Is 'The Flash' Over?

[TripleB]

Is 'The Flash' comic ending after issue 247?

I looked on the DC website to see when issue 248 is coming out and can't find any info about it.

Thanks for any info.

TripleB

[Bullcityjl]

I'm getting the distinct impression that the series will either restart or resume after the Rebirth story. Obviously, there'll be a Flash (other than Jay Garrick). Now, Wally West may be in trouble.

[rwe1138]

It's going away until Flash: Rebirth is done. Whether it'll pick back up with that numbering, restart with a new #1, or be a different title all together hasn't been announced yet.

[JamesJesse]

Last I read from some of the con reports, they won't pick up on the numbering.
Instead, they start an all new Flash Series.

The new series will reportedly star Barry Allen. No word yet on what happens to Wally West after his book ends. But Johns has said that Wally and Jay WILL be in Rebirth as well.

[John Lynch]

When the heck is Geoff Johns going to write Flash: Rebirth? He's been taken off Action Comics so he can write Superman: Secret Origins. Is he going to be removed from JSA to write Flash: Rebirth? Or will they wait for after Superman: Secret Origins? If the latter then we can't expect it before September. Quite a while to wait for a Flash comic.

[JamesJesse]

I think he's already written some of it.

[Alex Smith]

I'm already bummed out over the treatment Wally is getting. You know he's going to get stripped way down, Barry is going to be the fastest Flash ever. Johns is going to run Wally through the dirt the same way he did Kyle Rayner when Hal came back.

I mean, I love his writing, but there has got to be a better way. There are quite a few of us that love Wally as a character. I've never enjoyed Barry. Anything I read of him is stiff and less than entertaining. Wally at least has a sense of humor.

Essentially I'm just hoping we don't depower Wally, keep him the same as he's been (prior to the depowering he's undergoing now) and at least keep him around. He's a great character.

[scott lantern]

I think Flash Rebirth is scheduled to start in April

[HaroldAllnut]

It's been said a thousand times, but goddamn it, I'm saying it again. Hal Jordan should've stayed the Spectre and Barry Allen should've stayed dead. Geoff Johns has done some fantastic work on Justice Society of America and Action Comics, but I'm sick of these Silver Age characters, whose deaths were fantastically written and important to the DCU, being resurrected unnecessarily.

Wally West and Kyle Rayner are both fantastic characters, and have made excellent contributions to the DCU; they're both more than worthy of their predecessors. It just strikes me as kind of lazy and a waste of excellent characters to possibly off Wally and exile Kyle to an apartment in Oa.

[Raker616]

Hal Jordan is the Green Lantern and Barry Allen is the Flash, i'm glad that finally after all this time the replacements are getting put on the back burner and they are making way for the iconic versions of each character.

[aut0matic]

Hal Jordan is the Green Lantern and Barry Allen is the Flash, i'm glad that finally after all this time the replacements are getting put on the back burner and they are making way for the iconic versions of each character.

me too. i used to hardly ever read DC until green lantern:rebirth. johns' green lantern made me a DCU fan, to the point where now i hardly read marvel. i love hal jordan and i'm glad he's the main focus of the gl series, kyle seems like a pretty generic character from what i've read.

i'm optimistic about barry allen being the flash again in the upcoming series, it will be a good jumping-on point for me to start reading the flash, as well.

[Sean Walsh]

I think he's already written some of it.

Let's just hope Van Sciver's drawn some of it.

This (and BLACKEST NIGHT, which I believe he's doing art for too) is gonna be a really busy year for Mr. Ethan...

[Spiffy]

Last I read from some of the con reports, they won't pick up on the numbering.
Instead, they start an all new Flash Series.
Well, that never lasts long when they do that. I give it a year.

[jhota]

i wouldn't be surprised if they started with #351 - since Vol 1 ended at 350.

[koshunter]

I'm like in the middle. I started reading DC after Green Lantern: Rebirth because I love Hal Jordan and while I do like Kyle Rayner, I'd rather have him in GL: Corps.

On the other hand, I'd rather have Wally West then Barry Allen. I'm really hoping Wally doesn't get the shaft and like someone else said sometime ago, Barry better acknowledge the job Wally has done in his place.

