Flash #2 review

Review by Eric Ridgeway

“Case One: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues”

Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Francis Manapul w/ Joel Gomez
Colorist: Brian Buccellato
Letterer: Sal Cipriano
Associate Editor: Adam Schlagman
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Cover: Manapul w/Buccellato
Variant Cover: Ryan Sook
Published by DC Comics

Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul continue their new look at The Flash with a minority report twist. This issue picks up where the fist one left off with the Flash (Barry Allen) encountering future looking rogues serving as cops known as the Renegades. The big mystery after Flash #1 was who are the Renegades and what is their real purpose? Sadly that is one thing about this issue I did not like.

Geoff Johns does a good job of describing one of Barry’s other uses of super speed. Short term memory acquired at the rate of super speed but it goes away just as fast. The panels with Barry and his wife, Iris West, discussing Flash business out in the open is quickly becoming a pet peeve of mine. Wouldn't that make them easy targets for the Rogues and other criminals? The cliffhanger in this issue did not seem to be as climatic as the first issue but I must say there has to be a logical explanation to this last page.

For as good as John’s writing is Manapul’s art is really carrying this book. When there are no word bubbles on a page the art has to be tremendous. In this case it was when Flash was racing through the falling building. The art is not only clean but simple as well and there are no lightning bolts emerging from the Flash as he is running. In these panels Flash doesn’t use his powers to fight super villains but rather to help humanity. It is also nice to see some sunlight after everything that was Blackest Night.

Overall this was a good comic book but my biggest problem is that I hoped to see more of the Renegades. Even just one panel at their home base would have satisified my curiousity. As it stands right now we really don’t know if they have a hidden agenda and the suspense is killing me!

Overall Rating: 8 out of 10 (On Its Way to Greatness!)

Flash #1 review

Review by Eric Ridgeway
“The Dastardly Death of the Rogues.”
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Francis Manapul
Colorist: Brian Buccellato
Letterer: Nick J. Napolitano
Cover: Manapul & Buccellato
Variant Cover: Tony Harris
Associate Editor: Adam Schlagman
Editor: Eddie Berganza


Flash #1(vol. #3) hits the ground running fast as Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul tell a good introductory tale on Barry Allen. This is a very good comic book for the novice comic book reader who knows nothing about the history of the Flash. We get to know Barry Allen, his wife and his job(s) in the simplest of terms.

Johns breaks down Barry Allen to his core while showing Barry adjusting to life in the 21st centuty. Barry has already picked up texting to keep in contact with Iris during the day, yet complaining about adjustable work chairs. The mystery in this story begins with the death of Mirror Monarch, a Mirror Master look alike. When the other rogue doppelgangers show up at the end of this issue my first thought was of Justice League Crisis on Two Earths DVD.

While the writing was good, the art may have been even better. Manapul’s art was easy on the eyes and very clean. It seems like Manapul was born to draw the Flash but that maybe too bold a statement to make after only the first issue. My favorite art piece was the panel with the Flash running up the side of the building. Also there seems to be less focus on the lightning coming from the Flash. I hope Manapul stays with this book for a long time.

This was such a good story on Barry Allen without the bothersome details of his death twenty-five years ago or the scientific mumbo-jumbo from Rebirth. About my only problem with the book is that I wanted more after the futuristic rogues show up. I have become such a big Flash comic fan over the past two years that I think I will never stop picking up the title after a fresh beginning.

9(out of 10)

2/10 comics

Adventure Comics #7 featured Black Lantern Superboy and Wonder Girl Cassie. Difficult comic to understand in the begging with the art and writing around Superboy. When he says "I mean, why spare your feelings if I'm gonna eat your heart anyway." doesn't match the art. Then at the Fortress f Soltitude the Ring gets confused. Story was better than the art.

