Warning: Spoilers for Batman: The Brave and the Bold #14
Summary
- The Flash is the most in-demand hero for the Justice League.
- Barry Allen’s speed allows him to assist multiple heroes in one day.
- The Flash’s high-speed crime-fighting makes him crucial to the team’s success.
First united in the pages of The Brave and the Bold #28 by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky, the Justice League stand among the greatest superhero teams in comics. Composed of a variety of A-list DC heroes, the team is full of powerful characters — but they aren’t all equally gifted, and one key hero is far more in-demand than the others.
The Justice League’s smaller teams, like the World’s Finest and Trinity, are well-known, but the story “The Flash: A Day in the Life” by Cavan Scott and Travis Mercer from Batman: The Brave and the Bold #14 shows who other heroes call on the most: the Flash. The story begins with Barry Allen waking up at seven o’clock in the morning. After Iris asks for another ten minutes, the Scarlet Speedster is contacted by Superman and promptly races outside to aid the Metropolis-based Man of Tomorrow. Within thirty-nine seconds, the pair rescue survivors from a burning building.
The Brave and the Bold continues DC’s proud history of exploring smaller team-ups between heroes, with everyone from Booster Gold to the Jurassic League starring in the current series. For all the reader debate on which JLA member is the most useful, issue #14 settled it once and for all: it’s the Flash
The Justice League Calls on the Flash the Most
Barry Allen Is an In-Demand Superhero
The Justice League has seen its roster grow and change over the years, but the core team typically includes Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, a Green Lantern and a Flash. Outside their core team-based adventures, these characters have also been known to team up in smaller stories, calling on one another for their specific skills. While each member brings something unique to the table, it’s safe to say that some powers come in handy more often than others.
The Flash’s speed doesn’t simply make him useful in the moment; it allows him to help multiple heroes per day.
In this story, after grabbing a breakfast burrito, the Flash is then contacted by Batman, who explains that Gorilla Grodd and Poison Ivy have taken hostages at the Gotham City Zoo. Before the Caped Crusader himself can arrive on-scene, Barry shows up and captures the pair of villains, leaving them for the Gothamite to take into custody. While rushing home to Iris, the hero is temporarily caught off guard by Reverse-Flash, only to swiftly defeat him with a single punch. Finally making his way back to the apartment, it’s revealed that the entire story happens in ten minutes — and the day is just getting started.
The Flash Can Save the Day Before Breakfast
Of Course the Justice League Needs Him
The Flash’s speed doesn’t simply make him useful in the moment; it allows him to help multiple heroes per day. A case that might take Batman hours or even days to crack can be cracked in a minute with some help from Barry Allen. Flash Family stories like the “One-Minute War” by Jeremy Adams, Roger Cruz, and others are great examples of just how condensed a day in the life of a Flash can be — especially Barry’s. He may not have the strength of Superman or the fighting prowess of Batman, but the Flash’s high-speed crime-fighting means he’s freer to aid his Justice League teammates than anyone else.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #14 is available now from DC Comics.
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BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #14 (2024) |
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