Flashpoint Beyond is an American comic book published by DC Comics. The seven-issue limited series—written by Geoff Johns, Jeremy Adams and Tim Sheridan and illustrated by Eduardo Risso, Xermánico and Mikel Janín—began its monthly publication on April 12, 2022, and concluded on October 18, 2022. It is the sequel to the limited series Flashpoint (2011) by Johns and Andy Kubert. The series was received with critical acclaim from critics, with critics praising Geoff Johns' writing, art, action, and characters. The series would later go on to set up the events of The New Golden Age.
Premise
After helping Barry Allen—the speedster superhero The Flash—restore the timeline back to its original state, Thomas Wayne—the vigilante Batman—finds himself once again in the aberrant timeline known as the Flashpoint, whose existence Batman is determined to change and replace with another version of the DC Universe (DCU), all for the sole purpose of erasing the death of his son Bruce.
Plot
Prologue
Batman enlists the help of Mime and Marionette (new characters that appeared in the Watchmen sequel Doomsday Clock) to sneak into the Time Masters' headquarters to steal a snowglobe that houses the Flashpoint timeline in order to prevent his father from being erased from existence. This causes Thomas Wayne to wake up in his reality where Penguin works for him and tells him that Harvey Dent wants to talk to him. Harvey tells Thomas that his wife is obsessed with Martha Wayne, who in this reality became the Joker. It is revealed that Wonder Woman did not kill Aquaman after all, but Superman was freed and now the people are afraid of a Kryptonian invasion. Thomas confronts this world's Barry Allen, but Barry doesn't have his powers yet. Thomas tries to recreate the experiment that gave Barry his powers. However, someone destroys the chemicals and Barry dies in the lightning strike. Harvey Dent was on his way to rescue Thomas, but a man with a harpoon destroys the car, killing Harvey. Thomas saves Harvey's son, Dexter Dent, and confronts the man with the harpoon, who says Aquaman sent him to stop Barry Allen from becoming The Flash. In a rage, Thomas kills the unknown assassin. Back on Earth Prime, Bruce is confronted by Corky Baxter, who warns him that Rip Hunter and the Time Masters will come after him.