What Happened: This issue begins in earnest with the full Flash family(Barry, Wally, Bart, Max and Jay)taking it to the insane Reverse Flash, Eobard Thawne. While the Flashes are battling Thawne, Wally's daughter, Irey(which is what she seems to be going by now)apparently gives her life to save her twin brother. Luckily for Irey, Liberty Belle(another DC speedster)arrives on the scene to save the girl. Meanwhile, Thawne is more then a match for all of the Flash family members present, since he can pick his shots at them while menacing the public, which distracts the Flash family members. Liberty Belle and Irey West(Wally's aforementioned daughter)arrive on the scene to lend a hand in the battle against Thawne. Now outnumbered 7-1, Thawne grabs Barry and the two arch-foes speed away from the rest of the Flash family. While running, Thawne tells Barry that he's been behind every bad thing that has ever happened in his life. From falling down the stairs when he was 11 yrs old, to the death of his mother, Thawne tells Barry that he was responsible for everything. This issue ends with Thawne telling Barry that he is now going to head into the past and kill Barry's wife Iris before the two of them even have their first date.
What I Thought: Bwa-Hahahahaha!!! Oh man... Really? I've never made a secret of how much I like Geoff's writing, but this was kind of ridiculous... Am I really to believe that Thawne has been haunting Barry his entire life like some sort of super-fast boogeyman? That was a pretty weak reveal. I get that Geoff wanted to make the fight between Thawne and Barry EVEN more personal then it was, which is why he made Thawne responsible for the murder of Barry's mother, but all of the other little things Thawne is claiming responsibility for is just overkill. So Thawne pushed little Barry down the stairs, he started a fire in Barry's home, he allowed Barry's dog to run away(really???)AND he killed Barry's mother! Um, if Thawne hates Barry so much, why not just, I don't know, kill Barry!?! Thawne has already showed he could go back in time and kill people, so why not murder a newborn Barry Allen in his crib? I guess Thawne needed Barry alive for some reason(why else wouldn't he kill him?), so instead of killing Barry, why not paralyze him, or cause him some other type of egregious bodily harm? Before Thawne's over-the-top villain act, this issue was pretty good. Wally finally got a new costume(which I liked), Wally's daughter became the new Impulse(which I'm undecided on)and all of the Flash family members were given a chance to shine(which was a good thing). I enjoyed the banter between Bart and Max Mercury, as well as Jay using his hat as an offensive weapon. I really like Jay's hat! To be honest, I'm eagerly anticipating the end of this mini-series and the beginning of the new Flash comic book, which I'm hoping will be a little bit better then this mini has been.
Score: 6 1/2 out of 10.
Forget Barry Allen, I want a new series for Jay Garrick! Jay+his hat=sales!
So did Wally have his new costume in this issue? I still haven't read it.
ReplyDeleteYup, this was where he first gets his new duds. A few members of the Flash clan actually get new outfits here.
ReplyDeleteAwesome well atleast I can look forward to that. How'd you like Wally's new look?
ReplyDeleteI really thought you would love this issue. My X-Man perception is off lately. I guess it was the fact that (a character who looks like)Impulse, Max, and Bart were all together.
ReplyDeleteI'm so underwhelmed by this series that it makes me a bit sad. I just wonder if it will actually read better in collected form a little while down the line.
Yeah Thawne not killing Barry...I'm guessing it's either so he can keep him alive to gloat (and make hima a better hero...or is that a Zolomon-only type plot?), or because Barry needs to be alive to balance the speed force (Just conjecture). My question is, what's up with the Monkeys that appeared at the beginning of this mini-series? Have they been addressed at all? I know you hate monkeys like I do, but they just came to mind because that scene always seemed out place.
I'm just glad we can talk freely about this issue now.
Jason: I like Wally's new look. It's not that different from the original, which is a good thing. I like the idea of all the Flashes having slightly different, but for the most part similar costumes(like the GLC).
ReplyDeleteKello: Well, I loved the scenes with Max and Bart(no surprise there!), as well as the stuff with Jay's awesome hat. I'm not sure what I think of Wally's daughter becoming the new Impulse, to me Bart and Impulse are one and the same. Most of the time, when I'm talking to another CB fan I refer to Bart as Impulse, not Kid Flash(I call Dick Nightwing still as well). It's still too soon for me to make any judgement on the new Impulse though.
I know how you feel about this mini. I was REALLY hoping for something as great as GL: Rebirth from Geoff, I guess that was just unrealistic on my behalf.
