The Flash #41 - A Review

As Gorilla Grodd and The Black Hole slowly grind Central City to a molecular stand-still, Barry Allen struggles to restore his powers. Can Kid Flash and The Flash of Justice League China save the day while the elder Wally West tries to evacuate the city?



Carlos D'Anda provides the artwork for this issue and I never thought I'd find myself missing Carmine Di Giandomenico. While D'Anda's pencil are clearer, he recycles more than a few panels here and there. Ignoring the laziness of this, his inks are all over the place in regards to shading cerain characters and the definition of certain lines. It's a shame because Williamson's story is as strong as ever, but this title seems to be cursed by mediocre art and an inability to find a regular artist.

The Final Analysis: 5/10. Great story with erratic artwork.

The Flash Annual #1 - A Review

Left feeling more alone than ever in the wake of The Titans being dissolved by The Justice League, the original Wally West seeks companionship among his uncle Barry and cousin Wally. When that only serves to make things worse, since Wally is still reluctant to approach his Aunt Iris (who still doesn't remember him and is already coping with enough), Wally looks up his childhood friend and former girlfriend Frankie Kane to see if she still remembers him. The good news is she does exist and she still remembers him. The bad news is so does her evil super-villain persona Magenta!


I loved Geoff Johns' run on The Flash and I've recently starting reading through the classic Wolfman/Perez run Teen Titans. While I've yet to read the original Magenta stories, I find the character interesting and it's a real treat to see her restored to the DC Universe here, even ignoring Wally's need for friends now given his current predicament. Joshua Williamson puts a lot of heart into every story he writes and this one is a prime example of how he can tug o the heart-strings even while setting up a major crossover event.

The artwork is equally excellent. Both Howard Porter and Christian Duce are fine artists and you can barely tell when the story switches between their respective sections here. Hi-Fi also deserves praise for some fantastic, eye-catching color work.

The Final Analysis: 10 out of 10.  A great entry point for The Flash and a great opening for Flash War. 

The Flash #38 - A Review

Trapped in the bowels of Iron Heights prison within a secret sanctuary The Rogues established, The Flash finds himself at the mercy of Captain Cold. Worse yet, Kid Flash is running into a deadly trap that Snart has set for the assassin Copperhead, who is fighting him for control of Central City's underworld. Thankfully, The Flash may have more friends than he suspects... yet more enemies than he knows.


Scott Kollins - who had a legendary run on The Flash alongside writer Geoff Johns - returns for an issue and it really is like old times. While Kollin's style, which is light on inks and sketchy in spots, may be an acquired taste for some, I personally find it a perfect match for the story at hand. Paired with the colors of Hi-Fi, Kollins' kinetic artwork looks fantastic.


Joshua Williamson's script brings the story to a thrilling and suitable conclusion, which raises more mysteries as well as what might be something of a plot hole. Still, I am content to let Williamson set the pace, having been faked out before by his skillful writing. On a side note, Flash fans would do well to check out this week's Batgirl And the Birds of Prey, which makes use of a plot point dropped in this issue's end.

The Final Analysis: 8 out of 10.

The Flash #37 - A Review

There's a new crime boss in Central City and his war with the usurper Copperhead is running The Flash ragged. Barry Allen is busy too, following the trail of a murderer in Iron Heights Prison while trying to stay under the radar of Warden Wolfe and Captain Singh. Unfortunately, an old enemy is about to stop The Flash cold...


Scott McDaniel takes over the art duties for this issue and it's hard to think of an artist better suited for The Flash. McDaniel's work on Nightwing is still fondly remembered, due to his kinetic style which showed every step of Dick Grayson in motion as he executed his acrobatic maneuvers. One would think that would work just as well in depicting Barry Allen in motion.

Unfortunately, McDaniel's work here is far from his best. Many panels appear sloppy and slap-dash and McDaniel's sense of storytelling seems to have left him. Far too many panels are cluttered and the heavy inks of Mick Gray cause some of the details to be lost in the tight quarters. Not even Hi-Fi's fantastic colors can save the book's visuals.

