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Arrow – The Scientist

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  • Title: Arrow – The Scientist
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Arrow - The Scientist

As Moira (Susanna Thompson) returns to Queen Consolidated over Isabel Rochev‘s (Summer Glau) concerns, Oliver (Stephen Amell) investigates a break-in by one of Brother Blood‘s (Kevin Alejandro) enhanced soldiers (Graham Shiels) and Arrow gets one of its most prestigious guest-stars yet when a criminal scientist from Central City named Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) arrives in town to investigate the odd case. As Barry and Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) work (and make goo-goo eyes) together, Oliver has Diggle (David Ramsey) look into the jumpy young scientist who hasn’t been completely honest with his personal reasons for coming to Starling City.

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The Flash #25

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The Flash #25The Flash #25, a one-shot Zero Year adventure giving us Barry Allen‘s first meeting with Iris West in Gotham City, marks the end of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato’s run on what for me has been one of the rare highlights of the New 52. In his final issue Manapaul shares the art duties with Chris Sprouse for a Flash adventure that happens well before Barry’s accident or his first run in scarlet-colored spandex.

Although it takes place in Gotham rather than Central City, the comic is a nice wrap-up in terms of finally offering us not only Barry and Iris’ first meeting but the couple’s first kiss as well. The storyline of a highly inflammatory street drug name Icarus, and the corruption of the Gotham Police Department, takes a back seat to Barry’s heroic actions well-before receiving the gift of super-speed and his first encounter with Iris.

I’m going to miss Manapual’s beautiful kinetic style that fit the character perfectly. And given the continuing disappointment of much of the rest of the New 52 I’m a little scared to see where The Flash goes from here. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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The Flash #24

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The Flash #24Issue #24 finally ties up the Reverse-Flash storyline (which, since it was teased for months before it ever began, seems like it’s taken nearly a whole year to get through) with Barry Allen taking back the power of the Speed Force Danny West stole from him to travel back into time and murder his father. Although co-writers Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato underline the moral of the story, and the reverse nature of the New 52 version of the character, he’s a far cry from the far more interesting original villain to use the name.

Following the return to the present there’s enough time for the Flash to threaten the duplicitous Dr. Elias and even do a little dancing with his girl Patty Spivot (while making an appropriate puntastic joke).

Two full years since the launch of the New 52, The Flash has seen its ups and downs but it has consistently offered (mostly) good stories and (always) great art. The latest issue of The Flash sets the stage to begin the new chapter with the hero back in control of his life and powers, and everything, at least for now, seeming back to normal. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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The Rogues #1

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The Rogues #1Although (like most DCU characters since the New 52 reboot) The Rogues are merely shadows of their former selves, The Rogues #1 is a fair bit better than the wretchedly awful Reverse-Flash #1. Of course since The Flash has already spent time fleshing out the history of The Rogues and their unnecessary power-infusion, there’s actually not much for this latest Forever Evil tie-in issue to do.

The main purpose of The Rogues #1 is to restate the tension between Captain Cold and the rest of the team following their power upgrades, retrieve The Trickster from prison, and return the trapped Mirror Master from the mirror realm (at the cost of Glider). Sadly, the team is still without Captain Boomerang (who is stuck leading the New 52 version of the Suicide Squad).

The last part of the issue catches up with the events of Grodd #1 as The Rogues find themselves once again forced to play hero and save their city from the gorilla invasion as the Flash and the rest of the Justice League have been taken out by the Secret Society of Super-Villains. For fans.

[DC, $2.99]

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Reverse-Flash #1

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Reverse-Flash #1I’ve been very selective in my choices for the villain .1 issues DC has put out as part of their Forever Evil tie-in. Some have been okay, while others have been mass printed travesties (kind of like the New 52 in general). I was hopeful for The Flash #23.2 as timing actually matched up well for co-writers Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato to offer up the origins of the New 52’s version of the Reverse-Flash. As my pal Aaron likes to say, some presents are best left unwrapped.

There’s really no kind way to state how awful this comic truly is. I can’t lay the blame at artist Scott Hepburn who does a fair, if somewhat uninspired, job standing in for Manapul. I can, however, blame the two writers who spend an entire issue focusing on what only can be described as a whiny bitch of a character.

This comic, and Danny West‘s constant complaining, are brutally uninteresting. He whines about his childhood. He whines about his father. He whines about the accident that gave him super-powers. He whines, in case you haven’t gotten the point, incessantly.

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