TALKING FLASH WITH MARK WAID

[MattBrady]

by Vinnie Bartilucci

Mark Waid is back on Flash – and for many Flash fans, all’s well with the world. Taking over the reins of the character again after one of the most successful swerves in recent comics history, we took a few minutes to get an idea on what we’ll be seeing in the book, and what happened in between those first two issues we’ve seen so far.

Newsarama: First off, there’s quite a narrative jump between All-Flash and Flash #231. About how much time has passed between those two?

Mark Waid: I would say about a month, no more than that.

NRAMA: I figured just closing the loan on a house would take about that long…

MW: Hey, he’s the Flash, he’s got connections, I figure Wayne Enterprises can cut through some of the red tape for this guy…

NRAMA: There’s quite a lot going on in that house. You got all that tech in the basement, the kids have settled into a schedule for themselves, sleeping in their little harnesses. When are we going to find out where all that came from, because it all obviously didn’t come back at the end of The Lightning Saga.

MW: That’s true, and that’s part of the plan. I didn’t think there was much point in taking the entire first issue to do a bunch of clunky exposition, but we are going to start to see things spell out starting with our issue three. Writer John (Blue Beetle) Rogers and I are collaborating with Doug Braithwaite on a four-part, six pages each backup that tells the history of this world through the point of view of the Flashes over the years. Jay Garrick is the first one to have visited that world, and then Barry, and they’ve built up a relationship with the Flashes over the years, as we sort of hinted at in our first issue. That’s where the history starts to spell out, and that spills back into the main story.

NRAMA: Is this a new world you created or did you find something that you pulled out and fleshed out a bit?

MW: No, it’s a world I created, but I like the fact that is has the evocative feel of that Julie Schwartz/John Broome era.

NRAMA: Where’s Iris these days?

MW: We have plans for her in the series, but again, it was 22 pages, and two new kids, and a whole new status quo to set up. I was just very leery about throwing everything and the kitchen sink in, in the first arc. Iris won’t show up again until issue four, and that sort of closes out the first three issue beat of the arc. But she would be playing a part. She would be a terrible grandmother if she were not playing a part in her grandchildren’s life.

NRAMA: Back to the backup story you’re doing with John. How’s that working; who’s plotting, who’s doing dialogue, are you switching up?

MW: We’re switching up. John and I have been friends for a long time, and we’ve been looking a chance to work together, pool our skills. Basically the process is he comes over, we sit on my couch, we watch Torchwood for a couple hours, and talk about everything else under the sun.

What John brings to it is a better grasp of hard science than I have, and what I bring to it is a better grasp of Flash history than John has, so we just bounce it back and forth.
The four parts, as I said, the first one is a Jay story, the second one is a Barry and Iris story, the third one is a Wally and Impulse story, and the fourth one is more of a modern, “what happened just before Lightning Saga” story.

NRAMA: Are you planning on talking more about that four year period and what happened to Bart when he “grew up?”

MW: Not in the immediate future. We have some real concrete ideas about what happened during that period, but we’re trying as hard as we possibly can, at least for the first few months, look forward rather than back. And I figure that, as Bart’s “Dad”, and as the guy that probably misses him most, I’m hoping that cuts me a little slack with the fans in terms of any fears that I might be coming off a little callous about it. Because nobody loved Bart more than I did. Does that make any sense? We run the danger of making it so much about Wally’s mourning of the past.

And that story’s not over yet. Bart’s story, as far as we’re concerned, is not over with yet. The Inertia story is not over yet. There’s thread that we’re gonna pick up on. A lot of more astute fans were a little skeptical that it was a good idea for Wally to leave Inertia in the Flash Museum…and that decision may or may not come back to haunt him. Or he may or may not have changed his mind by now. We will see.

NRAMA: You’ve obviously got some plans to have Iris and Jai…it is pronounced, “Jay”, right?

MW: Yeah, let’s talk about that for a second. Because that came to us via Alan Brennert. [Writer of quite a few Batman and Secret Origins stories in the 80s, later an Emmy award-winning writer and Producer for LA Law] Alan is a good friend of mine, and he’d done a lot of research into Korean names and culture for one of his novels. And we were just talking one day at the comic shop about how I needed a name for the boy. “Iris” was a given, but I didn’t want to name the kid “Barry”, or “Bart” again, because I think there’s a limit to the number of Barrys the Flash universe should be having. And it was him who came up with Jai as an authentic Korean name. So, perfect. I wanted one name to be from Wally’s side of the family and one from Linda’s, and the fact that we were able to settle on one that paid homage to both sides of the family is great.

NRAMA: Well you’ve obviously got plans for the kids to be meeting up with a little peril in the future. You got the meeting up with the JLA in a few issues…

MW: Yep, and that’s not necessarily gonna sit well with the JLA. It’s not the Teen Titans days. A bunch of fans have kind of called on the idea, “Gee is it really a good idea for Wally to take an eight and a ten-year-old into the field now?” And the answer is, “Not really”, and we’re on it, and that’s part of the story. And that’s the questions the Justice League has when they show up as well. That’s the agenda there is to answer that question.

