This is a book Flash and Green Lantern (at least Hal) fans have been waiting for since the start of the New 52 – just how did these two meet? What kind of adventure would bring these two together? How in the world would a very by-the-book Barry and a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants Hal get along? We find all that and more in The Flash Annual #2!
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD!
Following yesterday’s announcement that a new TV series starring The Flash will spin out of The CW’s popular (Green) Arrow‘s upcoming second season, producer/writers Geoff Johns (no intro necessary) and Andrew Kreisberg spoke to numerous media outlets via conference call to discuss some of the details. While most of the major bits have appeared elsewhere, including Speed Force, Collider has a very detailed transcript of the call.
For more on why Flash was chosen, the timeline for his introduction and more, follow the jump!
Flash Annual #2 arrives in stores today. Main story by Brian Buccellato and Sami Basri, backup by Nicole Dubuc and Cully Hamner, cover by Francis Manapul. Preview at Comic Vine.
Find out how The Flash and Green Lantern first met when a case they teamed up together to solve years ago rears its head again in the present! It involves a foe neither of them can defeat on their own, and they might not have much luck together either! The outcome of this will affect The Flash for years to come… Plus, a backup story by Nicole Dubuc (the Young Justice cartoon)!
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox hit stores yesterday. The animated film is based on the 2011 miniseries Flashpoint by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert, and tells the story of what happens after the Flash wakes up, powerless, in a nightmarish alternate reality. The Justice League is gone, and the world sits on the brink of destruction as the Amazons and Atlantis prepare for war.
Flash #151 joins ComiXology’s digital back-issues: “A flashback tale from the early days of Wally West’s career when he and a pal from his neighborhood head off an attempted Gorilla City invasion of America. Guest-starring Robin and Aqualad!”
Speaking of Comixology and Flashpoint, the digital storefront is holding a Flashpoint sale this week, with all issues of the 2011 event (including tie-in miniseries, Booster Gold and the four “Road to Flashpoint” issues of Flash) available for 99 cents each.
Hey Speed Readers,
So last year retailer, Best Buy teamed with DC Entertainment to bring us an exclusive Flash Figurine based on the DC Animated straight to video release, Justice League: Doom. The figurine was the eighth statue released up to that point.
This time around The Flash and his arch-nemesis, Professor Zoom, The Reverse Flash are front and center in the latest DC Animated straight to video release, Justice League – The Flashpoint Paradox. As a result we will be getting an exclusive Reverse Flash figurine that will only be available at Best Buy stores and Bestbuy.com:
UPDATE: The Hollywood Reporter confirms a Flash series is in development, with plans to introduce Barry Allen as a recurring character on Arrow this season. (via Newsarama)
“We plan to introduce the recurring character of Barry Allen who is the Flash,” [CW president Mark] Pedowitz told reporters. “We’re planning an origin story and we’ll see how it goes. We do want to expand on DC Universe, and we felt this is a very organic way to get there.”
The Flash origin episode in Arrow, written by Berlanti, Kreisberg and Johns as stated below, will be treated as a back-door pilot for a potential Flash series.
In a way, this is better than a purely Flash pilot: As an episode of Arrow, we’ll get to see it even if The Flash isn’t picked up as a series.
As for that Flash movie, Pedowitz didn’t mention any dates, but he did say there is “no conflict” between the movie studio and TV studio’s plans. THR states that “Berlanti will direct and pen the screenplay alongside Chris Brancato, Michael Green, Johns and Guggenheim.” Newsarama speculates that the “no conflict” remark and the creative team overlap might imply a connection between the TV world of Arrow and The Flash and DC’s slowly-developing movie universe.
UPDATE 2: IGN has a little background on how Flash ended up on Arrow.
Also, the op/ed pieces are starting to flow. Newsarama suggests that Flash should bridge the TV and movie universes, linking Arrow to Man of Steel, Superman/Batman and Justice League. The Mary Sue discusses the missed opportunity of Amazon, which has been put on hold at the same time. Forbes looks at the TV/movie decision (as well as the Flash/Wonder Woman decision) from a business and branding perspective.
UPDATE 3: More information has surfaced in a second Hollywood Reporter article. Barry Allen will appear in episodes 8, 9 and 20 of Arrow season 2, each of which will be written by Berlanti, Kreisberg and Johns, and directed by David Nutter. Episode 20 will be the backdoor pilot for The Flash.
“When we first meet Barry Allen, he’s just a forensic scientist … an ordinary man,” Kreisberg said, stressing the character, like Amell’s vigilante, will be grounded in reality and as realistic as possible. The first two episodes will see the character in Oliver’s home of Starling City, with the 20th providing a window to see Barry in the Flash’s world.
They note that adding superpowers to the mix changes the situation for Arrow, saying that “There will be extraordinary events in the world…” They’ll also be highlighting the contrast between the upbeat Barry Allen and the more serious Oliver Queen.
And finally:
Johns reiterated that the Justice League member will be seen as the Flash — complete with his trademark red costume and not a poor imitation. Added Kreisberg: “No sweat suits or strange code names; he will be The Flash.”
Casting has begun for the role.
Original Story:
Surprise! According to Deadline, CW will discuss plans for a Flash TV series today, possibly spinning off from a guest spot on Arrow. (via CBR.)
The pilot will reportedly be written by Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg (Arrow), and Geoff Johns, who I imagine needs no introduction to readers of this site.
Now, keep in mind this is still rumor — just last week, The Hollywood Reporter stated that DC was going to announce a Flash and Justice League movie at Comic-Con to follow Batman/Superman, but that announcement never happened.
It’s possible, though, that THR had their wires crossed, or that DC Entertainment’s plans were in flux, and the reason that the Flash movie wasn’t announced is that it was really a Flash TV show.
Of course, even if it is true, lots of pilots don’t get picked up as series.
Depending on how you count Smallville’s Bart Allen (he was originally billed as The Flash, but when he actually took a code name it was Impulse) or Jay Garrick’s helmet, it’s been 23 years since the Flash appeared in an official live-action production, the 1990 Flash TV series starring John Wesley Shipp.
More on this story as it develops.
This is my favorite issue of the Trinity War arc so far – heroes are choosing sides left and right, plans of action are being made and changed all over the place, and the machinations of the big bad behind all this are just beginning to be revealed. It is an exciting issue full of action and intrigue, and the potential scope of it’s impact on the DC Universe is just beginning to be seen.
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD