Cover: Greg LaRocque & Larry Mahlstedt

Flash #28

Jul 1989 · DC · 1.00 USD; 1.25 CAD; 0.50 GBP

📊 ~33,853 copies sold its debut month

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“Bless the Beasts”

★ 1st appearance — Linda Park

In "Bless the Beasts," Wally West finds himself mistaken for a monstrous Porcupine Man, forcing him to defend his name while Captain Cold and Golden Glider—unexpectedly playing hero—try to stop what they believe is a threat. Written by William Messner-Loebs and illustrated with striking detail by Greg LaRocque, this 1989 Flash issue blends suspense and identity confusion in a story that stands out for its eerie tone and sharp character dynamics. The cover, by Greg LaRocque and Larry Mahlstedt, captures the moment perfectly.

writer William Messner-Loebs · artist Greg LaRocque · inker Timothy Dzon · colorist Carl Gafford · letterer Agustin Más · cover Greg LaRocque, Larry Mahlstedt

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (VF) $4

CGC 9.8 · 5 in census $40

CGC 9.6 · 1 in census $20

CGC 9.4 none in existence

CGC 9.2 · 1 in census $20*

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

More listings for this title

NM- · 2nd print $2.45 Newsstand $2.99 NM $2.99 2nd print $3.99 NM · 2nd print $4 FN+ $4.1 NM $4.79 NM $5.19

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Trivia · 7 facts

First appearance of Linda Park (later Linda Park-West), a Korean-American television reporter who becomes Wally West's eventual wife — created by writer William Messner-Loebs and penciler Greg LaRocque.
Story title: 'Bless the Beasts' — the concluding chapter of the 'Porcupine Man' two-parter begun in Flash #27.
Plot: A spike-afflicted Wally West is hunted by both Captain Cold and Golden Glider (Leonard and Lisa Snart), while a small-town crowd cheers the villains on, believing Wally is the 'Porcupine Man' responsible for missing children — who are actually trapped in a collapsed cave.
Wally rescues the trapped children at superspeed, clears his name, and ends the issue by splitting the rescue reward money with Captain Cold and Golden Glider — an unusual moral resolution that underscores Messner-Loebs's character-driven approach.
Linda Park's debut scene involves her interviewing Captain Cold on television and later confronting the Flash over the property damage caused by the Porcupine Man saga, establishing her immediately as a sharp, adversarial presence rather than a passive love interest.
Full creative team: William Messner-Loebs (writer), Greg LaRocque (pencils), Larry Mahlstedt (inks), Tim Dzon (additional inks), Carl Gafford (colors), Augustin Mas (letters); Barbara Randall Kesel (editor).
Collected in The Flash by William Messner-Loebs and Greg LaRocque Omnibus Vol. 1 (DC Comics, ISBN 9781779525819), which reprints The Flash #1–28, Flash Annuals #1–3, and related issues.