The Flash #15 – Review

By: Francis Manapul (story & art), Brian Buccellato (story & colors), Marcus To (pencils), Ryan Winn (inks), Ian Herring (colors), and Carlos M. Mangual (letters)

The Story:  Grodd is jonesing for his Speed Force fix as Barry sees into the (possible) future(s) of Central City.

The Review:  This right here is a tale of two books.

For the bulk of the issue, it’s business as usual plot-wise, this time drawn by Marcus To.  The problem is that, if I’m being totally honest, it’s all just a little bit dull.  That dullness has been afflicting the Flash’s writing for some time.  Grodd, thus far, isn’t a compelling villain and lacks a distinct motivation beyond CONQUER!!!  Even stranger, for a book that for a while was moving TOO fast, things suddenly feel glacial – Barry is unconscious for the majority of the issue, Daniel West is still running around the city looking for Iris, Patty is still doing…not much, and Charles Xavier gorillas continue to suck up brainpower at the stadium, and the Rogues are still punching gorillas.  Precious little happens this month and worse still, Barry, Patty, and Grodd feel like little more than character archetypes: super-hero, super-villain, love interest.  None of them really jump off of the page.  Script-wise, this is pretty dry.

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.

Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost #3 – Review

By: Sterling Gates (writer), Oliver Nome, Scott Kolins, Trevor Scott (artists), Brian Buccellato (colorist)

The Story: Run, Flash, run!  And bring back some fries while you’re at it.

The Review: Some people see it as a burden, but I rather like that DC has a bunch of legacy heroes, those who’ve taken up the name, mantle, and mission of those who came before.  But all of us have our favorite “version” of the character, and it can get a little awkward when the current writer’s favorite doesn’t match ours.  Like most comic readers from my generation, I’ve always been a Wally West fan, while Barry Allen remained a respected, but distant name to me.

Barry’s return and resumption to being the primary Flash didn’t bother me at first, but now I find his idolization pretty tiresome, especially when it relegates every other speedster in the DCU to sidemen.  So please forgive my cynicism when I confess that I was unmoved this issue, seeing every member of the Flash family quite literally give themselves up to help Barry Allen be the great rescuer of the universe for—what is this now?—the third time.

By itself, this plotline already bears a lot of problematic implications for the story and for the future of the Flash mythos in general, but it also reminds you that even in a title where he’s the star, Kid Flash remains a sidekick.  Having gone through life-and-death to regain his powers and prevent the hellish future he landed in from becoming reality, Bart ends up a pawn for the Speed Force, a glorified courier whose sole purpose is to pass the torch of attention to his grandfather.

Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost #2 – Review

By: Sterling Gates (writer), Oliver Nome (penciller), Trevor Scott (inker), Brian Buccellato (colorist)

The Story: Oh, Bart, you can’t hide anything.  I can see right through you.

The Review: In watching a few episodes of Dexter I noticed that even though the titular lead is one of the most compelling figures in television, very little about the overarching storyline or supporting cast bears enough interest for me to keep watching.  It sort of proves that even if you have a fantastically developed character, if the rest of the material underwhelms, then the piece as a whole can never reach beyond serviceable.

That’s sort of the case with this series, as Gates writes a pretty excellent Kid Flash.  Bart started his existence as a hardcore gamer and television addict, and his portrayal as a geek culture otaku really works as a modern spin on that.  If you count yourself among that particular demographic, you’ll be delighted with his frequent references to definitively nerdy media, like the relatively obscure, “Put me down, Dr. Ball!” (see Robot Chicken cartoon, “Dr. Ball, M.D.”).

On the other hand, Bart is also a much more thoughtful, serious young man than the hyperactive boy he once was as Impulse, so a few gags and lines in this issue come off a little over-the-top.  Bart seizing the Cosmic Motorcycle may be fun as an idea, but in the context of the story and the current incarnation of his character, it seems wildly stupid and kind of pointless, as it steals one of Patty Spivot’s few opportunities to do something useful.

As the only supporting character to this tie-in, Patty really deserves more to do than act the cipher to Bart, but she functions merely as a means for Bart to escape from his predicament.  Why else would she take up Hot Pursuit’s costume and equipment?  Even Gates has a hard time rationalizing her previously adamant decision to involve herself in meta-crime again with her inexplicable, left-field declaration that “I’d found the tools that would let me pursue justice.”

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: 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.

The Flash: Rebirth #4 – Review

by Geoff Johns (writer), Ethan Van Sciver (art), Brian Miller (colors), and Rob Leigh (letters)

The Story: Barry Allen’s true relationship with the Speed Force is revealed, as the battle with Professor Zoom begins.

What’s Good: It’s no secret that Rebirth has been a bit tepid at times, and often I find the best thing I have to say about an issue being that is when “it’s finally picking up.” Well, finally, greatness arrives.  This is bar none the best issue of the series thus far.  It’s hard to believe I’m saying this about an issue of Flash: Rebirth, but this month’s book is so fast paced and exhilarating, both action and development-wise, that it borders on being disorienting.

The book is great, largely thanks to Professor Zoom, who finally gives the book the focus, direction, and central conflict that’s needed. More than ever, Johns positions Zoom as the perfect foil and nemesis to Barry, giving Allen and the series a definite point.  Johns does a great job of writing Zoom as well; the Professor is crazy, egotistical and obsessive. He’s a great character to read and Johns, with a little retconning, has made Zoom the direct opposite of Barry, making for an epic contest and a fist-pumping ending.

I also found myself surprised by how much I enjoyed the relationship between Barry and Max Mercury this month. There are a couple of really touching, emotional lines and it’s great to see their bond highlighted.  It’s a two-way street; Max encourages Barry, and Barry in turn, gives Max hope.

This book also finally succeeds in giving a great sense of family unity. Where in past issues I felt the story diluted by having too many Flashes, it works perfectly this month, adding a certain tone of fellowship, loyalty, and most of all, dynasty.

Van Sciver’s dedication to detail goes hand-in-hand with an even greater level of mayhem. He does a solid job of depicting the blurred Flash-combat, which remains completely comprehensible at all times.  Thanks in no small part to colorist Brian Miller, the scenes within the Speed Force also look absolutely fantastic.  Despite the chaos of being in a crimson hurricane, Van Sciver again manages to make it completely clear and understandable.

What’s Not So Good: How do you feel about retconning?  This is a heavilly retconning issue.  Even indifferent as I am to it, the rewriting/revelation of Allen’s relationship to the Speed Force is a pretty big pill to swallow, as it essentially makes him God of the Speed Force. That said, it’s obvious that this’ll make for some incredible stories in the future, particularly due to the diametrical opposition it creates with Zoom.

Also, given that this is a Speed Force-heavy issue, some of the dialogue comes with the expected pseudo-science babble. Expect to find yourself re-reading a few bubbles.

Conclusion: Hell yeah!  THIS is what I signed up for with Flash: Rebirth.  A great issue that totally rewards you for sticking around, as long as you don’t mind the change of what’s been established in the Flash folklore.

Grade: A-

-Alex Evans