This post contains SPOILERS for The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1
DC's new prequel comic for Ezra Miller's The Flash sees Barry Allen becoming a Robin-type protégé to Ben Affleck's Batman, receiving some much-needed training to become a more effective superhero in the DCEU. Taking place after the events of Justice League but before Flash's upcoming solo adventure, Barry Allen is looking to do more than just "pushing people and running away". As such, this new comic sees Batman reluctantly agreeing to train the Fastest Man Alive, most likely implementing the same methods he used to train Dick Grayson's Robin in the DCEU who was murdered years prior by the Joker.
Coming from writer Kenny Porter and artist Ricardo Lopez Ortiz, The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1 sees Ezra Miller's Barry Allen facing the incredibly strong foe known as Girder in this official tie-in to the DCEU. Having a body made of incredibly durable steel, Girder is not a supervillain Barry can simply push and hand over to the police. As such, Barry decides to visit Batman, his fellow Justice Leaguer and Gotham City's longstanding Dark Knight.
While Ben Affleck's Batman is understandably hesitant about the Flash's desire for Bruce Wayne to teach him how to actually fight, there are multiple reasons why the Dark Knight is so uncertain. Going beyond their differing personalities and Batman's darker disciplines, it's been years since Bruce had someone to train and teach, the last being Dick Grayson's Robin. However, the excited Scarlet Speedster doesn't give the Caped Crusader much choice in the matter, effectively becoming Batman's new mentee and creating a similar bond to the one Bruce likely had with the DCEU's first and only Robin. Case in point, Batman ends up gifting Barry his new Flash costume that will be seen in the upcoming film.
Although bringing the Justice League together and learning to trust others again was a major step for Ben Affleck's Batman in the DCEU after his years of brutal loss and darkness, teaching Barry Allen to fight is incredibly significant in its own right. It proves to Bruce that he can still leave a mark on the next generation, just as he did with his Robin before his death. As such, here's hoping that the value of giving Barry the skills and abilities he needs to run on his own two feet isn't wasted on the Dark Knight.
While there's still quite a bit of time before Ezra Miller's The Flash comes to theaters in June 2023, there are still two more issues of the prequel Flash series on the way which will continue to flesh out Barry's new status quo ahead of his upcoming adventure. For example, The Flash now knows how to fight and is sporting his brand-new supersuit courtesy of his nocturnal mentor Batman, becoming a quasi-Robin replacement for Bruce Wayne in the DCEU. The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1 is on sale now.