DC Rebirth #1: More an Essay Than a Review

This preview art is a big step in the right direction. 

So everyone is having their say about DC Comics’ Rebirth special, and why should I be any different? Like everyone else, I picked it up on Wednesday, and like most other people, I think I had a mostly positive reaction to it.

MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD

So basically, Geoff Johns uses Rebirth to bring back Wally West, a much-missed character that never really appeared in the New 52. (I guess a more TV-ified version made it in, but I haven’t read too many DC books for the last few years so I’m not sure.)

Anyway, Wally has been trapped in the Speed Force for the past few years of comics time and he’s been unable to return to the DCU. In addition, like the characters we’ve actually been reading about, he de-aged about 10 years, although Wally still remembers the crazy stuff that happened to him.

Wally spends the issue bouncing around the DCU and either peeking in on characters who are about to get a push or actually making brief contact. From this, we know that Batman, the Legion, the JSA, Blue Beetle(s), Dr. Fate, the Atom, and more are all going to be featured by DC Comics. Even better, we see that they are all looking a lot more familiar, as Johns’ talented crew of artists undo a lot of the horrid New 52 design work and make these heroes look more like how we all picture them.

Some of the more standout moments include Batman realizing there are three Jokers, all of which seem pretty different. Aquaman and Mera are getting engaged to be married. This is a big deal because one of the well-publicized rules of the New 52 was that no heroes could be married, because then they’d be “too happy.” If you didn’t care for the armored, extra-bland New 52-Superman, you’re in luck, because this issue checks in with a Lois Lane-married, older Superman who seems a lot like the one we lost before Flashpoint. Heck, he even has Jonathan Kent with him (the Rebirth-era Superboy).

It also comes out that Wonder Woman has a twin brother. I’m pretty sure he gets namedropped as “Jason,” so my money is on Jason Blood (Etrigan the Demon’s alternate self) being Wonder Woman’s bro. It doesn’t really hurt either character and could be fun.

As Wally makes heartbreaking contact with his closest relations, it seems everything is doomed, but Johns does a great job concluding Wally’s dangerous state. I found myself very invested in Wally’s fate, even though I haven’t cared for DC Comics at all over the last few years.

After Wally is reunited with an old friend, Wally starts going on and on about how someone was WATCHING. How someone brought DARKNESS into the DCU and took away all the hope, love, and light that used to make heroes so great. Is that someone publisher Dan DiDio or Geoff Johns? Because they are the ones who created all these abysmal stories for the past 10 years. Nope, it’s way more meta than that.

It seems that the Watchmen’s Dr. Manhattan, after the close of that magnificent series, infected the DCU. We even get some recycled Watchmen dialogue about how Dr. M wants a chance to create some life himself. So Dr. M either CREATED the DCU, or he heavily influenced it for the past 10 years or so. That would make Dr. Manhattan, not the actual DC Comics publisher, responsible for aberrations like Identity Crisis, Countdown to Infinite Crisis, Flashpoint, and the New 52. That is one ballsy move!

Clearly, DiDio and Johns were influenced by those “adult” stories in the mid-80s. Watchmen truly did change the course of the books DC Comics published. But in the world of the DCU, Dr. Manhattan actually floated out of his world and into the main publishing line. How insane is that?

So Dr. Manhattan is in the DCU. And I don’t think he came alone. It seems pretty clear that Johns has been planning this awhile, because Dr. Oz from some recent Superman stories sure reminds me of Ozymandius. Who else laughed at non-funny things besides the Joker? The Comedian, maybe?

Lots of folks have expressed dismay about the reuse of the Watchmen characters, but to be honest, for me, that ship sailed when DC published the Before Watchmen stuff a few years ago. DC Comics is clearly desperate. With their sales plummeting and interest in their comics waning, they had to do something big. And Rebirth qualifies. This is a grand, desperate attempt to court long-time readers and convince them that they can still read about a recognizable DCU.

And you know what? For me, it worked. The characters looked like they were supposed to. They sound like I expect. The mission statement of hope, love, and cooperation in the face of danger certainly sounds like what I want from DC. So I’m going to give them a chance. I’m planning on getting Batman, Superman, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman. I might be convinced to try JLA too, if I hear good things about Bryan Hitch’s writing.

