow getting stuck in them; maybe the ice cream is like that…
As for what happened, I’d guess Lex has it right: if Johns got the chance to write the Justice League, I can see him dropping the Flash solo book, just like he dropped Adventure/Superboy so he could do the Flash ongoing — only this time he’ll be able to keep working with the character in the team book.
Assuming, of course, that the rumors are true.
Or maybe it’s the COO job taking up too much of his time for writing.
I imagine the Johns/JLA project is going to happen. It’s been a persistent rumor for a couple years now. It would also allow Johns to play with any character he’d like. With the elimination of JSA All-Stars, seems like the perfect time to launch a new “Justice” series. Knowing Johns the team will have Hal and Barry, but I’d rather see him write Kyle and Wally. (and maybe Firestorm too!)
The Irredeemable Shag
Grant Morrison + Barry Allen = WIN! If not Johns, I’d love to see Grant’s take on The Flash.
I could go with Morrison. My dream Flash team is Grant Morrison on Barry Allen, Mark Waid on Wally West, Geoff Johns on the Rogues, and either Waid or Todd Dezago on Bart Allen (though that may change once I’ve seen how Sterling Gates writes him).
I have absolutely no faith in Sterling Gates.
I’d like to see someone new, but not so new that they haven’t writen comics ever before.
I’d like to see Christos Gage, Jeff Parker, Jonathan Hickman (if only), Andy Diggle, Marc Andreyko and a couple more… but those exclusive contracts are serious problem, aren’t they?
I wonder how free Morrison’s schedule is.
Yes please! I’m writing my Congressman about this NOW.
I would love that as well, but Morrison has been having issues with getting Batman Inc. out on time….so I’m not sure if he’d even be open to it.
Eh…I was going to drop out after Flashpoint anyway (I haven’t been feeling as excited lately), this seems like good timing.
I dropped the book after issue 10 and had already resolved to give Flashpoint a pass. This relaunch is generally a disappointment. There were a lot of interesting things promised that never materialized.
I think starting a big event (Flashpoint) so soon after the relaunch was a mistake. Maybe, instead of a year-long, oft-delayed, poorly paced Road to Flashpoint, they could’ve spent a couple of years reintroducing Barry Allen to readers who didn’t grow up with the character. That’s why I decided I wasn’t interested in Flashpoint–Barry Allen is a flat character. He just isn’t interesting as currently written.
Given that Straczynski has probably written the best Barry Allen story of the last ten years, I’d say he’s the guy to go to if you want to keep pushing that character.
What story would that be?
Straczynski’s concluded he’s not good with monthly comics, though. He prefers working on miniseries or OGNs, where he can write a full long-form story, then move on to something else, then (optionally) come back for the sequel. (And also not get dragged into the endless crossover parade.)
….until JMS decided to drop the book after 3 issues because he had something better to do. Then they would bring in another writer to use his “notes” and call it “JMS presents: The Flash”…can you tell I’m bitter?
If Grant Morrison gets the job again I’m dropping Flash like I did Batman until he’s over. I love Flash I used to love Batman, but not enough to survive this.
However there is worse. We’ll get a superstar outsider who probably writes screen plays or novels and they won’t know what they’re doing and bail. Or we’ll end up with Judd Winick since he’ll be done with Batman and Robin.
Sorry if I’m jumping the gun.
Dear god, not Winick O_o
It’s sad, but you’re probably right. Not that I don’t like Winick, but I can’t really see him writing Flash. Then again, other than Simone…who else does DC have? With Johns leaving, Morrison tied up on Batman, Waid at Marvel….WAIT! Bedard, Krul, or Hester? Hester could even do his own art….!
How Wonderful news!!!… Johns leaving the Flash.
As long as Winick is not his replacement, there’s only room to improve
Like you, Kelson, I only enjoyed the new series for the artwork. Now that I now it’s a dead deal, I won’t be getting the Road to Flashpoint trade or the FLashpoint trades either. To be honest, as weak as the stories were, I preferred the last years of Wally’s run to this stuff. Yeah, so many missed opportunities to tell good stories. Why make so many changes in the Flash world that in the end are only going to hamper the new writer?
