Tag Archives: Zero

Results: Your Favorite Flash Stories of 2012!

The results are in, and Speed Force readers’ favorite Flash story of 2012 was….

Young Justice: Bloodlines - Four Speedsters

Young Justice: Bloodlines! This episode of the animated TV series featured for the first time ever four generations of Flashes in the same episode: Jay Garrick and Barry Allen as the Flash, Wally West as Kid Flash, and Bart Allen as Impulse.

The top comic book story was Flash #0, retelling the origin of Barry Allen.

Chart: Favorite Flash Stories of 2012

Here are the full results of the poll.

Story Votes
Young Justice: Bloodlines   30   23%
Flash #0 (Origin)   23   17%
Young Justice: Coldhearted   17   13%
Flash Annual (Rogues)   13   10%
Earth 2 #2 (Jay Garrick’s Origin)   11   8%
Flash #6-7 (Captain Cold)   9   7%
Other   8   6%
Flash #13-14 (Gorilla Warfare)   8   6%
Flash #10 (Weather Wizard)   4   3%
Flash #12 (Glider)   3   2%
Flash #11 (Heat Wave)   3   2%
Flash #9 (Gorilla Grodd)   2   2%
Flash #8 (Turbine)   2   2%

The “Other” choices were interesting, including two write-in votes for DC Universe Presents #12 (Kid Flash), which I literally thought of adding about 30 seconds after the poll went live, and several expressing dissatisfaction with the current book.

  • The one where Wally West was re-introduced in the New 52, exactly the same way as he appeared pre-Flashpoint.
  • They all made me sad and unhappy.
  • Comixology reprints Flash 48-50 Wally west stops Vandal Savage and gets “the Shiny Suit” that he would wear icionically until Flash #107
  • Absolutely Nothing; No Wally West Flash means no favorite story of 2012.
  • Didn’t like any of it.

It’s much more varied than last year’s poll, though since 2011 was dominated by Flashpoint and the launch of the New 52, that’s understandable.

Flash #0 Solicited – The Origin of the Flash

Flash #0 Promotional Art

DC’s Justice League Group solicitations are out for September and the Zero issues, including…

THE FLASH #0

Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL and BRIAN BUCCELLATO
Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
1:25 B&W cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
On sale SEPTEMBER 26 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Update: This issue will ship with two covers. The variant cover will feature the standard edition cover in a wraparound format. (from Newsarama)

  • At last, it’s the origin of The Flash!
  • The loss of his mother put Barry Allen on the road to becoming a hero, but only when he gains his powers will he understand her most important lesson.

As noted last week, this is not the final cover, but a piece of promotional art.

I think I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m disappointed that the tragic backstory Geoff Johns grafted onto the character is still in place. I know getting rid of it would mess up the theme of Flashpoint, but if you look at the New 52 as its own entity (which is what they’re doing everywhere else), it would have been the perfect time to clean up the “Can’t be a real hero unless he knows tragedy” cliche.

(I’ve become more and more certain over time that Hunter Zolomon was thematically an author stand-in in the same way that Superboy Prime is a stand-in for fans that Geoff Johns disagrees with.)

Flash #0 Coming in September

Flash #0 Promotional Art

Promotional art for the Flash #0 issue – yes, the zero issues, going back to look at character origins and history, have been confirmed for September. Asked about surprises, Dan Didio lists several books that have done better than expected, finishing with, “And honestly, ‘Flash’ has been doing stronger now than it did prior to the launch of the New 52.”