Tag Archives: Bronze Age

Annotations: Flash #277, “The Self-Destruct Flash”

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Following the devastation of issue #275 and the immediate fallout in #276, Flash #277 had a lot to deliver.  Iris was dead and Barry’s mind was ravaged by a massive dose of PCP.  He found himself aboard the Justice League Satellite, begging his friends and teammates to bring her back to life by any means.

This type of subject matter was far beyond mainstream superhero norms of the era.  A drug-addled Flash begging the JLA to bring Iris back from the dead is a shocking turn for a character who was, less than a year before, engaged in stories about Golden Age comic books.  Even more notable is that the change occurred while the title maintained the same writer: Flash legend Cary Bates.

UP TO SPEED: Flash has turned on his fellow JLA members, threatening to take down the entire Satellite with him!  Links to research and artwork are included throughout this post.

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Annotations: Flash #276, “Freakout!”

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…and we’re back with the newest installment in our Flash notes!  Hot on the heels of Cary Bates’ classic #275, the action doesn’t stop as Flash is pushed to new limits!  Links to artwork and research are included throughout this post.

UP TO SPEED: Last week, Barry and Iris found renewed passion after a female fan was able to unmask Barry as Flash.  Attending a costume party in his Flash duds, Barry was targeted by heroin smugglers and mysteriously drugged.  Iris, tending to Barry, was attacked off-panel.  Responding to her cries, Barry discovered Iris unconscious, and deranged convict Clive Yorkin hovering over her apparently lifeless body.  Barry collapsed attempting to lift his wife, prompting party-goers to call an ambulance…for the one of them who was still alive!

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Annotations: Flash #275, “The Last Dance”

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As Flash comics go, issue #275 is right up there on the impact meter.  One of the definitive issues of the 1959-1985 volume, it molts characters and standards, experimenting with tone and depth not before seen in the Flash title.  It cast a long shadow over Barry Allen, extending to his death in Crisis on Infinite Earths. It is also the first recognizable installment in the drama that arguably ended with the return of Allen to the DC Universe proper, and eventually the current Flash series.

This is the latest installment in our breakdowns of writer Cary Bates’ Flash saga, leading up to Showcase Presents: The Trial of the Flash.  Links to additional artwork and research are included throughout this post.

UP TO SPEED: Last week, we witnessed the demise of Dr. Nephron and the escape of his deranged guinea pig, convict Clive Yorkin.  Barry teamed up with Detective Frank Curtis, a fellow cop who was investigating the heroin smuggling operation based in Barry’s police lab.  Iris’ concern over Barry’s attentions continued to grow, while an ESP-powered teenaged fan named Melanie once again established her mental hold on our hero.  Meanwhile, Yorkin trailed Barry home and found Iris, alone…

 

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Annotations: Flash #274, “The Mark of the Beast”

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We’re back with the latest entry in our series of Flash breakdowns.  This week’s focus is issue #274, the last chapter on the way to the momentous issue #275!  Links to additional artwork and research are included throughout this post.

UP TO SPEED:  Last week, Flash attempted to unravel the mysterious appearance of a psychic female fan, while dealing with an internal drug smuggling operation at the Central City Police Department in his civilian guise.  Iris continued to reach for Barry’s attention, but lost out to a massive prison riot spurred by the controversial Nephron Project! 

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Annotations: Flash #273 – “Harvest of Hate”

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Welcome to the latest entry in our breakdowns of classic Flash comics, leading up to Showcase Presents: The Trial of the Flash!  This week, we’ll check out issue #273, a pivotal chapter on the road to the historic #275.

UP TO SPEED:  Last week, we saw Flash take down The Clown.  As Barry Allen, our hero also uncovered a heroin smuggling operation that was using his lab as a drop point.  Meanwhile, he and Iris struggled to make time for each other as Barry’s obligations to his police work and his Flash duties took complete hold of his attention. 

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Retro-Active: The Flash 1970s – Creative Team & Release Date

DC has started announcing the full writer/artist teams for the Retro-Active event announced at WonderCon. First up for The Flash: The 1970s.

DC RETROACTIVE: THE FLASH – THE ’70s

Artist Benito Gallego teams up with writer Cary Bates to tell the tale of an evil attack from one of The Flash’s greatest nemeses, Gorilla Grodd. With a plan so twisted and evil launched against him, Barry must not only work to preserve his legacy, but his relationship with his wife, Iris.

ONE-SHOT • On sale JULY 20 • 56 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T

As explained in the Superman announcement, each book will feature a 20-page new story and a 26-page classic story by the same writer.

Update: I just noticed that this is scheduled for the same week as the Showcase Presents collection of Cary Bates’ bronze-age Flash epic, The Trial of the Flash. Now there’s timing!

Update 2: The wording of DC’s solicitation text is slightly different:

In a new tale from classic 1970s writer Cary Bates, Gorilla Grodd unleashes his most ruthless attack yet against his nemesis, The Flash – a plan for revenge so warped and diabolical, it dooms The Scarlet Speedster to a slow and agonizing fate that will end his heroic career and cause an unspeakable rift between Barry and his wife, Iris!

Plus: Following the 26-page lead story is a classic tale originally published in the ’70s, also written by Cary Bates!