I’m pretty sure that Speed Force was still born in the womb.
Not very surprised at this turn of events with Johns leaving. Johns has got to be incredibly busy…needed to drop something. If only Didio had made him head officer *before* they kidnapped Wally into limbo. Also, the idea of Johns watching to make sure any new writer doesn’t mess with his updated speedforce generating mythos just makes my teeth grind.
Oh hell. Unless the new team is Giffen/M I dunno. I was already worried about Johns penchant for gore (although he seemed to steer clear of it in Flash v3 as much as he gravitated towards it in the GL books… As much as I love Morrison’s science fiction outlook, he’s not exactly family friendly either.
God, what timing. What a screw up. Was the whole past 2-1/2 years just to promote Barry for a 2013 movie, because it’s starting to look that way? Every time I start to relax and think ‘All will be Well’ another damned Crisis hits.
Makes me pine for the days when the only Flash I knew were faint memories of godawful Filmation and the fantastic fun that was Timmverse.
Thank god for my newly received copies of JLA/Titans: Technis, Trial by Fire, Divided We Fall, and….man those titles can rather describe what’s been going on of late, huh? Technically we are falling due to being divided during a trial by fire….
Okay, I’m depressed and don’t know whether to be happy about the latest news or not. Probably just going to go to sleep on the whole thing until September.
We have to make one of those massive product shippings to the producer’s offices to make a point, you know, the kind that makes the fans get another season of a dead show.
My point would be: I don’t care if it’s Wally or Barry (I prefer Wally), but I don’t like What Johns has been doing with the character and I want a new direction for the title. And I don’t want Waid back, I think he said all he had to say about the character.
Maybe we could send envelopes with the Ghostbuster’s symbol, but with Didio’s face instead of the Ghost 😀
Not to be a wet blankie on such dreams of revenge, but…
I’ve experienced two letter campaigns to save tv shows during my lifetime: both ended in viewer victories that were in reality just a delayed defeat because TPTB didn’t want the series to go on or resented the paying customers ‘getting in their way’. The following season of stories were written godawful (oh, spite!) and resulted in the series ending on a sour note.
Lesson: producers are humans and humans are often vindictive s.o.b.’s.
It wasn’t a serious propposal Kyer, just joking 🙂
I have to wait until we hear the creative team before I can say this is a good or bad thing.
Absolutely. We have the option of jumping ship or hanging on by our bitten fingernails mast of the U.S.S. Flash and hoping to ride the [reverse] lightning storm into better scenery.
Or doing like I’m doing and hiding in the hold, keeping a close eye on what the rats are up to.
If Kollins remains as writer/artist, that would be acceptable for me.
Anyway, Johns departure is a mixed blessing for me.
On one hand, I’m stunned. His love of the Scarlet Speedster is a matter of public record. He only quit in 2005 because the Infinite Crisis-related workload was too much and something had to give. I thought he’d be on for a few more years and he was clearly setting up stories, from Abra Kadbra’s revenge to Gorilla City.
On the other hand, the entire relaunch has been largely a debacle with the delays and repeated “Barry is the Bestest Flash Ever” mantra. I guess the workload as DC’s Chief Creative Officer — combined with Green Lantern and the impending Aquaman book — took its toll.
Barry has been sort of morose and moody since his return, and it seemed like Johns was going somewhere with it. Seems a shame he won’t get to finish it thru. I would argue that he has not successfully set up the Flash universe like he did GL’s. We have one very inconsistent book, versus 3, soon to be 4 on going titles in the GL-verse. Barry may have been featured more prominently in Final Crisis, Blackest Night, and Flashpoint, but it still feels like there is a lot to still establish with his world and that there are many, many stories to be told. Not sure if Johns leaving is good or bad for the book. Maybe he could sheppherd it like JMS does Superman, so we can see some of these stories he was talking about?
