The Flash Will Bring Corto Maltese to the DCU

CBR

The Flash Will Bring A Major Dark Knight Returns Location to the DCU

By Tim Webber

Published Oct 16, 2018

In an upcoming storyline, the Flash will travel to this famous DC locale in his ongoing quest to understand the newly discovered Strength Force.

The Flash better pack his bags, because Barry Allen is heading to one of DC's most dangerous tropical destinations, Corto Maltese. As revealed in DC's January solicitations, Barry Allen will head to the fictional island to stop the super-strong Powerhouse from overthrowing the country's oppressive government in an upcoming storyline in The Flash.

The Flash's trip to Corto Maltese comes in the middle of "Force Quest," where he's trying to unlock the secrets of the newly-revealed Strength Force and untangle its history with the Speed Force. Starting in The Flash #60 and continuing into The Flash #61, Barry's quest for discovery will take put him on a crash course with Powerhouse, a young Strength Force user who's trying to topple her country's corrupt government.

Since Frank Miller introduced Corto Maltese in The Dark Knight Returns #3, the tiny fictional island has been a hotbed of geopolitical activity. In that iconic tale, the U.S. government sent Superman to stop a band of Soviet Union-funded rebels before the situation boiled over. After Superman saved the island from nuclear destruction, Corto Maltese, which is named after Hugo Pratt's famous European comic book adventurer, was folded into the background of the main DC Universe.

Corto Maltese has also been predominantly featured in several live-action DC productions. The island has had a fairly prominent role in the Arrowverse, where it's been used as a training ground and linked to a few major villains. In Tim Burton's Batman, Kim Basinger's Vicki Vale documented a violent rebel uprising on the island, and her photography work caught the eye of Jack Nicholson's Joker. In Smallville, Tom Welling's Superman had his first Justice League mission on the island.

The Flash #60 is written by Joshua Williamson with art by Rafa Sandoval and Jordi Tarragona and is on sale Dec. 12. The Flash #61 is written by Williamson with art by Christian Duce and a cover by David Yardin and is on sale Jan. 2, 2019.