The Flash #9 – Review

By: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato (story and art)

The Story: For God’s sake, Barry, don’t do anything stupid like quote Planet of the Apes around here.

The Review: The Silver Age of comics might have superficially drawn upon an ever-growing understand of science to tell stories, but that did nothing to stem the tide of totally illogical and bizarre ideas and storylines upon which comics fed.  The Flash (Barry Allen flavor), perhaps as a resulting byproduct of that era, thus comes attached with some seriously wacky history, probably epitomized by his completely random relationship with gorillas.

It’s always been hard to take DC’s gorilla villains seriously—and yes, I use the plural because DC actually has at least two reputable villains of simian persuasion.  If you’ve watched Young Justice, you might know Monsieur Mallah, a hyper-intelligent gorilla who wears a beret, speaks French, and is a mutually reciprocated romance with an out-of-body brain.  Gorilla Grodd thus seems plausible by comparison, a hyper-intelligent, telepathic ape who feeds on brains to increase his mental power, but he’s still just too goofy to be considered a legitimate threat.

The Flash #8 – Review

By: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato (story and art), Ian Herring (colors)

The Story: Having to look at a stranger’s life for untold years would drive anyone crazy.

The Review: I often talk about “lack of direction” on this site, and that’s a stuffy, English-major type word that deserves explanation.  If you’re going to invest your time and interest into a long-form piece of fiction, you need more out of it than simply a series of entertaining tales; you need to see a clear progression in either the characters’ development or an overarching plot/theme.  If you hit issue eight and neither has changed much from the first, the title clearly lacks direction.

Now, obviously there have been a few changes to the status quo from #1: the Flash discovering the Speed Force’s effects on time and space, a couple villain clashes, a new girlfriend.  But if you take a step back and examine the book as a whole, these alterations are largely superficial.  They’ve done nothing to make our hero a different person than when he started, nor have they established a clear path or tone for what this series wants to be.

The Flash #7 – Review

By: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato (writers and artists)

The Story: This attitude of not knowing where you’ll end up and barging in anyway tells me you’re not the greatest road-trip companion, Flash.

The Review: I lost my first copy of this issue about five seconds after reading it on the bus—and while remaining in the bus.  If you know me personally, this shouldn’t shock you one iota.  My theory is a wormhole within the time-space continuum sucked it in, and any moment now, news will be breaking about someone finding a fifty-year old copy of The Flash #7, an ad for Resident Evil: Raccoon City on the back, in the middle of the Badlands.

Or maybe the homeless person next to me sat on it when he came in and didn’t notice, which isn’t out of the question as he was quite snookered with McGuinness at the time.  Whatever the case, the mention of wormholes seems appropriate in discussing this particular issue of The Flash.  If Barry had any doubt about Dr. Elias’ hypothesized connection between excess use of the Speed Force and time warps, he has incontrovertible proof of it now.  It does beg the question of how he never noticed this effect before if big honkin’ rips in space burst nearby whenever he does this, but let’s set that little bit of inconsistency aside.

If you have a glass-half-full mentality, you might say that this disaster at least prompts Barry to true, self-initiated action for the first time this series.  Considering his upstanding character, and his tendency to wait for the starting gun before running, his decision to use Dr. Elias’ treadmill for his own purposes is practically revolutionary, especially since he himself admits he “can’t pretend to know what will happen” if he generates another wormhole and runs into it.

Young Justice Episode 20 – Review

By: Jon Weisman (writer)

The Story: When he says “Speedy delivery!” he really means it.

The Review: Since each of his teammates have had a spotlight episode to themselves, the time was ripe for a Kid Flash-centric show.  The Kid established his personality early on by serving as the team’s comedy relief, but besides the jokes, it was also fairly easy to catch on to his shtick because he comes closest to being the teenage everyman: a stereotypical adolescent male who can never get enough to eat and who thinks of girls every moment he’s not thinking of food.