It's a shame because Joshua Williamson's writing continues to be the best aspect of the book. Hopefully Williamson will find an artist who can match him in quality soon. I may soon get tired of suffering through mediocre artwork for the sake of a good story.

The Final Analysis: 5 out of 10. Great story. Cluttered artwork.

The Flash #35 - A Review

Meena Dhawan has escaped from The Speed Force, but this is hardly the blessing both Barry Allen and Wally West thougt it would be. Meena has revealed herself as being in league with The Black Hole - the collective of amoral scientists who seek to harness The Speed Force for their own dark ends.

Meena has also ripped the negative Speed Force energy from Barry's body, leaving him weakened and her newly empowered as The Negative Flash. Even with Wally to help him, can Barry hope to stand against the woman he once loved?


Asked to sum up The Flash #35 in a word, I would have to choose "disappointing." The artwork by Pop Mhan and Ivan Plascencia is some of the best the series has seen to date but that's just pretty paint on an ugly shell. The chief problem is the dialogue, which lacks the usual punch Joshua Williamson puts into his scripts. This leads one to wonder if Williamson merely provided the plot for this issue and Michael Moreci wrote the actual script?

A larger problem, logistically at least, is the book's treatment of its female cast. Here, we see Meena turned into a villain out of nowhere for the sake of quick drama. The end of the issue hints at the death of one of Barry's female co-workers - a revelation which will serve no purpose other than to give Barry further angst about his work-life. It's lazy storytelling and beneath the creators involved.

The Final Analysis: 6 out of 10. Great artwork, but the story leaves a lot to be desired. 

Justice League #33 - A Review

With the rest of The Justice League in the clutches of The Dark Knights, if falls to Cyborg to save the day. Yet doing so many require Victor sacrificing what remains of his humanity to fully empower the Motherbox that powers his cybernetics. Will he make the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of all reality?


Despite being largely devoted to explaining Cyborg's powers and setting up the next part of the Dark Nights Metal event, Justice League #33 is an enjoyable little book. Teen Titans fans will be glad to know the story also reaffirms the friendship between Cyborg and Raven (something missing in the Rebirth reality) and there's a sequence I'm fairly certain is a nod to one of the better episodes of Teen Titans Go!  The artwork is equally brilliant, with the colors of Arif Prianto and Jeromy Cox giving the pencils and inks of Tyler Kirkham and Mikel Janin an almost painted appearance at times.

The Final Analysis: 7 out of 10. It would have been higher if they'd confirmed the song Cyborg plays to inspire himself is "The Night Begins To Shine"

Batman: Lost #1

Lost in The Dark Multiverse, Bruce Wayne finds himself experiencing story after story, world after world where things are wrong. He must find his way back to his reality but can The Dark Knight deduce what is truly real?


With multiple writers, artists and inkers, there is very little cohesion between the various bits and bobs that make up Batman: Lost. Yet that confusion, sown as an elderly Bruce Wayne reads stories of his adventures to his granddaughter, proves the unifying x-factor as the creative teams go hog-wild on presenting us with various visions of Batman. It has the feel of a fever dream but it captures that sensation perfectly.

The Final Analysis: 9 out of 10. An interesting trip that must be experienced for one's self.

The Flash #34 - A Review

Dr. Meena Dhawan - a.k.a. Fast Track - was once Barry Allen's girlfriend and Wally West's first mentor. She disappeared during a battle with the villain Godspeed, seemingly killed along with two of her students among those granted super-speed by The Speed Force storms that once wrecked Central City.

Now, she's back and Barry and Wally are overjoyed at the news. But Meena has returned with grim news - Barry's new-found connection to the negative charge of The Speed Force is killing him! She offers to help study Barry's new powers and find a cure. Unbeknownst to them, however, Meena is a double agent, working for both STAR Labs and the villainous group of rogue scientists known as The Black Hole...


