The Flash
WhenThe flare : Rebirthput writer Joshua Williamson in explosive charge of Barry Allen ’s lot , sports fan knew the speedster was in good script . But after days of expanding the mythology of the Speed Force , and re - imaginingBatman ’s two best stories with Flash , Williamson ’s function has grown much , much bigger .
WithBatman / Supermanassembling a vitiated ground forces servingDC ’s most terrific villain in years , Williamson , along with James Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV , is plotting the time to come of the entire DC Universe . Screen Rant had the chance to speak with Williamson during NYCC to find out what ’s in store for The Flash ( both present day and far future ) , how friends are becoming enemies to Batman and Superman , and more . The full audience can be find below .
First thing first : they put Old Man Barry in Batman Beyond !
I lie with . I recognise . It was super weird . They did n’t severalise me until I see the cover charge . And I was like , ' Well , that makes sensation . ' It ’s hunky-dory because of the clobber that ’s coming up in our plan . Because the mind is that even though the timeline reset itself after Year One , Barry still grows up into Old Barry , so he would still be around . I mean it ’s nerveless . I feel like people liked him and like his look . So we ’re not done with him .
Was that the first sentence you ’ve had that feeling of , ' I ’m now one of the guys who ’s created hooey that ’s croak to be used for years ' ?
Yeah , I ’m unquiet about it . With Barry you ca n’t be , but … Bendis call me one day and was like , ' You ’ve come to be zen about these thing . ' You work in these giant dealership thing … the only one that I ’m a little raw about is Godspeed . He ’s the only one I ’m a little like , ' Let me know if someone ’s going to use him . ' They ’ve try a twosome times , and I ’m just like , ' Please do n’t . ' I consider they were going to do something with a prison break , so they were like , ' Can we use Iron Heights ? ' I was like , ' No , I ’m literally going to be using it and I demand all the people in Iron Heights . ' I seek to cooperate . But I cerebrate the trick is that if you have an actual level , then you could advance out . Not if you ’re just like , ' No I do n’t want you to . ' Godspeed ii the only one I ’m sore about . I do n’t want anyone else prove , not just yet . Not until I catch him to a sure place , and then it will be , ' Go for it . '
The last time we talked , I asked how you could turn Billy Batson evilness .
[ Laughs ]
Now I fuck in that moment , and as Jim Gordon was revealed , and Supergirl was break , going through all of that . You were just conceive , ' hold back until Issue # 2 when Superman turns evil . ' That minute when The Batman Who Laughs sustain his old buddy back , where is his head at in this point of the story ? Because this is basically the Superman he never got to create .
Well I mean listen , if you’re – think about it from The Batman Who Laughs ' perspective . On his humanity he was a member of the Justice League , he had his whole Batman kin , and he kill all of them off . Because his thing is , ' I vote down whatever I think could scramble me . ' But there ’s a part of him that call back maybe he might have been too rushed in that decision . Because he did n’t get to use those people . Now he ’s here so he ’s like , ' Who can I use ? ' It really came from the thought of just … if you ’re The Batman Who Laughs , if you desire to create an US Army that ’s travel to go up against not just the heroes of the DCU , but also the villains – who do you get ? The solution ’s obvious : Superman . That ’s the first one you go after . So why would n’t he ? Why would n’t that be the first soul he would go after ?
He goes and he develop Shazam and some of the others first , but it ’s all strategical . Every character was pick for strategic reason . So with Blue Beetle , with Jaime , he picked him because he knew people would undervalue him . He have intercourse that masses do n’t realize how brawny Blue Beetle is , and how great a Cuban sandwich he is . So he thinks , ' If I can get him , they ’re go to underrate him . They ’re just going to see him as some child . ' So that ’s part of it , and also there ’s the technology expression because of the Scarab . give way to get Donna Troy , because Donna Troy is a Titan , and he knows that would hurt the heroes , to know that he root for in one of the Titans . And because Donna ’s angry , you do it ? She ’s mad about everything that ’s been going on with the Titans . So he ’s able to go with her because he knows what that would mean to everybody . And then Shazam , you go back to Underworld Unleashed that Mark Waid and Howard Porter did , you see that Neron was trying to vitiate Superman because he was the most pure . But it was n’t . It was Shazam . I wanted to go back to that theme , that if you’re able to tainted Shazam , who is one of the most powerful and one of the most pure , you’re able to pervert anybody . So it was really a show of military group . Which is also why he ’s the first we revealed .
Supergirl I ca n’t get into too much because it ’s too spoilery for stuff that in reality hap in the book . Gordon was kind of built - in , because of material that was go on in The Batman Who Laughs . We knew he was going to infect somebody who would hurt Batman . Someone who Batman is close to . And then Hawkman because of his connecter with the Dark Multiverse . We already established all that stuff with him right smart back during [ Dark Nights : Metal ] and the theme that he had been connected with Barbatos , connected with The Batman Who Laughs . That was the boastful motivating there . Hawkman is one of the greatest warrior in the DCU , so if you need a warrior , a storage tank , you need somebody you could use as a weapon , this is who you get . So I sense like it was strategic . We saw it like Batman Who Laughs . Who would I go after if I needed people who could help me get ahead ? And we wanted to be surprising , that ’s part of it . There ’s a unearthly admixture of obvious and not obvious .