NRAMA: Well, you’ve obviously set up a lot of foreshadowing, that last little interaction between Wally and Linda, “We both know why they have to be heroes”. Can you promise one thing; can you promise none of it involves refrigerators or safes?

MW: (Laughs) Absolutely, yes. I can’t speak for what happens if I get hit by a refrigerator or get stuffed in a safe... The Flash book isn’t really about tragedy. That’s never what the book’s really been about.

NRAMA: What was your first reaction when Dan (DiDio) suggested great unpleasantness for Wally’s family?

MW: “That’s not how it works.” He never really suggested it for Wally, he certainly suggested it for Bart.

NRAMA: In a recent interview you’d said that he actually suggested you drop a safe on Linda and the kids…?

MW: I don’t think I said that, what I said was, “If you want me to do that, I’m not going to do that, please be aware that is not where I am going to go.” It wasn’t a command; it was a statement of fact on my part. I just think that’s callous and disrespectful of what’s come before. And it also doesn’t fit with the book; there have been tragedies in the Flash’s life, but essentially the grim-n-gritty angst month after month has never been what The Flash is about.

NRAMA: So you’ve still got this book for the indefinite future?

MW: Far as I know, yeah.

NRAMA: And you’re still working on Brave and the Bold obviously…

MW: – Yep, and that’s going quite well. George is working on the Doom Patrol issue even as we speak, for the Doom Patrol/Flash crossover…

NRAMA: But which Doom Patrol?

MW: Well, Geoff Johns actually did a nice job in Infinite Crisis and then in Teen Titans folding them all back together again. So we’re dealing mostly with the original core group, but with their modern characterizations. I particularly love the characterization of Negative Man in the Titans cartoon show; a guy who is sarcastic and bitter all the time. Or Grant’s characterization of the Chief as, essentially a manipulative bastard.

NRAMA: And obviously you’ve got that other new job – as Editor in Chief at BOOM! Studios…

MW: Exactly, I’m very stoked about that as well. That goes well, we’re getting ready to start announcing the next big wave of BOOM! launches. And Potter’s Field, the book I did with Paul Azaceta should be coming out in two weeks. I haven’t had a creator-owned thing like that out in a very long time.

NRAMA: That would be Empire with Barry Kitson, right?

MW: Yeah, and with Barry at Marvel and me at BOOM!, it could be a while before we get there again…

[rwe1138]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

MW:I haven’t had a creator-owned thing like that out in a very long time.

NRAMA: That would be Empire with Barry Kitson, right?

MW: Yeah, and with Barry at Marvel and me at BOOM!, it could be a while before we get there again…

Mark, I love you on Brave & The Bold, and Barry's kicking ass over on The Order, but I gotta say, I'd kill to see you two together on an Empire sequel. No seriously, who do I have to kill?

[ender2814]

Poor Waid . . . he misses his Barry Kitson.


Also, I believe "Jai" is pronounced with a long "I." Essentially, "J-EYE" as in "Jai Nitz"

[nietoperz]

He's on Flash indefinitely!

Never have I been more glad that LITG got something wrong...

[SpyGuy]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

NRAMA: Where’s Iris these days?

MW: We have plans for her in the series, but again, it was 22 pages, and two new kids, and a whole new status quo to set up. I was just very leery about throwing everything and the kitchen sink in, in the first arc. Iris won’t show up again until issue four, and that sort of closes out the first three issue beat of the arc. But she would be playing a part. She would be a terrible grandmother if she were not playing a part in her grandchildren’s life.

Um...Instead of being Iris Allen's grandchildren, aren't Iris and Jai West actually her grand-niece and grand-nephew?

[JohnLynch]

Interview seemed a bit light on the details besides "Keep reading guys, we've got the goods coming." Although it is nice to see that there'll be a back-up on the next few issues on that new world and its always great to see a writer so excited about working on a new book.

Nice interview all round

[aricandover]

Originally Posted by SpyGuy

Um...Instead of being Iris Allen's grandchildren, aren't Iris and Jai West actually her grand-niece and grand-nephew?

yep. she's Bart's grandma.

[Nate28]

Meh

I still say kill off those twins for gods sake and bring back Bart. Flash used to be a good book till Barts death and the introduction of the little bastages.

[GOSD]

Originally Posted by rwe1138

Mark, I love you on Brave & The Bold, and Barry's kicking ass over on The Order, but I gotta say, I'd kill to see you two together on an Empire sequel. No seriously, who do I have to kill?

Agreed.

Empire was great!

[gwangung]

Originally Posted by Nate28

Meh

I still say kill off those twins for gods sake and bring back Bart. Flash used to be a good book till Barts death and the introduction of the little bastages.

Thank you, Mr. Didio...

[DBHughes]

I wish there had been a bit more Flash in this first issue of Waid's new "Flash"; I hope that will change (though I seem to recall last month's Wizard mentioning how there will be a shift away from the Rogues).