While I'm displeased to see Meena being turned into a villain (I found her to be a far more interesting love interest than Iris West during her brief time as Barry's girlfriend), at least she's proving to be a competent villain who is giving The Flash a run for his money.  The dialogue is a little flat, however, with a lot of sameness to the characters voices - a problem that may be due to Joshua Williamson co-writing this issue with Michael Moreci.

Whatever reservations I may have about the story, I have none about the artwork. Pop Mhan does his usual fantastic job on the pencils and inks, backed by the always outstanding colors of Ivan Plascencia. This is one of the most consistently well-drawn books on the stands.

The Final Analysis: 8 out of 10. It falters only in the story being inaccessible to new readers.

The Flash #32 - A Review

Thanks to Wally West's positive influence, Barry Allen is starting to adjust to his new negatively-charged Speed Force powers. Unfortunately, there's little Wally can do to help Barry with settling in at his new job as Staff CSI at the maximum security prison Iron Heights under the ruthless Warden Wolfe...


Police brutality is a hot-button issue and tensions are heightened on both sides of the discussion. While it's uncertain just how deeply Joshua Williamson wished to tap into that zeitgeist, his reintroducing Warden Wolfe - who famously tortured his super-villain charges during Geoff Johns' run on The Flash - into the reality of DC Rebirth hints that a topical discussion will be forthcoming. Politics aside, Wolfe is also a great foil for a straight-arrow cop like Barry Allen and it will be interesting to see how the two interact in the future.


The artwork for this issue is fantastic, with Christian Duce adding a level of complexity that hasn't been seen in this series in sometime. Duce's more realistic style suits the darker tone of this issue well and Ivan Plascencia matches that aesthetic with deeper colors that further heighten Duce's inks.

The Final Analysis: 9 out of 10. If you haven't been reading The Flash, now is the time to start!

The Flash #31 - A Review

The thief stealing blood samples from the Central City Police Department stands revealed as a new Rogue called Bloodwork. Seeking a cure for his hemophilia, he somehow gave himself the power to control the flow of blood around him!

Only The Flash can stop Bloodwork... but how can The Flash stop him when he's drawing off of the negative charge of The Speed Force and still can't control his powers? And even if The Flash can save the day, will Barry Allen still have a job at the end of it?


The artwork for this issue is erratic, even allowing for two different artists working on it. Neil Googe is a great artist but his cartoonish style is at odds with the dark tone of the story. This weakens a villain who should be nightmarish and the people fleeing from Bloodwork look unintentionally goofy. Gus Vasquez's style matches the tone better, but the second half of the story is more sedate, denying Vasquez a chance to show his skill at drawing action scenes.


Joshua Williamson's grasp of the regular characters remains strong. The dialogue is fantastic though the set-up of the finale seems a little rushed. Then again, if The Flash is going to err, best that it do it on the side of moving too quickly than taking too long.

The Final Analysis: 6 out of 10.

The Flash #29 - A Review

Still struggling with a newfound connection to the negative side of The Speed Force and destructive powers he can't control, The Flash is suffering mightily in the wake of his latest battle with The Reverse Flash. He will have little time to find his footing, however, as Shrapnel attacks Central City and his secret identity, CSI Barry Allen, is tasked with finding a crooked cop that is causing important evidence to go missing.


The Flash #29 proves an unintentionally excellent case study in how two different artists working on a single comic can prove detrimental to the work as a whole. Both Pop Mhan and Christian Duce are great artists and I've enjoyed their previous work immensely. Unfortunately, their styles don't mesh well together and the visual continuity of the book is virtually nonexistent.

