Tag Archives: Speculation

Changes Coming to the Flash Comics

Van Jensen, half of the current Flash comic book writing team, has announced that he’s leaving the book after Flash #51.

As for the future, a bigger change is in the works. DC has teased some sort of “Rebirth”. Those original New 52 series are almost to issue 52. And another long-running creative team, Snyder and Capullo, are leaving Batman the same month.

There are rumors of a relaunch refocusing DC’s comics line to emphasize those characters who have the most media presence: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Suicide Squad in this year’s movies, Flash, Arrow and presumably Supergirl in TV. This of course has led to speculation of a return to previous continuity, though that seems more like wishful thinking to me than anything solid.

That said, superhero comics are wrapped in an ever-tightening circle of nostalgia, with new ideas jettisoned for old ones on a regular basis. Whether you consider this a return to form or a step backwards depends on whether you liked the particular changes involved.

How Soon Will We See a Digital-First Flash Comic?

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Flash TV logo on a tablet

DC’s new digital-first Sensation Comics series starring Wonder Woman got me thinking about the publisher’s digital-first strategy. In addition to continuity-free stories about Superman, Batman, and now Wonder Woman, it’s also their platform of choice for media tie-in comics to their games and TV shows: Smallville, Batman ’66, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Scribblenauts, Infinite Crisis, Arrow…

There’s an excellent chance that, with the Flash TV show launching in October, we’ll see a TV-continuity digital-first Flash series by the end of the year.

Double Your Flash!

If so, this would be the first time in years that we’ve had two Flash series running concurrently, unless you count the Rogues-heavy miniseries tied to Forever Evil, Blackest Night, and Final Crisis. (And really, isn’t it awesome that DC has been doing Rogues miniseries with so many of their big events lately?) Flash and Impulse ran together from 1995-2002, and All-Flash ran alongside Flash Comics from 1941-1948, during which time the Flash also had a regular solo spot in Comic Cavalcade.

Admittedly, the Arrow tie-in comic only ran during the first season of the show, but maybe the Flash’s higher profile among comics readers will translate to better sales?

Digital What?

For those of you who haven’t looked into DC’s digital-first comics, they typically release three chapters a month at 99 cents through services like ComiXology, Kindle, iTunes, Google Play, and DC’s own branded portal. Each month’s chapters are then collected in a $3.99 print edition. The comics are designed around a horizontal page layout to make them fit better on tablets and widescreen monitors, with two digital pages stacked vertically to make each printed page. (It typically ends up being about 30 pages of story instead of 20.)

You can read on a tablet, a phone (panel-by-panel view can be awkward for converted comics, but these are designed for, well, digital first), or a desktop/laptop through the ComiXology or DC websites. Or you can wait a month or two for the print edition, or a bit longer for the trade paperback.

DC Teases “Wally,” “Donna,” “Five Years Later” in All-Access

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Don’t get your hopes (or dander) up just yet, but in DC Comics’ latest “All Access” video aimed at fans, they teased a few fan-favorite characters by leaving the names “Wally,” “Donna” and “Stephanie” on a whiteboard. They’re also planning a series called Five Years Later, rumored to be looking at the near future of the New 52.

Wally and Donna on a Whiteboard, screencap via Newsarama

Stephanie Brown has been confirmed returning as Spoiler in “Batman Eternal,” so anything’s possible at this point.

Wally West and Donna Troy could appear in the future series, but not the present of the New 52, or perhaps they might show up in Flash and Superman/Wonder Woman as suggested by the board. Either way, it’s worth remembering that many characters have changed significantly in the New 62, and an updated version of Wally or Donna could easily be missing the characteristics that appeal to their fan base.

It could just as easily be misdirection.

Even if it’s a real plan, plans change. The last seven years of The Flash are littered with abandoned plots (everything teased in Flash: Rebirth and Flash Secret Files 2010 that didn’t directly involve the Reverse Flash), dropped characters (never mind the speedsters, how much have we seen of Piper since his reintroduction?) and stories (the Gem Cities cold-case story that was going to focus on Barry Allen’s civilian side), abrupt changes in direction (do I really have to spell it out?), and even outright lies (remember the solicitations for Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #14 and 15?).

(Personally, I wouldn’t put an outright prank past the current regime at DC.)

So the names are out there. Make of it what you will, but it’s way too early to pull out your Jump To Conclusions mat.