As a natural consequence, Wally comes across less focused and driven than the rest of the team, someone in the superhero business more for the thrills than anything else.  He also has a tendency to come across more immature than the others—which isn’t much of a sin, so long as you can respect him as well.  From the get-go of this episode, he proves he’s worthy of respect, and he only grows in your estimation as the story proceeds.

First off, he handles the discovery of Miss Martian and Superboy’s relationship with surprising restraint, if with mortified dismay (“Oh, man!”).  Then, despite the unfortunate circumstances that leaves him out of Young Justice’s first-ever team-up with the League, he takes on his special mission from Batman with admirable stoicism.

And of course, since Batman’s the one giving the order, there’s a very good reason why Kid Flash gets picked out for this particular task.  It would’ve been easy for Weisman to make a gag out of the episode by giving Kid Flash utter busywork to do, only to, in some implausibly fortuitous circumstances, become a matter of incredible importance (e.g. Booster Gold getting crowd-control duty then subsequently saving the world from destruction by human black hole).  But this series has too much respect for its young characters to treat them that dismissively.

The Flash #6 – Review

By: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato (writers and artists)

The Story: It’s safe to say Patty won’t be putting this in her top five romantic getaways.

The Review: The first arc of this series started off with a bang, almost universally blowing everyone away with Manapul and Buccellato’s dynamic art and fairly strong storyline.  As the arc progressed, however, Manapul-Buccellato’s inexperience with writing became more apparent, and though the last issue ultimately ended on a solid note, it also illustrated that you shouldn’t expect first-class or consistent scripting from this title.

You have to give credit to the duo for trying, though, and on the whole, they bring some interesting ideas to the table.  Elevating the threat of Flash’s rogues is a start.  As much notoriety as they have, the Rogues have always been third-tier villains individually (if you class Joker in the first tier and someone like Scarecrow as second-tier), only really posing a danger as a group.  While that sense of fraternity makes the Rogues rather unique among their peers, now seems a perfect time to make them even more dangerous by building up the powers of each criminal.

Beginning with Captain Cold seems natural, as he’s regarded as the Rogues’ leader and he has the most recognition of them all.  Some traditionalists may think taking away his guns and internalizing his freeze powers is a radical change to the character, but considering this man has had to pit himself against one of the most powerful metahumans on Earth with only a couple pistols, I’d say Cold desperately needed the update.  And I must say, the added ability to slow down the Flash in addition to his ice powers is a very nice, natural touch.

It might be a bit of overkill, though, since Flash can’t exactly run at full speed anymore, or else risk damaging the time-space continuum.  Again, some might think this a random and arbitrary limiter on his powers—and it is—but from a storytelling point of view, it’s kind of necessary.  Considering all the nutty physics-defying feats the Flash is capable of when he stretches his legs and goes all out, he needs every reason to do so as rarely as possible.

The Flash #5 – Review

By: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato (writers and artists)

The Story: Apparently, Mob Rule has a strict literal bros before figurative bros policy.

The Review: Let me tell you about a friend I have.  He’s quiet, but good-humored, intelligent, hardworking, honest, makes a fine living, and is good to pretty much everyone he knows and many strangers besides.  In short, he’s so centered and balanced (in direct contrast to me, for instance), and so devoid of drama, that most people never talk of him but to speak his praise.

While all these qualities make for an excellent human being in the real world, it makes for a rather dry character in fiction.  And that’s exactly the problem—if you can call it that—with the supremely well-adjusted Barry Allen.  While it’s true the emotional and social hang-ups Geoff Johns gave our hero in the previous Flash series annoyed me, at least they gave Barry a platform upon which he could experience some conflict and, subsequently, change.

But as I noted in my review last issue, it doesn’t feel like there’s much room for Barry to develop as a character, at least in the traditional way of improving upon his flaws (of which there are few).  Furthermore, he has such a reserved personality that even when he’s being confronted, he tends to react rather passively, which makes a lot of the tension one-sided, much as Manuel’s (highly misdirected) rage at the Flash feels here.

