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Okay, that's irritating, okay? Really, really irritating. Okay.? I mean, really irritating. Okay? Seriously. Okay?
Do you like superheroes? If so, you’ve come to the right place. This is Comicscape, where every week I ramble on about something or other that’s somehow related to the super hero side of comic books. This week I’m finally getting around to a topic I’ve wanted to discuss for a while now but I kept getting sidetracked. It had been talked about for a long time, rumored for even longer and finally came to fruition in the pages of Final Crisis. Barry Allen, the Silver Age Flash, returned to the DC Universe. April 1st, 2009 saw the release of Flash: Rebirth #1 by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver, the same team that gave us Green Lantern: Rebirth back in 2004.
Variant cover to THE FLASH: REBIRTH #1 by Ethan Van Sciver
© DC Comics
It’s a big deal ‘cause it’s Barry freakin’ Allen, okay? Don’t you have any respect for history? He’s a founding member of the Justice League of America and he gave his life to save the universe during Crisis on Infinite Earths and it’s a big deal just because, okay?
What’s that? You say you don’t care? That you grew up with a different guy calling himself the Flash and you like that guy a lot and Barry Allen was the previous one who’s long dead and probably works better as a dead guy? Well… okay, that makes sense. Actually, I think a lot of Flash fans might feel the same way. I touched on this in my review of Flash: Rebirth #1 and I’d like to go into a little more detail right here if you don’t mind. Wally West is the Flash. Why do we need Barry Allen back?
Okay, here’s the deal: First of all, the Golden Age Flash (Jay Garrick) is notable for being the first super-speedster in comics. That doesn’t really have anything to do with Barry Allen, but it’s cool and I don’t really have any other place to mention it so I’m bringing it up here. And it plays into the bigger picture of why The Flash is so awesome and so important to the DCU.
Barry Allen made his debut in SHOWCASE #4 and ushered in the Silver Age of Comics
© DC Comics
Cast your minds back to the Golden Age of Comics (I wasn’t there either… just pretend). Now fast forward a few years after the end of World War II. Superhero comics weren’t really in fashion anymore and attempts to revive the genre didn’t work. There are only three superheroes that have their own ongoing titles: Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, and none of ‘em are as good as they were back in the day. Then along comes Showcase #4 in October of 1956. This is the first appearance of an all-new character calling himself The Flash (Barry Allen, the guy I was talking about earlier who just came back from the dead). This is the book that kickstarts the Silver Age. Pretty soon there’s a new Green Lantern, a new Hawkman and a new Atom and before long we’ve got the Justice League of America and superhero comic books are all the rage again.
Did you read the first issue of Flash: Rebirth? It’s been out for two weeks now, so you’ve got no excuse. Remember the scene where Jay Garrick says that Barry Allen made him The Flash? How he’d stopped running and Barry woke him up? He tells this big story about how Keystone City had been trapped in some sort of weird vibrational limbo for years and if not for Barry discovering it, he would’ve never come back to active duty. And if Jay hadn’t come back, Alan Scott (the Golden Age Green Lantern) wouldn’t have un-retired and neither would have Wildcat and we wouldn’t have the Justice Society and so on and so forth. He’s recounting a little DC history, but it’s also sort of a metaphor for something that happened in real life. The year was 1961 and the book was Flash #123.
The Silver age Flash meets the Golden Age Flash in THE FLASH #123
© DC Comics
Here’s how it went down in real life (Pre-Crisis): The Flash was at a charity event, using his super speed to perform magic tricks. He was vibrating his molecules in order to appear invisible and lo and behold, he ends up on an alternate earth where he meets up with Jay Garrick. Barry used to read comic books about this guy when he was a kid and as you can imagine, he was a little shocked. Turns out Jay was The Flash on an alternate earth where superheroes started popping up in the 1940’s rather than in the 1960’s. The two earths were vibrating at different frequencies or something like that. I love Silver Age comic book logic. Anyway, the two Flashes teamed up and Jay Garrick came out of retirement and a multiverse was born. Naturally, the earth on which superheroes starting appearing twenty years previously was designated Earth-Two while the earth that Barry Allen hailed from was Earth-One.
The comic was a big success and next thing you know, DC started reviving a lot of older characters. We started seeing annual crossovers between the Justice League and the Justice Society, a tradition that we continues today. So when Jay and Alan talk about how they wouldn’t be around if not for Barry, they’re probably right. The “Flash of Two Worlds” story sparked a renewed interest in Golden Age characters. Who knows, if not for that story (and Barry Allen) maybe they would’ve just been forgotten and swept under the rug?