Flash Collections Update: Gorilla Warfare & Reverse

What Does “Man of Steel” Mean for a Flash Movie?

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Superman vs the Flash

With Man of Steel opening this week, it’s no secret that the future of DC Comics’ super-heroes on screen is tied to the success of the new Superman film. The question, of course, is what form might that future take? With the success of The Avengers, there’s been a lot of talk about a possible Justice League movie, but of course Marvel didn’t launch the Avengers on its own: They launched four solo films featuring different heroes, then brought them together. If “Man of Steel” does well, DC could jump straight into the team movie, or they could do a Marvel-style slow build — and Mike Ryan at Huffington Post suggests that Flash might be the ideal viewpoint character to tie them together.

DC has had a Flash movie officially in development for almost a decade now. Back in 2004, Warner Bros. announced David Goyer was writing a script and would direct. It’s since been through multiple directors and writers. Early treatments would feature both Wally West and Barry Allen, while later treatments focused exclusively on Barry Allen. The last real news came in 2010, when DC announced the Green Lantern script team would be writing a Flash film based on Geoff Johns’ work. Of course when the Green Lantern movie performed less than WB had hoped, everything non-Superman or Batman went on the back burner again. We’ve heard a few rumblings since then, but little else. Everything’s riding on “Man of Steel”: If it succeeds, we can count on more DC movies. If not, we can expect more years of development hell.

But if it does succeed… Continue reading →

A Case for Wally West as the New Reverse Flash

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Flash #117 Blood Spot

Today’s guest post is by Scott Timms.

Every fan of the Flash has a favorite character who has taken up the mantle. There is no shame in loving Wally, being partial to Barry or the other way around. I personally lean toward Barry, but growing up in the 90s I understand the loyalty to Wally. On one hand, Barry is the current Flash and on the other hand Wally had the Flash mantle for just as long as pre-crisis Barry did. No one who has the characters’ best interest in mind would want Barry to be killed off to make room for Wally, and just having Wally appear as another Flash would be ill-conceived at best. How can Wally’s half a century of Kid Flash and Flash duty be honored, tied in, and introduced in a post Flashpoint New 52 world?

First, let us explore the answer that won’t sit well with any Flash fan: ignoring he exists with no explanation. For the Wally fans, consider how disappointing that option is. How relieving was it to find out why Captain Cold doesn’t use a cold gun anymore? Changes are fine, I just want some explanation or some bridge to the version of the story I hold dear. I present to you an interesting solution: Wally being introduced as the new Reverse Flash. It would give the character teeth and keep interest in his run as the Flash. It makes Flash #1-247 relevant in a way keeping him out of the New 52 universe simply doesn’t. The argument is always Barry or Wally. If you introduce Reverse Flash as an equal to Barry then you allow that question to come to life. Wally and Barry on the same page battling it out is an invigorating idea. Introducing a beloved hero such as Wally as a villain while at the same balancing the homage Wally is due will challenge the creative team and the preconceptions of the fans.

Here is an idea Wally fans will eat up. Wally doesn’t have to stay a “villain” or the Reverse Flash. How compelling are super hero team ups of two characters once at odds? How tantalizing would a story line be which introduces and establishes Wally as Reverse Flash, but then brings the two together? During their time at odds fans can see the “Barry vs. Wally” scenario play out before their eyes and brought together fans can have a fully reintroduced, explained, and character developed Barry/Wally team back to their comic books. Wally as Reverse Flash doesn’t forever doom Wally as an evil villain. It is an avenue by which he can be reintroduced. A mutual threat could bring Barry Flash and Wally Reverse Flash on the same side, and see Wally come back into the super hero fold. All this is speculation, but the directions the writers could take it are endless.

Wally as Reverse Flash is an intriguing idea. It challenges the status quo and gives Wally the provocative return he deserves. Do any Wally fans out there want the writers to simply have him appear and say “Poof! Here he is!”, or give Wally some lackluster, poorly executed return? Wally needs a place and his past stories have relevance. Being introduced as Reverse Flash could give him the reintroduction he deserves. Wally’s personality and place in the hearts of fans could take Flash/Reverse Flash to new heights.

For thoughts on other candidates for the new villain, check out our previous article, Who is the New Reverse-Flash?

Speed Force

Tracking the Flash – the Fastest Man Alive