Category Archives: Flash News

Reverse-Flash & Trickster Hints from Emerald City Comicon

CBR reports from DC’s New 52 panel at Emerald City Comicon:

“The Flash” will focus on the Reverse Flash for a long arc that will take most of the next year, but he’s not the only character who will be showing up. Trickster will be involved in a two-part story before that. When the Reverse Flash appears, he’ll be different in both secret identity and power set than any version of the character to appear before. Buccellato joked that “Wally West questions are off the table” for the rest of the panel.

I wasn’t aware that the Trickster appearance in #18 continues into #19 (which will feature the April we’re-not-calling-it-WTF-Certified-anymore fold-out cover), and it’s interesting that the Reverse-Flash story will be so long. I’m a bit concerned, though: pacing is very important when you’re dealing with a story about a speedster, and just about every long Flash story since Infinite Crisis has felt slow.

Update: According to @SpeedsterSite, Buccellato said the Reverse-Flash story would be “8 or so issues.”

The comment on Wally West is likely a response to the previous day’s All Access panel, when writer Josh Fialkov told fans who wanted to see Wally to, in CBR’s words, “track down Flash writer Brian Buccellato on the floor and demand he write Wally into the book.”

Quick Hit: Superman Unbound to feature Flashpoint Sneak Peek

Flashpoint #1 Cover (first look)Spinoff Online reports that among the special features included in the upcoming Superman Unbound animated feature is a preview of the next film in the series, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox.

I’m still of mixed feelings on this. On one hand, we finally get a Flash-centric animated feature. On the other hand, it’s basically a Flash/Batman story (and personally I didn’t like Flashpoint itself much), and now the Flash has even been demoted from the title.

As far as adapting a reboot? Most of the story isn’t about rebooting, and I still think that the conversion to the New 52 was tacked on at the end. Back when this was first hinted at last April, I noted that if you take out that double-page spread with Pandora and change the costumes in the epilogue, Flashpoint is back to being a standalone story.

First Look at The New Reverse-Flash! [SPOILERS]

In addition to the climactic showdown between Flash and Grodd for Central City and the Speed Force, today’s Flash #17 gave readers the first look at the new Reverse-Flash!

negativeflash

Speculation on the villain’s new identity has been rampant since the announcement that there would be an all-new Reverse-Flash for the New 52.  Kelson presented an analysis of the possibilities and guest writer Scott Timms made the case for erstwhile Flash Wally West as the new opposite number for Barry Allen’s heroic identity.  While the identity remains a mystery, today’s issue provided the first look and at least answered a couple of the up-front questions.  Follow the jump for the reveal!

Beware, SPOILERS for FLASH #17’s reveal of the new REVERSE-FLASH are after the jump.  You’ve been warned!

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New Flash Debuts in Justice League Beyond #19

Justice League Beyond #19 - The Flash

Newsarama talks with Justice League Beyond series writer Derek Fridolfs about “Recruitment Drive”, in particular tomorrow’s digital installment “Flashdrive,” featuring the debut of an all-new future Flash. From the preview panels in the article, we learn that her name is Danica and she works as a tour guide at the Flash Museum. And, keeping with tradition, she’s always late.

Here’s a link to Justice League Beyond on ComiXology. New issues are released weekly on Saturdays, and the stories are collected in the print series Batman Beyond Unlimited.

I’ve long thought that if DC were ever going to really reinvent their lineup like they did in the Silver Age (a missed opportunity for the New 52, IMO), the Flash would be one of the A-list characters with the most flexibility as far as identity goes. There’s nothing critical in the concept that requires the Flash to be a man, a scientist, a cop, book-smart, streetwise, rich, poor, white, arrogant, compassionate, only child, orphan, or anything else except fast.

The name — Flash, not Flashman — may be why some of the higher profile alternate reality projects, the ones that really made an effort to do something different with the concepts instead of variations like “medieval DCU” or “Gilded Age DCU,” made their Flashes women. I’m thinking in particular of the Tangent Flash and Stan Lee’s “Just Imagine” Flash. And of course once you’ve committed to creating an entirely new character for the role, you’re not tied to the previous character’s race, profession, or anything else about their personal identity.

Flash #20 Solicitation & Cover – The Reverse Flash Arrives!

Flash #20 Cover

THE FLASH #20
Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL and BRIAN BUCCELLATO
Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
1:25 B&W Variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
On sale MAY 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
An all-new Flash epic begins here, and the stakes have never been higher as Barry races toward a confrontation with the Reverse Flash!

DC has released their Justice League group solicitations through Comic Book Resources, among them the Flash #20 solicit. This issue features the return of the regular creative team of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato, and the full introduction of the new Reverse Flash — not Eobard Thawne, and not Hunter Zolomon — who will debut briefly in #17 before becoming the focus of this new story. We’ve previously discussed possible candidates, including Wally West.