I will admit that Flash has never been my favorite hero. I used to think of him the way I used to think about Superman, “What can you do with a character that has so much power?” The stories are bound to be boring, right? Wrong.
If you’ve never read Mark Waid’s run on Flash, do yourself a favor and go out and buy it, immediately! That’s probably the biggest drawback of DC’s New 52 Reboot of Flash; that Mark Waid isn’t writing it.
Francis Manapul does a nice job but Waid is the ultimate Flash writer in my opinion. However, moving past this unchangeable fact we look at the title for what it is. Not as an origin, as with so many other Reboot books, but with a re-introduction.
Barry Allen is the Flash and they even do a neat call-back on a splash page where they talk about how he got his powers. A wink and a nod to the fact that this classic character has been amped up and is ready for today’s world.
The story of the first issue involves a heist during a science showcase where a piece of equipment is stolen. Allen is, of course, attending and sneaks away to become The Flash and save the day. The twist is that one of the criminals, one who unfortunately dies while tussling with Flash, turns out to be someone Allen knew from his youth.
That twist begets the bigger twist, that this person’s DNA has been altered and, as we see on the final page, that an entire army of clones exist of this one man.
Where are we headed with this story? What’s in store for the fastest man alive? I don’t know…but if Grodd isn’t involved, I’m sure to be disappointed.
Flash didn’t wow me. At all. It was predictable and even boring at times. It shows me that DC didn’t pick a writer who is going to do anything more than shepherd Flash through this initial arc and then it will be handed off to more experienced hands.
For this lack of faith in the character’s appeal and the reader’s willingness to give new things a try, Flash gets a JACK rating.
The best is yet to come so keep your eyes (and browsers) open on 8DaysAGeek all month long as we tackle the biggest story in comics!
For now,
This is your Bin Fodder Guru Tim Blacksmith signing off.
p.s. Did you spot the hooded lady? I’ve included a picture below. She keeps showing up in the strangest places! Who is she? What’s her impact going to be on the new DCU? Discuss below in comments!!!
