New 52 flash 9

The Flash #9
Story: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
Art: Manapul
Colors: Buccellato
Letters: Wes Abbott
Cover: Manapul w/Buccellato
Variant Cover: Tony S. Daniel & Sandu Florea w/ Tomeu Morey
Assistant Editor: Darren Shaw
Editor: Brian Cunningham

Flash #9 starts out weird the middle is good but then ends with confusion. It is odd in the beginning because the title page is so early. This new 52 introduction of Gorrilla Grodd seems it different then half way through he issue mental powers are revealed and I am thinking "same old Grodd."

The writing is excellent except for the end. The only page with Pied Piper I felt really moved his story forward and I can not wait to see his interaction with the Flash. On page 9 it is shown The Flash has no memory which at the moment was my only nitpick with the writing(it's also my favorite panel). The page where the Flash remembers who he is neat because it tells us he was the little boy from page one. Concepts like Fear and light fit the issue well even if they are more lantern based. The last two pages of the issue seem like mess with many questions to be asked.

At first the art seemed to be average because I failed to notice the lightning behind the Flash on the top panel of page sixteen. The cave paintings remind me of Flash:Rebirth. On pages 12-13 its hard for me to distinguish where the middle panel of Grodd turning an apes neck fits in that sequence. One of my biggest problems with issue was that it did not show how Flash got home. i would like to think he entered the Speed Force but also we have no proof that Iris and the others inside the Speed Force are back home. Their scene ended on a cliffhanger type note

My other questions are why is Patty really traveling where she is? I do not buy here explanation. What happened to Dr. Elias? It reminds of the TV show when the Flash was sent to the future  8( out of 10)

Flash 8 new 52

The Flash #8
Story: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
Art: Manapul
Colors: Buccellato
Letters: Wes Abbott
Cover: Manapul
Variant Cover: Bernard Chang
Assistant Editor: Darren Shaw
Editor: Brian Cunningham

     Flash #8 includes the new 52 definition of the speed force. it also feels different than any other issue of the new 52 because it is based on information rather than action. Flash learns that he must really run.The flow is better than number 7.

    The writing seemed to be clunky at first with Flash and Turbine going from fighting to talking and then fighting again. Turbine has a sole purpose of getting back to his year of 1944. They only fight again because the Flash realizes that Turbine caused the EMP blast from the Mob rule arc and won't help him get back home. This new 52 definition of the speed force seems to be simple but its function and state are only reliant on the Flash. If the Flash doesn't run the speed force does wacky things. This contradicts what we have previously learned in the series. The two page intro of Hartley Rathaway comes off from the Flash asking a cliffhanger type question. Kudos to the Flashback podcast on picking up on the music talk from issue 7.

     The art in this book was good nothing really great. I have a hard time calling the title pages splash pages and therefore getting excited about it. Maybe it's only ending splash pages that get me going. Two panels that held my interest were the bottom of page 15 where the flash appears to be fuzzy wondering if he will go mad like Turbine if he remains in the speed force for a long time. The second panel on page five is stuff I like to see from splash pages.

     The Gorilla city scene helps the issue flow perfectly with a direct lead into issue 9. I am willing to bet Flash will go back into the speed force for his original mission of rescuing Iris and the others, it's just that Turbine was a more immediate threat. Plus we know Turbine's real name so he has to appear again?

8 (out of 10)