Category Archives: Flash News

Bart Allen Returns to Smallville

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Kryptonsite is reporting that Kyle Gallner will return as Bart Allen in the May 14 season finale of Smallville, “Doomsday.”

This version of Bart originally appeared in the fourth-season episode, “Run” (2004), in which he was billed in advertisements as The Flash, then returned for the sixth-season episode “Justice” (2007). This time he was working with Green Arrow, Aquaman, and Cyborg, forming the beginnings of what would one day become the Justice League of America. His teammates gave him a different code-name, though: Impulse.

According to Kryptonsite, Justice Leaguers Green Arrow and Black Canary will also appear in the episode, along with Cosmic Boy of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Which reminds me, I really need to get around to watching the Geoff Johns-scripted LSH episode sometime. I wonder if Smallville is on Hulu or something.

(Via Prime at Speedster Site)

Geoff Johns Talks Flash: Rebirth at Newsarama

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Newsarama has a new interview with Geoff Johns about Flash: Rebirth, touching on a number of items. Some highlights:

Timing: He’s keeping it vague, but the miniseries takes place after the fallout from Final Crisis has settled. And Barry has definitely been gone for several years, but not the 23 years he’s been gone in the real world. “Otherwise, Wally would be…old.”

Central City: Geoff Johns wants to explore Central City in Flash: Rebirth the way he explored Keystone City in The Flash and Coast City in Green Lantern.

Villains: The Rogues have been acting differently since Barry left, not to mention replaced some members. All the cameos in the first issue are there for a reason.

The Speed Force: an enigmatic energy that all speedsters tap into, “like gasoline.”

Issue #2 opens in Gorilla City.

And as for Barry Allen himself…

It’s hard to talk about Barry and how he sees himself as the Flash, because this is the story of how he finds himself, and who he’s going to be now. Flash: Rebirth #1 is just a piece of a bigger story of who Barry Allen is, who the Flash is going to be, and where he goes from here….It’s a detective story….This is Barry solving one big crime. A crime against speedsters.

There’s a lot more. Read the rest at Newsarama.

Speed Reading: Then and Now

A few recent posts and articles looking at the history of the Flash in the context of Barry Allen’s return and Flash: Rebirth.

Mike Sterling’s Progressive Ruin contemplates the state of the Flash and the role of Rebirth.

Flash v.1 #223

The Absorbascon flashes back to the Silver Age and shows us some samples of Barry Allen’s characterization.

Robot 6’s Grumpy Old Fan contrasts Flash: Rebirth #1 with “Make Way for the Speed Demons,” a 1970s story from Flash v.1 #223, finding the new release too caught up in the little details to just tell a good story.

The Hurting is not impressed by the Flash at all.

Captain Comics looks at Barry Allen’s Silver-Age origins.

Crimson Lightning shares the results of the favorite Flash storyline quiz. Next up in the sidebar: How do you feel about Flash: Rebirth?

Speaking of polls, Mo pointed me to comic shop A Timeless Journey, currently running a Who’s Your Favorite Flash? poll on their site.

Finally, Collected Editions has a list of Top Flash Trade Paperbacks.

Geoff Johns and EVS Talk Flash: Rebirth at IO9 and Newsarama

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A couple of new interviews popped up over the weekend with Flash: Rebirth‘s writer and artist.

First IO9 interviews Geoff Johns. The answer that I found most intriguing from this interview was this:

Is the tone similar to Green Lantern: Rebirth? Because Green Lantern has a tone of, I don’t want to say “space opera,” but it’s been very grandiose and the stakes have never been small.

Green Lantern is to Space as the Flash is to Time.

The backdrop is, big and epic. But it’s a little bit more character-focused, though, the difference being, I gotta get into Barry Allen’s history more because he’s more of an unknown to people.

Let’s look at that again: “Green Lantern is to Space as the Flash is to Time.”

Next is the Blog@Newsarama Q&A with Ethan Van Sciver.

EVS: The reader can draw his own conclusions, but again, I don’t think it’s cynicism on Barry’s part, but a sense that something is very wrong. We’re not seeing the Barry we’re used to here, and there’s a reason for that.

I’m reminded of the fact that Bilson and DeMeo said the same thing about Bart at the beginning of Flash: The Fastest Man Alive. Of course, no one listened to them.