The multiverse was wiped out during 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths and Barry Allen gave his life to defeat the Anti-Monitor. It’s fitting that the death of the multiverse should also bring about the death of the man who discovered it. And with the return of so many Silver Age principles, including the rebirth of the multiverse, it seems fitting that the lynchpin of all these ideas should also return.
Barry Allen makes the supreme sacrifice in CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #8, 1985
© DC Comics
What about Wally? You haven’t been convinced by now? I haven’t been able to impress upon you the historical significance of Barry Allen and his return to the DC Universe? What’s wrong with you people?
Okay, seriously… I’m kind of in the same boat. Sure, I grew up watching Super Friends and of course I remember Barry Allen as The Flash. But I was like, 10 years old when the Crisis happened. It’s one of my first really significant comic book memories, but as you all know, it ended with a new Flash. So even though I remember Barry and I respect and appreciate the sacrifice; Wally West is my Flash.
I was one of those kids who didn’t just like to read comics, I wanted an encyclopedic knowledge of the heroes, their powers and weaknesses and their histories. Naturally, I loved Who’s Who (and the Marvel Universe Handbooks as well). I remember there were so many entries that ended with something along the lines of “it is unknown how the recent Crisis on Infinite Earths affected such-and-such.”
Now, my parents had a friend who had a kid that wanted to unload all of his comics and I picked up all twelve issues of Crisis for something like a dollar each. So I knew the story and I knew of Barry’s sacrifice. And I bought the first issue of the Flash relaunch with Wally in the starring role. From that point on, Wally West was The Flash. And he wasn’t some fly-by-night punk usurping the role; he’d earned it. Even as a kid, I appreciated the history behind the event. It was a whole new world with a whole new Flash and I was able to get in on the ground floor.
Wally West takes over in THE FLASH, Vol. 2, #1, 1987
© DC Comics
I grew up and I haven’t really read tons of Flash in-between then and now, but the simple fact has always remained: Wally West is the Flash. Lots of readers have grown up with him as the Flash. Barry’s death had such significance and it gained even more due to the fact that he never came back! Unlike the myriad of heroes and villains who pierced the veil only to come back to the land of the living, Barry’s death had this enormous weight to it. I know Marv Wolfman wrote an “escape clause” into the story, but I’ve always been against Barry’s return. It just didn’t seem right.
Of course, with the return of characters like Bucky in the pages of Captain America and the enthusiasm of creators like Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver for the Flash project, my thoughts began to change. These days, nothing is sacred in comics; but when you’ve got talent behind it, even ideas that once seemed sacreligious start sounding good. And superhero comics are cyclical. Everything old is new again, especially the Silver Age and especially in DC Comics.
So why is Barry back? I think one of the beauties of Flash: Rebirth is the fact that this very topic has already been addressed in the first issue. We’ve got Bart grumbling about how he doesn’t even know who Barry is. He sort of plays the part of the reader who has grown up with and grown to respect Wally. We’ve also got Barry wondering why the hell he came back anyway. He didn’t choose to. He’s got no unresolved business. And most of all, there’s already two Flashes! What good will a third one do?
Three generations appear on FLASH #208, but Barry is missing
© DC Comics
The real reason Barry Allen is back is because DC has some creators working for them who have a lot of respect for the past and they want to share it with you. Those who can do and those who can’t teach: but in this case, those who can are not only doing, they’re teaching as well. Geoff Johns has made it clear that The Flash is his favorite character and while I can write about it until I’m blue in the face, I suspect he’s not just going to tell you, he’s going to show you why it’s so important that Barry Allen has returned. The Silver Age Flash is not just an integral part of DC history, he’s the integral part. If the history of the DCU was a house, Barry Allen is the key that unlocks every single door. Yeah, you can make copies and they all work just fine, but why would you throw a perfectly good key away?
Okay, that was a stupid metaphor, but you know what I mean.
It’s even more important nowadays because DC puts so much emphasis on the legacy of their heroes, especially in the Flash world. With Jay acting as the grandfather and Bart as the spoiled kid and Wally raising kids of his own, it’s time for Uncle Barry to step back in and show ‘em all how it’s done. With Oliver Queen and Hal Jordan back in action and so many Silver Age elements returning to the world of Superman, it’s only right that the ultimate Silver Ager steps back into the ring for a few more rounds. I could probably ramble on like this for days, but when you get right down to it, the bottom line is this: Barry Allen is back because there are good stories to be told with the character.
There was a Flash before Barry and there have been Flashes since Barry, but the fact of the matter is that no matter how many Flashes there are, have been or will be, Barry Allen is The Flash.
