I had a chance to interview Kevin Feeney who writes Flash and New Gods for DC2 and asked him a few questions about his so far stellar run on the Flash.


Q. How did you end up writing The Flash?

A. Well, that's interesting. The title hadn't actually had a regular creative team in a while when I came on board. Supposedly, there was a story being done by another team, but only the first issue ever came out and the whole thing was ridden by delays so it looked as though it would be months before anything else cropped up. Of course, I love the Flash, and had mentioned this to my editor, the enestimable Charlie Wilkins, who was also one of the writers on that aborted story arc. I pitched to him the idea of my doing a fill-in or two while the book waited. Given that the title had one or two one-shot issues coming up but no permanent team and the current story wasn't going to be finished for a long while, he offered me the gig full-time and, well, I rushed to accept!

Q. So "Legacy of the Lightning" is currenlty going on with a huge battle in the twin cities that envelopes many different factions including the speedsters, Rogues, New Rogues, Grodd, Savitar and Lady Savitar, and of course Zoom. Do you ever find it difficult juggling around so many different characters in one story?

A. Well, the simple answer is- yes! The voices for the characters come easily, and they're all tremendous fun to write, but the biggest problem is squeezing them into each issue enough that they don't feel like they're just there but not so much that they detract from one another. The entire story was very, very clearly broken down before I started so I knew exactly what was happening with each plot in each issue, and the key was to try and balance them. I can't say there's a secret or anything, I just wrote what I felt they deserved and then tried to judge whether or not it worked out. Originally some other characters such as Chyre and Morillo had larger roles, but there simply wasn't room for them so they had to go.



Q. So we saw last issue that the Speedsters are having difficulty trying to stop so many disasters occuring at the same time, showing that despite how fast they are, they can't stop everything at once. Will this come back to haunt them?

A. Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. YES! As Thawne knows from personal experience, the best way to hurt someone who can move fast is to hit them with too many things to cope with all at once, so that inevitably, they'll fail somewhere. And we shall see exactly how that plays out next issue.


Q. Last issue ended with a bang as the New Rogues came face to face wtih the good old original group. What can we be expecting from this confrontation?

A. CHAOS! The Rogues and the new Rogues have been bitter rivals since their original confrontation back in Seb's run on The Flash. The New batch see the Rogues as old-fashioned and weak, the old batch see the new Rogues as insane and a disgrace to the name of the Rogues. Plus, the New Rogues, completely unbeknownst to them, are threatening the life of Captain Cold's sister, Golden Glider. And there's no better way to piss off Captain Cold. So we'll see explosion, fire, ice, knives, mirrors, pipes.... and generally one helluva reckoning!

Q. Is the New Rogue member The Clown the DC2 version of the criminal that murdered Hunter Zolomon's father in law and blew out his kneecap in DCU continuity?

A. Good spot! The DC2 Clown was added to the New Rogues by Seb in his run on the title, and we can but speculate- but yes, I believe he is that same villain. Of course, whether or not that has happened on the DC2 has yet to be seen.

Q. Speaking of Zoom, the DC2 Zoom seems to be a hybrid of Thawne and Zolomon. Is this the case?

A. Well, I actually have a minor correction here, Pat. The DC2's 'Zoom' was created back in the first story arc here, 'Time Flies', by Charlie Wilkins, and is connected to the old Flash villain Rival. Thawne is the Reverse Flash, and we've been very careful not to call him Zoom despite the implication.
But yes, you're absolutely right. While we are using Eobard Thawne, I changed his origins radically, taking my cue from what Johns did with Zolomon. The way tragedy really informed Zolomon was inspired, and definitely the inspiration for Thawne's own twisted origin. Hunter Zolomon, of course, does exist on the DC2, but he is at present a long way from being a super-villain!


Q. You've said before that your inspirations were Mark Waid's original run on The Flash and Geoff Johns' run on the title. Why is this(despite the fact that those runs are amazing)?

A. I'll be honest; the reason is twofold. I am a huge Mark Waid fan in general- Hell, I'm a big Geoff Johns fan too, but Mark Waid has my eternal loyalty for his phenomenal run on Fantastic Four. So I'm generally predisposed to like things he writes- the fact that he created some wonderful concepts and for all intents and purposes, made Wally West into what he is today, only furthered that. And 'The Return of Barry Allen' is probably my favourite Flash story ever. As for Geoff Johns, his was the first Flash I ever read, and the reason I fell in love with both the character and above all, the Rogues. Before Geoff Johns, I swore the Spider-villains were the best in comics, after I read his run, there could be no doubt that the title belonged to Captain Cold and his boys.



Q. With the coming of speedsters like Max Mercury and Johnny Quick, can we be expecting Impulse to ever show up during your run?

A.Impulse is interesting in that outside of Wally and Barry, he's actually my favourite Flash character. That said, I don't think you should be holding your breath for him while I'm on the book. I do think there's a risk of getting too crowded, and we've only had Max and Johnny for a few issues now, so there's tons to explore with them before we even begin to get into new characters. Not to mention that I'm not sure the DC2 has a firm place for a Kid Flash AND an Impulse at the same time.

Q. The conclusion of "Legacy of the Lightning" you said will bring great changes to the DC2 Flash universe. Are these good changes or bad?

A. Well, I don't want to spoil anything, but they will be neither entirely bad nor particularly good. The next issue of Flash will make one of the biggest changes that has ever happened to the character, and that will bring with it both negative points and positive points. There will be losses which will wound the Flashes deeply. And certain events that occur not necesarilly in the story but as shockwaves from it, will radically recast their world in a way that our heroes may not agree with. So some things will change for the good, some things will change for the bad.... but everything will change.

Q.How do you feel about Barry Allen's return in Final Crisis?

A.I have mixed feelings. I love Barry Allen. And I mean love him. He's a fantastic character, he really is. BUT all that said... I'm not sure there's a place in the DC Universe for both Barry and Wally. As Mark Waid said, if Barry Allen's there, I'm not really sure what Wally West is there for except to be the Flash who isn't Barry. So the idea of having Barry and Wally active, both as the Flash... is something which I think will inevitably sideline Wally much as John Stewart, Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner have been sidelined. BUT if there were any creators I'd trust to make it work, Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns are right up there. And my hopes improve with every line that comes out of Barry's life in Final Crisis- Grant Morrison has Barry's personality down so well I feel a surge of fanboy glee every time he speaks. So, we'll see how it plays out.

Q.And the question all Flash fans must know how to answer...who is your favorite Flash?

A.I... it's... it's like asking a parent to pick a favourite child. I think it's natural for everyone to have a personal prejudice towards the Flash they grew up with, and... well, if the Johns and Waid runs are my favourites, the answer seems clear there! But Barry is a very, very close second indeed! And let us not forget Jay, who is the best 'mentor' hero in the entire JSA- Sorry, Alan Scott! Aw heck, I love the entire Flash universe.

Read Flash stories and more at www.dc2universe.com