The Flash #4 – Review

By: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato (writers and artists)

The Story: If you can’t find Multiplicity playing on cable, this is the next best thing!

The Review: Today, let’s talk about a fictional tactic I like to call the After School Special (or “ASS”, and please—let’s try to be mature about this acronym).  You know how all those kiddie movies and TV shows always seem to have a pivotal moment where the characters address the big lesson they’re meant to learn, and how annoying that gets when you’re older?  Well, it pops up pretty often in grown-up works too, where it’s equally as annoying.

ASS usually appears in one of two forms.  The first is when the characters have a confrontation, during which they self-righteously proclaim to each other the important takeaway of the story.  In this case, we have Patty wailing into Manuel for leaving Barry behind with Mob Rule.  Her ire would’ve gotten across sufficiently had Manapul-Buccellato stuck strictly to passive-aggressive remarks, like, “I don’t run away at the first sign of trouble.  I’m not a coward.”

Patty can’t leave her disgust at just that, however.  She then launches into a yelling fit which, after a while, just becomes repetitive and overly preachy: “Nobody means anything to you!  You don’t give a damn about anything but yourself.”  It’s not that she doesn’t have good reason for this outburst, but it just seems like a very blunt, overwritten way to get the point across.  I’ll leave it to you, however, to decide if it works or not.  ASS scenes can go either way.

The second form of ASS is when a character, by him or herself, stands and delivers a long speech summing up what he or she has learned about him or herself.  These bits go for less melodrama, but more of the cornball.  In #1, I called Barry out on doing this, and here he’s guilty of it again, breaking into a winding monologue about what kind of duties he intends to use his powers for.  Besides its eye-rolling smarminess, the problem with the scene is it doesn’t actually reflect a change in the character or a revelatory insight; it just reiterates what Barry already stands for: “It’s my job to protect the Gem Cities.  To protect my friends.  No matter what price I have to pay.  I won’t stop running.  I’m the Flash…this is what I do.”

The Flash #3 – Review

By: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato (writers and artists)

The Story: The city that never stops—just did.

The Review: I eat spring rolls dry.  Even though I’m Vietnamese, I can’t stand the smell of fish sauce, so the stuff rarely touches anything I eat.  When I pass on the bowl of pungent liquid, people always react with surprise, like they’ve just discovered some critical fact about myself.  Frankly, I have no idea what my prejudice against fish sauce says about me, but it’s taught me that you can get a strange sense of enlightenment when you learn these asides about people.

This applies even more so to fictional characters.  At first glance, Barry seems so good-natured and clean-cut, you’re surprised he takes coffee at all, let alone “I feel like I could use a fifty-shot espresso right about now…”  But that drink’s not an option for our favorite speedster; its jittery effect on his body, combined with his powers, can lead to unpredictable results, like vibrating through the floor into “the women’s basement locker room before getting control of myself.”  It’s a funny story which lends some much-needed color to Barry’s vanilla personality.

The anecdote also naturally preludes his rescue of a crashing jetliner by vibrating it through the Gem Cities bridge.  Interestingly, the Flash doesn’t follow up this feat by confronting the villain responsible for the cities-wide blackout; no such villain appears.  Instead, we get a sequence of something we haven’t seen in a while: our hero simply serving the public, be it retrieving kids trapped on a roller coaster or wheeling a man on a gurney straight to the hospital.

Better yet, the rest of the Central City P.D. get in on the job, with Singh, Forrest, and Patty doing their share.  Manapul-Buccellato couldn’t have chosen a more endearing way to build up the supporting cast, letting them act beyond their roles as the Flash’s out-of-costume ciphers and putting them on the same heroic footing as the star.