By Ben Johnson and Chad (Chadders) Derdowski
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Okay, that's irritating, okay? Really, really irritating. Okay.? I mean, really irritating. Okay? Seriously. Okay?
Bart complains? Wasn't Bart dead? Damn, I need to catch up on my comics......
HunterRose - I'm with you I didn't know Bart was back until I read the issue.
Can somebody give the... When? Where? What? Why? How?
Chad - As I said in your review I still don't get it the need but in Johns I trust. Although I still think it will be cool if he does turn out to be the Black Flash... well at least for a little while.
Evil Monkey - No truer words have spoken. I too trust in the Johns/Brubaker dead revived techniques. And also having the JLA's split based era's would be cool. But this better not lead into another Civil War travesty. At least DC has the common sense to not hire Bendis.
eh... I picked up the first issue and I wasn't impressed. I'll give it maybe two or three more issues, but I just don't see the point. The arguments Chad made were good, but the bottom line to me is the story, and it just doesn't seem that interesting to me at this point.
(chad here)
I agree with all of you. Okay, seriously: it's all about the story. And as vinylcharmer said "In Johns We Trust"... the fact that he's a guy who has done a decent ressurection story in the past and is known for his expert handling of the characters we love so much puts me at ease.
Does Barry need to come back? Well, nothing really needs to happen. I kind of fall into two camps when it comes to deaths/rebirths: (1) the "dead is dead, don't bring 'em back" camp and (2) the Alex Ross school of "why kill off a perfectly good hero?" - both have valid points but I guess I've just come to accept that ressurections are as much a part of superhero comics as tights and powers. I don't always agree with it but if it's done well, I'm all for it.
Who knows? I may end up eating my words and wishing they'd never brought him back. For now though, I'm on board.
Oh yeah... I didn't know Bart was back until I read this issue either. I think he came back in Final Crisis, but I'm not sure if they went into any detail with an explanation.
I agree that Wally West is The Flash. Though I have faith in Johns in doing a well done story that pays respect to the current characters I find it unnecessary. Three Flashes at one time? That's overkill. Unless they kill off Jay Garrick, put Barry Allen with the JSA, and leave Wally with the JLA/Titans.
I blame Didio for all of this. With his "let's go back to the Golden Age/Silver Age" bs. DC is supposed to be about legacy. How can you have legacy when you're constantly bringing back the old-timers to take the place of the "newer" characters?
You think 3 Flashes are overkill noble? I won't ask what you think of the Green Lanterns then, we have 5 of them from earth alone not to mention the hundreds of others from other worlds.
Bart made his comeback in Legion of 3 Worlds Final Crisis mini.
Barry Allen has always been the Flash in my eyes. They killed him off when I was about 18 and never gravitated to Wally. And I especially hated the way Wally's books were headed with his kids having powers. So I'm extremely happy to have Barry back.
Don't really want to compare but hopefully they have a major story with implications through out the DCU with Barry leading the way ala Blackest Night for Hal and the GL's.
I love comics. I love the Flash. Any Flash. I even begrudgingly bought Barts Flash #1 cause I hate renumbering. But no more. Since the comic industry, Marvel & DC, have tossed aside the historical and uniqueness of their industry via numbering and gone strictly for quarterly increases with a new #1 every few years I will focus only on comics as entertainment. I will read Barry as Flash via TPB like I now do 95% of my reading. Yes it means I'm behind by about 6-9 months but I have more money.
Since history was a big part of your write up I feel compelled to mention that numbering is one of, if not, the most important things in comics to me as a hobby/collectible. Now its just a hobby, the unique collectible is gone. Its the second Flash #1 inside 3yrs*YAWN*. Dan Didio knew he was deconstructing the modern age heroes to go all retro when Wally dissappeared and Bart took over. So make Barts first issue Flash #231, then bring Wally back at #250 and Barry at #275. I know, I know it requires a few more Bart and Wally stories but it keeps the title going and makes the character only the third to have a book over 200 issues outside Superman & Batman at DC and without skipping volumes like Marvel did by cheating with Spidey and FF.
How about this Didio, be really daring. Have Barry's return be with issue #351. After all Barry resumed Jay's Flash title after 10yrs in limbo and Wally resumed his numbering after, albeit, a year or so off. Precedent for the character to do such with #351 is there. Those who say they will be buying Barry's return will do so with a #1, #351 or even #248 so be bold and daring. Instead your being lazy and predictable.
See you in the TPB's cause the medium as a unique collectible has died and it saddens me.
Is he going to join Hal and Ollie in the new Justice League. That would be pretty sweet.
You mentioned Geoff Johns (obviously) and Ed Brubaker, the only two I trust implicitly to ressurect dead characters.