The Flash #23.3: The Rogues – Review

by Brian Bucellatto (writer), Patrick Zircher (art)

The Story: Remember kids, alcohol and bank jobs don’t mix.

The Review: DC’s Villain’s month has certainly seen its ups and downs. Some, like the Riddler, have truly benefitted, while others, like Relic, have only suffered. It almost seems random which issues are gems and which miss the mark, however DC clearly has favorites.

Though big names like Trigon and the Penguin have fallen short, you’ll find that archenemies have done quite well for themselves this month. Though many are hardly the most powerful or even most popular opponents of the Justice League’s founders, characters like Lex Luthor, Black Manta, and the Cheetah have done fairly well for themselves.

Though they don’t have the name recognition of Sinestro or the Joker, the Flash’s Rogues are well-beloved, and this issue is a fine little course in why that is.

Brian Buccellato delivers a charming story that builds upon the history of the New 52 Rogues, as well as setting things up for Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion. Buccellato does a good job of making the plot feel natural, however I can’t help but notice that many of the interesting elements introduced since The Flash Annual #1 have been undone. It’s also a bit annoying to hear the Rogues complaining about how much better things were before they had super-powers, as many fans probably agree.

The Flash #12 – Review

By: Francis Manapul (writer & artist), Brian Buccellato (writer & colorist), and Wes Abbott (letters)

The Story:  Glider is crowns herself the new leader of the Rogues as Central City is torn apart by a Rogue civil war.

The Review:  While I think Marcus To is an excellent artist, I can’t overstate how happy I am to see Manapul and Buccellato back on art for this title.  They really have visually defined how best to draw a Flash comic in 2012 and, next to a JH Williams III illustrated Batwoman, I feel their Flash is the best looking book of the new 52.   We get fantastic action sequences, great lay-outs, naturally likable characters, and a wonderful sense of speed and motion.  All of this is, of course, covered by the lush, painted colors of Buccellato.  The action sequences this month are particularly enjoyable in their creativity, their tremendous awareness of space and setting, and their basic flow; once again, I feel that in the Flash‘s action scenes, you really do feel the benefit of the same guy(s) being behind both the writing and the art.  I also love their take on Glider: she’s a burst of peachy pastel colours, ethereal and constantly flowing with a sense of weightlessness.

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 #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 #4 – Review

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

The Story: The Flash battles Captain Boomerang in downtown Central City and learns the secrets behind his future murder of Mirror Monarch.

What’s Good: I think part of what marks out this issue is the sense of wonder that is present in the depictions of the Flash’s powers.  It shows Johns’ love for the character and it’s creative in a way that evidences that Johns has thought quite a lot about the Flash’s super-speed.  Johns and Manapul, together, are masters at depicting the Flash’s powers, putting Barry in positions that allow for cool feats and ridiculously awesome demonstrations of his speed.  The result is truly awe-inspiring, at one point resulting in a double-page spread that got an audible “holy shit” from me.

The battle between Captain Boomerang and the Flash feels every bit like the classic duel between old foes that it is.  Johns is doing a great job at building the character back up.  I also enjoyed Boomerang’s feeling out of sync with current events, always trying to catch up after being out of the loop; this only makes him a more appropriate nemesis for Barry, given Barry’s own recent struggles.

The Flash #2 – Review

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

The Story: The Flash runs from the Renegades and begins his quest to figure out who really killed the Mirror Monarch.

What’s Good: The fun and vitality that had me raving about the first issue is still present.

This is best evidenced this month by a gag that sees Barry save everyone from a collapsing building, before rebuilding said building better than it ever was before.  This sequence is easily the highlight of the issue and it’s guaranteed to put a smile on the face of all but the most stone-hearted.  It’s ridiculous, sure, but that’s why it’s amusing, sunny comedy.  All told, this is the sort of stuff that just oozes the love Johns has for the character and it continues to be infectious.  The scene is representative of a sort of bright cheeriness and niceness that runs throughout the comic and makes it perfect for Brightest Day.

Barry’s office politics are also fairly enjoyable.  You knew he was going to butt heads with Singh and the coldness of the new department sooner or later.  The scene quickly demonstrates Barry’s dogged idealism and it was welcome, with Barry feeling appropriate out of place.  Judging from the strength of this scene, as well as Barry’s warm dynamic with Iris, the Barry Allen portions of this series are just as strong as those focusing on the Flash, despite their more mundane nature.

The Flash #1 – Review

by Geoff Johns (writer), Francis Manapul (art), Brian Buccellato (colors), and Nick J. Napolitano (letters)

The Story: Barry Allen gets his first job back at the Central City Police Department, as one of the Rogues turns up dead.

What’s Good: As a first issue, I can’t imagine a better outing for the Flash.  This is everything a #1 should be.  It feels fresh, fun, accessible, and new.  There is absolutely nothing in here remotely related to Rebirth in subject or tone, nor any significant Flash continuity.  There isn’t even a single mention of the Speed Force, nor is there any reference to any speedster other than Barry himself.  The result of all this is refreshing and so different, and so much livelier than Johns’ oft debated miniseries.  All told, this issue feels like a legitimately new start for the Flash.

Working in this environment also seems to make for a more free Geoff Johns.  It’s clear that Johns absolutely adores the Flash and his corner of the DCU, and that joy permeates every page here and is certainly very infectious.  For instance, the book opens with an extended action scene that is awesome in a quintessentially “Flash” sort of way.  It’s as though Johns is saying “this is what the Flash is about.” It’s grand, touching, iconic, and all sorts of fun.

That being said, this sense of fun extends to the little points of characterization as well.  Iris Allen and Barry’s new/old co-workers come off great, with Barry’s dynamic with his wife being especially enjoyable.  I guarantee that Iris and Barry will put a smile on your face more than once.

After Blackest Night, it’s great to see that Johns is still capable of writing something so light-hearted and simple.  And I mean “simple” in a good way, as in, “the opposite of convoluted.”  This book feels honest and truly alive and is the sort of comic that’s gurantees to brighten up your day, all while remaining completely and totally open and accessible to those not steeped in continuity mythos.

All of this would be impossible without Francis Manapul.  This comic is only as warm and inviting as it is because Manapul makes it so.  His renditions of Iris and Barry only make them all the more lovable, and his bright, cheery renditions of Central City make for the kind of bright escapism that superhero comics should be capable of delivering.  Furthermore, while Johns writes a Flash comic that feels completely new, Manapul’s art makes it look accordingly.  Between his and Buccellato’s efforts, we have a comic that looks like it could only have been produced in 2010.  There are no hints of the 90s or past renditions of the Flash.  This lends a sense of complete freshness, while Manapul’s natural abilities nonetheless make for a style that fully captures the fast and dynamic feel of a Flash comic. It’s a good, honest superhero story that hits all the right notes without falling into the mediocrity of cliches.  It’s also a bright, happy book that never feels sappy or artificial.

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.