IGN has revealed today that Flashpoint writer Geoff Johns is set to return to that twisted reality for a new limited series called Flashpoint Beyond. Serving as a direct sequel to the story that rewrote the DC Universe's history and delivered "The New 52," Johns will be joined by Jeremy Adams (The Flash) and Tim Sheridan (Teen Titans) for a story focusing on the Thomas Wayne Batman.
The original story came about after Barry Allen travelled back in time in a bid to prevent his mother's death at the Reverse-Flash's hands. However, he inadvertently created a new world where Bruce Wayne died instead of his parents and Aquaman and Wonder Woman had gone to war.
While we'd thought the Flashpoint timeline had been erased, its Batman has made his presence felt in the current iteration of the DC Universe in recent years. Targeting his son in an effort to stop him from wasting his life as a Caped Crusader, he essentially became a full-blown villain before ultimately finding redemption in the Infinite Frontier series. Now, though, Batman is heading home.
"In the first Flashpoint, Thomas fixed the timeline. His son grew up, became the Batman we know and love, and what’s more – Thomas saw the fruits of his sacrifice," Adams says. "So, imagine thinking that has been taken away. He is back in the nightmare of that world still existing without his son...It’s the driving force behind his motivation for the series."
"Thomas has now seen so much of the world beyond that you have to wonder if, in those intervening years, he took in enough of the light to help him see clearly now that he’s back in the darkness that once enveloped and consumed him," Sheridan adds. "I don’t think that question has an easy answer, which is why it’s in many ways at the heart of Flashpoint Beyond."
Flashpoint Beyond will be a direct sequel to the original story, and the site explains that how this reality still exists will be a big part of the story. Along the way, a lot of familiar faces will return as we learn more about what's happened to this world in the years since we last paid a visit to it.
The story kicks off with Flashpoint Beyond #0 on April 5. More details and artwork can be found at IGN.