Happy 75th Anniversary, Flash!

The Flash first appeared on newsstands in November 1939, 75 years ago this month. The exact date is difficult to establish, but November 20th seems to be the one most people are going for-although DC, predictably, have decreed that his actual anniversary is January 2015, since January was the cover date. Happy anniversary, Jay Garrick: no doubt DC will turn the whole thing into a celebration of that johnny-come-lately with the red cowl, but some of us remember who started it all!

tony ingram wrote:Happy anniversary, Jay Garrick

I always though the GA Flash has a much cooler costume. Happy Anniversary, for sure!

Mbast1 wrote:

tony ingram wrote:Happy anniversary, Jay Garrick

I always though the GA Flash has a much cooler costume. Happy Anniversary, for sure!

He does. How can you not respect a man in a winged hat?

tony ingram wrote:The Flash first appeared on newsstands in November 1939, 75 years ago this month. The exact date is difficult to establish, but November 20th seems to be the one most people are going for-although DC, predictably, have decreed that his actual anniversary is January 2015, since January was the cover date. Happy anniversary, Jay Garrick: no doubt DC will turn the whole thing into a celebration of that johnny-come-lately with the red cowl, . . .

You mean Wally?

MajorHoy wrote:

tony ingram wrote:The Flash first appeared on newsstands in November 1939, 75 years ago this month. The exact date is difficult to establish, but November 20th seems to be the one most people are going for-although DC, predictably, have decreed that his actual anniversary is January 2015, since January was the cover date. Happy anniversary, Jay Garrick: no doubt DC will turn the whole thing into a celebration of that johnny-come-lately with the red cowl, . . .

You mean Wally?

No, the other one. The boring one.

tony ingram wrote: . . . although DC, predictably, have decreed that his actual anniversary is January 2015, since January was the cover date. Happy anniversary, Jay Garrick: no doubt DC will turn the whole thing into a celebration of that johnny-come-lately with the red cowl, but some of us remember who started it all!

And, unfortunately, they pretty much did focus on Barry for that.

The best Jay could do was:

an appearance on one variant cover.  

Here's hoping he'll return (and stay around) by at least his 80th anniversary.

I'm still optimistic!

tony ingram wrote:I'm still optimistic!

I'd dial that down a little to just "hopeful" these days.

Maybe they'll bring Jay back when they've finished dealing with the fallout from bringing Wally back.

Lucy McGough wrote:Maybe they'll bring Jay back when they've finished dealing with the fallout from bringing Wally back.

I think you're right.

The thing is, after the fake-out they pulled with Jay's return in "The Button" crossover (He's back! No, wait, he's gone again!), I don't know if/how likely it would be to have Jay play any major part in Flash War. It would be nice if he was included, but it would also make it seem like "The Button" appearance was a cruel joke on us desperate fans.

I think he'll come back after Flash War.

MajorHoy wrote:The thing is, after the fake-out they pulled with Jay's return in "The Button" crossover (He's back! No, wait, he's gone again!), I don't know if/how likely it would be to have Jay play any major part in Flash War. It would be nice if he was included, but it would also make it seem like "The Button" appearance was a cruel joke on us desperate fans.

I didn't see it as "fake-out", and certainly not as a cruel joke. It was part of the build-up to a storyline, a long term plan. Your priority is them getting the character back in play as soon as possible, and I suspect that everything else to do with the storyline is largely irrelevant to you. But their priority is telling a story over the long term and, being a business, selling as many comics a possible while doing it. That's not unreasonable. It's how they make their living, after all! Like it or not, it's now standard practice for writers to plan out story arcs well in advance that will take several years to come to fruition.

tony ingram wrote:

MajorHoy wrote:The thing is, after the fake-out they pulled with Jay's return in "The Button" crossover (He's back! No, wait, he's gone again!), I don't know if/how likely it would be to have Jay play any major part in Flash War. It would be nice if he was included, but it would also make it seem like "The Button" appearance was a cruel joke on us desperate fans.

I didn't see it as "fake-out", and certainly not as a cruel joke. It was part of the build-up to a storyline, a long term plan. Your priority is them getting the character back in play as soon as possible, and I suspect that everything else to do with the storyline is largely irrelevant to you. But their priority is telling a story over the long term and, being a business, selling as many comics a possible while doing it. That's not unreasonable. It's how they make their living, after all! Like it or not, it's now standard practice for writers to plan out story arcs well in advance that will take several years to come to fruition.

