Tag Archives: Derek Fridolfs

Creating “Flash Beyond”

Flash Beyond (Danica) Character Designs

Justice League Beyond writer Derek Fridolfs writes about “Flashdrive” and the future Flash over at his blog. Inspiration for the character came from race car driver Danica Patrick and Olympic runner Rafer Johnson. Fridolfs also talks about the costume design process, Flash fans (who us?), and how to fit Flash history into the established Justice League Unlimited/Batman Beyond continuity.

Danica debuted in Justice League Beyond #19 and took the lead in chapter 20. As for future spotlights…

Fans clamoring to know more about Dani will get a chance to see her back story told in an upcoming “Beyond Origin”. It was a fun way to show where she grew up and traveled to around the Beyond Universe, as well as explore the legacy of the Flash and how she’s able to hear all the voices of the previous Flashes. I even created some new villains in there as a possible back-door “pilot” if she got her own series or more stories to help flesh out her world. But at this stage, I’m kind of doubtful it’ll ever happen.

I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out!

Head over to Derek Fridolf’s blog to read the whole article.

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.