Years ago a young man named Geoff Johns from Michigan was lucky enough to win the job of Richard Donner’s assistant. The Superman director is a legend in Hollywood and I can only imagine what it was like to learn from Donner. However, like a lot of dreamers who want to break into Hollywood, Johns fell back into the comic book industry and now Hollywood is knocking on his door hoping he’ll give them a story for their next blockbuster film. This summer’s film,Green Lantern, is based on Johns ‘Secret Origin’ storyline, and although I’m excited to see how director Martin Campbell interprets Johns epic tale I’m more interested in Johns fresh idea for DC Comics this summer, Flashpoint!
In 2004 Geoff Johns took over writing for Green Lantern and not only did he return Hal Jordan to the Green Lantern Corps., but he made Green Lantern the hottest thing to read from DC Comics. Since then Johns has brought us some great Superman storylines, took Green Lantern into last year’s 'Blackest Night', and is wrapping up its sequel, 'Brightest Day'. Now Johns has taken over writing duties for another unlikely DC legend, The Flash, and he is gearing up for a storyline that will make the Scarlet Speedster the only hope for the DC Universe.
For months we have been teased about 'Flashpoint'. Nobody knew what it encompassed but we knew it centered on The Flash and was probably involving time travel. Since then images and plot details have been released showing a whole different DC Universe. One where Abin Sur never passed his Green Lantern ring to Hal Jordan, where Superman was a lab experiment, and Cyborg is the world's greatest hero. I haven’t felt this psyched for an alternate reality storyline since X-Men: Age of Apocalypse!
Last month in The Flash, Barry Allen found out the identity of the mysterious Hot Pursuit who had a lighting fast motorcycle. The rider was none other than himself, Barry Allen from an alternate universe. Alternate Barry was telling how the time stream was about to break and all the other universes depend on this universe's Barry making sure it doesn’t happen. Something tells me Mr. Allen doesn’t make it, and is going to spend the rest of 2011 trying to fix it while we all enjoy the beautiful disaster.
Geoff Johns has turned some of my favorite characters like The Flash and Aquaman, back into comic book badass’s. I never would have touched Green Lantern had it not been for him. 'Blackest Night' is something that changed Green Lantern forever, and now Johns promises that kind of change to The Flash with 'Flashpoint'. Wonder Woman and Aquaman fight for control of Earth, Lois Lane leads a secret resistance, and one of The Flash’s greatest villains, Captain Cold, is a hero. Break out the freeze ray Captain because this summer looks so hot I might just feel compelled to break out the ol’ Flash TV series to watch!
No comments:
Post a Comment