[I asked my 11-year-old daughter, a pretty big comic fan, to read the issue and see how much of it resonated with her. She had zero understanding of any Watchmen bits, but overall still liked the book. She liked both Flashes, Blue Beetle, and mentioned that Superman needed to shave off his beard. She also liked the art in almost every chapter. She seems most excited about the upcoming Blue Beetle comic, proving that she truly is my daughter.]

So you did it, DC. You got me to give you another chance after I was long gone. I really don’t want you to mess it up.

Convergence: Speed Force #1

So I have a big question concerning this issue (and Convergence in general). Is it my problem, or DC’s problem, that I vastly prefer the Convergence-era characters to the ones available monthly? I don’t think I’m alone in this. I mean, I’m naturally drawn to reviewers whose opinions are similar to my own, but it sure seems to me that people really like seeing the “real” versions of these characters, not the watered-down new 52 folks.

Anyways, on to the actual issue. Tony Bedard has been an inconsistent creator for me. Some of his work has been absolutely brilliant, combining the best aspects of continuity and characterization into a great new creation. But some of his work (mostly new 52 GL stuff) has seemed a lot less inspired. Fortunately, Speed Force has the good Bedard working on it.

Wally West, along with his kids Jai and Iris, have been trapped in Gotham for a year. Hidden away on an alien world under a dome, Wally is having a hard time adjusting. He spends each day trying to figure out how to break free. He’s justifiably concerned that a year apart from his wife Linda will have her pretty worried. I thought it was interesting that Wally’s identity seems to be public knowledge in Gotham these days. (Although maybe that was the status quo in the old days too, I can’t remember.) Either way, I find myself pretty bummed at the idea that the old DCU is truly destroyed and this Gotham City is the last surviving remnant of that world.

My favorite thing about this book is Wally West’s attitude about the “contest” between the surviving cities. When Tellos flashes an image of the Flashpoint Hawks demolishing the Justice Riders, Wally’s first instinct is to race out to try to help them. He doesn’t even think twice. How wonderful is it to see that kind of concern for strangers in a hero again? Then, to make matters even better, we get Fastback the turtle from Captain Carrot’s Zoo Crew.

I have ZERO idea who Fastback is. I can only recognize Captain Carrot from Multiversity. But FB’s attitude about Tellos’ contest mirrors Wally’s, and my own; of COURSE there is another way. What kind of hero would just go along with a battle to the death to amuse some weird cosmic voyeur? Man, that is what DC comics are all about, heroes thinking outside the box and doing the right thing. It has been too long!

So the plot is OK, the setting is a little watered down, but these are the versions of the characters I love. Wally’s kids complicate his story a bit, but we’ve seen Wally’s journey as a hero start with childhood and continue into fatherhood. For Wally, his maturation is integrally tied to his hero’s journey. Iris and Jai are fun complications without being stupid or a disadvantage, a nice change for most kid supporting characters.

And Tom Grummet’s artwork. I always like Grummet’s stuff, but seeing the clean lines of the real Flash costume again? Seeing the costume so bright and inspiring? Man, it really makes me miss DC comics. I’m impressed that Grummet even made Fastback fit into Wally’s more grounded-Gotham. It pains me to admit, even Flashpoint Wonder Woman looked pretty dang imposing and cool on that final page.

So this is a GOOD comic. But my goodness, does it drive home how alienated I am by the current DCU. I think that will probably be the subject of a bigger write up after I read some more of these Convergence throwbacks. 

The Flash v3: Gorilla Warfare TPB

When it comes to Flash villains, one towers above the rest. Gorilla Grodd. I haven’t read any of the New 52 Flash comics since the first trade, but when I saw Grodd on the cover of this volume, I figured I better check it out.

And, you know. It is fine. As I’ve said many times in previous reviews, I just don’t find Barry Allen to be that compelling a character. When I read him as the Flash, I’m much more interested in the costume than in anything else. Taking away his relationship with Iris sort of distracts me even further. Patty Spivot doesn’t have the same attitude and spark that motivates me to read about her.

