Flash

• Title: The Flash #31
• Comic Vine: link
• Writers: Robert Venditti,Van Jensen
• Artist: Brett Booth

I’ve got very mixed reactions on the latest issue of The Flash. On one-hand the new creative team offers up a storyline involving the theft of Central City villain weapons leading to a future peek at an old-style Mirror Master adventure complete with original costume, gun and hall of mirrors. Set 16 years in the future (is that how long we have to wait for The Rogues to be cool again?), and the future version of Barry Allen working his way back through time, it’s the strongest part of the comic by far.

Sadly the current storyline, other than Barry discovering the theft of the weapons, leaves much to be desired. Brett Booth’s choice to feature that awful yellow piping of the Flash’s costume in every frame goes from distracting to downright infuriating before long. And the continuing B-story does nothing to sell me on the New 52 Wally West who continues to share far too many bad traits with the rebooted schmuck version of Billy Batson. The cover is also one of the weakest of the series, however if you want to spend some extra cash you can shell out for Mike Allred‘s fun classic-style variant. Hit-and-Miss.

[DC, $2.99]

• Title: The Flash Annual #3
• Comic Vine: link
• Writers: Robert Venditti,Van Jensen
• Artists: Brett Booth, Ron Frenz

The Flash Annual #3 is confusing on a number of levels as the new creative team cement their storyline of a future version of Barry Allen deciding to return to the past and set things right. Introducing us to Wallace “Wally” R. West for the first time its obvious the character has gone through the same New 52 filter that continues to adversely effect several of DC’s once-great heroes.

While I’m fine with DC deciding to change Wally’s ethnicity from Caucasian to African-American, it does create problems for Iris West as even in this issue’s artists Brett Booth and Ron Frenz have trouble deciding just how to draw and shade her color her character consistently. I honestly couldn’t tell you at this point whether Iris is white, black, or green.

Far more troubling is that Wally has gone through the same dickish redesign the makes the New 52 Billy Batson an insufferable prick. This version of the character’s defining attribute seems to be that he’s a street punk in need of a white big brother to set him straight. Jeez.

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The Flash Annual #3Read More »

• Title: The Flash #30
• Comic Vine: link
• Writers: Robert Venditti,Van Jensen
• Artist: Brett Booth

Time travel and the character’s relationship with the passage of the time have long bee staples of the Flash comic storylines over the years. Beginning with something as innocuous as a new watch, The Flash‘s new writers Robert Venditti and Van Jensen begin to examine the idea for the first time in the New 52.

For those, like me, who have totally ignored DC’s Forever Evil event the beginning of the issue, jumping us into a wrecked Central City, is more than a little confusing. The amount of damage to the city is extensive which leaves the Flash constantly needed. Although putting too much emphasis on those awful yellow streaks in the character’s costume, new artist Brett Booth proves up to the task in showing off the Scarlet Speedster, particularly in a sequence where Barry uses his super-speed to keep cutting out of his psychological evaluation to save people.

Those expecting the first appearance of a blue-clad Wally West are going to be disappointed. Although the comic does end with a scene of a future Flash, it’s Barry Allen not Wally who is consumed with past mistakes and obsessed with the passage of time.

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The Flash #30Read More »

• Title: The Flash #29
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Brian Buccellato
• Artist: Agustin Padilla

The Flash‘s two-issue team-up with Deadman comes a close as the Scarlet Speedster fights off the Keystone Killer who discovers the hero is the perfect new host for the evil spirit. There’s less Deadman this time around and more dancing around the subject of Barry’s true parentage until the reveal that proves the teases were just that and that there is no blood connection between Barry and his mentor Captain Frye.

Agustin Padilla’s art seems a little more suited to the character than that of Patrick Zircher from last month’s issue, and given the ghost and the unusual team-up the two-part story does feel like something of a throwback issue to the Silver Age days.

Using his speed to shake off the killer as he had done with Deadman in the previous issue, the Flash wins the day but the issue does offer a final scene between Frye and Barry’s father suggesting the truth behind the murder of Barry’s mother is far more complicated than anyone knows. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]