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.

WCBR’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Batman #5 – It seemed that all anyone wanted to talk about with this comic was the twisting orientation of the pages, and it was an interesting gimmick, but behind this trick was a really great comic book.  It takes a really gifted creative team to effectively sell madness and insanity, but that’s what we got in this issue.  You really believe that Batman is cracking up!  And the Court of Owls is much more interesting than any of the established Batman rogues just because we don’t know what to expect from them.

Most Anticipated: The Walking Dead #93 – After a slow story arc, Robert Kirkman uncorked a promising new concept in his last issue that may jiggle a status quo that has become stale.  I’m pretty intrigued by the idea of clusters of survivors remaining separate and interacting with each other like the old Greek city-states.  Plus, you just know that something BIG will happen this summer in issue #100 and it’ll probably start building now.

Other Picks: Creepy Comics #7, American Vampire #23, The Unwritten #33.5, Bulletproof Coffin: Disinterred #1, Elephantmen #37, Captain America and Bucky #626

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Batman #5 – Basically, this comic was insane.  Which is good, given that its story was the gradual loss of sanity. Great art, creepy as hell atmosphere, and a really cool use of the physical medium really made this a comic to remember.  Snyder’s ability to deliver creeping horror is really something to behold.

Most Anticipated: Justice League #5 After one week’s delay….well, after that last page in Justice League #4, I really couldn’t pick anything else. I mean, it’s Darkseid.  I cannot wait to see what happens as the JLA meet their first adversary in the new DCU.

Other Picks: The Flash #5, Aquaman #5, American Vampire #23, Fantastic Four #602, FF #14, Mighty Thor #10

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.

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

DS’ Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Brightest Day #10 – It was a thin week, which didn’t make it hard for Brightest Day #10 to steal the title. Johns and Tomasi focused on only two subplots and made them move forward, reminding me why I was buying this series. The artwork on the Aquaman subplot didn’t hurt any either.

Most Anticipated: Kato Origins #4: Way of the Ninja. Although I can’t say (or write) Cyborg Superman with a straight face, I can’t say I’m not looking forward to the slap down between an iron-jawed guy with a light-bright in his chest and the GLC equivalent of Yoda. But, Jai Nitz and Colton Worley have delivered three solid, quality issues of Kato Origins and I’m expecting #4 to stomp the competition.

Other Top Picks: Green Lantern Corps #52, The Flash #5, Green Lantern Corps #52, Justice League of America #49, Legion of Super-Heroes #5, Power Girl #16, Black Widow #6, Uncanny X-Men #528

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Morning Glories #2 – I love this new series.  It reminds me a lot of Lost in that it is just continuing to throw weird things at us.  There are probably about 15 things in this series that I’d like to know more about.  That’s amazing when you consider that most comic series are doing good to have a single hook.  Bravo Nick Spencer!

Most Anticipated: The Walking Dead #77 – From all the teaser images that have been showing up online, it is pretty obvious that the band of survivors safe time in the walled enclave is coming to an end.  Can’t wait to see how Kirkman and Company set this story up.

Other picks: Elephantmen #27, Skullkickers #1, Velocity #2, Avengers #5, Avengers Academy #4

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Morning Glories #2 – Morning Glories reigns supreme in this otherwise thin week.  The book manages to sink the hooks from its fantastic debut just a little bit deeper while making me just as hungry for another issue.  Better still, the art looked much stronger.  It’s a twisted little book, but very accessible nonetheless and not without humour.  I think this is going to end up being one of those books that I look forward to month in and mouth out.

Most Anticipated: Thor #615 – A lot of people are probably wondering, with his third Marvel ongoing, whether we will see the Fraction from Invincible Iron Man or the Fraction from Uncanny X-Men on this book.  I’m banking on the former, what with Thor’s not being a team-book, let alone a team the size of the X-Men.  Rather, it’s cast has a kind of structural similarity to Iron Man, which is a good sign.  While I’ll miss Kieron Gillen, I can’t wait to see what Fraction has in store and Pasqual Ferry’s artwork is oh-so-sweet.

Other Picks: The Flash #5, The Walking Dead #77, Fables #98, Fantastic Four #583, Avengers #5, Secret Avengers #5

Joe’s Top Picks

Best of the Past Week – Tales of the Dragon Guard: Into the Veil #1 – A huge surprise to me, this one was.  I picked this up for the First Impressions column this week and it was, hands down, the most involved I found myself getting in anything I’ve read recently.  A wonderful fantasy epic that had everything you could hope for in such a story.  In one 50-page story!  A must-buy.

Most Anticipated – Pilot Season: 39 Minutes #1 – The description I read of this comic:  “Robbing a bank is easy; it’s the getaway that’s hard. The bank’s surrounded by police officers, alarms are blaring, customers and employees are screaming, and the streets are blocked off. So what’s the solution? Kill everyone in town.”  Nuff said.

Other Picks: Flash #5, Supergirl #56, Walking Dead #77, Avengers Academy #4, Avengers #5, Hulk #25, Secret Avengers #5, Thor #615, Ultimate Mystery #3, Ultimate Spider-Man #14, Uncanny X-Men #528