I’d love to see what Marc Guggenheim could do with the Flash. I thoroughly enjoyed his brief stint on Flash: TFMA, even in spite of the fact that it dripped of him being brought in by editorial to clean up the Bilson/Dimeo mess and axe Bart. It would be great to see what he could do with the character (hopefully characters, i.e., lots of Wally!)
Guggenheim left me traumatized by the way he butchered the Rogues in TFMA. I’d be pretty bummed if he took over the Flash book unless he proved himself to be much better now.
That’s why I have misgivings about Guggenheim taking over the book.
Giffen/DeMatteis might be interesting. Flash could use some humor and fun.
Seconded.
I think that Johns has run out of ideas with The Flash, and that other responsibilities and his dedication to making Green Lantern the “must read” book every month have used up all his talents. Not that he isn’t still a great writer, and I’ll love his Aquaman series later this year and will salivate at the thought of him writing Justice League (if the rumor is true).
Maybe now is the right time to pass the torch, to an up-&-comer like J.T. Krul, or keep it with a writer/artist like Kolins or Phil Hester….which is working out so-so for the Batman franchise (Daniel & Finch).
I think the worst thing that could happen is to give this character to some “big name” like JMS, Morrison, etc. Barry Allen (or Wally West) need some new, legit build-up over a couple of years….not just molded stories to get to the next “big” event.
DC took a chance with Bedard on GL Corps, Daniel on Batman, Krul on Titans/Green Arrow, and Snyder on Detective Comics…..I think they should follow that trend and give a newer/less well-known writer a shot at the Fastest Man Alive!
Bedard used to be an Editor at DC. I’m sorry but J.T Krul doesn’t look that bad only because Wallace is much worse. Daniel is just ok (barely) and don’t get me started on David Finch…. DC doesn’t have many talented writers right now, they need to recruit new blodd A.S.A.P.
If Krul gets anywhere NEAR the Flash monthly title, I’m gone.
His Titans stuff is, to be kind, average.
Johns’ return has left me cold. Hopefully, a new writer can inject some excitement into the book.
Maybe they can create a test Flash book where each writer who is interested would have eight pages or less to tell a done-in-one story featuring Flashes and Rogues. Anyone who writes a character being ooc without a darn good reason is auto dropped from further consideration.
(Anyone who comes up with a way to fix the entire current speed force fiasco is automatically given the title as well as the keys to the DC executive washroom.) 😛
It would be a great idea to leave it up to the fans to decide/choose who they want as their next writer…..I don’t see it happening, but I’d go vote for my favorite in that kind of format.
I really feel like this is an acknowledgement that DC don’t think they can quite push the Flash in the same way they pushed Green Lantern to the fore.
Say what you will about Johns as a writer (there are tonnes of legitimate complaints), his presence on a book represents a vote of confidence, and it was clear that DC were aligning the Flash to follow the Green Lantern model. I wouldn’t have been surprised if the masterplan for the title originally involved Warners launching a big budget motion picture.
With the slipping schedule and resulting loss of interest (as said about, eighteen issues in three years is insane), I think it became clear that simply wasn’t going to happen. To be honest, they should have alternated Manapul with Kolins when it became clear he couldn’t keep the schedule. And the blame is, in fairness, as much on DC. Green Lantern wa slaunched as a franchise (with two supporting books in Ion and Green Lantern Corps), while the Flash remained a single book. So I wonder if DC are now removing their eggs from the Flash basket and positioning them elsewhere.
There’s a rumoured 2013 Justice League movie, so a Johns run there would be a good sign. And his run on Aquaman seems to coincide in a fairly big push from Warners, with his (admittedly aborted, but well-received) pilot spinning off from Smallville and his status as ensemble darkhorse in The Brave and the Bold.
Basically, I can’t help but wonder if this is DC accepting that The Flash wasn’t really going to explode the way Green Lantern did.