Mhan's heavily detailed style doesn't suit the opening fight between The Flash and Shrapnel and most of the fine details are lost in too-small panels under heavy inks. Duce's work fares better, but suffers in that this issue is light on action after the Shrapnel fight. As a result, Duce never really gets a chance to show off, mostly illustrating the scenes of Barry discussing his case with his co-workers. The one constant to the artwork is Hi-Fi's colors look fantastic throughout.


While the artwork may be at war with itself, Joshua Williamson's scripts remain a bastion of harmony. The story steps away from exploring the ramifications of Barry's new powers, for the most part, focusing instead on Barry Allen playing detective. It is an odd thing, given his job, that so few Flash comics emphasize Barry's powers of deduction outside of a scientific environment and it is gratifying to see that element of Barry's talents come out when he is suddenly unable to use his powers reliably.

The Final Analysis: 7 out of 10. A great story with good art, which would have been better with only one artist working on this issue. 

The Flash #26 - A Review

The Reverse Flash has revealed the truth to Iris West - that her boyfriend, Barry Allen, is The Flash and that he has been lying to her for years! That's just the start, however, as Eobard Thawne plays professor yet again to show Barry and Iris the dark future that is now forged from their relationship. Will Barry and Iris have to sacrifice their love for the sake of Tomorrow?


Ironic as it may be to say this, The Flash #26 may have moved too quickly. Last month's issue presented an interesting conceit - that Eobard Thawne is uniquely suited to note the changes to the time-stream forged in The DC Universe Rebirth reality. Apart from the amusing metatextual gag of turning the comic world's most obsessive fanboy into a continuity cop complaining about how everything changed and is ruined forever, it's a heck of a story curveball.

Unfortunately, that conceit - and our brief glimpse of a dark future where Barry and Iris' kids became Rogues due to Barry's neglecting his family for The Flash - are quickly tossed aside in favor of what seems to be "The Real Plot". Unless there is another swerve coming, which is entirely possible with Joshua Williamson's writing.

The artwork is similarly uneven. Howard Porter is a great artist and the colors by Hi-Fi are nice and vivid. Unfortunately, there is some discontinuity between the story and the artwork, as in one panel where The Flash is being dragged off by The Reverse Flash when the dialogue indicates they ran off together. There's also a few bits where the bright colors don't quite match up with the heavy inks indicating deep shadows.

The Final Analysis: 7 out of 10. A serviceable issue, let down only by some quirks in the artwork and a story that is moving a bit to quickly.

The Flash #24 - A Review

When the self-cloning Multiplex crashes Barry Allen's surprise birthday party, it falls to The Flash and a visiting Hal Jordan (a.k.a. The Green Lantern) to clean up the mess. Unfortunately, that leaves Iris and Wally West unprotected when another unexpected guest shows up. But how is The Reverse Flash still alive? And what does he want with the two of them?


The artwork is definitely the weakest aspect of The Flash #24. Specifically, the pages penciled by Carmine Di Giandomenico. There's been a rough wildness to Di Giandomenico's work in past issues that I thought fitting for depicting speedsters, with random squiggles suggesting continual motion even when at rest. Unfortunately this stylistic choice looks sloppy when paired with the more static figure of Iris West, who appears to be the only figure being drawn "correctly". The excellent pages by Pop Mahn in a more traditional style only add to this feeling that Di Giandomenico's art is sloppy rather than stylistic.

It's a shame because the story by Joshua Williamson is a good one. The mystery of just where (or when) this Reverse Flash came from is an intriguing one. The action scenes are well-written and there's a great buddy bonding moment between Hal Jordan and Barry Allen that reminds me of the better bits of Mark Waid's The Brave And The Bold.

The Final Analysis: 6 out of 10. The story is great but Carmine Di Giandomenico's stylistic choices look slap-dash when compared to Pop Mhan's pages in the same issue.

The Flash #22 - A Review (WARNING! SPOILERS!)

It's a race against time as Batman and The Flash move to catch The Reverse Flash before he runs to his death. Thankfully, an unexpected and unknown ally will be there to help them find their way home...