P.S Also, Wally better not get de-powered. I'd rather have him take a temporary leave of absence because of his kids rather then get the treatment Kyle Rayner got.

[Darrell D.]

If I was a betting man, I would wager that DC will put Wally back to 12 years old as a result of rewriting time. That way: no wife, no kids that the lonely internet nerds seem to bitch incessantly about, and Kid Flash is back with a Ethan Van Sciver designed costume. Bart is back as Impulse and everyone is happy.
After Bruce comes back to the Bat Mantle, expect to see Dick Grayson back in the Robin suit.
Just my guesses, but the way that DC seems to wallow in it's SA heritage, I wouldn't put it past them.

[koshunter]

If I was a betting man, I would wager that DC will put Wally back to 12 years old as a result of rewriting time. That way: no wife, no kids that the lonely internet nerds seem to bitch incessantly about, and Kid Flash is back with a Ethan Van Sciver designed costume. Bart is back as Impulse and everyone is happy.
After Bruce comes back to the Bat Mantle, expect to see Dick Grayson back in the Robin suit.
Just my guesses, but the way that DC seems to wallow in it's SA heritage, I wouldn't put it past them.

The way you put it, it sounds horrible.

[Darrell D.]

The way you put it, it sounds horrible.

It just seems logical, considering the past few years of stories. Personally, I hope I'm wrong, but if it did happen, I bet no one would blink an eye, as long as it was written by Grant Morrison or Geoff Johns.

[Rev. Calibos]

I'm all for it.

I'm a fan of Wally and that's the Flash I grew up with. On the other hand, I grew up with Hal and was not a fan of Kyle at all.

But throughout the years, throughout his time on the JLA I started to warm up to Kyle and started to see him as GL.

That being said, I applaud the return of Barry just as I applauded the return of Hal.

If it means more stories get to be told I can't complain. For those fans who prefer Kyle to Hal there's a great read every month over at GL Corps. For those fans who prefer Wally I'm sure that he'll continue to have a presence in the JLA or Titans or both.

[Alex Smith]

Both JLA and Titans have been pretty abysmal reads, though. Not that the Flash hasn't as of late, but it's the point. We've had Wally for 20 years. We like him. The change isn't necessary. Especially because, if you've ever read some old Barry Allen stories, they're dull.

Even dull when considering the time.

[Darrell D.]

I'm all for it.

I'm a fan of Wally and that's the Flash I grew up with. On the other hand, I grew up with Hal and was not a fan of Kyle at all.

But throughout the years, throughout his time on the JLA I started to warm up to Kyle and started to see him as GL.

That being said, I applaud the return of Barry just as I applauded the return of Hal.

If it means more stories get to be told I can't complain. For those fans who prefer Kyle to Hal there's a great read every month over at GL Corps. For those fans who prefer Wally I'm sure that he'll continue to have a presence in the JLA or Titans or both.

I'm a fan of Hal to an extent as well, just not Geoff Johns's Hal.
I really don't think that Wally is going to be around as the Flash. Either he'll be shuffled off, or he'll sacrifice himself for some big event down the line, or he'll become Kid Flash again. Then, just two Flashes...Silver Age and Golden Age.
Just my two cents.

[Ilash]

The worst part though is that Wally was the Flash for a whopping TWENTY YEARS. For a whole generation of fans, including this one, Wally West is the Flash. DC are going to be pissing off a lot of fans if they just shuffle him off to the side. It's not like Barry is the most recognizable Flash to "outsiders" because a) Wally was the Flash in the cartoon and b) most people don't have the slightest clue who is behind the Flash mask.

I'm not against Barry being back but, to my mind, he's the one who should be getting a new identity, not Wally.

[Darrell D.]

I'm not against Barry being back but, to my mind, he's the one who should be getting a new identity, not Wally.

That would never happen, but it would be funny if it did. All the Barry Allen fanatics would probably collectively crap their pants. Or cry. Or both.

[Ilash]

That would never happen, but it would be funny if it did. All the Barry Allen fanatics would probably collectively crap their pants. Or cry. Or both.

Yup but oddly enough, I think it would fit better with where they want to go with the story. First, a big part of Rebirth will be that Barry will be trying to find a place in a world that has moved far beyond him. A new identity would fit in perfectly with that. It would also acknowledge the fact that his sidekick did prove himself to be more than capable of following his legacy - in many ways he even surpassed him.