I’m also not a huge fan of the way Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul handle the rogues. They are clearly going for some of the old Mark Waid/Geoff Johns feelings, but it just doesn’t work yet. Those older Flash stories established that the rogues were bad guys but they would do the right thing when they had to, and that they exhibited their own sense of honor. The rogues (led by Golden Glider?) do help out Keystone City against Grodd’s gorilla army, but I never quite understood exactly why they were doing it. And the new 52 costumes don’t help. Captain Cold is close enough to what he should be, but the new Heatwave looks boring.

Grodd is pretty horrific. His scenes boast some of the nicest art in the collection. The physical, brutal combat between him and Barry look fantastic. I’m not keen on the idea that Grodd is powered by the Speed Force (especially that he boosts that power by biting yellow energy capsules?). Grodd is enough of a threat on his own that adding in super-speed is a bit distracting. I prefer to leave the speed force stories to the villains that need it!

The second half of the collection has Barry helping the Trickster deal with an unfounded murder rap. I enjoyed this arc a bit more, because it helped flesh out the current supporting cast. I have absolutely no idea who those folks trapped in the speed force are, but Buccellato and Manapul do a nice job making the newly powered bozos interesting enough that I’d like to see more. I’d also kill for some caption boxes or some sort of recap. I’m not sure that the supporting cast’s identity is clearly established very often in these issues.

The art is the high point of this title. Manapul’s skill at graphic design makes for striking and innovative page layouts. He uses panel composition, sound effects, and a sense of motion to make the pages pop at crucial parts in the story. This was the greatest strength of Manapul’s run with Geoff Johns too.

So there is some potential here, but my lack of interest in Barry Allen combined with the new 52 continuity keeps this as an AVERAGE book with EXCELLENT art. 

Justice League: The Nail TPB

Wow. I forgot how much I absolutely love this series. Alan Davis might be my #1 favorite comic artist (certainly top 5), but man, I love his writing too. He hits all the necessary beats in a good Justice League story, and even more impressive, he does it without Superman.

In this world, a nail in the Kent's tire keeps them from adopting young Kal-El, which means the world develops very differently. We still have a Justice League, but here it is Hal Jordan, Batman, Wonder Woman, Barry Allen/Flash, Martian Manhunter, Hawkgirl, and the Atom. Just including the Manhunter guarantees I’ll like it, but Davis gives him such a great depth of character and emotion, it reminds me of the beloved DC New Frontier.

This book does have some deaths. As an Elseworlds, that was sort of a staple in the mid-90s for an alternate reality. The great part is that the deaths always mean something. Hawkgirl is constantly drawing strength from Hawkman’s sacrifice, and Batman gets some extra motivation (and a new partner) from the developments here too.

The series does suffer a bit from Davis’ clear desire to draw as many DC characters as possible. But do you blame him that he wanted to draw Ultraa the Ultra Alien and found any excuse to do so? We also get the whole Green Lantern Corps!!! I also have to appreciate the use of a great 90’s era Superman villain as the big bad too. The reasoning is sound, and this guy was a major antagonist in the triangle Superman era.

Reading a book like reminds me how much I used to absolutely adore the DCU. I think it is time to break out some more Justice League minis! Alan Davis and his comics are GOOD! (Actually, they are EXCELLENT!)

Flash: Move Forward HC

So it must be me. I can recognize that there are panels and pages in this collection that are absolutely beautiful. Pages where Francis Manapul does his best Will Eisner impression, incorporating ice floes and crashing planes into the title pages. There is a whole lot of pseudo-science intruding on these pages, though. Sometimes I think less is more would help with the layout.

Brian Buccellato tries to explain why Flash has wings on his head (magnetism). And the new villain Mob Rule has one of my favorite powers in multiform. And yet. And yet.

Barry Allen is still boring. I still don’t really know anything about the guy except that he really wants to do the right thing. He doesn’t want bystanders to get hurt, and he likes Patty Spivot because she smells nice. There are hints that Geoff Johns’ missing Mom story is motivating Barry, but it doesn’t seem to motivate him enough to make him interesting. 

That’s a pre-52 problem, though. I never liked Barry Allen. He exemplifies what DC meant to me as a kid, he’s a hero because he’s a hero. He doesn’t have any of those solid, gritty origins like Marvel heroes do.

