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Post by momoney433 on Apr 6, 2009 13:33:23 GMT -5
Black Flash dropped dead because quite frankly, he's tired of taking speedsters to their final resting place if they insist on coming back. LOL! So true. I can see it now. (Black Flash runs through cornfield. Cell phone rings) BF: Hello? Oh hey, speed force. What? Barry Allen's alive and kicking!? But I thought for sure him of all people was never going to come back! Damn it! You know what? Screw this! I'm sick of dragging speedster's asses into the grave if they're only going to keep coming back! Get someone else to be your death cause I'm through! Through I tell ya! (Burns into a crisp and collapses onto ground) Hahahahahah!! Both of those had me laughing!
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Post by OLD SCHOOL on Apr 7, 2009 19:47:52 GMT -5
From mania.com
a quick review.
Barry Allen is back (along with his Bart, his grandson from the future) and everybody’s buzzing. Central City is throwing the biggest parade the city has ever seen and the whole world is clamoring to be a part of the celebration. The Rogues are plotting new strategies and everyone from the Justice Society to the Titans (both Teen and adult) are throwing him a party. Hal Jordan is pleased as punch to have his old buddy back while Wally West, Jay Garrick and Alan Scott are waxing poetic about the impact that Barry had on their lives. The funny thing is, the people who seem the least excited aren’t even the Rogues; they’re Barry and Bart.
Oh yeah, and some dude with a lightning bolt staff seems to have successfully replicated the accident that turned Barry into the Flash and he’s killed a few cops too.
Back to Barry and Bart. Interestingly enough, Bart seems to be echoing the statements of a lot of fans. Wally West is the Flash. He earned it. Barry’s the “messiah” and someone Bart barely even knows – why should we be so excited about his return? Hey, I’m geeked about this series, but I have to admit that I know where Kid Flash is coming from. Meanwhile, Barry is visiting the Flash Museum and catching up on old times with his old buddy Hal Jordan. Unlike the rest of the DCU, Barry doesn’t seem so excited to be back. He doesn’t see his return from the Speed Force as divine intervention or anything more than a simple mistake. He ends up skipping out on the parties and parades and takes off running in an attempt to ensure he’s not late for “whatever the rest of the world needs me for”. So yeah, he seems a little obsessed.
The Good
Cover art to Flash Rebirth #1 by Ethan Van Sciver
© DC Comics I really appreciated the way Barry Allen was recognized as being the “shot heard ‘round the world” that kicked off the Silver Age of comic books. Homage was paid to both him and Green Lantern without being all preachy and corny. But it was there and it was a nice touch.
The little speeches from Jay Garrick and Alan Scott made you realize that without Barry (both in the real and in the fictional world) there wouldn’t be a DCU as we know it. The conversation between the Titans added some nice insight into the friendships and relationships between the heroes, both young and old. I’m a huge fan of the “human touch” and the family aspect of the Flashes, so I really dug this stuff.
Barry’s appreciation of the fast pace of the modern world was also a nice touch, as were the surly attitudes displayed by both he and Bart. Think about it: the guy is a scientist. He’s looking for cold, hard facts regarding his return and the fact that he can’t find them is bugging him. He’s a guy who’s been given a second chance and rather than waste time on parties and parade floats, he wants to get back to business.
The Bad There was just something off and I can’t quite put my finger on it. Maybe it’s simply because I’m not as well-versed in Flash lore as I should be? Maybe it’s because the first issue sets a lot up and promises a lot more for the future but delivers very little? Maybe I’m a victim of hype? Could it be that my beloved Geoff Johns has let me down (only slightly) and it’s magnified because I have been so blinded by love in the past? Or could it be that I just didn’t dig Ethan Van Sciver’s artwork on this book? I’m actually a huge fan of his work, but it kind of felt a little too stiff. Someone with a more fluid style might’ve worked better. Or it is that, for as legendary of a character as he is, Barry Allen is more-or-less a stranger to me, and I’m not entirely sure I even like him? Was it a little bit of everything?
I’m not really sure. But for a first issue comeback spectacular, I felt like it wasn’t as flashy as it should’ve been.
The Prognosis I’m giving it the grade of B- and writing “please see me” in the margins - I want to discuss. I definitely liked it and I’ll definitely be back for the next issue and for that matter, the entire series. While the story didn’t punch me in the gut and leave me swooning, it has stuck with me since I read it yesterday. As I said in “The Bad”, it was really a lot of set up and very little actually happened; but the things that were set up were so fascinating, I can’t imagine missing an issue from here on out.
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Post by Prime on Apr 7, 2009 20:54:55 GMT -5
Yeah I think that review captured a lot of my thoughts as well.
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savitar
Speedster in Training
Lightning can strike twice
Posts: 59
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Post by savitar on Apr 29, 2009 15:06:08 GMT -5
Sorry if I'm forgetting but what was Alchemy talking about when he said "her"? I loved all the Rogue jokes in this issue but that mention puzzled me as well. Is this some Silver Age reference or an 'unknown' event? First off, I'm dismayed over everyone trying to compare this mini to GL:Rebirth. I don't see the need in doing so beyond the fact that both minis have the same creative team. GL and Flash are two different characters with separate mythologies thus expectations should be different. But, since this issue didn't start off with a *BANG* like GL:Rebirth, people feel entitled to bash it or put it down. That said, I enjoyed this first issue. It's great to see Barry back and everyone's reactions to his return. I can see why some have problems with the characterizations herein but I can overlook that (for the moment) for a few simple reasons: 1) It's the first issue. I'm sure Johns has a goal and purpose to all of this so we the readers simply need to enjoy the ride as he takes us down this road till we can better judge this apparent new retcons as a whole. 2) I have the sneaky feeling that IC changed a lot about the DCU, it's heroes, and their origins. Because Dido has been running full steam ahead with other events, we the readers haven't seen the breadth of this new revision, other than sprinklings and hints, till now. This is especially true of Superman and why Johns and Franks are doing another Origin mini for him. So perhaps these new revelations about Barry's parents are what has changed about him due to cosmic events. No, I don't see the how and why just yet, but I'm not ready to condemn it solely on the basis of one issue. I'm putting my faith in Johns and his commitment to these characters (which appears to be just as strong as his ties to GL) Two other smaller things bothered me in this issue. First, Bart comes back in Legion 3-Worlds #3 and his very next appearance (that I can tell) after that issue is here in Rebirth. I'm glad he's here, but this seems to be one heck of a spoiler, since judging by this, he survives whatever happens in the future between him and SB-Prime to return to the 'here & now'. I found that strange. Second, Iris' reaction seems to be overlooked in all the other Flashes' reactions. While talking to Joan, her attitude seems to be "Yay-Barry's-Back-I'm-Glad-He's-Back-I-Don't-Care-How-He's-Back-Just-So-Long-As-He-Is-Back'. To me, it seemed to be some sort of denial as if she too has Barry's fear that his new time as a mortal will be short-spent. (Plus, it seemed strange that the two were not shown together. Iris is as much the heart of Barry as Linda is to Wally) Otherwise, the murder mystery is interesting (setting up the lab to recreate Barry's accident was a nice touch) and no, don't have a clue as to who the dead Flash in the corn was, but I'm sure it'll be fun to find out along the way.
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