With the cover-hype and everything, that to me makes a difference.
If it was a part of a story where they weren't pushing his return for several months in advance, or it was at least just a variant cover image, I could maybe buy in to your argument. But not with how they actually did this in the final version, plus the fact that a year later we're . . . ?

MajorHoy wrote:

tony ingram wrote:

MajorHoy wrote:The thing is, after the fake-out they pulled with Jay's return in "The Button" crossover (He's back! No, wait, he's gone again!), I don't know if/how likely it would be to have Jay play any major part in Flash War. It would be nice if he was included, but it would also make it seem like "The Button" appearance was a cruel joke on us desperate fans.

I didn't see it as "fake-out", and certainly not as a cruel joke. It was part of the build-up to a storyline, a long term plan. Your priority is them getting the character back in play as soon as possible, and I suspect that everything else to do with the storyline is largely irrelevant to you. But their priority is telling a story over the long term and, being a business, selling as many comics a possible while doing it. That's not unreasonable. It's how they make their living, after all! Like it or not, it's now standard practice for writers to plan out story arcs well in advance that will take several years to come to fruition.

With the cover-hype and everything, that to me makes a difference.
If it was a part of a story where they weren't pushing his return for several months in advance, or it was at least just a variant cover image, I could maybe buy in to your argument. But not with how they actually did this in the final version, plus the fact that a year later we're . . . ?

But we already knew the JSA would not be back until at least Doomsday Clock, so it was never likely to be more than a way of keeping the momentum of the ongoing story going. They were never really likely to bring Jay back without the rest of his team. You're focusing on the return of the JSA as though it's simply a thing in itself, because it's what you're interested in, but as far as DC are concerned it's just one component of a several years long story arc that began with the Rebirth one-shot, was building up to Doomsday Clock, and may well end up being resolved in a project yet to be formally announced. Bits and pieces of it are unfolding at different rates, like Wally West's story in Flash and Titans. The Legion thing with Saturn Girl is only now being addressed, too.

tony ingram wrote:But we already knew the JSA would not be back until at least Doomsday Clock,

Did we?
The Flash #22 came out May 17, 2017.
Doomsday Clock wasn't specifically being mentioned until about that same time.
(It only seems like an eternity ago . . . )

tony ingram wrote:You're focusing on the return of the JSA as though it's simply a thing in itself, because it's what you're interested in, but as far as DC are concerned it's just one component of a several years long story arc that began with the Rebirth one-shot, was building up to Doomsday Clock, and may well end up being resolved in a project yet to be formally announced. Bits and pieces of it are unfolding at different rates, . . .

Slowly, like a form of torture?
And, yes, I may be focusing just on the JSA's return, but when they first teased that in DC Universe: Rebirth #1 in May of 2016 and, two years later, we're still not seemingly anywhere closer to learning more beyond mentions and hints, I get tired of just promises, promises without the actual reward.
DC may be calculating that people will hang on longer and keep buying their comics, but I'm buying less and less and just about ready to give up on them AGAIN.

MajorHoy wrote:The thing is, after the fake-out they pulled with Jay's return in "The Button" crossover (He's back! No, wait, he's gone again!), I don't know if/how likely it would be to have Jay play any major part in Flash War. It would be nice if he was included, but it would also make it seem like "The Button" appearance was a cruel joke on us desperate fans.

Next week will mark the last chapter in Flash War.

The lightning-fueled finale of “Flash War”! Zoom adapts two new Speed Force powers into his arsenal against both Barry Allen and Wally West. What are these strange new powers? What can they do? And how will this haunt the Scarlet Speedster long after “Flash War” is over? It’s the power of two Flashes pitted against the seemingly unstoppable Hunter Zolomon!
Art and Cover by: Howard Porter
Variant cover by: Francesco Mattina
Written by: Joshua Williamson
Page Count: 40
U.S. Price: $3.99
On Sale Date: Jul 11 2018

https://www.dccomics.com/comics/the-flash-2016/the-flash-50

Wonder if Jay will show up (and stay around?) in that issue?