As for new 52 problems, I’ve got those too. The new Captain Cold is laughable with his sleeveless vest and ingrained powers. I have absolutely no interest in seeing a new origin for Gorilla Grodd. Mob Rule’s origin and history is suitably bloody to make him fit right in to the new 52.

But on this one, I’m going to blame character, not continuity. The art is beautiful, the story professional, but the protagonist puts me to sleep!

Average

Back Issue Review: JLA Classified #10-15 (2005)

Now THIS is the Justice League! Confident, friendly, and super-powerful, this is what drew me to the DCU in the first place.

I’m sure I skipped this because of Warren Ellis’ habit of mean-spirited protagonists. I bet I didn’t want to see the JLA done that way. BUT, I must have forgotten how well Ellis can do straight-up super heroics too. There are some small hints of the too-cool-for-school heroes in the first two chapters of this arc, but after that? It’s the Justice League kicking butt and expressing cool confidence in their work.

The plot follows a story that drives people mad through an ancient creation that is meant to bring the devil into the world. Martian Manhunter’s people had stories of it, and the JLA is very concerned when it starts killing folks on Earth. Sure enough, the devil arrives, and he does have an issue or two where he knocks the JLA around pretty good. But you know it couldn’t last. Every single person on the team overcomes their personal obstacles. Either through intelligence (most of the League) or just good-hearted stubbornness (Kyle Rayner). (As an aside, stories like THIS are how Kyle Rayner became my favorite GL.)

The League is the big seven plus Oracle, and man, did I love Oracle in this role. She and Martian Manhunter have great roles as the coordinators of the league. It’s clear that Ellis has some affection for the character too; she’s pretty important. I’m not sure that Ellis loves Wally West or Kyle Rayner as much, but they get some cool stuff even with less page time.

The art by Butch Guice is a lot of fun too. Guice never seems comfortable with Kyle Rayner, though. He’s got some kind of armor that he wears through the whole arc. I’m not sure if that was a costuming choice or there is a story reason, but it was a bit off from Kyle’s regular look. Martian Manhunter looks a bit spookier than some artists draw him, but he looks cool in any case. Of course, Batman looks the best. That dark, tactical costume works really nicely with Guice’s style. The coloring sells the alien pages, too. They have a nice, Underworld Unleashed-style glow.

Good

Justice League #3

At the end of the day, I'm just not down with the Ultimate DCU.

Look, I get it. Geoff Johns and Jim Lee have made the League 10x cooler and 100x more extreme than ever before. Wonder Woman is chopping dudes to shreds. Superman is taking pleasure in knocking parademons' heads off. Aquaman has mutton chops and an attitude.

But man, the parademons look too much like daemonites from mid-90s WildCATS comics. Those collars just aren't doing it for me. I don't like Hal Jordan calling "dibs" when he first spots Wonder Woman. This reads like a mighty attempt to make "not your Dad's Justice League, kids!" The problem is, I'm the Dad! I liked Superman as the no-kill leader of heroes. I liked Wally West growing into his role as the new Flash. I liked Kyle Rayner as a competent third-generation hero.

This comic has 22 pages of totally extreme goodness, not a bad ratio in today's environment. There are a ton of splash pages, but Jim Lee makes them look like awesome pin-ups or posters, so I can't complain about that.

The real problem is that I just haven't connected with the new DCU at all. So I think this is my last JL issue. Avengers is going on the sublist.

Average

Justice League #2

So here's the deal: if DC's top-tier books are going to $3.99 just like Marvel, I can't really make my sublist DC-exclusive anymore, can I? I had been skipping Marvel books that I actually like MORE than DC titles because of the price difference. But with every comic feeling so light right now, regardless of price point, I'm shuffling up my list.

On to JL #2.

I had to read that splash page two or three times (and it didn't take long, there weren't a lot of words). Are you seriously telling me that last issue cliff-hangered with Batman vs. Superman, and this issue opens with the fight OVER? And we see all sorts of crazy stuff from Bats' utility belt that probably would have been neat to see, and it HAPPENED OFF PANEL? WHAT?

This is the "origin of the DCnU," yet Green Lantern and Flash teamed up to take out Gorilla Grodd AND IT HAPPENED OFF PANEL? WHAT?

