The war between Barry Allen and Wally West will begin in January with The Flash Annual #1 from writer Joshua Williamson and Christian Duce — and it will involve Wally’s pre-Flashpoint past.
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The story, which will set the stage for 2018’s Flash stories and was touted at New York Comic Con as finally determing which Flash is the “best,” launches in earnest in February, with a prelude in the Annual.
The story centers on the pre-Flashpoint Wally West, who is conflicted over whether to let Iris West know he is alive — but when Magenta, Wally’s old love, needs his help, he returns home to Keystone City to be confronted with “violent memories of an unknown world.”
“Let’s see who’s the best Flash: is it Barry, or is it Wally?” said Williamson, teasing that the “Flash War” storyline will find out.
“It’s me and Howard Porter starting in Flash #46,” Williamson told the audience. “In January, we have an annual coming out that’s a prelude to ‘Flash War,’ but starting in Flash #46, we go into ‘Flash War.’”
Williamson is no stranger to alternate-universe shenanigans with The Flash; besides tying into DC Universe: Rebirth and launching the road to Doomsday Clock in “The Button,” he recently contributed to the Dark Nights: Metal event, with Batman: The Red Death and then chapters in the upcoming “Bats Out of Hell” storyline, which will pit the evil Batmen of the Dark Multiverse against their Justice League counterparts.
You can see the complete solicitation text below.
THE FLASH ANNUAL #1
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art by CHRISTIAN DUCE
Cover by HOWARD PORTER
“FLASH WAR” prelude! The biggest Flash story of 2018 starts here, with a special story starring the classic Wally West, who’s conflicted over whether to let Iris West know he is alive—and he’ll need the help of the Flash to figure out what to do! But when Magenta, Wally’s old love, needs his help, the Flash returns home to Keystone City where he is confronted with violent memories of an unknown world…A major turning point for the Flash family that sets the path for earth shattering stories in 2018!
On sale JANUARY 31 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
