Joshua Williamson‘s run as writer on The Flash debuted back when DC’s Rebirth initiative began. He’s covered a lot of ground over the course of nearly four years and 80+ issues, and with The Flash currently teamed with his archenemy, The Reverse-Flash, it looks like he has no plans to let up. Now the writer is teasing a forthcoming storyline that will once again put Barry Allen through his paces – and reunite him with his extended Flash family.
This morning, Williamson tweeted an image by Howard Porter and HiFi featuring The Flash going head-to-head with Reverse-Flash, with both surrounded by rogues and other speedsters. “After Flash Age and Legion of Zoom,” he wrote, “is…FINISH LINE. August 2020.”
After Flash Age and Legion of Zoom is…
FINISH LINE.
August 2020.(Promo art by @MrHowardPorter & @hificolor.) pic.twitter.com/36FoPU4PiJ
— Joshua Williamson (@Williamson_Josh) May 14, 2020
Here’s the full image, so you don’t have to click through:
If you’re like me, you immediately got excited to see both Max Mercury and Jesse Quick fighting alongside Kid Flash, Impulse, the Flash of China, and Jay Garrick. Max and Jesse were major parts of the Flash Family in the ’90s and early ’00s, but neither character has been seen since 2009’s New 52 reboot erased them both from continuity. “Finish Line” will also mark Jay Garrick’s return to the Flash title, after a brief cameo at the end of “The Button” storyline and a featured story in The Flash #750. On the villains side, Impulse’s villainous doppelganger Inertia also appears to be making a return, alongside Captain Cold, The Turtle, The Trickster, Golden Glider, and Grodd.
Of course, notably absent from this image is Wally West, the speedster whose return kicked off the Rebirth initiative, and who was last seen riding around in space in the Mobius Chair, having apparently become some sort of Flash/Metron/Doctor Manhattan hybrid (I’ve been calling him Wally Manhattan). Will Wally appear in “Finish Line”? Williamson was coy, but did say the storyline would feature more characters than those in the promo art:
And there are more characters in Finish Line that are not on the promo… pic.twitter.com/m9WZalmke8
— Joshua Williamson (@Williamson_Josh) May 14, 2020
He also tweeted a wink and a nod to one commenter asking about Wally’s presence in the story:
— Joshua Williamson (@Williamson_Josh) May 14, 2020
What’s also unclear from this tease is what this new storyline means for Williamson’s overall run on the series. With a title like “Finish Line” it sure sounds like it could be the end of his tenure on The Flash, and based on the number of speedsters and villains involved it will surely be the largest-scale story he’s told. A few commenters on Twitter have already asked if this will be Williamson’s final storyline on the title, but so far he’s remaining quiet.
If it does end up being Williamson’s final story on The Flash, this teaser indicates he’s planning to go out with a bang. The “Finish Line” storyline is set to begin in The Flash in August 2020.