The Flash by Mark Waid — Book Five (featuring “Dead Heat” and “Race Against Time”)

When Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti were handed creative control over some of Marvel’s B- and C-list characters in 1998, they offered the job of writing Black Panther to Christopher Priest…who didn’t want the assignment! But Priest was eventually convinced to take Quesada and Palmiotti’s Coming to America-inspired suggestion to bring T’Challa to Brooklyn and turn it into a radical reinvention of the character, years ahead of its time in merging superheroes with international political intrigue. Much of the basis for the MCU’s mega-popular take on Black Panther and Wakanda begins in this run, but Priest was convinced it wouldn’t work without a white point-of-view character directly inspired by one of TV’s Friends. We look at one of the sharpest, funniest, most daring ongoing series of the Iron Age.

Who is Cobalt Blue? Well, we’ll tell you, but you might not like the answer! In 1997, Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn took a 12-issue vacation from the ongoing Flash series to recharge their batteries. But during this so-called “hiatus,” they were busy collaborating on a number of stories and even a 96-page hybrid prose/graphic novel that would set up their upcoming “Chain Lightning” storyline, billed as “the ultimate Flash epic.” Fans didn’t react well to the shocking retcon that kicked off the story, but we found the resultant time-travel romp to be a bit of an overlooked gem, introducing a thousand years of potentially interesting speedsters to the DC Universe. PLUS! Don’t miss the wedding of Wally West and Linda Park (Take One)! Discussed in this episode: The Flash #142-150 and #1,000,000, plus The Life Story of The Flash (1997) and other stories. Support us and get bonus content at patreon.com/ironageofcomics

In 1988’s Amazing Spider-Man #300, Venom debuted as a ruthless, psychotic stalker and quickly became Spidey’s top villain. Within five years, he was so popular that Marvel semi-rehabilitated him into an antihero with his own series. But by the end of the decade, the character had become overexposed and was removed from active circulation. In the wake of the release of Venom: The Last Dance, we look back at one of the strangest evolutions of the Iron Age and ask the big questions. How did David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane turn a four-year-old completed subplot about a new costume and a newly retconned supporting character into the basis of a franchise? Why did Marvel give Venom a string of consecutive limited series instead of a traditional ongoing? And how are his powers even actually supposed to work? Support the podcast at patreon.com/ironageofcomics

Conspicuous by their absence throughout most of this run, the villains of the Rogues Gallery return to menace the Flash. But Mark Waid (and newly credited co-writer Brian Augustyn) put the main focus back on the dynamic between Wally West and Linda Park, as they argue about how much information to reveal to the public about an impending global disaster, negotiate the Flash’s exile from Keystone City to his new home turf of Santa Marta, California, and find their commitment to each other put to the ultimate test when the devil Neron comes looking to make a deal. We’ll also examine some side projects looking at Wally’s relationship with some of his superhero peers: Dick (Nightwing) Grayson and Kyle (Green Lantern) Rayner.TRIGGER WARNING: Discussion of fictional presidential election. Discussed in this episode: The Flash #119-129, plus Flash/Green Lantern: Faster Friends #1-2, Flash Plus Nightwing (1997), and other stories.Support us on Patreon at patreon.com/ironageofcomics

In a Patreon-exclusive episode available now, we discuss Bernie Wrightson's adaptation of the EC Comics-inspired horror anthology movie Creepshow, directed by George A. Romero from a screenplay by Stephen King. As a Halloween treat, we're offering a taste of the conversation for free here. Want to hear the rest? Support us at patreon.com/ironageofcomics!

At the intersection of Carl Barks and Akira Kurosawa, you’ll find Usagi Yojimbo, a longrunning indie comic about a rabbit ronin in 17th-century Japan. Creator Stan Sakai deftly balances somber meditations on honor and often surprising violence with funny animals and gentle humor, drawing on influences ranging from extensive historical research into traditional swordmaking techniques to Audrey Hepburn movies caught on afternoon TV. We dive into a big chunk of this series (already in progress, as it turns out) and discuss how despite its very specific cultural milieu, the universal themes and plots found in the stories (and the appealing nature of the art) makes this comic instantly accessible.

In this episode, we get two epic storylines back to back. First, in “Dead Heat,” the Lightning Brigade faces the evil Savitar, who treats superspeed like a religion and has an army of ninjas to back him up. Next, “Race Against Time” finds Wally West lost in the future while a new Flash protects Keystone City (and makes time with Linda Park). But we’re less enthused about these stories than earlier highlights like “The Return of Barry Allen” and “Terminal Velocity.” Was writer Mark Waid starting to be stretched a little too thin as he ascended to the ranks of industry superstar, or are your humble hosts just running out of gas? Or maybe there’s just something funny about this Savitar guy… There's a Fifth Week Bonus episode coming in October! Sign up now at patreon.com/ironageofcomics so you won't miss it!

What if every superhero and pulp fiction universe was condensed down into one universe, which was also the Wildstorm Universe? The Planetary team uncovers the secret history of their world and, in the process, performs a metatextual analysis on genre comics. But to what end? With one fan of the series and one hater on board, we debate whether Planetary restores a sense of wonder to superheroes and has anything insightful to say about them, or whether it’s just more guys with powers vying for control of the universe while making snarky comments to each other. We’ll also gush over John Cassaday and Laura Martin’s art, discuss the difference between pastiche and archetypes, and consider how the comics industry evolved over the course of the series’ highly delayed run. This episode was recorded before John Cassaday’s passing. A brief introduction at the top of the show, recorded more recently, contextualizes how we ultimately decided to release this episode. This episode also discusses allegations about Warren Ellis and the question of whether to revisit his work at all surrounding those allegations. For more information, we recommend reading SoManyOfUs.com.

It’s another big everything-changes-forever epic as Mark Waid hits “Terminal Velocity.” The discovery of the Speed Force as the source of superspeed in the DC Universe is transforming Wally West emotionally and physically, and his future with Linda Park is at stake. True love conquers all (sorry for the spoiler), but they won’t necessarily live happily ever as they have to pick up the pieces after the fairytale ending. We’ll discuss Wally’s often-frustrating tendency to keep his loved ones in the dark and debate whether it matters that the villain of the piece is a bit generic. Because comic fans need to rank things, we’ll also weigh in on whether “Terminal Velocity” or “The Return of Barry Allen” is the highlight of the run. All this plus Mirror Master and some kind of Lovecraftian monster, too!  Discussed in this episode: Flash #0 and 95-105, plus Flash Annual #8 (1996). Support this podcast at patreon.com/ironageofcomics

It’s the part of the run you’ve been waiting for: Buddy Baker can see you! And Grant Morrison can talk to you, too. We’ve seen Animal Man establish his superhero cred, straighten out his origin, and become an animal-rights activist. Now, in issues #18-26 closing out Morrison’s run, the very nature of his fictional reality is at stake as our hero also deals with the ultimate personal tragedy. In this episode, we interrogate the series’ interrogation of “the realistic superhero comic,” think about the limits of cathartic violence in fiction, explore Comic Book Limbo, and ask what the relationship is between the Grant Morrison who appears in issue #26 and the Grant Morrison who wrote issue #26. Strap in for some metatextual pontification (and some laughs as always). Support the podcast at patreon.com/ironageofcomics