April 2008

Twenty-three years in the making, DC is gearing up for the seven-issue mini-series Final Crisis spearheaded by Grant Morrison and bringing the DC Universe back full-circle.  Jack Kirby’s New Gods and the troublesome Anti-Life Equation will take center stage in the mini-series.  Since its announcement the forthcoming mini-series has teased readers with promises of changes in several key DC characters including Batman, and, even more shocking, the possible return of the Silver Age’s first super-hero.  Intrigued?  Check out the Full Diagnosis for more!

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Ever since his death in issue #8 of Crisis on Infinite Earths DC has teased fans will the possible return of Barry Allen.  Marv Wolfman, who authored the twelve-issue maxi-series helped this along by hinting he had left a loophole which will allow Barry to be brought back.

In Flash issues #74-79 “The Return of Barry Allen” promised to bring back the Scarlet Speedster only to quickly pull the rug out from happy fans and have the returned Barry Allen not be Barry at all (instead a confused Professor Zoom from the future, sigh!).

DC has occasionally dropped in a time travel story to use the character like the recent issue of Booster Gold or taking on his deranged twin brother who had become the super-villain Cobalt Blue during his short stay in the 30th Century before his death.

DC teased us again, marking the 20th anniversary of his death Barry would be given an appearance in issue #3 of Infinite Crisis momentarily reaching out of the Speed Force to help subdue Superboy Prime.

Where many fans, and comic writers themselves, weren’t happy with the death of Supergirl in Crisis, they saw the need in relaunching the character of Superman as the sole survivor of Krypton.  The death of Barry Allen would be a much more divisive issue, still to this day.

DC has teased us for years about a possible return; so why should this time be different?  In the recent marketing of the series DC announced issue #3 of Final Crisis will include the Flash trying to outrun Death himself (hint?).  After announcing in February edition of DC Nation (#100) that the third issue of Final Crisis is “a comic so important it will be gone in a flash,” in the April edition of DC Nation (#108) Dan DiDio addressed many of the rumors about Final Crisis.  Here’s what he wrote:

Is Barry returning, and if so will it be a simple cameo like in Infinite Crisis, or is the Silver Age Flash coming back for good?  And, the more important question, should he?

For the better part of two decades I wanted Barry to return and each time DC would tease me I became more and more disappointed.  Finally I accepted Barry’s death, perhaps the most heroic death in the history of comic books (unlike Hal Jordan’s ill-conceived misadventures known as the Ron Marz years).  I warmed up to Wally West due mainly to his constant mission to live-up to Barry’s example.  DC never forgot the hero; they made him a legend.  DC seems to have waited too long and missed the right moment to bring Barry back.

Where does Barry Allen fit in the current DC Universe?  What does that mean for Wally?  Is this simply a stunt to momentarily satisfy fans (like the brief glimpse of him in Infinite Crisis) or is he returning for good?  If it’s the former I’m disappointed, and if it’s the later I’m confused.  Don’t get me wrong, I’d be happy to get Barry back, but unless he’s going to become a vital part of the DCU once again I’d rather they leave well-enough alone.