Variant cover:

I think it's more likely Jay will return when the rest of the JSA do, though we may get Jesse, Max and Bart back. I've been enjoying this story a lot, though

Well, I've now read Flash #50 and thoroughly enjoyed it. Nice twist at the end, as just when we thought it had all ended in misery and anticlimax

Spoiler:

Ok, it may not have been the result Wally West was hoping for, but I'm happy with it...

Me too! A welcome antidote to all the angst (an angstidote?).

from All-Star Squadron Annual No. 1 (1982):

Poor Jay Garrick. He's got no neck

from Secret Origins #9 (December 1986):

That was one of my favourite books of the eighties.

tony ingram wrote:That was one of my favourite books of the eighties.

Yeah, I loved how we got to revisit all the origins of the Golden Age characters in that series.
(Unfortunately, I'm not sure how much of Roy's work was eventually discarded by later writers . . .)

MajorHoy wrote:

tony ingram wrote:That was one of my favourite books of the eighties.

Yeah, I loved how we got to revisit all the origins of the Golden Age characters in that series.
(Unfortunately, I'm not sure how much of Roy's work was eventually discarded by later writers . . .)

Surprisingly little, I think. One notable exception being Captain Marvel, whose origin was revised three times in eight years...

tony ingram wrote:

MajorHoy wrote:

tony ingram wrote:That was one of my favourite books of the eighties.

Yeah, I loved how we got to revisit all the origins of the Golden Age characters in that series.
(Unfortunately, I'm not sure how much of Roy's work was eventually discarded by later writers . . .)

Surprisingly little, I think. One notable exception being Captain Marvel, whose origin was revised three times in eight years...

I know Roy's version of Crimson Avenger and his history of Wes Dodds have not survived without changes. With Wes, Roy had killed off Dian Belmont as an explanation for why Wes changed his Sandman costume to the purple-and-gold version and gained his sidekick Sandy, but years later (after Wes' new stories in Sandman Mystery Theatre) Dian was still alive in the 1990s (as seen in James Robinson's Starman).
As for Lee Travis / The Crimson Avenger, he seemed to have a bit of an origin shift in Golden Age Secret Files & Origins #1 (2001) from the version Roy Thomas first told in Secret Origins #5.

MajorHoy wrote:

tony ingram wrote:

MajorHoy wrote:

tony ingram wrote:That was one of my favourite books of the eighties.

Yeah, I loved how we got to revisit all the origins of the Golden Age characters in that series.
(Unfortunately, I'm not sure how much of Roy's work was eventually discarded by later writers . . .)

Surprisingly little, I think. One notable exception being Captain Marvel, whose origin was revised three times in eight years...

I know Roy's version of Crimson Avenger and his history of Wes Dodds have not survived without changes. With Wes, Roy had killed off Dian Belmont as an explanation for why Wes changed his Sandman costume to the purple-and-gold version and gained his sidekick Sandy, but years later (after Wes' new stories in Sandman Mystery Theatre) Dian was still alive in the 1990s (as seen in James Robinson's Starman).
As for Lee Travis / The Crimson Avenger, he seemed to have a bit of an origin shift in Golden Age Secret Files & Origins #1 (2001) from the version Roy Thomas first told in Secret Origins #5.

I remember the Sandman revision, but I'll have to check out the Secret Files issue. Must admit, I never paid that much attention to the Crimson's history...

Page 1 of a story from All-Flash #22 (April-May 1946):


Page 1 of the same story with a different artist re-doing the artwork thirty years later, as presented in DC Super-Stars #5 (July 1976).

I thik I prefer the original. The Rico Rival art is bland by comparison.

from All-Flash Quarterly #1 (Summer 1941):

tony ingram wrote:I thik I prefer the original. The Rico Rival art is bland by comparison.

There was another story from All-Flash #22 (April-May 1946) that was redone:


and the redraw version for Four Star Spectacular #1 (March-April 1976)


though I don't know if the quality issues they were saying were a problem were with the original art (drawing) itself or the condition of whatever they may have had available to reproduce it from. (We are talking over forty years ago when they were doing this).

I suspect the original art could not be reproduced to the necessary standard.

tony ingram wrote:I suspect the original art could not be reproduced to the necessary standard.

Especially in the days before decent computers were available.

