The Flash 2022 Annual hints at big changes for the Flash family

Linda Park-West may have superpowers now, but that doesn't mean she's ready to give up her dream of being a novelist. And in The Flash 2022 Annual #1, she reveals to her husband Wally that she's scared of how her powers might change things… especially since they've hardly had any time together as of late.

But the oversized issue has another surprise in store for Wally...

Spoilers ahead for The Flash 2022 Annual #1

The Flash 2022 Annual #1 is written by Jeremy Adams, illustrated by Sergio Acuña, colored by Matt Herms, and lettered by Justin Birch.

In the first few pages of the issue, Linda and Wally talk about her powers – of which he's shocked to learn he's not the first person she told – and then her first book, a romance novel with what Wally describes as "pretty incredible" cover art.

See the excerpt below, including the cover and first page of Linda's novel, titled 'Best-Laid Plans.'

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The Flash Annual 2022 #1 — (Image credit: DC)

Wally spends the majority of the one-shot actually reading Linda's book, which puts a thin layer of fiction over their actual life together. After he's done, he surprises her as she comes out of a meeting about her upcoming book tour, and takes her on a date around the world – which is extra special this time because she's now a speedster like him.

With the ongoing Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths event and the Flash family's quest to find Barry Allen, plus Linda suddenly and mysteriously getting powers of her own as she transitions from being a journalist to being a published prose writer, the Wests are going through a lot.

The Flash 2022 Annual #1 takes place after Barry Allen is found, and it's a much-needed moment of reconnection. But as Wally and Linda's impromptu date winds down, she confesses to craving sea salt caramel gelato, which she used to send Wally to get for her while she was pregnant with Jai and Iris.

At first, the Wests laugh about the memory of Wally running anywhere and everywhere to get said gelato... But then they quickly realize that this may mean Linda is pregnant again.

If she is, it's another huge status change for her and for the West family, which will definitely impact the overall Flash family and how they operate moving forward. Although Linda's pregnancy isn't confirmed here, a future issue of The Flash will surely explore this cliffhanger.

The Flash 2022 Annual #1 is on sale now.

Wally West ranks highly on Newsarama's list of the best DC speedsters.

Samantha Puc (she/they) is an editor at Newsarama and an avid comics fan. Their writing has been featured on Refinery29, Bitch Media, them., The Beat, The Mary Sue, and elsewhere. She is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative nonfiction at The New School.