Flash 12 review

The Road to Flashpoint Part IV Out of Time

Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Scott Kolins and Francis Manapul(p.14-18)
Colorist: Michael Atiyeh and Brain Buccellato
Letterer: Sal Cipriano
Cover: Manapul and Buccellato
Variant Cover: Francis Portela w/Javier Mena
Assistant Editor: Darren Shan
Editor: Brian Cunningham

Geoff Johns’ Barry Allen series finale picks up directly where the previous issue left off but is more action packed. Professor Zooms claims to have contacted abilities that Barry did not bother to look at. With these new powers he will cause Barry even more pain than just murdering his mom Anyone else noticed that Barry has not checked in with Justice League in the series? It seems like Professor Zoom has been changing history one piece at a time and waiting for the changes to take effect.
Now when that is implied I first thought that is when Barry crossover to the Flashpoint world. My biggest question with the first part of the book is how did they know to go to Barry’s Lab? Once Barry, with Bart got on the same page with Hot Pursiut. The most interesting panel to me was Professor Zoom looking at Hot Pursuit without his motorcycle helmet implying he needs Barry Allen around to give him purpose. I just noticed the red around Professor Zoom’s word bubbles could represent energy from the negative speed force.
The art in this issue knocked it out of the park for me. Kolins in some panels draws Professor Zoom ghostly evil especially in the lab. I would however question why Professor Zoom costume shows and light yellow white when he zapped by Hot Pursuit. Did there need to be drastic temporary color change? Manapul’s art ‘(non-action)felt right in its place in the issue. Also it helped set up the final two pages. I couldn’t even picked out a favorite panel or page because of the art it was that good overall.
On page 19 who was that in the bottom two panels my first instinct is to say Professor Zoom because Barry was just shown normally at his mother’s tombstone. This is probably where Barry entered Flashpoint with “changes” mentioned. If Flashpoint has similar visual effects to this issue it will be awesome.
8(out of 10)

Flash 11 review

The Road to Flashpoint Part III

Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Scott Kolins
Colorist: Michael Atiyeh
Letterer: Sal Cipriano
Cover: Manapul and Buccellato
Variant Cover: Kolins w/ Atiyeh
Assistant Editor: Darren Shan
Editor: Brian Cunningham

Geoff Johns picks up the Road to Flashpoint storyline right where the last issue left off with Barry Allen and an ex colleague looking after a young boy. Barry is investigating a potential crime by Hot Pursuit, his doppelganger. After rereading the issue today I have a problem with the number of pages given to a particular angle and even though it did its job it could have been condense.
This issue flows well with the previous one but the intervention coming from the Bart interaction in issue #10 took up forty percent of the issue. (8 out of 20)This part of issue#11 could have been done in five pages in my opinion. It spends three pages on why Barry needs a so called intervention with the Flash family. The last three pages shows Bart getting angry with Barry. That could have been a page less. The introduction to the scene lasted three pages as well and would probably have done better shorten. I am ok with one page each for Jay Garrick and Wally West.
The eight page family scene took away from the action part of the book. Barry’s conversation with Hot Pursuit felt quick. Speaking of Hot Pursuit, his stubbornness to focus on Bart as the time anomaly does nothing to help convince Barry that he is on the up and up. That young boy from the beginning of this issue turns out to be Professor Zoom. I had to do a double take to make sure it was not Bart at Barry’s lab. If it was not for the age difference between Bart and Professor Zoom disguise as a young boy they could be mistaken for each other. Bart is drawn very evil on the bottom panel of page 12
If Kolins had remained the artist from issue #7 onward the book probably would not have been canceled. Professor Zoom claims to be changing history to set up Flashpoint which would leave us to believe it has to be the real DCU.

7(out of 10)

Flash 10 review

The Road to Flashpoint – Who is Hot Pursuit?

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Francis Manapul

Colorist: Brian Buccellato

Letterer: Sal Cipriano

Cover: Manapul and Buccellato

Variant Cover: Ed Benes, Rob Hunter w/Buccellato

Assistant Editor: Darren Shan

Editor: Brian Cunningham

First off I am sorry for this and my next review coming out very late. I have become addicted to DCUO. The second part of this arc helps the story comes to focus with the help of Bart Allen. This issues I feel leaves the reader with one burning question What exactly is Hot Pursuit’s role?
The writing by Johns I felt was very good my favorite was the discussion between Barry and Bart about Barry ignoring the family and specifically Bart. If this book was going to continue I could see it becoming an equal theme in the Green Lantern books of Hal taking the ring off. The second part of the book has Barry catching up with an ex coworker and she helps determine a motorcycle is at a crime scene that Barry was sent to investigate which calls into question Hot Pursuit motives?
The art was more vibrant when Barry was in costume. I listen to Flashback issue 10 episode while writing this and the two halves of the book are drawn completely different with the second part more laid back. Perhaps the best parts were of Bart Allen speeding around Barry. I can imagine Wally fans would complain because Wally is on this cover and not in the actual book. Even with the cover switch from Flash #9 Wally was not even in costume for his cameo then. I feel like covers should actually depict a panel from that issue.
Flash #10 did move us closer to Flashpoint and was perfectly drawn to fit the mood of each half of the book. It hints at something to Bart as he struggles to find a relationship with Barry. Almost to say, if I am gone then you will miss me. I really hope Flashpoint doesn’t happen on another Earth or Universe. .It is just sad to see that no Flash book will accompany Flashpoint.

8(out of 10)