While her bookworm glasses tend to give Patty a soft, almost frail air, we see the woman wearing them is anything but.  Once you see her don a bulletproof vest to venture fearlessly into the darkened city, helping anyone she sees, you may start crushing on her a little.  And that’s before we get to the two of them riding the P.D. mounted division’s horses to traverse the un-drivable streets, she taking the lead while he struggles (“Whoa!  Not that way…”  “You’re a natural, Barry.”).  It’s just plain fun, something comics are in short supply of nowadays.

The Flash #2 – Review

By: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato (writers and artists)

The Story: An apple a day keeps the robbers away.

The Review: It’s not shocking why there’s so much buzz surrounding this title.  On a purely visual level, practically everyone and his mother agrees The Flash is a stunner, if nothing else.  The artistic approaches Manapul and Buccellato have taken to storytelling may not earn them the same prestige as Will Eisner, but clearly, they walk in his steps.  Eisner, however, was a skilled and subtle writer in addition to his artistic boldness; it’s uncertain if we’ll get the same here.

No matter how you cut it, Manapul-Buccellato are still pretty new to this writing business, and it shows in little ways.  With Barry’s narration, they seem to follow the short, staccato school of dialogue, meaning strings of lines that like, “I can see everything before it happens.  I can weigh every possibly outcome.  I can make the right choice.  And I can do something about it.  Before anyone even notices.”  It’s a very specific rhythm, one that occasionally jars rather than flows.

The Flash #1 – Review

By: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato (writers and artists)

The Story: You have an uncanny resemblance to a guy I know.  Make that two dozen guys.

The Review: When Barry Allen returned to life a few years ago, quite a lot of people thought he would soon regain his position as the DCU’s primo Flash.  After all, Geoff Johns was writing him, the same Johns who brought back Hal Jordan and all but guaranteed he would become the most iconic of the Green Lanterns.  But somehow, Barry never really took with readers.  Even in his own ongoing, he never managed to establish a coherent identity or tone for himself.

Reading through this issue, you’ll realize the obstacle may lie in the very nature of Barry’s character: quiet, mild-mannered, more of a follower than a leader.  These qualities won’t pop out at you like the bolder, assertive personalities, but if you give them a chance, they might touch you.  You meet a lot of heroes who beat themselves up over a loss or failure, but none wear their sad heart on their sleeves like Barry, who even in costume remains a simple man who cares.

Still, when he gets into action, he gains some zip to his personality on top of the zip to his step.  While the civilian Barry seems content to let others take charge (mostly women and sometimes his boss) and lead him to the next thing, vigilante Barry charges into situations and sorts them out in a breezy (“Uuuhhh…  Note to self: don’t vibrate using that frequency.”), efficient manner.

Vigilante Barry also seems something of a player, as he has no issue dating colleague Patty Spivot (after two years of waiting to ask her out) while entertaining a flirtatious relationship with reporter Iris West.  The attraction of both women is equal and opposing: the bookish, delightfully awkward (“Methodical is kind of hot.  I can’t believe I just said that.”) Patty appeals to Barry’s inner nerd, while Iris’ take-no-prisoners attitude is in tune with the Flash’s cockier side.

Flashpoint: Citizen Cold #1 – Review

By: Scott Kolins (writer and artist), Mike Atiyeh (colorist)

The Story: Citizen Cold versus Mr. Freeze.  What can be cooler than that?

The Review: For a while now, DC has played the dicey game of allowing artists to take up writing duties, with mixed results.  It can be a difficult transition to go from thinking in terms of visuals to more substantive storytelling.  Developing rounded characters, layered plots, credible dialogue, and conscious themes is pretty hard, after all.  So letting a fairly weak artist write a title that’ll be published regardless of consequence takes the diceyness to a whole new level.

Although he’s been co-credited for conceiving a few characters with Geoff Johns, Kolins seems to have little to no experience in fiction-writing, and it shows—rather painfully.  His dialogue reads like every groaner line from every action flick you’ve ever seen, with excessive text styling to boot: “You broke the rules coming to my town, Freeze!”  “Cold?  I don’t have time for this!”

