FLASHPOINT VOLUME 1
WARNING! There will be a bit of spoilers here. Even though it is three years since this trade has been out, I am certain there are some who have not yet checked it out. So you are officially WARNED!
This is a great series. The artwork is beautiful with only the panel where Barry runs and ends up at his mom’s house in the final part gave me pause because his left leg is a little too high for someone who is running. Seriously, this one of the best examples of art in comics I have seen.
The story else is good since it is about Barry Allen waking up to finding his world changed and that he needs to find a way to change it back before the memories that the Barry of this world overrides his memories of the original world. There are also a bunch of neat twists to differentiate between this world and the original. Like Thomas Wayne being the new Batman and Bruce being killed. Or the fact that Captain Marvel is now Captain Thunder, which was gonna be the original name but wasn’t due to copyright issues, who is a group of kids merge into one.
You will have to check out the tie-ins to fill in on more of this world, but what has been served is satisfactory enough. I won’t go into anything too spoilery about how the world is changed, since again there are people who probably have not read Flashpoint and somehow have not learned that from other people. The whole Batman reveal doesn’t matter since it is made in the first 30 pages or so and it is important for the best scene in the comic.
Speaking of great scenes, I love the part where Barry tries to get his powers, he doesn’t have them in this reality, and ends up looking like what person struck by lightning would like. It is a fun experience of reality ensuing in comics.
The best scene is after Barry fixes everything and turns in a letter to Bruce from the Flashpoint Thomas Wayne. Is a very emotional scene with Bruce taking off the cowl and just reading the letter as himself and crying tears of joy over it. I really love it.
Now, for one negative, other than the odd panel I mentioned at the top. Namely, the fact that this is suppose to be an event comic. And it doesn’t actually read as one. Not to mention that is suppose to tie up the old DCU and lead the Nu52. In fact the only reason this leads to the Nu52 is a single splash page where a woman, later revealed to be Pandora, tells Barry to converged three separate timelines into one so the world has more heroes and the that universe will be more structurally sound against an upcoming evil.
It has been over three years and we still haven’t seen this supposed dreaded evil yet. Well, maybe it is the upcoming Darkseid War. We will find out soon enough. In any case, yeah a great Flash story arc that should have stayed as a Flash story arc. Not that turning story arcs into event is always a bad thing since Blackest Night is an example of that done right.
In summary, great comic with great writing and art. Just not epic enough to support this being the lead in to the Nu52. Still recommended as a story by itself at least.
Overall, this is 8.5 lightning bolts out of 10.
Next week, I begin reviewing the actual Nu52 in order of trades that are published. So, Animal Man Volume 1: The Hunt.
And come back on Monday for the start of an entire week of reviews of comics from the 2099 universe! Don't worry, all other reviews will be done on time and as scheduled.
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