The Flash Uni-Formz Vinyl Figures

The Flash is the fourth character to join DC Direct’s line of stylized limited edition Uni-Formz vinyl figures based on the popular super heroes of the DC Comics Universe. The Blot is really glad to see DC Direct is continuing its Uni-Formz designer toy line, because in these economic times you just never know if a relatively expensive new toy line will get canceled.


The Flash Uni-Formz three figure set features the classic version of The Flash, dressed in his traditional red uniform, the villain Zoom, dressed in his traditional yellow uniform, and death personified, the Black Flash. I know DC Direct is saying this is the “classic version” of The Flash dressed in his “traditional red uniform,” but does anyone else get the feeling that this Flash’s costume is the Wally West version and not the Barry Allen version? Wally is the one with the white eyes and metallic red costume, while Barry’s costume always showed his eyes and had a more traditional red coloring. Plus Barry’s boots had the wings on them, while Wally’s did not.


I know it’s nitpicking, but I’m surprised they didn’t just make a Barry Allen colorway and a Wally West colorway, similar to their release of two different colorways of Batman’s traditional costume. Considering the The Flash Uni-Formz only has three colorways, never in a million years would I have expected one to be the Black Flash. Especially when you consider there have been multiple variations of the Scarlet Speedseter’s costume over the years and a Kid Flash colorway would have been incredibly easy to make. With that being said, I think the Black Flash figure looks very cool, and I love the detailing on the figure’s head!


In keeping with the tradition of designer toys, certain figures will be more rare than others. In this particular instance, The Flash variants (Zoom and Black Flash) will be produced in far lower quantities than the standard Flash figure. The limited-edition Flash Uni-Formz vinyl figures feature 12 points of articulation, stands approximately 8 inches tall, are packaged in a deluxe 4-color window box and will retail for around $60 each. The Flash Uni-Formz figures will go on sale May 26, 2010.

The Flash / Barry Allen Returns From The Dead Today After 23 Years

Today the NY Daily News is reporting that “DC Comics is reviving Barry Allen – aka The Flash – the popular superhero killed off by the publisher 23 years ago.” (link) The Flash’s resurrection is part of a new company wide crossover that begins today called Final Crisis and occurs in the final pages of DC Universe #0, which hits stands today.

The Blot honestly never thought I’d be typing those words. You see Barry Allen, DC Comics’ second Flash, sacrificed himself back in 1986 to save the world in one of comics’ most famous issues, Crisis on Infinite Earths #8. Crisis on Infinite Earths, to this day, is one of the most popular, earth shattering comic book mini-series of all time and the death of the Silver Age Flash is one of the reasons for that. What many people don’t realize is DC has had multiple Flashes. The first Flash of the Golden Age is Jay Garrick. Many years later DC introduced Barry Allen as a new Flash, which ushered in the Silver Age of super hero comics and really revitalized super hero comics in America.

After Allen’s death in 1986 his sidekick and nephew Wally West/Kid Flash stepped up and took over his mentor’s role as the Flash. While Barry Allen has made a few appearances over the years in stories where characters have jumped in time, his death has been one of the very, very few to have ever stuck in comics. It seemed like the highest honor the company could pay Allen’s sacrifice by allowing his death to stand for all these years.

To me it’s a shocking move for DC because the character has been deceased ever since I started reading comics. As a comic reader in his late 20’s the only way I’ve come to know of the character is posthumously and the only modern day Flash I’ve ever followed has been Wally West, one of my favorite comic characters. Hearing this news really brings me concern, both for the future of Wally West as the Flash and what the impact this resurrection will have on the character of Barry Allen.

Thankfully the writing of the return of Allen’s Flash is being handled by Grant Morrison (writer of Final Crisis) and Geoff Johns (writer of The Flash), two comic book writers whose works I really enjoy and admire. Johns told the Daily News “when the greatest evil comes back to the DC Universe, the greatest hero needed to return. Without Barry Allen, we’d still be reading comic books about cowboys.” (link) Morrison added that the Flash is “the God of the modern world, people are doing more everyday, moving faster and I think the Flash can be their hero.” (link) As with life things can change in the blink of an eye, only time will tell if Barry Allen’s return is for good or just another publicity stunt to increase readership in a new title…either way it’ll be nice to see one the DC Universe’s central characters running the streets again.