Bats just emptied his utility belt against Supes, but when GL and Flash try to give him a breather, Batman starts with the "we're just trying to talk, Superman!" Why didn't you say that before you used all your utility-belt toys, Bats? This comic makes no sense!

I sure hope that Cyborg doesn't go straight into the JL after having his origin this issue, because that essentially wipes out the entire New Titans history, right?

The thing is, this comic is fine as a reboot. I liked the Superman takedown of the overconfident Flash. Green Lantern is pretty enjoyable as a doofus in way over his head. Batman trying to earn his place in this group of deviants is fun too. I'm not sure why the DCU hates the new heroes, but ok, they're mutants now, fine. And Jim Lee's art continues to be fun and dynamic. The constructs look great, and Flash's new costume doesn't make my eyes bleed like I thought it would.

BUT

This clearly is a whole new DCU, except that the creators are keeping little bits and pieces of old stories. And they are skipping pretty dang important chapters even in the origin titles. I just can't get behind this random approach to storytelling. The funny thing is, I will probably still follow core titles like JL, Batman, and Action Comics. But my interest in the fringes of the DCU, all those elements that were my favorite before the relaunch? I couldn't care less about them now.

Fair

Justice Society of America #54

What a gorgeous cover. What a poster that could make!

Doesn’t really matter anymore, does it? Marc Guggenheim wraps up his interesting Monument Point storyline in a pretty abrupt fashion, letting a super-powered energy blast do what the entire JSA could not, taking down the weird dude trapped under Monument Point. I assume this would have been more dramatic and detailed had the DCU not rebooted.

I’m still annoyed that Jesse Quick was sort of to blame for letting this guy go, and it’s also interesting that the mysterious Senator from earlier in the book was actually correct. Having the JSA hang around in Monument Point really was a bad idea.

In the end, this is going to be a shortened, forgotten run, as Guggenheim turned out some solid super-hero comics, but hardly reinvented the wheel during his time on the book.

Jerry Ordway’s pencils are a delight, as always. I truly hope there is a place for his classic style in the new 52 somewhere. Is it too much to hope for a new Shazam title?

Fair

Flashpoint #5

SPOILERS AHOY!

Could someone please explain to me what happened here? I realize Barry Allen went back in time to save his Mom, and that created the Flashpoint universe. It was a warped universe where DC could kill as many characters as violently as it wished because nothing counted. Got it.

So to “fix” this universe, Ripped Costume Barry (from the end of Flashpoint) ran into the timestream and caught up with New Costume Barry from the beginning of Flashpoint, and stopped him from saving his mother. Then the costumes merged and turned into Collared Barry, the DCnU version. During that transformation, some strange lady talked about merging three timelines into one. (I’m assuming that’s Vertigo, DCU, and Wildstorm? If not, I’m stumped.) I don’t know who that lady is, but I guess she is prepping Barry for some upcoming crossover?

So then Flashpoint ends with Barry delivering a letter to crying Bruce Wayne, and they both think everything is normal.

That’s it, right? I mean, there were a bunch of pages about the Flashpoint world blowing up and Reverse Flash existing outside the timestream, but none of that actually mattered, right?

When you think about it, Flashpoint is an amazing achievement. Rather than spend the last few months flooding the market with comics celebrating the soon to be erased history of the DCU, they spent those months with a TON of books giving backstory on a world that didn’t matter at all. It’s an odd choice.

I mean, Flashpoint did what it needed. But it boils down to one plot point: Barry Allen went back in time to save his Mom, thought better of it, but still messed up continuity and created the DCnU. That’s it, right?

(I’m being a tad unfair, Geoff Johns had a few poignant moments with Flash saying goodbye to Bat Dad and Flash Mom, and those were nice scenes. Andy Kubert’s art was pretty dynamic and exciting too.)

Average

Booster Gold #47

And now we say farewell to Booster Gold. After taking out Doomsday is a pretty easy fashion (with a lot of help), Booster finally gets to do what I’ve been waiting for: team up with Barry Allen. As the only two heroes who know how things are supposed to be, you’d think they would have had more than two pages to team-up before blasting Booster back to Vanishing Point. I mean, this really didn’t elevate Booster much at all, Barry wasn’t even that happy to see someone who hadn’t had their head screwed around!

