‘The Flash’ movie is getting 3-issue comic book prequel series

The Flash movie is set to make a big impact on the DCEU. More than just Ezra Miller’s first solo outing as the Scarlet Speedster, it’s looking like it will rewrite the rulebook for the franchise by introducing Sasha Calle’s Supergirl and bringing back Michael Keaton’s Batman, rebooting continuity along the way. Expect this one to have a vast scope, then. So big, in fact, that it needs to be preceded by its very own prequel comic book series.

The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive is a three-issue series that’ll release monthly, starting this April. Written by Kenny Porter and drawn by artist Ricardo Lopez Ortiz, the comic will follow Miller’s Barry Allen battling the supervillain Girder. In order to hone his abilities enough to take down the metallic man, Barry will turn to his old Justice League teammate Batman for help.

Check out the cover for issue one, illustrated by Max Fiumara, below. It showcases a fresh look at Barry’s revamped costume and offers the first appearance of Ben Affleck’s Dark Knight in comic book form:

Though Keaton’s comeback to the worlds of DC for the first time in 30 years is stealing much of his thunder, Affleck will also be returning for The Flash. It’s all but confirmed this will mark his final time under the cowl, too, as the Batman v Superman star has called his experience making the movie a “really nice finish” to his DCEU tenure. In contrast, Keaton has many more appearances to come as Bruce Wayne. He’s already confirmed to show up in Batgirl.

As for the prequel comic, The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1 consists of 48 pages and is due to hit shelves on April 26. Though Fiumara is responsible for the main cover, a variant cover will be drawn by The Flash director Andy Muschietti. Issue two’s cover will be prepared by Juan Ferreyra, with issue three’s coming from Jason Howard. Once the comic wraps in the summer, The Flash races into cinemas on Nov. 4.