Running to the Past
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Scott Kolins
Colors: Michael Atiyeh
Letters: Rob Clark Jr.
Cover: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
Editors: Adam Schlagman & Eddie Berganza
Our cover is a simple, yet effective shot of Barry Allen turning into the Flash. As I've said before, I absolutely love Manapul's style, so I cherish every chance I get to post some of his work on this blog. I'm a little let down by Barry's grumpy face here, but at least he doesn't look evil like Ethan Van Sciver would draw. I took this image from dc.fandom.com since DC hasn't digitized this issue yet, which really surprises me.
Unlike previous Secret Files and Origins issue, this is not an oversized issue with one main story, several backup stories and a bunch of profile pages and timelines. This issue only has one story and a handful of profile pages. And everything about this issue is setting up the new monthly Flash series by Johns and Manapul. So the Rogues each got an individual profile page, but the Flash family all got crammed together, given minuscule blurbs that don't say anything we don't already know. It's hinted that Max Mercury might travel through time again, but nothing will come of that. And it says that Bart will soon join the Teen Titans, which seemed pretty obvious. So we'll only be dealing with the main story here.
Barry has a nightmare where he's a little kid getting picked on by bullies. His mom takes him to the comic shop to cheer him up, but she suddenly disappears right before his eyes. Barry wakes up at 3:05 a.m., and doesn't want to wake his wife, Iris, so he begins puttering around the house, but no time has passed. He eventually throws on his Flash uniform and runs out to his childhood house, which is abandoned and in disrepair. Barry remembers the fateful day of coming home to find his mother dead and lying in a pool of her own blood. Suddenly, Jay Garrick shows up at the house.
Jay says he was somehow drawn to Barry, able to feel his distress through the Speed Force. Barry laments that he's not as adept at time travel as Eobard Thawne, explaining that every time he tried to go back in time to change history, he ended up centuries off course or in a parallel world. Jay urges Barry to focus on the present and the future, and reminds Barry that he's not alone. Right on cue, they're joined by Jesse Quick, Bart Allen, Wally and Irey West and Max Mercury. Bart says he doesn't know why they're all here, and he asks if everything is OK. Barry gladly gives them all a big hug and tells them everything's going to be great. He then returns home and falls asleep next to his wife at 3:06 a.m.
At 3:07 a.m., the Rogues have broken into Sam Scudder's old glass factory five miles outside of Central City. Captain Cold leads them to Sam's old contingency plan — a massive mirror labeled "In case the Flash returns break glass." Trickster eagerly asks, "So ... are we gonna break it or what?"
I don't really much to say about this issue. It's your usual Johns-Kolins collaboration on the Flash, so you know it's a well-put-together comic book. I do think it's a bit odd, however, how all the speedsters were drawn to Barry just because he was feeling slightly upset. On one hand, it's kind of sweet to think of the Flash family being able to sense when one of their own is distressed. But on the other hand, this has never happened before or since. And I'm kind of glad for that. It would be kind of ridiculous for the entire Flash family to constantly show up for every little conflict, fight and moment of self doubt.
And in one year, Barry will completely ignore this heart-warming moment and go against all better judgment to run back in time to try to save his mom from Eobard Thawne, creating Flashpoint. In more ways than one, this little story will quickly be completely negated. So it kind of makes this whole comic completely pointless.
Next time, we'll see Kid Flash and Superboy finally return to the Teen Titans.
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