It’s been a long road to get to The Flash, with the DC Extended Universe’s version of the project having been officially announced back in late 2014, but then cycled through a handful of writers and directors in the years to follow. But now the movie has finally been shot, and the completed product is set to arrive in November. However, fans of Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen don’t have to wait until then to reunite with him, as word’s come in that The Flash is getting a tie-in comic prelude.
DC Comics has revealed the existence of The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive, a three-issue monthly series that will kick off on April 26 with the 48-page debut issue, with the subsequent issues arriving in May and July. Following the events of Justice League and ahead of what will unfold in The Flash, this miniseries depicts Barry having driven himself to become a truly skilled and inspirational superhero. However, when a supervillain named Girder emerges in Central City, the Scarlet Speedster will turn to Batman for advice on how to master his powers so that he can defeat this metallic menace.
The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive is being written by Kenny Porter and illustrated by Ricardo López Ortiz, and the second and third issues will also feature art by Juan Ferreyra and Jason Howard, respectively. The first issue’s main cover is from Max Fiumara, and The Flash director Andy Muschietti created a variant cover. For those who don’t pick up the miniseries’ individual issues, it will be released as a collection in October, a month ahead of when The Flash hits theaters.
While this isn’t the first time a DCEU movie has gotten a comic tie-in, nearly all of the past ones have been connected to products. The sole exception until now was the one-shot Wonder Woman 1984: Museum Mayhem, with that comic containing both a prequel story to the Gal Gadot-led sequel and a non-DCEU story. The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive marks the biggest endeavor yet with fleshing out this shared superhero universe on the printed page, and while it remains to be seen if other upcoming DCEU movies, like Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom or Shazam! Fury of the Gods, will receive their own preludes, at least those who’ve liked Ezra Miller’s take on Flash can spend a bit more time with him through this other medium before his solo movie arrives.
Ezra Miller first popped up as DCEU’s Barry Allen through cameo appearances in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, and then he made his full debut in Justice League a year later. Miller’s Barry also showed up in Part 4 of the Arrowverse’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event, and last year, we witnessed a different take on how he helped thwart Steppenwolf’s invasion thanks to Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Now the time has come for him to take center stage, with The Flash following Barry going back in time to prevent his mother’s murder, only to bring unintended consequences to his timeline that will require him to travel to other universes.
It’s fitting that The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive involves Batman, as the movie will bring back Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne for his swan song. But he’s not the only Batman involved in this tale, as Michael Keaton is also reprising his version of the Caped Crusader, who was last seen in 1992’s Batman Returns. The Flash’s cast also includes Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, Ron Livingston as Henry Allen, Sasha Calle as Supergirl, Maribel Verdú as Nora Allen, Michael Shannon as General Zod and Antje Traue as Faora Ul. Birds of Prey’s Christina Hodson penned the script.
Once again, you can start following along with The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive, be it digitally or through participating comic book stores, in April, and The Flash will race into theaters on November 4. Those curious about what else the DCEU has coming up would be wise to peruse through our upcoming DC movies guide.