I know this isn't going to happen but I think it would make the most sense. Wally being shunted to sidekick status again would be the very worst kind of character assassination - especially after all the work that Loebs, Waid and, yup, Johns did with the character.

[Rev. Calibos]

Yup but oddly enough, I think it would fit better with where they want to go with the story. First, a big part of Rebirth will be that Barry will be trying to find a place in a world that has moved far beyond him. A new identity would fit in perfectly with that. It would also acknowledge the fact that his sidekick did prove himself to be more than capable of following his legacy - in many ways he even surpassed him.

I know this isn't going to happen but I think it would make the most sense. Wally being shunted to sidekick status again would be the very worst kind of character assassination - especially after all the work that Loebs, Waid and, yup, Johns did with the character.



I think that would be a great way to start it off.

Barry who helped guide and train Wally finds himself back in the DCU proper after being gone for some time and finds that he's the one that is being helped out and guided by Wally who has seen and done more during his time as the Scarlet Speedster.

It would be similar to Cap coming back and finding that in his place a living Bucky had taken up the helm. On one hand he's proud of his legacy living on in his young charge but underneath there lies a resentment of sorts, why are folks deferring to HIM when they've got the REAL deal here?

[Sizzle]

Rebirth will be interesting I guess. We'll see if DC will try and make Barry younger and cooler like they tried to do with Hal.

Barry always seemed kind of boring to me (as Barry not as the Flash).

Granted, I think aging the West kids was a huge mistake, Wally is my Flash.

They could take Hal, Ollie, and Barry and make a team called "The Middle Aged League of America."

[Shellhead]

Just out of curiousity... does Jay Garrick officially have a public identity? I mean, does the general public call him Jay Garrick when he is fighting crime? If so, maybe Barry could go that route. Remain an active crime fighter but call himself Barry Allan instead of The Flash. Then Wally gets to keep the Flash ID that so many modern fans associate with him. Some fans are expecting Bart to return during Legion of Three Worlds or maybe in the JSA Kingdom Come storyline. If so, hopefully DC returns him to the Impulse identity, because he was popular as Impulse.

[Darrell D.]

Just out of curiousity... does Jay Garrick officially have a public identity? I mean, does the general public call him Jay Garrick when he is fighting crime? If so, maybe Barry could go that route. Remain an active crime fighter but call himself Barry Allan instead of The Flash. Then Wally gets to keep the Flash ID that so many modern fans associate with him. Some fans are expecting Bart to return during Legion of Three Worlds or maybe in the JSA Kingdom Come storyline. If so, hopefully DC returns him to the Impulse identity, because he was popular as Impulse.

I'm pretty sure that the public still call him Flash, even though his real name is public knowledge. Or they may call him 'The FTD guy', given his outfit.
I thought that Wally had Hal/Spectre deus ex machina the knowledge that Barry was ever known as The Flash at the end of Blitz. If it was later reversed, I wouldn't know, since I dropped the book after that arc.

[HaroldAllnut]

i wouldn't be surprised if they started with #351 - since Vol 1 ended at 350.

Even though I think Barry should stay dead, that's still a better move than renumbering. I'll never understand when it became a sin for comic books to have three-digit issue numbers.


I'm not against Barry being back but, to my mind, he's the one who should be getting a new identity, not Wally.
That would never happen, but it would be funny if it did. All the Barry Allen fanatics would probably collectively crap their pants. Or cry. Or both.

Now THAT is a brilliant concept. After all, the series focuses on Barry and it's called "Rebirth." I like where this train of thought is headed, and I'm glad to hop aboard.

New names for Barry Allen anyone?

I'll suggest Mr. Mercury, as a tip of the hat to our dearly departed Max Mercury, a-thank you.

[Shellhead]

Even though I think Barry should stay dead, that's still a better move than renumbering. I'll never understand when it became a sin for comic books to have three-digit issue numbers.


In the early '60s, Marvel was operating under the concept that it was better to have three-digit numbers. Maybe it was reassuring to the fans to know that they were buying into a stable comic that would be around for some time to come, instead of something that just got started and might get cancelled soon. So Thor got a big boost by starting out high with the Journey into Mystery issue numbering, and Captain America got a similar boost from starting off the Tales of Suspense numbering. Hulk got the same treatment, I think from Tales to Astonish. However, Iron Man and Sub-Mariner were sharing those older titles with Cap and Hulk, respectively, so they both had to start out at issue #1.