There ’s just the littlest tip that Billy gives that … it is n’t just as simple as wrick evil .
It ’s not , yeah . There ’s definitely a series of one - shots to support some of that stuff . It ’s not just like you ’re turn evil or twisted . You ’re giving in to your worst nerve impulse , and this side of yourself that ’s selfish and mean . It ’s like what Scott was verbalise about … how you may do what ’s right or what ’s wrong , but sometimes there ’s a hoary arena where you may make a determination . To be uncaring , selfish , and not caring about people , and only caring about yourself . That ’s what ’s happen to them . bet at Donna , she is so angry about what ’s happened with the Titans . She blames the adult superheroes , She ’s an grownup , you get laid , but she blames Batman and Superman . So when she proceed up against them that ’s what she ’s disturbed about .
It ’s funny because we ’ve only see Shazam so far , because he ’s a 13 or 14 year - old kid , right ? So you ’re seeing this edge - lord variant of a teenager who all of a sudden is just like , ' I ’m fit to get going curse ! ' That ’s why I wrote him the path I did . Like , permit ’s compose him as a Thomas Kid who ’s suddenly like , ' I ’m going to be a bad kid now ! ' You know , what is his version of that ? ' I ’m going to curse ! ' So I wrote him in that state of mind . The other single you ’re go to see they ’re not quite like that . They ’re not going to come out and be like , ' Hee hee hee ha ha ha . ' It is n’t like that . You ’re go away to see them and be like , ' Oh they look unlike , but it ’s still them . ' They ’re just articulate what they sense is the truth .
It already feel like a special Batman and Superman account , even just for the little moments like … the thought of reckon Batman scrambling through someone else ’s Batcave looking for a solution . And of course when Superman goes malevolent , you have Batman chiming in with ' They say I ’m crazy . ' How has it been writing those ?
Oh , it ’s the most fun part .
Because you are still divvy up with serious plot line , but other times it ’s hard to rule those second of levity .
I want it to be fun . So much of what we do now is so dark , and so we definitely inhabit in the land of darkness at times . But it ca n’t always be that , so I want it to be about these two heroes , you know ? Have it be fun . There ’s a lot I could talk about with this , but you know , ' The hero is only as expert as their villain ' ? So I ’m going to ask you this . Let ’s say I give you a flashlight , okay ? If you go outside into broad daylight and turn that flashlight on … you know it ’s on because you turned it on . But you do n’t need it . You ca n’t see it , right ? Where would you turn that torch on ? You turn it on in the dark . I want to show that the estimable mode to show how shining our heroes are , and how much they shine , how much they are symbols of good and hope . The only agency to really see how promising they are is to put them in the dark . So that ’s part of what the story is . The clobber that James and Scott and I have been building is , we ’re render the dark to show you how bright they are . That ’s part of the story with Batman / Superman , is we ’re able to show how vivid they are , but also how fun they are . There ’s still a little bit of buddy - cop comedy , they poke eachother , they ’re sort of antagonists in their kinship , but we do it they trust eachother , and we know that they ’re friends . So that ’s really what I need . That ’s why I feel like it has that fun flavour , even though there ’s non-white stuff happening all the time .
I reckon reader are disposed to see that divergence between the darkness and the brightness … even if they may not come through , as seems to be how this is going to play out .
Well … I intend the write up we ’re telling is long . Like we were talking about earlier . Scott and James and I have been work up this story since 2016 , and it ’s change , and it ’s develop , and it ’s gotten bigger in some places . And now with what ’s happening in Justice League , all the stuff coming with Batman / Superman is there are wins . But you guy have to empathise , I remember once we get there you ’ll see that we ’re die to lose some battles , we ’re move to make headway some battles , and then we ’ll get to the handsome warfare eventually .
Speaking of smaller engagement , as a lifelong Captain Cold fan – who has always insist Leonard is Barry ’s competition , not his opposition – the current comics look to offer the first time Leonard Snart has gotten equal terms with Barry , now that he has his force from Lex . Was this a personal pronunciamento for you ? It seems like every writer who publish Captain Cold sets out to remind fan what ’s great about him .
I wanted to show why he ’s awesome . But it ’s really weird , sometimes you ’ve got to make somebody who they ’re not , so they can obtain out who they are . So Captain Cold is a Rogue , he ’s not an ' end of the populace ' style supervillain . He ’s about this codification , and his family . I wanted to show that part , but to really show that I need to show that … he ask to bring in it , too . We have it off that , but he need to see it . So I wanted to get him to the place where he can learn it . Yeah , I ’ve been building this report with Cold gradually since the beginning , lead all the way through this storyline right now . That moment with Barry – not to get too spoilery , but there ’s a moment where Barry and Leonard are alone for a moment , and they verbalise about it . They have a moment where they ’re kind of force into a state of affairs together , and they speak about it . I desire to have one last thing to say about Leonard , and that scene is going to have it .