Secret Six #18 Part three of their Blackest Night story involving the Suicide Squad. A temporary alliance is formed between the two groups to battle Black Lanterns. I finally understood which person was on which team. Amanda Waller (I don't like her jumpsuit) ends the battle with a Green Light Gernade Art was ok and story became clearer.

Batman & Robin #8 Dick Grayson in London trying to bring back Bruce in a Lazarus pit. I wasa expecting a Black Lantern version of "Batman." Don't know why saince it is not a tie-in. "Batman" rises, Dick realises its not Bruce Batwoman(I think her name is Kate) dies. Cameron Stewart draws Damein a little chubby compared to other artists an OK book.

2/3 comics

Blackest Night Wonder Woman #3 Definitely the weakest issue of miniseries. Diana joins up with Carol and they find a group of Black Lanterns to battle. Carol leaves to finbd Hal. Read Lantern Mera is nearby and picklss a fight with Star Sapphire Wonder Woman. I just didn't like that fight it seem to rehash stuff from #2. Wonder WWoman vs. Mera was the biggest theme in this miniseries when they are suppose to working together. I know Johns is pushing Mera as a top woman in the DC Universe but the fight was way overdone. The regular cover was amazing but on the last page the Flash looks horrible with black in the costume. Oy!

Red Tornado #6 I guess the biggest question about this issue was which side of the fight would Red Inferno join. At the end of #5 after the eearthquake at Tornado's home. Inferno took Tornado's daughter then dissappeared. Turned out he took her to their school where he transformed into Inferno. So while Tornado and Torpedo take care of Volcano. Inferno keeps Tornado's daughter safe while wanting nothing to do with his android family war. This last issue I felt had more to do with Inferno as he has to find the meaning of life as an android. Was this miniseries going lead to an ongoing?

The Question #37 was the last ressurected one shot title featuring Renee Montoya taking on Black Lantern Victor Szasz. The story was decent but anytime the artist draws rain it makes the art look sloppy. Futhermore the color is way off in this book when dealing with the emotionial spectrum they make compassion a light blue not indigo they make green the background and one time they ignore yellow. They seem to hint Renee Montoya will appear in the blackest night main book but this is an awful issue.

1/27 comics

Green Lantern #50 totally awesome. If I have one complaint its the amount of screen time given to Larfleeze and Luthor. You have Green, Yellow, Violet and Red all battling the Spectre while BN Flash #2 had the blue lanterns and the Atom and Hawkman had the Indigo stuff. Even though Luthor's one line was great it was like okay where did those two go. Like Hal comment about not being thrilled to team up wiith Luthor and Scarecrow. One line by Artrocius seemed to hint more about Spectre being the red entity. The kiss so are we now to assume they are back together or was it just for good luck. When the batteries got teleported I thought we would get atleast one panel of Kyle.

BN:JSA #2 More Black Lantern trickey with a very misleading cover heartbreaking for a Flash fan. There was no sight of Jay Garrick in this issue. Black Lantern Damage revives Black Lantern Superman and did Jessie change her outfit in front of her Black Lantern father. That scene was way too short two pages. The story was good but nothing spectacular and the art was fine except for the cover which has to rate second to Teen Titans #77 as misleading for Blackest Night.

Superman Secret Origin #4 Superman vs. Parasite. I thought Luthor was going to transform Rudy Jones on purpose. I als found the mention of General Lane a bit odd. I did not realize that was Jimmy Olsen with Superman and that the fight would last the whole issue from when it started. The covers of this miniseries have the same look but give us people in the issue besides Superman.

Batman and Robin #7 I thought that was a female Robin but it turns out to the Robin version of Dick's British counterpart. The story was good. and it actually got my attention away from the art which I thought was absolutely terrible in the beginning the way Batman looked while running and also in front. An unexpected visit from Batwoman who I know nothing about in the comic world.

