Let me say this up front: FLASH is the DC series I’ve always loved the most. I own more Flash comics than I can count, and have adored the character since I was a 4-year-old living in a tiny Queens apartment. So it’s an understatement to say that editing this series in DC Comics – The New 52 is a true privilege. And what a series it is! The super-talented writer-artist team of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato has me running giddy on a cosmic treadmill! FLASH remains a very fun series to read — it’s got drama, intrigue, tragedy, humor…everything you want out of your entertainment! But it also has something else. It’s something we let slip at Comic Con, but many of you might not have heard it, so brace yourself for this SPOILER WARNING: The Flash is a single man. He’s a bachelor who has never been married. I’ll give you all a few seconds to take that in and digest it. Yes, folks — in the post-FLASHPOINT world, Barry Allen has not only never dated Iris West, but he’s dating someone else entirely in issue #1! And that someone is…his longtime coworker Patty Spivot! If that upsets you, sorry about that. But I make no apologies for opening up a traditional storytelling avenue with our hero’s romantic life, something that’s been shut closed for a very long time now. This is no indictment of marriage. I’m a married man and wouldn’t trade it for anything. But in the realm of fiction, I feel strongly that this change to Barry opens up fresh, new creative directions and exciting new storylines. But don’t fret—Iris West remains an active supporting cast member. And a wonderfully entertaining one, at that! Who else could possibly hit up Barry for anonymous crime-story tips to fill her blog on the Central City Citizen’s website? No one but the go-getter Iris could consume so much caffeine and live to tell about it. And who knows, maybe someday we’ll have the opportunity to see why Barry and Iris fell in love in the first place. Or maybe not! Stay tuned — I can assure you Barry’s love life will never, ever be boring! The life and times of Barry Allen are as familiar today as they were yesterday, but his love life is one of the things that have been freshened up for 2011. New fans will fall in love with the fastest man alive for the first time, and I guarantee that longtime Flash fans will not only still recognize the world of Barry Allen, they will be hooked like they were the first time. I should know, because one of those longtime fans is me!