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BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO One of DC Comics most beloved speedsters is returning! Barry Allen, the Silver Age Flash, is back! According to the New York Daily News, Flash is set to make his reappearance in the pages of DC Universe # 0.
It's not uncommon for superheroes to die and return to comics a few years later, but Barry Allen was one of the few DC heroes who died in the Crisis on Infinite Earths and failed to make a resurrection in the 23 years since that 1985 maxiseries changed the face of the DCU.
Fans speculated that the hero was the Flash that the Legion of Super-Heroes came to retrieve in the Lightning Saga that raced through the pages of Justice League of America and Justice Society of America last year. Others hoped that when the Countdown to the Final Crisis was over, the fan-favorite would return.
Both Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns, two of the men responsible for the return of Barry Allen; said why they thought the hero needed to make an appearance now. Johns told the Daily News, "When the greatest evil comes back to the DC Universe, the greatest hero needed to return." Morrison likened Flash to a modern day god. Morrison commented in the article, "People are doing more everyday, moving faster and I think the Flash can be their hero. I do think he's a superhero for now."
The Flash returns in the last panel of DC Universe # 0, which should be in stores this week. DC Universe # 0 is from Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, George Pérez, Tony Daniel, J.G. Jones, Aaron Lopresti, Ivan Reis, Philip Tan and Carlos Pacheco.
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Barry was always one of my heroes, and someone in the superhero community that I could always identify with. God knows, I'm slow enough . . .
But I was just thinking the other day--after All Star Superman, what would I like to see Grant Morrison write next? I swear, the very first thing that came to mind was "the Barry Allen Flash." This is *really* cool!
Posts: 202 | Registered: Aug 2004
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I gotta say this pisses me off. Not that he's returning but that you would spoil it in the headline and then put a tiny little spoiler warning below it. I saw the headline on CBR and didn't read the article because I didn't want to know what happened before I read it and then I come here to check the stories and get slapped in the face with it.
Posts: 151 | Registered: Mar 2003
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...in defense of the author of this article(not that she needs defending), really did anyone not know Barry Allen wasn't coming back...give me a break...big babies. No one stays dead anymore...its comic book kids.
Posts: 94 | Registered: Mar 2006
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I mean, I liked his sacrifice in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. We have Wally West being Flash right now in JLA. We have Jay Garrick in the JSA. We had Bart, who also just made a sacrifice.
I used to say we have Bucky, Jason Todd and Barry Allen who still remained dead after their deaths in comics. Now, I try to think and Uncle Ben seems to be one of the only characters to stay dead -- and he wasn't a costumed superhero.
What heroes have actually stood dead? I guess techincally Captain Marvel still counts ...
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Uncle Ben AND Gwen Stacy! Methinks a pattern emerges... If you have a favourite supporting character in Spider-Man's life beware. If they die, they may actually stay dead!
-------------------- We ask merely a man's worth, not the accident of his condition. Posts: 28 | From: U.K. | Registered: Jan 2002
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If you think about it Barry's return makes sense, since his death paralleled the death of the multiverse...now with the rebirth he returns. How long before the original Supergirl returns from her CRISIS death. The new Supergirl is still a pale version of that character.
Posts: 94 | Registered: Mar 2006
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Well I would love that Kara to return and I'd love Helena Wayne to return, but I think that would only work if we have an Earth-2 again. If we have an Earth-2 again, what does that mean for the present state of the DCU?
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There's an Earth-2 story coming up in this summer's "Justice Society" Annual called "Welcome to Earth 2", so Helena Wayne will be returning...I'm kind of excited about that upcoming story.
Posts: 94 | Registered: Mar 2006
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I know there are tons of perfectly reasonable -- even utterly convincing -- arguments for letting dead characters, and especially this dead character, stay dead. However, I just hate that we've lost so many wonderful characters that I'm just happy when they come back. I just don't care what that does or doesn't do to "the bigger picture" or whatever. To me, the bigger picture is, why are all these characters I dig killed or otherwise eliminated?
That said, how "back" is Mr. Allen? Is he REALLY back, or is he making an *appearance* -- or *some* appearances?