Basically, I can’t help but wonder if this is DC accepting that The Flash wasn’t really going to explode the way Green Lantern did.
That’s a really depressing but plausible thought. I hope you’re wrong.
So do I.
I really feel like this is an acknowledgement that DC don’t think they can quite push the Flash in the same way they pushed Green Lantern to the fore.
They could’ve done it if they’d given it time. I don’t recall Guy, John, and Kyle being sidelined when Hal came back. I don’t recall a DC-wide event almost immediately after Hal’s return. In fact, Blackest Night came a few years after that. In the meantime, Johns introduced the Rainbow Brigade and a host of cool characters (Saint Walker, Larfleeze) and a new take on the GL mythos. Not to mention the whole Sinestro Corps War, which was a new take on Sinestro.
And finally, I don’t recall a “Hal Jordan is the bestest GL there ever was!” approach to the character. In fact, Hal was clearly established as a good guy with some flaws. That’s what I loved about the Secret Origin story–Johns addressed those flaws.
For me, it isn’t just about good stories, but about great characters. There were no Barry Allen character moments. And yes, pretending Wally didn’t exist was a big mistake. (Don’t get me started on the intervention.) You don’t win new readers make making existing fans angry.
You’d think at least Barry would rely on Wally for updates on how things have changed. Case in point–in Dastardly Death of the Rogues, Barry notes Mirror Master’s thick accent and asks if it’s Scottish. C’mon! Wouldn’t Wally have mentioned to Barry that the new MM was a Scotsman?
If they wanted Flash to be a big franchise complete with movies and merchandise, they clearly put the cart before the horse.
Lamed horse before a cart that had its wheels knocked off from the get go.
Penny might not want to get into it, but I totally missed the ‘intervention’ scenes since I’m unwilling to spring for any more Barry books right now and haven’t seen a single scan: just how much Wally was in this panel and verbiage wise? Just a glimpse would be appreciated as this might be the one thing I MIGHT have wanted to get the Road To Flashback trade for.
Does anyone think they might derail the Geoff Johns Omnibus books after this. I was hoping to get the next one or two as the stories in the first Omnibus weren’t my cup of latte, but wanted a nice copy of Crosswinds, Blitz, and Ignition.
I hope it doesn’t derail the omnibus editions. They’ll look great with my Starman collection.
If only Waid hadn’t ticked off the powers that be by telling it how it was, we’d possibly see his run too.
That said, I was hoping the set would expand past Wally and into Johns’ tenure on Barry… but watchya gonna do?
Kyer, I’m going to take the pages down in a few days (so read/save them now), but here’s the Intervention scene. Click once, and then again, to enlarge each page to full size.
http://pics.livejournal.com/liabrown/tags/intervention/
First off…*glomping hug* THANK YOU! Second: please take them down now as I’d feel horrible if you got in trouble because of me. Third: What was mostly a wonderful experience of FINALLY seeing Wally again as more than a distant smudge on a panel…because I loved the pictures of Wally’s concerned posture and everyone’s really….damn it…I can see why Penny Dreadful is prone to go ballistic. Finally, Finally, more than one tiny sentence from Wally and *it had to be something that I am right now and forever more going to assume was some alien entity taking over his speech center and forcing him to say such asinine drivel. Maybe that was a Durlan? There must be an explanation! *head slap* *head slap* *head slap!* (Plus….artists need to master the art of close up head shots. Faces are important. One little line out of place and the human perception just zeroes in on it to the point its hard to see anything else. Also…was there no other color on the paint brush for eyes than aquamarine and hazel?) Fourth….dang. Still haven’t seen Manapul get to do a decent pic of Wally. I was really hoping for that here. (Other than the emotional head shots) I like Kollins well enough, but did want to see Manapul’s take.
It’s funny, a lot detractors from the relaunched Green Lantern object to what they see as the stories constantly saying “Hal was the best ever.” I didn’t see it myself, but I read the complaint with surprising frequency.