Normally I wouldn't drop a spoiler-filled page like this in a review but with Jay Garrick on the cover of the comic, there seems little point in avoiding it.

The Button concludes with little in the way of revelation for those readers who read DC Universe Rebirth. The biggest takeaway is that Jay Garrick - the first Flash - is trapped outside of time in the same way that the original Wally West was. The ending of the issue - and the ad for the next big event - also seem to confirm what astute readers guessed regarding who is responsible for changing The DC Universe... and possibly for creating it in the first place.

Where this is going is still anyone's guess but the JSA's disappearance also seems to be tied into a man who appears to be a ninety-year-old Johnny Thunder, desperately trying to summon his Thunderbolt. Then there's that blonde woman in Arhkahm Asylum (my money is on her being Saturn Girl)  who keeps insisting that things are wrong and there's no future.

Thankfully, this issue is entertaining even if there's little development of the on-going saga. Joshua Williamson has an obvious love and knowledge of the characters involved and there's a great scene that sums up the difference between Bruce and Barry - despite similar training as detectives - and how they consider their shared experiences.  The artwork by Howard Porter and Hi-Fi is similarly fantastic, with bright colors and smoothly-flowing action sequences. I also like how Porter's design for Jay Garrick resembles actor John Wesley Shipp.

Final Analysis: 9 out of 10. It's not shaking up the DC Universe or answering any questions but it's a solid comic with some great artwork and some neat character studies of The Flash and Batman.

Batman #22 - A Review

Following the trail of The Reverse Flash back in time, Barry Allen and Bruce Wayne find themselves in the alternate timeline Barry dubbed Flashpoint. The problem is that Flashpoint shouldn't exist anymore - a fact that is doubly worrying to the Batman of that reality, Dr. Thomas Wayne, who is rather annoyed by the fact that he still exists...



The plot thickens in this third chapter of The Button but it still feels like we're largely running in circles regarding some grand, epic reveal regarding the nature of Life, The Universe and Everything in the DC Rebirth Reality. Thankfully, there's some wonderful character material in Joshua Williamson's script. The best moment involves the touching interaction between the two Batmen, as father and son see the depth of their love for each other.

The artwork by Jason Fabok and Brad Anderson looks amazing throughout. There's little in the way of action apart from a battle with the allied forces of Atlantis and Themyscira. This fight seems to occur only because there needs to be -something- to add urgency to Barry and Bruce trying to leave Flashpoint apart from the universe falling apart but it's brilliantly depicted in spite of that.

Final Analysis: 8 out of 10. Another solid issue, though most of the material in it is extraneous in terms of plot.

The Flash #21 - A Review

Barry Allen is used to investigating unusual crime scenes - both as a CSI for the Central City Police Department and as The Flash. Yet even by Barry's standards The Batcave is an unusual locale and The Reverse Flash is no ordinary murder victim. With the assistance of an injured Bruce Wayne, Barry must piece together what few clues he can about the murder of his greatest enemy before taking a trip back in time to see the murder take place!


This second chapter of The Button proves stronger than the first. This is not to say the first part was bad but it was, for the most part, an extended action sequence more concerned with set-up than content. This issue offers us mysteriy aplenty and there is much for those amateur sleuths among the readers to consider.

The high-point of Joshua Williamson's script, however, is the interplay between Bruce and Barry. Strangely enough we don't get to see these two heroes team up in an intellectual capacity often and it's oddly compelling to see them talking shop. Howard Porter's artwork, well-progressed past the excesses of his more elastic work on the 1990's JLA title, looks fantastic throughout, with Hi-Fi's colors providing the perfect finishes.

Final Analysis: 9 out of 10. Flawed only in that there's very little progress on the actual plot, but the great character writing and artwork makes up for it.