I suppose the lack of Booster’s involvement stems from the need to have Saint Barry do everything important in the core Flashpoint title, but it bummed me out seeing Booster have so little impact. That said, there was something sad and fitting about Booster forgetting his new gal pal and the entire world of Flashpoint. He’s going to forget about his best friend, his teammates, and his status quo, why not forget a crossover too? And at least Dan Jurgens got to say goodbye.

(Do you like how bitter I am about the upcoming reboot? It is coloring my opinion on every DC book I read!)

Rick Leonardi draws most of the issue (apart from Jurgens’ closing pages). I have always liked Leonardi’s work, but I’m shocked how great his Booster Gold looks. The costume has a neat weight to it that I really enjoyed. I’d love to see him doing more in the DCU.

Fair

Justice Society of America #53

I’ll lead off by saying I really hope the rumors about the new JSA series are true. James Robinson and Nicola Scott? That’s a Golden Age dream team if you ask me. Just wonderful potential there.

But how is Marc Guggenheim doing for his lame duck story? Not bad, although I have to say I’m a bit confused. First of all, I’m pretty sure that the Challengers of the Unknown are older than they appear in this story. Isn’t one of them the old-ish priest from the recent Doom Patrol series? Yet here they are in their prime, out challenging the unknown. It just confuses me.

My other big problem is Jesse Quick. She makes such a colossal blunder in this issue, it is going to be hard to respect her after this (fortunately, I guess that is only for one more month). Unless she’s been under the influence of some mind-affecting power, she absolutely is responsible for anything that the new bad guy does after his release. And considering how much trouble someone went through to trap him? That could be bad news.

I found myself smiling through the issue, and the reason was Jerry Ordway’s art. The guy is just a master storyteller, and he does such a great job with facial expressions and different builds. I wish I could see more regular work from the guy, this book was just plain pretty.

Good (got a bump up because of the art!)

Flashpoint #3

I'm having a really hard time turning off my brain and enjoying Flashpoint for what it is. With all the DCU reboot stuff coming up, I still say I would have liked a bit more of the "real" DCU, a chance to say goodbye to the characters I love in their current incarnations. But I have to admit, Geoff Johns really puts the pedal to the metal this issue.

Cyborg is finally back in action after being totally absent in issue 2. He seemed important back in issue one, and he lives up to that image here, he's part of the new "JLA" in Flashpoint, and he certainly fits in well. Barry Allen and BatDad are the other two founders, so it's a dynamic little bunch. I will say that the return of Barry's powers this issue certainly makes issue 2 seem pretty pointless. In general, issue 2 is looking like a waste of space, more of an advertising issue than any actual plot development. This issue doesn't share those problems.

Everyone probably knows this is the issue where see the Flashpoint Superman, and wow. That guy has it rough. Poor Kal-El is missing the parents, upbringing, home, and powers that we know so well, making him sort of a spooky enigma.

Andy Kubert's art is dynamic and exciting, and seeing his Barry Allen makes me wish I could see him drawing more "classic" looks. His designs for new characters are pretty great, with Ms. Hyde being a new possibility for the mysterious white-haired lady in the new Justice League.

Good

Flashpoint #2

Taken on its own merits, Flashpoint is just fine. Geoff Johns is having fun sending us on a quick tour of his alternate universe. We've got Deathstroke the pirate, Aquaman the general, Wonder Woman the tyrant, but best of all we've got Bat-Dad and Barry Allen. Bat-Dad has an absolutely great design, and he works surprisingly well set up against the straight-laced Barry.

A lot of my concerns about the series were actually addressed when I read the Flash: Rebirth series, so now I understand how Professor Zoom has messed up the world for everyone. I'm hoping that the Barry Allen we're following is the real guy, and this isn't some kind of homage to the Return of Barry Allen from the 90s. (I don't think it is, but having the Reverse Flash costume come out of Barry's ring put the thought in my head.)

I would have liked to see more from Cyborg, the SHAZAM kids, and maybe one or two more people from issue one, but I understand Johns had to get WW and Aquaman out there too. Maybe Cyborg will show off his JLA bonafides more in future issues.