But the clichéd dialogue is only the symptom of Kolins’ weak character writing.  He essentially latches on to the most superficial qualities of each character and plays it up embarrassingly.  The Scottish Mirror Master talks like a bizarre combination of Willie MacDougal and Yoda: “He cannae help yeh now.  Either dead or run-off he is.”  Iris West reeks of the falsest emotions in reporters: “…it is this reporter’s opinion: that Lisa just needs someone to care—to help.”

The Flash #12 – Review

By: Geoff Johns & Scott Kolins (storytellers), Francis Manapul (artist), Michael Atieyh and Brian Buccellato (colorists)

The Story: What will Iris do when she walks in on the Flash—with another woman?

The Review: There was some risk that this “last” issue of The Flash would come off feeling rushed and inconclusive, what with Flashpoint coming right on its heels.  Johns spent a pretty good chunk of the last couple issues playing up the emotional dramatics among the Flash family, all of which would’ve been a waste if he resolved them too quickly just to get a move on with his sprawling, crossover storyline.

So it’s a relief to see Johns taking some care to tie up the series’ loose ends before putting his focus on bigger things.  Barry’s encounter with Zoom not only forces him to confront the grisly truth about his mother’s death, but since Bart comes along for the ride, the bad air between them gets cleared up as well.  With his internal conflict out in the open, that frees him up to have that much needed heart-to-heart with Iris, and all is well once more.

On the other hand, the ease with which all these tensions have been loosened up kind of show how needless all these melodramatics really were.  It feels Johns created that whole plot wrinkle just to sell this new, sudden revelation that Barry’s a closet ice-man, emotionally.  In fact, both Iris and Patty Spivot spend a good chunk of this issue harping on that point, even though Johns hasn’t shown it all that well.

You have to take into context that Barry was trying to deal with the knowledge that his mother died at the hands of—spoiler alert—Zoom, a man who became a villain “because” of him.  It seems very natural he’d need some private time to process this, a fact he tried to communicate to his family multiple times (see Flash #9 and #10).  But his family still overreacted to what they perceived as distancing himself from them, which was topped by last issue’s ridiculous intervention.

The Flash #9 – Review

by Geoff Johns (writer), Francis Manapul (art), Brian Buccellatto (colors), and Sal Cipriano (letters)

The Story: Barry Allen finds himself assigned to a very unusual homicide case as Hot Pursuit runs amok in Central City.

What’s Good: For the second month in a row, Geoff Johns hits it out of the park on the Flash.  However, what makes it more important this time around is that while last month was a one-shot of sorts, this is a prelude to the coming months of Flash and Flashpoint.  In other words, this issue being as good as it is a very good sign for the future.

That said, I’ll admit that I’m biased.  I’m a huge, huge fan of Brian Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming’s Powers series.  The idea of homicide detectives investigating superhero murders will never stop being awesome.  This month sees Johns send Barry into just such a task.  There’s a mysteriously dead “cape,” pre-naturally aged, found dead under mysterious circumstances.  It felt like Johns had basically taken Barry Allen and thrown him into a Powers comic, and the resulting mash-up of superhero noir and classic DC comic was an absolute pleasure to read.  It’s a plot I’m really looking forward to seeing more of, as Johns sets this up perfectly as a superhero-related detective/police drama.  It’s very, very cool.

Johns also does a very good job this month of highlighting Barry’s faults as a human being.  Barry’s presented as a man tied to his job, but not in the traditional, clichéd sense.  He’s tied to his job because he’s utterly bound to doing what’s right and doing as much public good as possible.  The tension and loss that this creates in his private sphere is obvious, however.  It’s a familiar, but really effective clash that Johns puts forth, that between doing the public good and the private, with Barry seemingly unaware of the latter.  This also leads to yet more fantastic writing when it comes to the Barry/Iris dynamic, which Johns has been doing so well with.  Iris is understanding and forgiving beyond belief, but she’s also clearly aware of Barry’s failings and isn’t immune to disappointment, however patient she may be.