Also, I didn't know he was coming back. He's the one character about whom DC always basically said, "Listen, he's not coming back -- just shut up" to fans. I bought that it was permanent, but I guess I shouldn't buy that ANY mainstream comic book death is without question permanent...
Matthew
Posts: 4993 | From: Seattle, WA USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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Well I am looking forward to the "Welcome to Earth-2" but ... if everyone who dies comes back, then how can you really get jazzed about a comic book story?
I remember being little and reading the Death of Jean. Then a few years later seeing Terra die. I was so moved. But I had no idea then that comic characters came back from the dead.
Now, when I see a character die, I keep thinking, "ok, this is only going to last until the next writer wants to bring him/her back."
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What I hope happens is Kara aka Powergirl goes to this Earth-2 and finds out it's not quiet the same earth or the same people she remembers...that would be a real cool take on it.
Posts: 94 | Registered: Mar 2006
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If we could go back to everything is like it was Pre-Crisis, like you know nothing these past 23 years happened; what from current continuity would you wish were kept?
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The Wonder Woman George Perez reboot without a doubt...in my mind his run was & is the definitive take on that character.
Posts: 94 | Registered: Mar 2006
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Always nice to see a publisher do a total cop-out on something. What this equates to is, “We’ve screwed up Wally West to the point where he isn’t popular anymore and we dropped the ball when we tried to segue into the Bart Allen character.”
I would have had no problem with more untold tales of the Flash (read Barry Allen).
One of the things I liked about DC was that they were able to still use the character by going back and telling (or retelling) stories about the early days of the Justice League or the like while still remaining true amd keeping Barry Allen dead. It makes the sacrafice the character made in Crisis all the more poignant and noble.
Thing is, Barry Allen was killed off because sales on The Flash weren’t particularly good. Then again it shouldn’t be that surprising in the context of Ollie Queen and Hal Jordan coming back from the dead too.
Posts: 506 | Registered: May 2001
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"If we could go back to everything is like it was Pre-Crisis, like you know nothing these past 23 years happened; what from current continuity would you wish were kept?"
Jen
--Nice, friendly, word-ballooning Krypto, for one! A Batman who knew how to smile and make the occasional wisecrack, for another. An unmarried Superman, but a married and happy Katar and Shayera Hol. J'onn J'onzz's new outfit is fine, but I wish HE still looked as he used to. Aquaman the way he was then. Adam Strange, Rann, and Thanagar the way they were.
Posts: 202 | Registered: Aug 2004
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I think the poster meant, if DC went back to the world you describe in your post, is there anything from TODAY'S comic books that you'd actually want to retain and place in that old DC-world.
Right?
Matthew
Posts: 4993 | From: Seattle, WA USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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Oh. Well, if that's the case . . . It depends on the writer, but in most cases, I think Superman has gotten better. Since Byrne, I feel he's become more three-dimensional and likeable as an individual.
The GL Corps has developed much more depth and resonance that it ever had before.
I always enjoy Batman's new technology.
Wonder Woman, as drawn by some artists, finally looks as hot as she was always supposed to be.
That's all that comes to mind. I think DC has kakked up more than it's improved.
Posts: 202 | Registered: Aug 2004
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"Wonder Woman, as drawn by some artists, finally looks as hot as she was always supposed to be."
Yes -- as well all know, Amazon Warrior Royalty should always parade around in bikini thongs.
I once talked to Greg Rucka -- early into his WW run, I believe -- and I told him I would start reading the title if he could get Diana out of that thing and into something less softcore porno. He said he'd been working on that and hoped to make it happen. I don't know if he meant it, but, as we know, this never happened.
Matthew
Posts: 4993 | From: Seattle, WA USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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While on the one hand I am personally and generally 100% in favor of the thong--on the right people--as a style or garment . . . I'd like to clarify that *I* said nothing about WW's costume, nor did I intend to emphasize or laud any abbreviation thereof. Neither did I mean solely that any artist's interpretation of her costume--and of how she was made in consequence to fit into--or bulge out of--it was the basis for my perception of her present level of hotness.