But you’re right. As I noted in the comment, the Green Lantern relaunch came with roles for everybody in that franchise. Kyle got an Ion book and then joined Green Lantern Corps. John flirted as a supporting character between the main title and Green Lantern Corps. Guy even got his own book in Emerald Warriors and is so heavily used there isn’t room to put him on the reformed Justice League International.
While those back-up features never materialised, nor did the Speed Force book, and Wally wasn’t even used elsewhere (I think he would have been a good fit for Robinson’s Justice League). I don’t think a lot of this was consciously DC’s fault – I think the market (the cutting of back-ups to remain at 2.99, and this not being the market to launch new books) contributed in a huge way, as did Manapul’s delays.
Personally, I don’t care. I’ll go back and read the classic Waid and Johns Wally West stories if I want to read a great Wally West story, and don’t mind that Barry Allen is being consciously put to the fore. Shaking up the line-up can result in vitality – look at the death of Bruce in the Batman line, or the death of Steve Rogers in Captain America, both of which led to some of the best stories in decades for the characters.
The problem in the case of the Flash was that the whole thing seems to have been horrible handled. You can’t make promises and back down on them repeatedly, and you can’t expect people to get excited about a book that you can’t promise will ship consistantly, and you can’t blame readers for feeling frustrated when the story doesn’t hang together because you had eighteen issues of set-up instead of thirty-six.
You can’t make promises and back down on them repeatedly, and you can’t expect people to get excited about a book that you can’t promise will ship consistantly, and you can’t blame readers for feeling frustrated when the story doesn’t hang together because you had eighteen issues of set-up instead of thirty-six.
Seconded. You also can’t blame readers for being frustrated when you a. pretend that the guy who wore the Flash costume for 25 years doesn’t exist and b. make snotty comments about said character at conventions.
DC should’ve been trying to keep their longtime readers, not alienate them.
Well said, Penny
Yes, but while I want the omnibuses of every single Flash story ever written (some more than others, but eventually all of them) I still want new stories too. Call me greedy guts…a material girl…I want more.
Which is why I hope the relaunch is handed to a team who WANT to do the Flash and have been wanting to do it for awhile. If it’s just handed to *whomever* as an assignment like a 9-5 job….god, that’s likely death to it.
Maybe a printing of omnibuses is what they need to do to keep Flash alive while taking a deep breath before getting back to the future. DC should man up and be willing to work with Waid. It’s a sad thing when the purveyors of super heroes act like wimps.
I agree entirely. And I don’t want any of this to sound like I’m detracting from The Flash – I genuinely think that the series has been in the past (and deserves to be in the future ) one of the most accessible and fun franchises in comic books.
But I can’t really be too critical of Johns. His original run on the title, and his work on Green Lantern, brought me into modern comics. I just think the relaunch has been plagued with bad luck – the scheduling being the most critical factor, if you ask me. I think this could have been huge and brilliant and a stepping stone to putting the Flash up there with Batman and Superman (in the way that, arguably, Green Lantern is now), but I kinda think this announcement stops that dead.
They might put a stronger writer on the title (I’d love to see Morrison return for an arc or two, or especial Cornell, who does great character work), but it’s hard to imagine DC maintaining as strong a push on the title and the character.
I’m still thinking this is a feint of some kind. It’s disappointing news and DC knows it; maybe that means there’s a better shoe to drop.
*cough* Like the certain shoe being advertised on this site? *cough* *grin*
(Well, someone had to do it and it might as well be me.)
I’m both shocked and disappointed at this. Johns loves the Flash, that’s well known, and he’s said that he can handle up to three books. He’s also said that he likes doing long runs on a title because you can set up plot threads and develop them. Put that all together, and I was sure he’d be on Green Lantern, Flash, and Aquaman in September. I can’t think why he would leave. What could he be doing that he’d want to leave the Flash for it? Will he stay on in a sort of editorial capacity? Who could he be giving it to?