(The Apple Computer Company wasn't officially founded until 1976, and personal computers were also in their infancy back then.)

from History of the DC Universe Book 1 (1986):

from DC Special Series #11: The Flash Spectacular (1978):

OK, interesting developments in the latest Flash Annual, as the returned Bart Allen searches for Max, Jay and Jesse...and confirms that he is indeed the same version of Bart who was once both Flash and Kid Flash!

In December Previews there is the solicitation for very special issue of Flash, # 750 for only (!) $ 7.99 but is a prestige format, anyway...
While I let Wonder Woman # 750 let go at $ 9.99 I think I'll take this one, here's the solicitation:
THE FLASH #750
“THE FLASH AGE” BEGINS!
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON, GEOFF JOHNS (!) , MICHAEL MORECI, MARV WOLFMAN, FRANCIS MANAPUL and others.
Art by RAFA SANDOVAL, JORDI TARRAGONA, SCOTT KOLINS, STEPHEN SEGOVIA, DAVID MARQUEZ, BRYAN HITCH, FRANCIS MANAPUL, RILEY ROSSMO, and others (!).
Cover by HOWARD PORTER
Blank variant cover available
Beginning: “The Flash Age”! The story we’ve been building toward since issue #50 comes to a head! While a supercharged Speed Force wreaks havoc on Barry Allen’s life, a new threat appears on the horizon in the form of the deadly Paradox. Destined to destroy the Flash’s legacy, Paradox sends his herald, Godspeed, to trap the Flash family! Plus, in this special anniversary issue: tales from across the generations of super-speedsters by an all-star lineup of writers and artists!

Barry_Allen wrote:In December Previews there is the solicitation for very special issue of Flash, # 750 for only (!) $ 7.99 but is a prestige format, anyway...
While I let Wonder Woman # 750 let go at $ 9.99 I think I'll take this one, here's the solicitation:
THE FLASH #750
“THE FLASH AGE” BEGINS!
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON, GEOFF JOHNS (!) , MICHAEL MORECI, MARV WOLFMAN, FRANCIS MANAPUL and others.
Art by RAFA SANDOVAL, JORDI TARRAGONA, SCOTT KOLINS, STEPHEN SEGOVIA, DAVID MARQUEZ, BRYAN HITCH, FRANCIS MANAPUL, RILEY ROSSMO, and others (!).
Cover by HOWARD PORTER
Blank variant cover available
Beginning: “The Flash Age”! The story we’ve been building toward since issue #50 comes to a head! While a supercharged Speed Force wreaks havoc on Barry Allen’s life, a new threat appears on the horizon in the form of the deadly Paradox. Destined to destroy the Flash’s legacy, Paradox sends his herald, Godspeed, to trap the Flash family! Plus, in this special anniversary issue: tales from across the generations of super-speedsters by an all-star lineup of writers and artists!

That sounds...unmissable, frankly!

MajorHoy wrote:

tony ingram wrote:

Mbast1 wrote:I thought Tony might enjoy this:

https://www.cbr.com/flash-750-sneak-peek-jay-garrick/

YES!!!

. . . don't forget the variant covers for issue #750 (including the Nicola Scott 1940s variant cover): https://www.previewsworld.com/Article/239426-The-Flash-750-Features-a-Series-of-Decade-Variant-Covers-by-Comics-Greatest-Artists

Finally made it to the comic book shop this week (though it had reopened towards the end of May) and decided to pick up a copy of #750 (with the Nicola Scott cover of course).




Not sure when I'll finally get to reading it, but st least I have a copy now.

MajorHoy wrote:Finally made it to the comic book shop this week (though it had reopened towards the end of May) and decided to pick up a copy of #750 (with the Nicola Scott cover of course).




Not sure when I'll finally get to reading it, but st least I have a copy now.

Also noticed that DC is now releasing a "Deluxe Edition Hardcover" version for issue #750.

The Flash #750 Deluxe Edition
Written by Joshua Williamson, Geoff Johns, Marv Wolfman
Illustrated by Bryan Hitch, Francis Manapul
Hardcover
$17.99 US
DC Comics
7.41"W x 11.16"H x 0.46"D     |   15 oz  
On sale Jul 07, 2020  |  128 Pages  |  978-1-77950-507-1

https://www.penguinrandomhouseretail.com/book/?isbn=9781779505071

from Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Vol. VIII (October 1985)

Jay features quite heavily again in this weeks issue of Flash, and they've also brought back yet more of the extended Flash family, albeit briefly!