I'm still annoyed that this is leading into a reboot, so it counts even LESS than a normal Elseworlds. I'm certain some elements from Flashpoint will stick around into the reboot, heck, there may end up being more Flashpoint history than stuff from the last 20 years!

Andy Kubert's costume designs are fantastic. Bat-Dad is the best of the bunch, but Wonder Woman looks great too. When she loses that silly helmet, she'll be looking pretty darn tough.

Fair

Flash: Rebirth TPB

Ok, I’m going to get it now. This was good. And it goes a long way towards making Barry Allen an interesting character for me.

After years of loving Geoff Johns’ work, I really should trust the guy more. In this story he does build up Barry with some ridiculous quotes (like when the JSA give Barry credit for keeping them in heroics), but none of the Flashes get shafted. Wally West is pretty important to this story and he gets a lot of respect from Barry and the other heroes, it makes sense, I think Wally has been the Flash about as long as Barry at this point!

Bart Allen comes through as a great voice for the disgruntled reader like me. He’s annoyed Barry came back and not Max Mercury. He’s annoyed that “Saint Barry” gets all this respect when Wally was a great Flash. And he’s annoyed that he never got to know his grandfather at all. Look at that! An explanation for that awkwardness between Barry and Bart in the Flash comic that had confused me! It really seems like Rebirth was chapter one in the ongoing story leading up to Flashpoint.

And that brings me to Professor Zoom, the Reverse Flash. He gets some new powers here, tying him to an anti-Speed Force. This energy is different than the Barry Allen’s Speed Force, and it lets Zoom actually go back and change time. It’s wonderful seeing Zoom go back and cause problems for Barry before he even becomes the Flash. And some retcons and changes get an explanation here too. And the setup is fantastic, with Zoom II, Wally’s enemy, offering to team up with Zoom at the end of the book. Good stuff.

I should mention that Iris’ de-aging is explained as well. It seems the Speed Force keeps people young, as we knew from Jay Garrick. It also keeps people close to the speedsters young, so Iris is actually de-aged a bit when Barry comes back. (There’s a neat page talking about this in the bonus materials, where Ethan Van Sciver drew Iris too old.)

Speaking of art, Van Sciver does a nice job with the re-designs in this one. Zoom, Bart Allen, Impulse II, they all fit into the speed family perfectly. And sometimes, not changing stuff is the right choice too; the re-designs for Wally West were not good, so going with the old Greg LaRoque metallic suit is the right move. Jesse Quick looks fantastic on her big splash page too.

The back material is quite helpful and provides a nice setup for Flashpoint. And with Wally West’s son destined to become the new Turtle, surely there’s more Wally West action coming up post-Flashpoint.

Good

Flashpoint #1

Clearly, I'm missing something. Over the past few months, I had sort of written off Flashpoint as an enormous Elseworlds, surely one that will impact the DCU in some ways, since Geoff Johns is writing it, but an Elseworlds in any case. Then the Internet popped for the premiere issue yesterday, with everyone raving about how good it is. This is just proof that I'm still not jaded as a reader, I went out and bought Flash 10-12 (to be reviewed tomorrow) and Flashpoint #1.

And? Did the issue live up to the insane hype and the even more insane number of tie-ins? Meh. It's fine, but it is an Elseworlds. There are some people in different costumes, Captain Cold seems to be some kind of vigilante rather than villain, Talky Tawny from the Marvel Family looks like a cool Battle Cat from He-Man, and a few other changes. I do like seeing Cyborg as the main man of the DCU, but if the stuff he says is correct, Wonder Woman and Aquaman are straight up EVIL.

Seriously, death on the scale described here is unbelievable, and the US could not and would not be sitting by while that type of genocide was going on. Of course, this is still an Earth in the DCU, so maybe they've grown accustomed to mass murder? Very possible.

As far as I can tell, this doesn't really pick up as the next chapter after Brightest Day or anything like that. This really seems to stand on its own. Honestly, this feels 100% like Age of Apocalypse, the story everyone thought this would be riffing on. And that's fine, I loved AoA, but I don't have the disposable income (or the space in my longboxes) to follow something like that now.

And let's not avoid my main problem: Barry Allen. The guy is boring, and centering a crossover around him is not going to do it for me.