And I’m disappointed because Flash volume 3 had a chance to be great, even if it did start out messily, but it was squandered by poor pacing. The Road to Flashpoint was slow, meandering, and contributed only a few character defining moments, being otherwise worthless. And Flashpoint itself seems to have come too soon. Johns looked to be setting up two or three years worth of stories, but before he took the time to build up Barry Allen and the world around him, he rushed into the giant crossover (perhaps because he intended to leave the book so soon?). I’m hoping he gives story notes to whoever is writing the Flash in September so that the Abra Kadabra, Gorilla Grodd, Weather Wizard, and Doctor Alchemy stories he seemed to be planning get told.
Personally, I’m kind of hoping for Sterling Gates. He seems like he understands Bart, at least, so maybe he can do well on a main Flash book. Grant Morrison could be interesting, and I loved the year he did with Mark Millar, but that was a long time ago, and he’s busy with Batman now. I just don’t know who DC could be putting on the book, or even which character the book will focus on. It’s just one more thing to anticipate for September, and I wish my anticipation was all eager and not nervous at all.
HAH! Yeah right, Penny Dreadful. Like Johns has ANY concern for “the Flash mythos.” That’s hilarious.
Hearing that Johns won’t be writing the Flash anymore is the best news I’ve heard in a while. Sorry to everyone that still has JLA on their pull list; it’s about to suck harder than it has been.
PS – Is everyone that’s suggesting Morrison write for the Flash foregtting about the “Dead Stop” arc in Wally’s run? It’s around #130, I think. It was Morrison and Mark Miller. Confusing, but pretty sweet.
GOOD BYE Johns!!! :))
… Or was it called “Emergency Stop?” That’s bugging me now.
The only thing that can really save The Flash, breath life back into the Flash Franchise, and have Johns save “face” at the same time….is:
A. Have Barry Allen sacrifice himself again to reset the universe at the end of Flashpoint….or,
B. Have Barry Allen revealed as the “new” Reverse Flash after re-killing Thawne, becoming Wally West’s most feared adversary…..or,
C. Have Barry Allen “melt away” into the Speed Force in order to save it from destruction….
Unless a new writer can come in and re-introduce Barry Allen’s character as something other than a cardboard cut-out, The Flash needs to be a person….a.k.a. Wally West!
Emergency Stop.
Also…
Barry is a decent character. Please don’t go riling the Barry fans. Not to mention the Jay and Bart fans. Many of us like all of the Flashes even if not equally so. To say that one character should be ‘the true Flash’ is to validate every writer who made one character better than another at the expense of that character’s fan base. It’s not right.
Oh, I’m not saying that Barry, Jay, or Bart aren’t good Flashes….I’m saying that in this current run since Barry has returned, his character hasn’t developed. So new readers know what about Barry? Even “recent” readers (lets say the last decade) know what about Barry? NOTHING! He’s been dead since when? Outside of “JLA: Year One”, and Wally’s story arcs “The Return of Barry Allen” & “The secret of Barry Allen”….what do we know of this character? The current run hasn’t helped either….we know he’s a forensic scientist and that his wife hasn’t aged.
Although I realize that all the Flashes have their fans, there’s not a “Flash Corps”. Like too many Archers in Star City or too many Batmen in Gotham, or too many S’s on chests in Metropolis….quantity is not always good. Especially if sales don’t support quantity.
Only two words spring to mind over this news – Good Riddance.
To bad rubbish.
From the start, all this talk of making Johns’ Flash book like “CSI” made me realize it was going to be a short run. You can’t do motion video graphics/CGI in printed comic books to keep people interested– you’re going to need character development.
And while people may have disliked the Wally West at the beginning of his series, it was the development over the course of the first 50 or so issues from jerk to hero that made him more endearing to fans.
Frankly, the only Barry Allen story in the last 2 years I’m looking forward to reading is the release of Trial of the Flash in paperback.
I hadn’t thought of that before. But if so, why go through the trouble to announce different stories and ideas he had planned for the book?