The Flash #20 - A Review

Iris West is accustomed to moving fast and taking chances. You have to be when you're a reporter in Central City, chasing news regarding The Flash! However, she may have taken once chance too many with her latest story,which sees her infiltrating the secretive scientist group called The Black Hole and winding up in a fire fight with The Flash himself!

It's high time that Iris West got a solo story and Joshua Williamson gives her a great one in this issue. At her best, Iris can be every bit the equal of Lois Lane and it's a crying shame that we don't see stories from her perspective more often. The artwork by Neil Googe and Ivan Plascencia looks fantastic for the most part.  Some of Googe's facial expressions look a bit odd but the action sequences are well-blocked and Plascencia's colors are well-chosen throughout.

The Flash #19 - A Review

The trail of Daniel West - the second man to call himself The Reverse Flash and Wally West's biological father - leads The Flash and Kid Flash to Australia in search of Captain Boomerang, who may have served with Daniel in The Suicide Squad. Unfortunately, their swift arrival blows the not-so-good captain's cover and they're soon at the mercy of a gang of weapons dealers known as The Weavers. Like it or not, the old enemies are going to have to work together to save themselves, but can even Captain Boomerang and The Flash stage a comeback from this setback in The Outback?



The artwork on The Flash #19 is a little more erratic than usual. Both Jesus Merino and Carmine Di Giandomenico are great artists yet they have decidedly different styles and strengths and the way the workload is split in the story is curiously conflicted. One oddity is that Carmine Di Giandomenico - whose strength lies in kinetic action sequences - handles the quieter section near the end of the book, where Barry and Wally have a long overdue talk. The sequence works, however, despite seemingly not playing to the regular artist's strengths. It should also be noted that the colors by Chris Sotomayor are fantastic throughout.


Whatever conflicts exist in the art are not born of the story. Joshua Williamson's work is as fine as ever and he writes a wonderful Digger Harkness here - every bit the professional and sleazeball, yet with enough of a soft-side to inspire a modicum of sympathy. The closing scenes between Barry and Wally, however, may have you reaching for your tissues.

The Flash #18 - A Review

Wally West had a hard enough time coping with the idea that his Uncle Daniel was a crook or that he had become new Reverse Flash. The revelation that Daniel West was his biological father was even worse. Still, the young man needs closure and The Flash (who Wally doesn't know is really his Aunt Iris' friend Barry Allen), means to help his sidekick get it... even if means breaking into Belle Reeve prison!


The Flash #18 brings a new art-team to the book and they're a definitive improvement over the erratic artwork in the previous issue. Former Superman penciler Jesus Merino sports a cinematographic style where each panel boasts an amazing amount of detail as the viewpoint continually shifts from one angle to another. Inker Andy Owens enhances the pencils without over-shading them. This, coupled with Chris Sotomayor's colors, leaves the finished art popping on the page.

I'm afraid I have nothing new to say about Joshua Williamson's writing on this series. It's as fantastic as ever and his love and knowledge of these characters and their personalities is crystal clear. Williamson also does a fantastic job of recapping the backstory for new readers without getting mired in continuity. One last note: those Captain Boomerang fans disappointed by Digger Harkness' absence from the recent Rogues reunion should know he shows up near the end of this issue.

The Flash #17 - A Review

The Rogues just puled their greatest heist ever!  Naturally, The Flash quickly caught up with them as they were skipping town, but can he move fast enough to overcome Captain Cold's new and improved cold gun?  One which draws off the power of The Speed Force itself?!


The Flash #17 is a disappointing conclusion to what had been a promising return for The Rogues into the Rebirth universe.  The story here is predictable and nothing we haven't seen before. The only thing that makes it tolerable is Joshua Williamson's command of the characters and the fact that he writes great dialogue.

The artwork - provided by three artists this month - is similarly disjointed. I find Carmine Di Giandomerico's style disjointing at times but the general wild and untamed feel of it usually seems to fit The Flash on its own terms. Placed alongside more traditional artists as part of the same tale, however, it comes off as sloppy and scribbled-over.