I must admit, Andy Kubert's art is great. Alternate Batman looks cool. Battle Tawny is awesome. I like Shade the Changing Man's look and team. But I'm just not wrapped up enough to keep up with the deluge of titles for this crossover.

Average

Justice Society of America #50

This one's a lot more setup that delivery, although Marc Guggenheim does get a lot of mileage out of his guest-artists. There are nice sequences by George Perez, Howard Chaykin, and Freddie Williams II. Tom Derenick handles the modern portion of the story, while those guest-artists give us glimpses of Per Degaton and his past run-ins with the JSA. Derenick does a nice job with the modern portion. His art has always had a bit of a flat quality, things the foreground look similar to stuff in the background, but he does nice super-characters.

It seems Per Degaton will be the main villain for the next arc, assuming he has something to do with the dark past of Monument Point. I also like seeing the Society expand with the returning All-Stars and a slew of new characters. I hope the newbies aren't fodder for deaths though, Dark Knight and Red Beetle have potential. I will say I'm not sure Manhunter and Blue Devil make the most sense to join up; they're both already on other teams!

JSA is still one of the most consistent titles DC is putting out, even when the anniversary issue is a bit of a gimmick, it is still entertaining.

Fair

JSA vs. Kobra TPB

Why the heck is Eric Trautman not writing more mainstream books? He proved himself on Checkmate, and he lives up to that billing in this strong follow-up. I think he was one of the guys banished to the Red Circle books (that I bet I would have liked), but this guy gets the JSA. Of course, while this is called a JSA limited series, it is really is a showcase for just two of them; Mr. Terrific and Power Girl. While Kobra manipulates his terror empire into a more and more powerful position, Trautman shows us the two approaches of the JSA's leaders. Mr. Terrific is ready to feint and bluff and strike at shadows, plot and plan. Power Girl is confident that any trap Kobra can make, her team can crush. This is a great showcase of why I love both characters. It doesn't matter that every other JSAer only gets at best three lines, this book features my two favorites. Don Kramer's art is great. I've loved his work since his original run on JSA, and this lives up to that legacy. No one draws someone getting blasted by a haymaker better than Kramer; there are couple great shots mixed in again here. And while the JSA doesn't do much besides pose and run out for big action shots, those moments do look great. Good

Justice Society of America #49

I continue to be impressed by Marc Guggenheim's JSA. My enjoyment has probably increased as the cast has increased, at this point it doesn't feel like the JSA if the team doesn't have 20 people in it. I'm shocked at the power of the two new villains in this arc. Scythe takes on half the team, including most of the heavy hitters and barely gets taken out by a souped up Alan Scott. Dr. Chaos takes on most of the street-level characters and is handling them with no problems, even when all the JSA All-Stars show up! At least Power Girl steps in to show Chaos who's boss.

I'm excited to see where the series goes from here. Jay Garrick as the mayor of a city packed with super-heroes? And that city has a dark secret tied to the US government? I'm in.

Scott Kolins' art sells this book. Look at some of those panels during the Dr. Chaos fight where Steel is slugging Hourman in the midsection, you can see the chaos in that conflict that lets the villain excel. I think some of those guys should be a bit more hurt than they are, but I'm not going to complain about a dramatically drawn comic battle!

Good

Justice Society of America #48

This book has been a very pleasant surprise. I'm happy I didn't drop it like I had originally planned. I stuck around for the Scott Kolins art, but I'm now hooked by Marc Guggenheim's story.

This is very much a middle chapter as the bad guys seem to be out-maneuvering the JSA at every turn. Half the team is taken out, with Alan Scott paralyzed, Lightning "dead," Mr. Terrific not so terrific, and Dr. Fate too busy to help. Jay Garrick, Doc Mid-Nite, Wildcat, and Mr. America certainly seem over-matched by Dr. Chaos and Scythe. (Although it is great seeing just how powerful the original Flash is, isn't it?)

I wonder if the timely arrival of that bunch of heroes has anything to do with JSA All-Stars getting cancelled? The influx of that book's cast will make this feel like a society again. It did look to me like there are a few new characters coming to help too. A Red Beetle?

Scott Kolins is so darn good, this book looks terrific. I'm still not blown away by Scythe's design, but I love Chaos' design and the secret villain sure looked great in his big reveal.

Good