I think everybody who exercise on The Flash , you want to function on certain lineament , and you desire to say something about them . Like with Trickster , I had a affair with him and Trickster . Or The Turtle . I need to show The Turtle could be scary , and do one great Turtle account . Because , no discourtesy to anybody else who ’s done a Turtle news report , there are actually some really coolheaded ones , but they ’re really short and little . Geoff [ Johns ] did a really great issue of Flash with Howard Porter where The Turtle is in it for like half the issue . And it ’s great , and he ’s shivery , and he ’s twisted , and then he never get to pick it up again . I wanted to piece that up like , ' bet you saw this taste , let ’s build up out on that . ' And it was great because I got to have Howard Porter draw it .
That ’s the key , I intend , to write The Flash . You have to get your head into the villain a little act , and really judge to think of Barry and the baddie at the same meter . That the villain ca n’t just be an obstacle he ’s work around , or something to hurdle over . They have to bound off eachother . In the first spark I had Godspeed do that , it was knowing to have Godspeed be somebody that Barry could bounce off of . Or with Eobard , my favorite arcs are the ones where the scoundrel – I think I had the most understanding of them . So Eobard , Gorilla Grodd , Hunter , and then the Rogues … those are always the ones I look back at , the ones where I had the strongest scoundrel , that I ’m most happy with throughout .
I know fans are going to have their calendars punctuate for December , because all of these dates are lining up beautifully to bring one twelvemonth to an end and another one start . Can you tease how Batman / Superman is die to precede into that ?
Yeah , in December the three books are Justice League # 38 , Batman / Superman # 5 , and then Year of The Villain : Hell Arisen . Those are the three book . Everything is important , like Scott was saying , everything is progress to something . But for that special Clarence Shepard Day Jr. those are the three books that are going to tie in them . That day you ’ll see how it ’s all adding up to something bigger , and then everything will stat coming together in December . I finger like you could probably read … I think the order to read them in is Batman / Superman , and then Justice League , then Year of The Villain . Because Batman / Superman takes place concurrently but before Doom War .
I ’ll give you the opportunity to pile some kudos on your buddy James take over Batman . What do people have to look forward to ?
Oh it ’s amazing . I ’ve read the first yield , it ’s big . He has so many awesome plans come . James has wanted to pen that book of account everlastingly . That ’s unquestionably a dream affair for him . He make love Batman , and … he wanted that book really badly . So again I ’m really happy for him . The stuff he was talking about doing , and the tale he ’s tattle , it ’s very good , and there ’s a lot of really fun stuff come in that book . I do n’t want to spoil anything for him , but he has a lot of really fun stuff add up in that book . It ’s really cool . There ’s things that like – because I know the whole thing , I cognise the whole chronicle . Not just the first act but the whole thing . And yeah , it ’s awesome . I was jealous . There was material in there that I was like , ' Aw man , I wish I had think of that ! ' There ’s things in there … ' I ’m so covetous you get to tell this story . ' So yeah , he ’s doing really cool poppycock .
at last , I have to point out to you that Old Man Barry … a lot of people responded to his introduction by take note how sexy he is . Do you care to answer ?
You should peach to Howard [ Porter ] . Actually I ’ll say this : I make a period in the script to speak about Barry and I severalize Howard sometimes : ' You sire ta make Barry sexy , man . ' So yeah , we put it in there for Old Man Barry specifically , from the very , very beginning . We first introduced him earlier than Year One , in Flash # 26 . So that was something Howard and I talked about . But yeah , there are specific parts – there was actually a scene in Year One where Barry opens the door and he ’s just got out of the exhibitioner , and Iris is there . I pen this whole thing to Howard , I wrote like a page basically of just being like , ' Howard , this is really important to me : you need to make the sexy drawing of Barry Allen you ’ve ever done in your life history . This needs to be the one , from this import frontward , that hoi polloi use . ' Because he had his shirt undefended , and I was like , ' You ’ve got to make this like the one , man . This has to be the moment citizenry are like , ' Holy doodly-squat , Barry has a runner ’s body , and he calculate amazing . ' He had it where he was weary sweat pants , but he was clearly not wearing underclothing so it ’s like rosehip … he recognise what he was doing .
So yeah , the time that it ’s in there I endeavor to be like , ' Howard … this is important to me ' [ Laughs ] . Howard is awing . Howard is the undecomposed dude . He ’s one of those artists I ’ve worked with that I would work with forever , piece .
The Flash # 81andBatman / Superman # 3are available now at your local comical book shop .
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