There are many heroes who share the name of The Flash. Most of them have distinctive costumes, but two of them, Barry Allen and Wally West, share a similar supersuit. This is because Wally took up the mantle of his uncle, following Barry’s death during Crisis on Infinite Earths.
The preview for The Flash #6 by Simon Spurrier and Mike Deodato Jr. reveals a subtle difference between the two heroes’ costumes. Barry Allen’s cowl has a domino mask, which does not cover his nose. By contrast, Wally West’s mask dips down over his nose, and features lenses that go over his eyes.
Check out the Mike Deodato Jr. cover and the first seven pages below.
A Quick History of The Flash’s Costume
Despite the designs used in The Flash #6, most comics seem to depict Wally West with a similar mask to that of his mentor. This makes sense given that Wally purposely chose to emulate Barry Allen when he took over his role as the Fastest Man Alive. This raises the question of whether The Flash was ever regularly depicted with a covered nose in the comics.
It appears that this design was first utilized in the 1990 The Flash television series. It was there that actor John Wesley Shipp wore a cowl with a fuller mask. However, The Flash comics of the time do not seem to show Wally West wearing a similar mask.
In recent years, there have been other efforts to make the two heroes visually distinctive. For a time, Wally West adopted a design similar to his original Kid Flash costume that left his hair visible. This costume also featured silver accents rather than the gold of Barry Allen’s costume. However, the idea put forth by Spurrier offers a way for both heroes to use the classic design but still look different.
The Flash #6 arrives in comic shops everywhere on February 27, 2024.
