Flashpoint (1999) #2 is seeking answers.
Jun. 30th, 2026 07:06 pm![[personal profile]](/post-https-www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thanekos posting in ![[community profile]](/post-https-www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
scans_dailyIssue #1'd been setup that raised questions.
Barry Allen'd been paralyzed by a sniper's bullet while saving John F. Kennedy in Dealey Plaza in 1963 - who fired a bullet fast enough to hit the Flash?
Wally West, part of Barry's exploration of Martian ruins years later in 1999, had found a piece of that civilization's history and been struck by lightning - what power did he twitch with now?
Wally's colleague James Jesse had stolen the Martian artifact, murdered to get away with it - why did he do that?
The answering of these questions began with private detective Ralph Dibny.
(Love the efficiency of fitting the " [w]hat.. he.. looks.. like. " gag into one panel.)
(Like Dashiell Hammett's Nick Charles, this Ralph Dibny's a married private investigator.)
In Washington D.C., Barry and his friend Van were discussing the situation with President Kennedy.
" I'm not, uh, dressing down either of you. "
(Vandal Savage does life-extension.)
Bad news interrupted the President.
(Leavening the fantastic quality of " real person surviving years after what killed them " with a nuanced portrayal of that person.)
Barry went off to be alone with his thoughts.
Later, Ralph followed the trail of James Jesse.
(It's Paul Gambi in a world without supervillains who need costuming.)
Ralph convinced Gambi to volunteer that Jesse " paid for a new outfit and a passport to Brazil.
" Then he blew outta here. "
Outside, Ralph's previous client came to him: " Dibny. "
(If you're going to use Martians in your alternate-universe DC story, why come up with a new design?)
The Martian convinced Ralph telepathically.
" What's in here? "
" .. like a neon fingerprint to my eyes. "
(Whatever " Manhunter " is in Martian, " detective " is about the same thing.)
Ralph and the Martian found Jesse's body.
Elsewhere, a Wally West was alive.
" I want him destroyed. "
(Vandal Savage is the villain, and " Snart " is there because why not have his exposition audience be a version of Captain Cold?)
" .. my work over the years with Allen Industries to restore Barry's super-speed was a sham..
" .. all I have ever sought is.. [t]he place.. where his force of speed originated. "
" .. this one's going to make it! "
The Wally clone, somehow surging with the same power that'd wracked the original, ran rampant.
He came across the Flash-Space museum..
.. and charged on to Allen Industries.
" You. You.. "
(Barry and Iris saw Wally's face on the news " as he slowed for a second " and figured he'd come to them.)
(Pagecount's just under 7 and 1/3rd of 22 from November 1999's Flashpoint #2.
Writing's Pat McGreal, art's Norm Breyfogle, letters're Rick Parker, and colors're Noelle Giddings.
Publisher's DC.
Issue #2 also had McGreal talking about the series' genesis:
)
Barry Allen'd been paralyzed by a sniper's bullet while saving John F. Kennedy in Dealey Plaza in 1963 - who fired a bullet fast enough to hit the Flash?
Wally West, part of Barry's exploration of Martian ruins years later in 1999, had found a piece of that civilization's history and been struck by lightning - what power did he twitch with now?
Wally's colleague James Jesse had stolen the Martian artifact, murdered to get away with it - why did he do that?
The answering of these questions began with private detective Ralph Dibny.
(Love the efficiency of fitting the " [w]hat.. he.. looks.. like. " gag into one panel.)
(Like Dashiell Hammett's Nick Charles, this Ralph Dibny's a married private investigator.)
In Washington D.C., Barry and his friend Van were discussing the situation with President Kennedy.
" I'm not, uh, dressing down either of you. "
(Vandal Savage does life-extension.)
Bad news interrupted the President.
(Leavening the fantastic quality of " real person surviving years after what killed them " with a nuanced portrayal of that person.)
Barry went off to be alone with his thoughts.
Later, Ralph followed the trail of James Jesse.
(It's Paul Gambi in a world without supervillains who need costuming.)
Ralph convinced Gambi to volunteer that Jesse " paid for a new outfit and a passport to Brazil.
" Then he blew outta here. "
Outside, Ralph's previous client came to him: " Dibny. "
(If you're going to use Martians in your alternate-universe DC story, why come up with a new design?)
The Martian convinced Ralph telepathically.
" What's in here? "
" .. like a neon fingerprint to my eyes. "
(Whatever " Manhunter " is in Martian, " detective " is about the same thing.)
Ralph and the Martian found Jesse's body.
Elsewhere, a Wally West was alive.
" I want him destroyed. "
(Vandal Savage is the villain, and " Snart " is there because why not have his exposition audience be a version of Captain Cold?)
" .. my work over the years with Allen Industries to restore Barry's super-speed was a sham..
" .. all I have ever sought is.. [t]he place.. where his force of speed originated. "
" .. this one's going to make it! "
The Wally clone, somehow surging with the same power that'd wracked the original, ran rampant.
He came across the Flash-Space museum..
.. and charged on to Allen Industries.
" You. You.. "
(Barry and Iris saw Wally's face on the news " as he slowed for a second " and figured he'd come to them.)
(Pagecount's just under 7 and 1/3rd of 22 from November 1999's Flashpoint #2.
Writing's Pat McGreal, art's Norm Breyfogle, letters're Rick Parker, and colors're Noelle Giddings.
Publisher's DC.
Issue #2 also had McGreal talking about the series' genesis:
)
no subject
Date: 2026-07-01 08:59 am (UTC)