This article contains major spoilers.
With all that’s been going on over on The Flash‘s television series, you’d think that fans of the Scarlet Speedster would have enough on their minds already. But thanks to the first oversized annual of the Rebirth era that dropped this week, well, it looks like we’ll soon be glued to the comic book of the same name just as much as much as we’ve been to our flat-screens.
Being billed as “the biggest Flash story of 2018,” mystery still surrounds the much whispered about “Flash War,” but the aforementioned annual gave us a fair idea of what to expect. You see, even though it largely focused on the pre-Flashpoint Wally West and all the drama that’s been surrounding him – and we’re sure this’ll heavily factor into what’s to come – it’s the other stuff that bookended the prelude which we can’t ignore.
In short, the Flash Museum has been ransacked in the 25th century, causing the Temporal Courts to launch an investigation. Of course, this led to a small posse that you’ll have to see to believe being sent back to the 21st century to arrest Iris West for the murder of Eobard Thawne, but it’s the man giving orders that’s sure to raise a few eyebrows.
Upon the exit of his subordinates, the hooded fellow calling the shots was revealed to be Hunter Zolomon, whom fans of comics and TV alike will know as Zoom. This is especially significant since the character has been absent from literature for years, but series writer Joshua Williamson has really enjoyed playing with the best toys in the box as of late.
Now, it’s important to make the distinction between Thawne and Zolomon. Thawne, as you know, has gone by monikers like Professor Zoom and the Reverse-Flash, the latter of which was utilized on The CW show. Actually, that’s what he’s been referred to as for quite a while now, but I found it especially weird when he was constantly called “Zoom” at the tail end of the New 52 while Zolomon was tearing it up on TV. Needless to say, you can probably see why we think some people may get confused.
Zolomon, however, answers simply to “Zoom” across all forms of media, but it doesn’t help matters that he and Thawne wear essentially the same costume in the comics. Because of this, we’ve included the side by side photo of Zoom above to show you what both of his incarnations look like to be of better help. Either way, his closing line of “Zoom will make the Flashes go to war” causes us to think that May can’t arrive fast enough.
The Flash Annual #1 is now available in comic shops.
