Posted in: DC Universe, TV | Tagged: carmine infantino, Cary Bates, cw, entertainment, grant gustin, HRL, television, The Flash

Flash Season 4: The First Episode Back Will be the Trial of the Flash

Published Thu, 28 Dec 2017 16:05:25 -0600

by Dan Wickline

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When The Flash returns on January 16th, the episode will be called Trial of the Flash. This won't surprise anyone who has been keeping up with the series, as the mid-season cliffhanger involved Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) being arrested for the murder of Clifford DeVoe (Neil Sandilands), though DeVoe is now in the body of Dominic Lanse (Kendrick Sampson), a new metahuman with psychic abilities. The Thinker is alive, but Barry is still on trial for his murder.

The CW has released the synopsis for the episode:

"The Trial of The Flash" — (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (TV-PG, L) (HDTV)

BARRY FIGHTS FOR HIS LIFE — As Barry's (Grant Gustin) trial for the murder of Clifford DeVoe begins, Iris (Candice Patton) and Joe (Jesse L. Martin) must decide how far they are willing to go to keep Barry out of prison. Philip Chipera directed the episode written by Lauren Certo & Kristen Kim (#410). Original airdate 1/16/2018.

Comic fans will note that the title, Trial of the Flash, has been used before. It was a rather large story that took place in the Flash #323 through Flash #350 and was written by Cary Bates and drawn by Carmine Infantino. Instead of the Thinker, though, it focused on the Flash being accused of the murder of the Reverse-Flash. Plus the biggest difference, on the show it's Barry Allen who's on trial. Here is the synopsis for the collection:

Following the murder of The Flash's wife, Iris, by his greatest foe, The Reverse-Flash, the two costumed characters are locked in a round-the-world race and battle – one that ended in the death of the evildoer. This is only the beginning of a startling chain of events for The Fastest Man Alive, as he is arrested on a charge of murder. A police scientist himself in his civilian identity of Barry Allen, The Flash begins to build his defense. But when his famous Rogues Gallery of villains decides to get revenge for the death of one of their own, The Flash must battle their patsy: The massively powerful villain called Big Sir. And that's all before the trial even begins . . .

Where the story covered two years in the comics, I have a feeling this will be more like how the television series handled Flashpoint: one episode and then fall out through the season. I can't see them keeping Barry on trial for very long. They might wrap it up in one episode or stretch it out over two or three, but I can't see them doing more than that. This will likely have little to do with the comics, but it's an excellent run of stories and has been collected in a Showcase edition if anyone wants to pick it up.

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