Titan Comics releases Flash “Souvenir One Shot”

By John Freeman on May 7, 2015

Today (7th May 2015) sees the news stand release of Titan Comics The Flash ‘souvenir one-shot’, jam-packed with four high-speed stories featuring CSI Barry Allen, a.k.a The Flash, as he races from one adventure to another.

Like their ongoing Doctor Who Comic, it’s a bumper full colour comic – a 100-page title – reprinting some of the recent adventures of DC Comics’ Scarlet Speedster.

In “The Quick and the Dead”, discover how The Flash met super friend and interstellar law enforcer Hal Jordan, a.k.a the Green Lantern, and witness the disruption when The Flash comes face to face with his past. Then, in “Secret Origins”, explore Barry Allen’s Secret Origins story and see how he became the fastest man alive and what motivated him to become a hero.

The release of this title is interesting firstly because, as Lew Stringer notes, The Flash hasn’t had his own British comic since the 1960s and secondly, the cost of getting a one shot title onto the news stand in the UK is pretty cost prohibitive, because of the demands made by retailers in terms of buying space. I’m guessing Titan Comics may have come up with a cunning plan here, perhaps by making this the first of a series of “Souvenir One Shots” which will enable them to rotate and test various concepts to see what might stick. (Given that their Totally… title has a different lead character every issue, I don’t think my conjecture here is too much of a stretch).

UK ratings for The Flash TV show on Sky One have been strong (the show drew an audience of 629,200 for a share of 2.9 percent of UK homes watching TV on its debut last year, according to overnight data), and the comic’s launch is perfectly timed to capitalise on the new episodes screening on Sky One.

• The Flash Souvenir One Shot costs £3.99 and is available from all good newsagents now. For more information and to order online visit the Titan Comics web site

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.