What I actually like most is her face and more athletic build, particularly as rendered by Adam Hughes and Aaron Lopresti in their cover art. At last, to me, she really looks like a "Wonder Woman," possessed of devastating physical charms as well as the ability to inflict damage and destruction on a large scale.
To grind the point even finer, I would be happy to see a new and entirely different costume; it actually makes me uncomfortable imagining Diana fighting all manner of super beings clad in nothing more than a bathing suit.
I'd also like to see the patriotic motif foregone. Captain America has a good reason to wear the flag, but Diana, as emissary at large to man's world, should display no allegiance or overt affiliation with any of the Earth's nations.
Posts: 202 | Registered: Aug 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Jennifer M. Contino: I kind of wish he wasn't coming back.
I mean, I liked his sacrifice in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. We have Wally West being Flash right now in JLA. We have Jay Garrick in the JSA. We had Bart, who also just made a sacrifice.
I used to say we have Bucky, Jason Todd and Barry Allen who still remained dead after their deaths in comics. Now, I try to think and Uncle Ben seems to be one of the only characters to stay dead -- and he wasn't a costumed superhero.
What heroes have actually stood dead? I guess techincally Captain Marvel still counts ...
Shoulda never been made dead to begin with. Totally unnecessary.
This rights a 23-year wrong.
Posts: 922 | Registered: Sep 1999
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quote:To me, the bigger picture is, why are all these characters I dig killed or otherwise eliminated?[/QB]
Amen.
DC has mutilated many of their icons for a splashy media headline and a brief bump in sales.
I have come to HATE the post-Crisis Monoverse. Modern writing is squandered on inferior revisions. Geoff Johns proves this every month with Hal Jordan. Hal didn't need replaced. He just needed creators who care.
Posts: 922 | Registered: Sep 1999
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Final, Final Crisis, get your comics here! Final, Final Crisis, got some comics here! Count on down to Final, get the comics here! You're going to need If we write or read Or even think about it.
Final, Final Crisis, get your comics here! Got a lot of Final Crisis comics here! Anything you read And we can make it absolutely clear!
A Crisis on a world... (That's all it is, and there's a lot of 'em!) That modifies a world... (Sometimes a world! Sometimes...) It modifies an adventure, Or else another comic. And so you see that it's positively, very, very, necessary.
Final, Final Crisis, get your comics here! Grant Morrison and Crisis selling comics here! Got a lot of comics and we make it clear, So come to Final!
(Hello, folks. This is Final Crisis, saying we have every comic in the book, so come down and look!) Hello, folks. Crisis Junior here. Suppose your hero needs paining.
How are you going to pain him? That's where the Crisis comes in. We can also give you a special intensifier so you can pain him very neatly or rather sloppily. Hi. Suppose you're going god-gathering. Your villain wants to know where and when. Use a Crisis and tell him.
Get your Crisis...
Use it with an adventure, it says much more. Anything described can be described some more. Anything you'd ever need is in the store. And so you choose very carefully Every world you use.
Use it on a world, it tells us how you did. Where it happened, where you're going, where you've been.
Use it with another comic at the end, and even more... How, where, or when, conditions or treason... These questions are answered When you use a Crisis...
Come and get it!
Final, Final Crisis, get your comics here! Quickly, quickly, quickly, get those comics here! Slowly surely really, learn your comics here! You're going need 'em, If we write or talk or think about it.
Final...
If it's a Crisis, we have it at Final! Bring along your old adventures, too, like slow, soft, and sure. We'll fit them with our "J.G." attachment, And make perfectly good comics out of them!
Get your comics here! Lots of good tricks at Final, so come on down! Final, Final Crisis! Crisis dealt with matter, place, time... Final, Final Crisis! Conditions, treason... Grant Morrison and Crisis! Comparison, contract... Final, Final Crisis! Enrich your language with comics! Final, Final Crisis! Besides, they're Absolute re-read! Final, Final Crisis! At your service! Indubitably!
Posts: 3510 | From: San Bruno | Registered: Aug 2002
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BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO 
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