Art-wise, this the best looking Flash comic in months.  The reason for this has been colorist Brian Buccellatto’s major adjustments.  While Manapul’s artwork is always really awesome and likable, I’d found that Buccellatto’s colors were getting increasingly brown and muddy to the point where they were starting to mute and detract from Manapul’s great work.  This month, Buccellato completely reverses on that.  Things are lighter and crisper, augmenting Manapul and allowing him to shine.  What results is crisper, cleaner, and much more impressive.  I also have to mention that both men did really well depicting Hot Pursuit’s motorcycle in action, which was a treat to watch.

The Flash #6 – Review

by Geoff Johns (writer), Francis Manapul (art), Brian Buccellato (colors), and Sal Cipriano (letters)

The Story: The Flash goes on trial and tries to settle the score with Top.

What’s Good: I remember a little over a year ago, when I lived in the UK (Bristol to be exact), having a conversation about Geoff Johns with a Forbidden Planet staffer. He said that he enjoyed Johns’ work because, while it was rarely overly cerebral, he could always rely on Johns for “good old fashioned superhero stories.”

As this issue wraps up this Flash relaunch’s first arc, that really stuck in my head regarding this month’s installment, and this new Flash series in general, because that’s exactly what this book’s strong-point is. This issue ties everything up in a “good, old fashioned superhero story” sort of way and yet, while this means it doesn’t re-invent the wheel, in typical Johns fashion, it also doesn’t feel phoned in or uninspired. In fact, the book feels incredibly lively, exciting, and downright gleeful. It may be just your average superhero story, but that only makes Johns’ own excitement all the stronger and all the more infectious.

Breaking it down into its components, there’s a lot to like here. The action scenes are great and Johns does a really great job in making Top and Flash’s dialogue flow amidst and among the fighting, no small feat given how explosive the battle actually is. Johns also does surprisingly strong work on Top, creating a villain who believes the reasons behind his actions to be totally rational, even though those very reasons are so absolutely absurd to everyone else. Despite this, Top never comes across as exaggerated in his lunacy.

Johns also handles the whole time-traveling thing fairly well, which could’ve gone horribly awry given how much this issue is centered around changing the past. It’s all kept as simple as possible, never really leading to any big head-scratchers, while also opening the door for some light ruminating over the Renegades’ MO that works quite well. The fact that this reflection occurs in a conversation between Barry and Iris only makes it better, as the Iris/Barry dynamic has been one of the strongest, and warmest, aspects of this series.

The Flash #5 – Review

by Geoff Johns (writer), Francis Manapul (art), Brian Buccellato (colors), and Sal Cipriano (letters)

The Story: The Flash and Top try to stop the Rogues from unleashing the Mirror Lords while the Rogues and Renegades to battle.

What’s Good: Despite my feelings to the contrary during the first couple of issues, I’m really starting to warm up to this whole Rogues/Renegades plot.  The involvement of Captain Boomerang, Top, and the Mirror Lords have imbued the story with a needed life.

Top in particular continues to be an asset this month.  He gives the otherwise bland Renegades personality, giving us an individual character to latch onto.  There’s also something rather cool about seeing Barry Allen team up with a Rogue lookalike.  While I can’t go into things too much for fear of spoiling the issue, Top is most definitely a star this month and is just as much fun to read as he is to see in action.

And really, between the giant Mirror, the Rogues, the Renegades, and Captain Boomerang, there’s a lot of action this month.  There’s a feeling of total mayhem that lends the issue quite a bit of excitement, truly making it feel like the penultimate issue of a story arc.  There are explosions and desperation aplenty, and as a result, this ends up being a pretty fun ride.

Of course, Francis Manapul again deserves his due on this end, as his art really defines this new volume of the Flash and is a good chunk of why it’s as much fun as it is.  Manapul’s action scenes and his depictions of speed are fantastic, and his illustrations of the Rogues’ powers in action are no different.  Seeing the Weather Wizard conjure a cyclone is magnificent and when it combats a spinning Top, it’s all the better.