[Pixie_Solanas]

Just out of curiousity... does Jay Garrick officially have a public identity?.

He's the Wilford Brimley of the DCU, now that G'Nort has shuffled his fat overall-encased arse off this mortal coil.

[Buried Alien]

That would never happen, but it would be funny if it did. All the Barry Allen fanatics would probably collectively crap their pants. Or cry. Or both.

There is a category of comics fan that takes inordinate joy in seeing other comics fans being unhappy.

I don't understand these people. I'm not sure I want to.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Darrell D.]

There is a category of comics fan that takes inordinate joy in seeing other comics fans being unhappy.

I don't understand these people. I'm not sure I want to.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

To be fair, I'm only targeting that at the smug fans with the 'We Won!!' attitude.
Of which there are plenty.

[OzBat!]

There is a category of comics fan that takes inordinate joy in seeing other comics fans being unhappy.

I don't understand these people. I'm not sure I want to.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)Can you honestly say you can't see that exact same attitude from many of the Barry Allen fans crowing over the return of their hero, at the expense of Wally who has more than proven his place?

To be fair, I'm only targeting that at the smug fans with the 'We Won!!' attitude.
Of which there are plenty.This is a vibe I'm getting as well, now that rebirth is coming closer.

[Buried Alien]

Can you honestly say you can't see that exact same attitude from many of the Barry Allen fans crowing over the return of their hero, at the expense of Wally who has more than proven his place?

That doesn't justify anyone on either side taking pleasure in others' dissatisfaction.



Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Ilash]

Haha, I was waiting for BA to weigh in on that particular post.

[Darrell D.]

That doesn't justify anyone on either side taking pleasure in others' dissatisfaction.



Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

Whose dissatisfaction? The only dissatisfied fans in this will be the Wally West fans. Barry Allen will be THE FLASH! And Wally will be be ...um, the FLASH?

[Alex Smith]

Wally is going to get renamed. Which after 20 years is a ridiculous idea. I just hope Johns doesn't make Wally look like as much of a schmuck as he did Kyle Rayner.

[Kaos]

Everyones getting ass raped for the Flash mantle, Bart gets killed and Wally gets sent off into the corner to think about what he's done.

[TheAmazingSpidey]

Put me down for Barry getting a new identity. I want Wally to stay as Flash.

[Kelson]

In the early '60s, Marvel was operating under the concept that it was better to have three-digit numbers. Maybe it was reassuring to the fans to know that they were buying into a stable comic that would be around for some time to come, instead of something that just got started and might get cancelled soon.

DC was operating on the same concept back then. Closer to home, when they relaunched the Flash with Barry Allen, they picked up the numbering from the old Flash Comics and started with #105.

[Kelson]

Just out of curiousity... does Jay Garrick officially have a public identity? I mean, does the general public call him Jay Garrick when he is fighting crime?

They know who he is -- he went public with his identity in The Flash Spectacular 1978 (which is included in the "Flash: Greatest Stories Ever Told" collection that came out last year) -- but they still call him The Flash when he's in costume.

[Kelson]

Wally is going to get renamed. Which after 20 years is a ridiculous idea.

Do we actually know that, though? He's getting a new costume, but I could swear reading somewhere that EVS outright stated at some convention that he'll still be called the Flash at the end.

Personally, I wouldn't have minded if Wally had gotten a significantly new costume at any point in the last 20 years, as long as it didn't happen at the point that Barry came back wearing the old one. The timing makes it too much like he's being pushed aside so that he won't get mistaken for the "real" Flash.


I just hope Johns doesn't make Wally look like as much of a schmuck as he did Kyle Rayner.

This, especially extended to other writers who may handle the character, is more of a concern.

[Ian J.N.]

Personally, I wouldn't have minded if Wally had gotten a significantly new costume at any point in the last 20 years...
I'd go so far as to say Wally should have gotten a significantly different costume. Wally's progression has been from kid sidekick to reluctant successor to self-actualized hero. Does a slightly different, Barry Allen costume convey growth and individuality? Not so much.