Regarding Thawne/Barry, I was thinking that Thawne needed Barry to become the Flash in order to have become the Reverse Flash or something along those lines. I can vaguely recall someone(Thawne maybe?)stating that when Barry became the Flash he created the Speed Force. With no Speed Force, I guess there'd be no Negative Speed Force for Thawne to tap into. Still though, by that logic, why not just jump Barry immediately after he becomes the Flash while he's still disoriented and kill him there? Who knows why Thawne does what he does. Maybe the best bet is to say he's crazy and leave it at that.
Hmm, I don't remember any monkeys appearing in this mini... Maybe I blocked them out because of my rabid hatred of DCU apes or something. When I put this issue away tomorrow I'll have to check out the back issues.
It always makes me happy to finally be able to join into the current comic conversations. I'm still dying to get my copy of Adventure Comics #4 to see what my fellow Legionaries were so upset about!
So I finally read this today and I actually liked it alot, except Thawne being behind everything. Like you said that's kinda dumb to not cause Barry personally any harm. I'm really preferring Zolomon to Thawne but eh... Anyway I loved the new costumes although Max and Bart's didn't really change.
ReplyDeleteI don't like Irey as Impulse, just seems forced but they may make it worthwhile. I'm wondering what her bro will do. And I love Jesse's new costume...then again I've been a sucker for Jesse since I found out about her.
Oh yeah, IMO, Zoloman>Thawne... Bigtime!
ReplyDeleteYeah I don't think Max, Bart or Barry's costumes changed at all. To be honest, Max prob could have used a fresh look. Just saying.
The whole Irey being Impulse thing just seems like Geoff trying to give Wally something to do post Flash: Rebirth. Barry will be Flash, Bart is Kid Flash, and I'm guessing Wally will get stuck mentoring his daughter.
I agree, both Max and Jay, although he should still have the hat if he does ever get a new costume. But yeah it seemed kinda random in the middle of the fight he's like...lets change costumes it'll help your mind somehow.
ReplyDeleteEww...I don't like Wally in that role. If anyone should be mentoring it's Barry over Wally, regardless of it being his daughter. But Geoff hasn't steered us wrong yet has he?
Nah, I kind of like Jay's outfit. But if they did change Jay's look, they'd better keep the hat or I'd riot! Max def needs a change though... That flared neckline look went out in like the 70's or something!
ReplyDeleteHmm, no, no Geoff hasn't... But of course there is a first time for everything! *cue ominous music*
Lol but Jay doesn't? He's apart of the Connor Kent T-Shirt as a costume club. Well he does have that hat which he used as a weapon like three times in that one issue.
ReplyDeleteGood point, but eventually Geoff will fall then we will unite to take his place...and then I'll probably wake up.
Aw, come on man, Jay's costume is CLASSIC! From that hat down to the boots, he's just plain classic.
ReplyDeleteUgh, when Geoff falls off and becomes another BENDIS I'll probably lock myself up in a mental institution somewhere, because I don't think my sanity would be able to handle that!
You say classic I say Vintage. From the hat to the boots Vintage!!! I wanna read a story where Jay and Wally and Max and Bart switch ages some how, a 20 something Jay a teenage Max and a old Bart just intrigues me for some reason.
ReplyDeleteYeah, starts making us call him GEOFF JOHNS!!! So Geoff actually wrote the episode of Smallville with the Legion, and he wrote the two hour tv movie thats coming on next year featuring the Justice Society. Geoff is awesome.
Huh, you know, that stuff about Geoff doesn't surprise me at all. That dude must eat, drink and sleep comic books... I swear, I don't know where he finds the time to do all the CB related stuff he does. BTW, what's this about about a JSA TV movie?!?
ReplyDeleteOh yes, The JSA is gonna be on SMallville in two episodes so they made it once big two hour tv movie. So far Hawkman has been confirmed and he'll have beef with Green Arrow, plus Dr. Fate and Stargirl. No word on who else will appear.
ReplyDeleteAnd in Geoff news, it was announced today...hopefully you won't consider this a spoiler, that In April 2010 a six issue mini series will start entitled Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne.
Also next year two Graphic Novels will drop, one written by J. Michael Strache-blah blah about Superman on a Earth 1, more modern interpretation-ed I guess and another story about a more Modern Batman on Earth 1 written by Geoff Johns himself.
Cool, I might have to see if I can check out that JSA movie when it comes on.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, I heard about the Return of Bruce Wayne thing too, but I'd heard that Grant Morrison is going to be doing the mini. Wow, Dick's run as Batman sure didn't last long!
Hey, you know, money permitting, I'll prob pick both of those books up.
Yeah I'll let ya know when it does. Should be good.
ReplyDeleteYeah Morrison is writing it, I'm hoping it's not very...odd like Batman RIP and hopefully it's a good return.
Those both sound like they may be awesome, So I'm in the same boat as you, hopefully they aren't too expensive.