As zero month concludes at DC, Reboot Nation compare last week’s “The Flash” #0 to the “Zero Hour” tie-in “The Flash” #0 from 1995.
Flash #0 (1995)
Written by Mark Waid / Illustrated by Mike Wieringo
This issue opens with Wally West traveling through time with Waverider, who’s given a name-check and forgotten. From there, Wally becomes ghost-like and revisits important moments in his life, including his origin, working back to his childhood, where he gives his younger self some encouragement. At the conclusion, he regains physical form and takes off into the time stream again, presumably back to the present – January 1995.
The narrative is as hampered by its chronological location between issues 94 and 95. The efforts Waid puts toward making this a jumping-on point are effectively cancelled by the awkward framing device which is confusing without further context. While there is some mystery as to what is guiding Wally through his past, lampshaded in-story, the general path of the story feels forced – Wally can’t interact with anything until he can.
Flash #0 (2012)
Written by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato, Illustrated by Francis Manapul
This is a true origin issue, utilizing no time travel or flashbacks (from modern day, anyway) to tell the beginning of Barry Allen’s career. After his father is arrested for murdering Barry’s mom, Barry becomes a CSI investigator to prove his dad’s innocence. Staying late at the lab one night, he is struck by lightning and develops his trademark speed. By the conclusion of the story, he has donned the costume and begins fighting crime.
The weakest part of this issue was the costume. I’m not a regular reader of “Flash,” but I’m aware he stores his suit in his ring. If I did not know that, which is a fair assumption of new readers, the page showing it would make zero sense.
Unlike a #1, which all have roughly the same expectations, zero issues have a bit more leeway in what they should be. They can reveal a character prior to the start of the main plot, they can be an exposition-heavy recap of previous events, or even the real first chapter of a story (I’m looking at you, “Resident Alien”), but there is one thing which should always be true of a zero issue. It’s one thing most of the New 52 and “Zero Hour” zero issues didn’t have. A zero issue, regardless of it’s chronological release, should always make sense if it’s read prior to issue one. Years from now, when new readers hunt for back issues of the New 52, it’s likely some of them will think they have complete runs only to be confused when there’s a plot gap between issues 12 and 13.
That won’t be true for anyone seeking “The Flash”, and that’s why the 2012 book is a better zero issue than 1995.
Final Standoff: 2012 > 1995
