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Thomas Wayne's Batman lives on in 'Flashpoint Beyond' event series from DC Comics
Original Flashpoint writer Geoff Johns returns to the world that changed DC continuity forever.
DC is returning to the world of Flashpoint. The publisher announced early Friday that this spring will see the launch of Flashpoint Beyond, a sequel miniseries co-written by original Flashpoint creator Geoff Johns, which will return to the adventures of the Batman of the Flashpoint universe, Thomas Wayne.
It all kicks off in April with Flashpoint Beyond #0, written by Johns with art by Eduardo Risso, in which Thomas Wayne wakes up in a world he'd thought was over after he agreed to help The Flash save the universe and, therefore, an alternate reality version of his son, Bruce, the Batman of the prime DC Universe. Now, back in the cowl in a universe he didn't expect to exist anymore, Thomas Wayne finds himself hunting The Clockwork Killer, a dangerous new adversary stalking the streets of Gotham City.
“This is for fans of big DC events and the great history of DC when it comes to comic books," Johns said in a statement. "And even though this is an event, it’s focused on character over concept – it’s the story of Thomas Wayne Batman, a Barry Allen that could’ve been, the crimes of Bruce Wayne – it’s a murder mystery, a secret mission and a look into the past, present and future of the continuum of DC. And as dark as it can get in this upside down world of Flashpoint, it’s fun.”
The Flashpoint world will only continue to expand weeks later with the release of Flashpoint Beyond #1, co-written by Johns, Jeremy Adams (The Flash), and Tim Sheridan (Shazam!), with art by Xermánico (Infinite Frontier), which will move the action to Europe and see Thomas Wayne clash with King Aquaman as the mad king of the Seven Seas prepares to sink London. The series will also be dropping new issues every two weeks, so things will move fast.
“This is something that, as a fan, I’ve been waiting for a long time — a return to the world of Flashpoint,” said Sheridan. “The fact that I’ve gotten to be a small part of that return is just about the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me and getting to be associated with Geoff, Jeremy, Eduardo, Xermánico and a team that's put their whole hearts into this, has made it no less than surreal. I can’t wait for people to see these pages!”
Originally introduced in Johns and Andy Kubert's Flashpoint #1 in 2011, this version of Thomas Wayne became Batman after he and his wife, Martha, witnessed the murder of their son Bruce. Martha turned to total darkness, becoming that universe's incarnation of The Joker, while Thomas became a more brutal version of the Caped Crusader. The miniseries was the cornerstone of the setup for the controversial New 52 relaunch at DC Comics in 2011, and at the time Thomas Wayne's inclusion seemed like a one-off alternate universe concept. The character seemingly vanished from DC continuity at the end of Flashpoint, but has since been revived as a kind of multiversal amalgam (because Comics) in storylines like The Button, Tom King's run on Batman, and more recently the DC event series Infinite Frontier.
Now, he's back for a direct follow-up to the events of Flashpoint. We don't know yet what implications this miniseries will have for the wider DC Omniverse, but we'll find out soon. Flashpoint Beyond #0 arrives April 6, followed by Flashpoint Beyond #1 on April 19.