Atom and Hawkman #46 Disappointed this didn't open with a nok After a quick battle with the Hawks. Indigo-1 tells Ray in order to contact her tribe she will basically be vunerable to any attack. Its up to Ray to keep her alive. Indigo-1 ring is infected by Jean Loring. After returning and restoring Indigo-1 ring he says to her help me find a way to bring the Hawks back to life. The various Lantern homeworlds are contacted. So with this ending and the GL #50 ending you can see the setup for Blackest night #7. Love the you crazy b*tch comment.

Blackest Night Flash #2 review

Review by Eric Ridgeway

Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Scott Kolins
Color: Michael Atiyeh
Cover: Kolins & Atiyeh
Variant Cover: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
Letters: Travis Lanham
Editor: Adam Schlagman

This issue is a really nice change of pace from The Flash comic books of 2009. To be more specific it is great to see the Rogues heavily featured in a Flash book again. With news of the Black Lanterns spreading across the world, Captain Cold decides to take the proactive approach and leads the Rogues into a reverse prison break. They actually break into Iron Heights prison to hunt down the Black Lantern Rogues. Mirror Master and The Trickster face off with their undead predecessors while Heat Wave and Weather Wizard have to deal with old friends. The Blue Lantern Barry Allen appearance feels like a thirty minute TV show and lacks the action of the Rogues' pages.

Geoff Johns does a great job of taking the reader inside the mind of Captain Cold. No matter what odds he may face he knows how to get back up and soldier on. However, I was expecting the fight with Golden Glider to be more expansive, it ended well before I could really get into their interaction. Even though someone used the Sinestro Corps symbol instead of the Blue Lantern symbol Barry's caption I was slightly annoyed at his internal struggles. It made me wonder if Hal or Ganthet could have made some kind of difference. I am not sure what the purpose of the Flash was in this issue but his scenes did help synch this book up with Blackest Night and Johns totally delivers on the cliffhanger.

Scott Kolins artwork on this issue was good but not great. It was nice to see Captain Cold lose his glasses for a change. Seeing his eyes gives him a new dimension other than a criminal mastermind. His lack of emotion was perfectly displayed and even though his dead sister tried to draw more out of him his completely cool demeanor was completely in character. While Cold had some redeeming qualities Professor Zoom did not come off evil enough. (Weren't his eyes red in the previous issue?) Both the regular and variant covers captured the feel and story from the issue.

Overall I like the issue but I guess I am bothered by the blue ring having difficulties when Barry has been a source of hope and inspiration in the Blackest Night.

Overall Rating 8 out of 10 (On Its Way to Greatness)

1/20 comics

Green Lantern Corps #44 was a Mogo centric episode as he tells Saleek he has the ability to purge Oa to save the central battery from the black lanterns. Kyle Rayner attempts to talk to Red Lantern Guy Gardner but Guy dismisses Kyle as a black lantern trick. After the purging where Mogo will keep the black lanterns underneath forever. Kyle and the others decide to go find Guy but he finds them first. Now two thoughts first With Guy able to keep using his green ring does that mean he hasn't totally given into his red rage? Second with Guy still a red lantern at the end of this issue I think Green Lantern Corps will remain seperate from Green Lantern and the Blackest Night main book.

Starman #81 tells the story of David Knight, the second Starman as a Black Lantern goingup against Mason and Hope O'Dare as well as Shade known as Richard Swiftr. I don't know if he has any light powers but Black Lantern Starman rips out Shade's heart and a black ring attempts to rise him but the ring goes right through him and can't animate his body. Story was good but art was weird in certain places

Phantom Stranger #42 features the Phantom Stranger and Blue Devil battling the Black Lantern Spectre in an attempt to keep the animated Spectre from focusing on Hal Jordan. During the fight the real Spectre appears and encourages the two to keep battling. The second hald has the two helping Boston Brand put his body back to rest I think we have a clue when Deadman says "...white Light ain't got a snowball chance in hell of stopping Nekron" Story annd art was good. Cover a bit off with Zatanna appearing on the cover and just mentioned in the issue but I have seen worse covers.