In any case, I could take it all alot better if they ditch the power of Liefeld:



"Steroid Boy" looks so ridiculous that it's very hard to take any of the rest of it seriously.

[Lyca]

Originally Posted by SpyGuy

Um...Instead of being Iris Allen's grandchildren, aren't Iris and Jai West actually her grand-niece and grand-nephew?

Yes they are her grand niece and nephew.I think Mark calling her their grandmother is just because Iris has benn like a mother to Wally (and Barry had been like a father to Wally,every character in the DC says that almost everytime they team up with him).

Stuff like that has happen in the Flash family before.When XS met up with the JLA robots in some issues (dont know which books) she refered to him as "Uncle Wally" twice in two different stories.

[JohnLynch]

Originally Posted by Nate28

Flash used to be a good book till Barts death and the introduction of the little bastages.

I disagree. I hated The All New Flash.

Originally Posted by DBHughes

"Steroid Boy" looks so ridiculous that it's very hard to take any of the rest of it seriously.

You realize he's suppose to look ridiculous right? That its part of his powers flactuating?

[James Asia]

That was in the Abnett/Lanning/Coipel Legion.

[r1dcully]

Loved the Waid run, redefined comics for me at least in the 90's.
Flash has never been about the grim n gritty and that what made it so great back then.
It shied away 'from the mother fixated perverts' G Morrison in his intro to the Terminal Velocity Trade.
And now with the kids.....WOOO HOOO! Fun and some interesting stories coming our way at 300 miles per second.

Can't wait!

[munsung02]

Originally Posted by Nate28

Meh

I still say kill off those twins for gods sake and bring back Bart. Flash used to be a good book till Barts death and the introduction of the little bastages.

The introduction when? When they were all grown up or when the were introduced as babies?

[OM]

Originally Posted by ender2814

Also, I believe "Jai" is pronounced with a long "I." Essentially, "J-EYE" as in "Jai Nitz"

...I've known people with that name who've pronounced it one of two ways: "J'Eye" and "High". Never "Jay". But hey, that's a small price to pay to see Waid back on Flash and as far away from the Legion as possible.

[newfoundma]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

MW: Yep, and that’s not necessarily gonna sit well with the JLA. It’s not the Teen Titans days. A bunch of fans have kind of called on the idea, “Gee is it really a good idea for Wally to take an eight and a ten-year-old into the field now?”

Eight and ten? I thought they were twins. Little tweaks like this (and having huge tech in their basement, Linda having the scientific know-how to run that machine, the world they were on for a year being a run by Flash-woshipping-llamas) are what make me a little scared for the series. It seems to complicate the backstory. I would prefer "Flash-Linda-and-the-twins-were-in-the-Speed-Force-for-a-set-amount-of-time" as the explination. It is simple and in ten years, when the kids are inheriting the title of the Flash, they won't have to explain that they were tiwns but aged differently and they grew up on that weird planet etc etc.
But I do trust Waid to be doing all of this for a reason.

[Kevin T. Brown]

Originally Posted by OM

...I've known people with that name who've pronounced it one of two ways: "J'Eye" and "High". Never "Jay". But hey, that's a small price to pay to see Waid back on Flash and as far away from the Legion as possible.

The spelling is Korean, the pronunciation is an homage to Jay Garrick... Not too hard to figure out.

[Clem]

This whole "disappear the Flashes for a year" angle has been horrific.

First it was the Speedforce, then Bart had memories of a parallel Earth, now Wally says it was an alien planet. Bart aged four years, the children aged one, Wally and Linda didn't.

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!?!

[Kevin T. Brown]

Originally Posted by newfoundma

Eight and ten? I thought they were twins. Little tweaks like this (and having huge tech in their basement, Linda having the scientific know-how to run that machine, the world they were on for a year being a run by Flash-woshipping-llamas) are what make me a little scared for the series. It seems to complicate the backstory. I would prefer "Flash-Linda-and-the-twins-were-in-the-Speed-Force-for-a-set-amount-of-time" as the explination. It is simple and in ten years, when the kids are inheriting the title of the Flash, they won't have to explain that they were tiwns but aged differently and they grew up on that weird planet etc etc.
But I do trust Waid to be doing all of this for a reason.

The flucuating powers and growth spurts have them aging at different rates of speed.

[dpg]

Originally Posted by SpyGuy

Um...Instead of being Iris Allen's grandchildren, aren't Iris and Jai West actually her grand-niece and grand-nephew?

Yes this is true.

Unless Wally was secretly her son...

[dpg]

Is Wally and whatever her name is married? If so how did I miss that? And why aren't they if they're not?

[CodeGuy]

Originally Posted by OM

...I've known people with that name who've pronounced it one of two ways: "J'Eye" and "High". Never "Jay". But hey, that's a small price to pay to see Waid back on Flash and as far away from the Legion as possible.

I can't speak for that name, but I've seen similar Korean words that were pronounced "ay." However, Americans mispronounce those words so often that even some Koreans living in America gave up and started pronouncing them "eye".

Any native Korean speakers on the boards today?

[Hypestyle]

uh... so what's up with the bug hands?