DC’s Golden Age heroes return in three new miniseries

In the fallout of the Flashpoint Beyond miniseries last year, DC Comics launched The New Golden Age banner spearheaded by writer Geoff Johns that saw the return of the DC’s Golden Age characters. As part of the initiative, the publisher has announced that Golden Age characters Alan Scott, Jay Garrick and Wesley Dodds will be headlining their own books in three six-issue mini-series, Alan Scott: The Green Lantern by Tim Sheridan and Cian Tormey, Jay Garrick: The Flash by Jeremy Adams and Diego Olortegui and Wesley Dodds: The Sandman by Rob Venditti and Riley Rossmo debuting in October.

Johns, who wears his love of DC’s Golden Age characters on his sleeves, said the following:

“It’s long past time that the heroes of the Justice Society had their own titles again. At the same time, they had to be special, important, and emotional stories, each one exploring character, revealing secrets, and introducing new heroes and villains to the DC Universe.”

Two of the writers, Jeremy Adams and Tim Sheridan, previously worked with Johns as co-writers on the aforementioned Flashpoint Beyond miniseries. Johns praised both as well as Venditti for their work and teased what’s to come:

“Tim has crafted a beautiful and shocking origin story for Alan’s greatest enemy, the Golden Age Red Lantern, that is both heartbreaking and inspiring. Jeremy has created a fun, emotional adventure celebrating the reunion of Jay Garrick with his long lost daughter, Judy, set firmly in the DC Universe of today and Rob will present a mystery tale of The Golden Age Sandman’s earliest days through the lens of Oppenheimer. These three series will all tie back into Justice Society of America and a few other titles we’ve got brewing.”

Here’s how the publisher describes each of the miniseries:

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern by Tim Sheridan (Flashpoint Beyond) and Cian Tormey (Superman: Son of Kal-El) will be Alan Scott’s first solo title since 1949. Through a twist in the timeline, Alan Scott: The Green Lantern revisits and recontextualizes the origins of the first Green Lantern through the lens of our modern understanding of the man. The story, which begins in the 1930s, is about an old flame – the kind that burns eternal – and the sometimes head-on, single-track collision of our personal and professional lives. This is Alan’s coming-of-age, in which he must embrace the man he is, to become the hero he’s meant to be. In the end, he’ll have gained a greater understanding of himself and his gifts – as he unlocks a new, previously unknown ability that could make him the most powerful Green Lantern in existence! 

Jeremy Adams (The Flash) and Diego Olortegui (Aquaman: The Becoming) are teaming up for Jay Garrick: The Flash. It’s hard being a parent, especially when your kid is a speedster! Jay Garrick has been reunited with his long lost daughter, Judy, but figuring out how to connect with her is proving to be difficult. They’ll need to work to find common ground when a mission that started in Jay’s early days as the Flash comes roaring to today. But will The Flash and The Boom be able to thwart a plan that’s been in the works for decades?!

Wesley Dodds: The Sandman by Rob Venditti (Superman ‘78) with art from Riley Rossmo (Harley Quinn) shows the titular character as a pacifist. He has given up on the hope of a peaceful world, but he hasn’t stopped believing that people can be better to each other, if they’re only given the right tools. Possessing a scientist’s optimism and romanticism, he is convinced that humanity can invent cures for its own ills. Having learned about the battlefield horrors of World War I from his father, he sought to create a sleep gas that would allow for “humane” warfare. During his research, he recorded all of his attempts in his science journal – even those with horribly deadly consequences – swearing to never show them to the world. Now his journal has been stolen, and he must find the culprit and stop them before his deadly mis-inventions fall into the arsenals of the belligerent nations threatening to pull the United States into the next world war.

Fans will get their first look at Alan Scott: Green Lantern in DC Pride: Through the Years available at local comic shops next month on June 13. DC Pride: Through the Years is a journey through over 30 years of fan-favorite LGBTQIA+ characters in the DC Universe that not only remembers and celebrates three landmark issues of days past but also teases exciting new stories yet to come! In addition to the Alan Scott story, DC Pride: Through the Years collects:

• The Flash #53 (1991), in which villain-turned-hero Pied Piper comes out to his friend the Flash and helps thwart a dastardly villain
• Detective Comics #854 (2009), the thrilling beginning of Batwoman’s first solo series, which would launch her into stardom
• Supergirl #19 (2018), which tells the story of Lee Serano—a nonbinary teenager who befriends the Girl of Steel

Look for all three of the first issues of DC’s Golden Age heroes to be available this October.