Speaking of Weather Wizard, I liked how Johns gave him a moment to shine this month.  It’s these little moments that show how great Johns is when it comes to dealing with the Rogues.  While the rest of them don’t have big moments like Weather Wizard does, each of them maintains a distinct and uniquely villainous voice.

The Flash #3 – Review

by Geoff Johns (writer), Francis Manapul (art), Brian Buccellato (colors), and Sal Cipriano (letters)

The Story: Captain Boomerang makes a break for it after getting a mysterious upgrade; the Renegades continue their quest to apprehend the Flash.

What’s Good: Atmosphere and tone continue to be the strongest thing going for Johns’ new Flash ongoing.  This remains a warm, honest, and positive book that lives up to the current Brightest Day aesthetic more than any other book in DC’s line-up.  This month, part of this easy-going feel is evidenced by just how fast this issue flies by.  Normally this would be a bad thing for a comic, but for the Flash, it feels natural, appropriate, and a testament to its energy.

I’m also happy to see Johns’ building up of Captain Boomerang.  It’s clear that in Boomerang, Johns is crafting a real nemesis for Barry Allen.  Captain Boomerang comes across as a badass, especially in his willingness to go for the throat, even when outnumbered, injured, and without powers.  It’s a time-tested strategy for garnering respect for a villain:  have him beat down a group of despicable, faceless goons that are even bigger jackasses than he is.  I also liked Captain Boomerang’s power upgrade.  It’s a great way to bring Blackest Night’s legacy into the Flash, without it feeling jarring or unnatural in the series’ positive environment.

Barry and Iris’ relationship continues to be a highlight for me as well.  There’s a loving familiarity and joviality that’s imbued into every last of dialogue shared between them.  They actually feel like a happily married couple in that its clear that they know each other better than anybody.  Their conversations continue to be an absolute pleasure to read.

Manapul’s art continues to be lush and inviting.  I especially liked his work on Iris and Barry’s faces; their expressions make them instantly likable and really convey the intimacy of their relationship more than any dialogue could.  Under Manapul’s hand, Barry and Iris lovable characters.

The Flash: Secret Files & Origins 2010 #1 – Review

by Geoff Johns (writer), Scott Kolins & Francis Manapul (art), Michael Atiyeh & Brian Buccellato (colors), and Rob Clark Jr. (letters)

The Story: A primer serving as an introduction to the Flashes’ universe, preceded by a short story where Barry grapples with his past.

What’s Good: If you’re a reader unfamiliar or only slightly familiar with Flash lore and are looking forward to get into April’s relaunched Flash monthly, it doesn’t get any better than this.  In a little less than 40 pages, this book gives you everything you need to know about the major heroes, villains, and locations in the Flash’s corner of the DCU.  As a reference work, this book is a lot of fun for new readers.  The encyclopedic entries are written in about as lively a style as is possible and are matched with absolutely beautiful full-page illustrations.  If you know nothing about the Flash’s world, you will leave feeling 100% comfortable heading into the ongoing and with your Flash knowledge in general.

The short story that precedes this primer is also some pretty outstanding stuff, touching on many of themes Johns clearly views as important in a Flash comic, while also ominously setting up for things to come, directly leading into Johns’ first arc.  All told, the story touches upon family, the camaraderie of DC’s speedsters, Barry’s battles with his past, and what the Rogues are up to, while also making really great use of time as only a Flash comic can.  As a first taste of Johns’ upcoming run, this is really solid stuff and an enjoyable, at times surprisingly emotional, read.  It gives a good sense of the tone Johns will be writing in.

I also have to reiterate just how awesome the art is throughout this double-sized book.  There really isn’t a single page here that isn’t a total blast.  Both Manapul and Kolins, though very different from each other, are perfect for the Flash, both artists emanating the sort warmth and energy that perfectly suits the books tone and atmosphere.  If the art on the ongoing can live up to this standard, we are in for something special.