The Flash (1987 Series) #208

March 30, 2004

Quick Rating: Great
Title: Red Carpet

Three generations of the Flash take on an army of Rogues on the streets of Keystone City.

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Howard Porter
Inks: Livesay
Colors: James Sinclair
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover Art: Michael Turner
Publisher: DC Comics

At the end of last issue, the Flash Parade was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a mob of the Scarlet Speedster’s nastier foes. He isn’t alone in facing off against them, though – Jay Garrick, the original Flash, and Bart Allen, Kid Flash, storm onto the scene to help the current titleholder of the legacy they all share. The problem is, Wally West hasn’t seen either of them since the Spectre blanked the memory of his identity from the minds of the entire planet, and he doesn’t quite know what to expect.

It really helps that Geoff Johns is currently the one and only man responsible for safeguarding the legacy of the Flash (with Jay Garrick in JSA and Bart Allen in Teen Titans – only XS of the Legion of Super-Heroes falls under another writer’s pen, and she hasn’t fully embraced the Lightning yet). This issue accentuates that legacy and shows why the Flash has the greatest legacy in comics – from the comments of a few guards at Iron Heights about what the Flashes mean to the twin cities to the re-opening of the Flash Museum, this story shows you who the Flashes are and why they are important.

Johns does not gloss over the repercussions of the Spectre’s actions either – Wally’s painful admission that his wife has left him, his sorrow at the knowledge that people know longer know and proclaim Barry Allen as a hero, and a long-delayed confrontation with his teammates in the Justice League remind us that these things do not happen in a vacuum, that there will be consequences. Next issue promises to give us even more of them.

Howard Porter does a fine job with this issue, showcasing all of our Flashes, all of the villains and the high-speed action with great skill. It’s also nice that the man who redefined the Justice League during Grant Morrison’s run on the title gets to return to the characters here, with a beautiful double-page spread of the team.

People who are already reading this title know it’s one of the best superhero comics on the market right now. People who aren’t reading any superhero book with Geoff Johns’s name in the credit box… well… what are you thinking, man?

Rating: 9/10

The Flash (2010 Series) #6

December 28, 2010

Title: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues Part Six

Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Francis Manapul
Colorist: Brian Buccellato
Letterer: Sal Cipriano
Cover: Francis Manapul
Editors: Adam Schlagman & Eddie Berganza
Publisher: DC Comics

Concluding “The Dastardly Death of the Rogues,” Barry Allen has pieced together the truth about Mirror Monarch’s death – his true killer was his own teammate, the 25^th century’s Top. But the question is, why? As he races to solve the mystery, we get a glimpse of this title’s future.

Geoff Johns, let’s face it, is pretty much the prime architect of the DC Universe at this point, steering both the Green Lantern and Flash franchises and all things Brightest Day, but as this issue reveals he’s also got at least an eye on everything else that’s going on. Things that are happening in the Justice League titles and in Wonder Woman’s book clearly are significant to what’s up with Barry and probably will have something to do with the much-ballyhooed Flashpoint storyline that’s slated for 2011.  Some people hate these sort of larger, meta-stories, and I can sympathize with that to a point. I do think that each individual title (or at the very least, family of titles) should be able to stand on its own. But when a meta-story is well put together, it works really well. And in this case, I think it is. This works as a story in its own right, but it also works as the spine of a larger work.

Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato are really becoming one of the finest artistic teams working in comics. Manapul’s linework is sharp and exciting, with fantastic layouts and action sequences, but I don’t think it would be half as great if not for the wonderful and innovative coloring work Buccellato is doing on this title. We’ve got a book here that genuinely looks like nothing else being published today, and that’s a major point in this title’s favor.

This book is firing on all cylinders, and I’m really looking forward to the build-up to Flashpoint.

Rating: 8/10

The Flash (2010 Series) #4

August 6, 2010

Title: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues Part Four

Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Francis Manapul
Colorist: Brian Buccellato
Letterer: Sal Cipriano
Cover: Francis Manapul
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Publisher: DC Comics

The Flash’s journey through Brightest Day continues, but he may not be too happy about that fact. He’s being chased by a group of “Renegades,” cops from the future who take their gimmicks from Barry’s present-day Rogues Gallery, who are accusing him of the future murder of one of their members. Captain Boomerang, one of the Brightest Day back-from-the-dead, seems to have gained the power to conjure up exploding boomerangs from thin air, making him a bit more deadly, and the rest of the Rogues have a top-secret plan of their own that’s bound to cause trouble for Barry.

This has really been a solid story, and this issue’s revelation about why Barry would possibly kill Mirror Monarch is a great one. Let’s not forget that Barry has killed before (Professor Zoom, specifically), and let’s not forget what exactly the impetus for that killing was. Johns clearly hasn’t forgotten. In addition to having a great writer, Francis Manapul is quickly becoming one of the great Flash artists. There’s a scene towards the beginning of the book involving a helicopter that I already rank among the all-time great super-speed tricks put on the comic book page. It’s an absolutely brilliant moment that’s dazzling to read.

Although I’m certainly among those waiting to see Wally West’s return to this comic book, to say that Johns isn’t bringing his A-game with Barry would be lunacy. This is fantastic.

Rating: 8/10

Flash (1987 Series) #207

February 23, 2004

Quick Rating: Great
Title: Rush Hour

Linda Park-West is gone, but the Rogues are back… and they brought Howard Porter with them!

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils:Howard Porter
Inks: Livesay
Colors: James Sinclair
Letters: Nick J. Napolitano
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover Art: Michael Turner & Peter Steigerwald
Publisher: DC Comics

A few years after he left JLA, following a brief stopover with the Fantastic Four, Howard Porter has come home to roost in the DC Universe. Adding him to one of the best superhero writers in comics, together with one of the best characters in spandex, makes this a book anyone who digs superheroes should read.

Last issue the Flash revealed to his wife how the Spectre wiped the secret of his identity from the world. This issue he’s got to deal with her departure in the middle of a celebration in his honor It doesn’t get any easier when his nastiest enemies, the Rogues Gallery, come back to welcome him. Geoff Johns has owned this title for the past few years (and Mark Waid did not give him an easy act to follow) and this issue serves both as a recap of the last story arc for anyone who came in late and a setup for the next, brighter stage in the life of our hero. He really gives Wally West his own identity here, comparing him to the big trinity of the DC universe and showing what makes him a truly unique hero compared to those more iconic characters. He also works in a nod to the Flash’s recent guest appearance in Wonder Woman’s title, which may put off people who don’t know what happened in that issue, but fits in very well.

I loved Porter’s Flash when he penciled the adventures of the Justice League, and he hasn’t lost a step. From high-speed scenes to shadowy conclaves of villains, this is a really good looking comic book. Johns and Porter manage to give each Rogue a big, flashy entrance, cluing in new readers as to who these characters are and what they do.

And let’s not forget that fantastic cover by Michael Turner and Peter Steigerwald – go ahead and look at it. Moon over it. It’s beautiful.

The Flash has been one of DC’s most consistently entertaining titles for almost 15 years now. Hopefully the boost of a new great artist will finally propel it to the top of the sales racks where it belongs.

Rating: 9/10