...as long as it didn't happen at the point that Barry came back wearing the old one. The timing makes it too much like he's being pushed aside so that he won't get mistaken for the "real" Flash.
It depends how they handle it, I think. Perhaps Wally wore the uniform primarily to honor Barry's memory, i.e., the costume represents Barry Allen, not the Flash legacy in general.

[JamesJesse]

I'm not basing this on any facts, just an idea...

Maybe both Barry and Wally WILL take on the Flash Mantle, and wear the same costume. But not tell the public nor the villains that there are two Flashes. They'd be unstoppable. If you thought The Flash could be at several places at once before, well then even more so now.

But that might prove a limited time novelty... only good for maybe one story arc or so.

[Kid Impulse]

Why does Wally need a new costume? It's not his fault people can't tell the difference between the two?

[Lupek]

I haven't read Flash comics in a long time so forgive me if this is a bad theory...but what if Wally winds up being the Flash of the future, by way of the Cosmic Treadmill and Zoom or somethin'. Wally could be the The Flash in one book set in the future (or throughout time), and Barry The Flash in the book set in the present.

A while ago in an interview, I have a fuzzy memory of Dan Dido saying that he didn't want to set ongoing books in different earths in the multiverse or in elseworlds because he thought it was a hard sell for an ongoing. But he hinted that there was one thing they might try. Well I don't remember any books coming out or announced to come out that are set in an alternate reality different from current continuity. Maybe alternate timeline is what he meant and we get a future Flash book.

Just a whacky theory.

[AlistairCrane]

kyle seems like a pretty generic character from what i've read.


Obviously you haven't read enough.

[HaroldAllnut]

Am I the only one who's still miffed that DC unjustly slaughtered Bart?


Wally is going to get renamed. Which after 20 years is a ridiculous idea. I just hope Johns doesn't make Wally look like as much of a schmuck as he did Kyle Rayner.

I second that. Again, I reiterate my utter disgust for the cheapening of Hal Jordan and Barry Allen via resurrection.


Everyones getting ass raped for the Flash mantle, Bart gets killed and Wally gets sent off into the corner to think about what he's done.
Put me down for Barry getting a new identity. I want Wally to stay as Flash.

It is quite disconcerting to see the sheer bad luck, especially in Bart's case, that befalls those who inherit the mantle of the Flash. It seems that Jay Garrick is the only one who has had a fairly mellow time in his tenure as the Flash.


I'm not basing this on any facts, just an idea...

Maybe both Barry and Wally WILL take on the Flash Mantle, and wear the same costume. But not tell the public nor the villains that there are two Flashes. They'd be unstoppable. If you thought The Flash could be at several places at once before, well then even more so now.

But that might prove a limited time novelty... only good for maybe one story arc or so.

Yeah, I've been posting about this for awhile now. I think it would be interesting to see The Flash become a JSA-for-speedsters title. What I mean to say is that I'm sure Geoff Johns could do a fantastic job writing a book that focuses on not one, not two, not three, but FOUR Flashes doing their stuff in the DCU. He'd riff on the generational differences and strong interpersonal relationships between the three generations of The Flash: Jay, Barry, Wally, and Bart.

[Ilash]

Am I the only one who's still miffed that DC unjustly slaughtered Bart?

I am too. But we're probably talking about different things. You're probably talking about his actual death, I'm talking about when they turned him into Kid Flash, which was, in my eyes, nothing short of full-scale character assassination. As Mark Waid said, his actual death was really just a mercy killing.

[Darrell D.]

I am too. But we're probably talking about different things. You're probably talking about his actual death, I'm talking about when they turned him into Kid Flash, which was, in my eyes, nothing short of full-scale character assassination. As Mark Waid said, his actual death was really just a mercy killing.

I think after the dust clears, Bart will be back as Impulse. I think Geoff Johns likes Bart, even if he doesn't have a clue how to write him.

[Ilash]

I think after the dust clears, Bart will be back as Impulse. I think Geoff Johns likes Bart, even if he doesn't have a clue how to write him.

Yup and I was surprised to hear in a Mark Waid Wordballoon interview that both he and Geoff protested turning Impulse into Kid Flash. But, based on his work in the Teen Titans, I hope that Bart is one character that Geoff doesn't write.