Catching Up On Your Flash Facts

Catching Up On Your Flash Facts
Review of Flash #2
By: Andrew Hines


     Here's a Flash Fact: Things just got a LOT more complicated for Barry Allen.

     This comic has everything that the debut issue had, including some awesome throwback nods to such things as his relationship with Iris West.  It should be no secret that I'm a huge Flash fan, especially of Barry Allen, the Silver Age hero.  That being said, this follow-up issue is actually better than the first.  We have a few things cleared up and get fewer questions than answers here.  There are nods to the old DC and an actual reference to the Speed Force.  There are allusions to the Cosmic Treadmill, a device which allows Barry to travel through and possibly alter time.  The last time this device was actually used was in the last issue of Flashpoint, which saw Barry "fixing" the timeline that he unwittingly created, resulting in the DCnU we have now.

     As a writer, Francis Manapul has given us two great issues that get back to exactly why we love Barry Allen as the Flash.  He's a great mixture of all the other Justice Leaguers, which Manapul uses to full advantage.  You see the shy side (Martian Manhunter) and his more analytical/scientific mind (Batman) on the same pages.  A little later you'll see his child-like demeanor (Green Lantern) juxtaposed with his hopeful side (Superman) in a way that most other writers haven't portrayed him in recent years.  Okay, since he was gone for close to 25 years, there haven't really been many "recent" writers. The point is, he give us a fresh, yet classic take on Barry.

     Brian Buccellato's artwork exemplifies Barry Allen's look down to the lightning bolt logo.  From the buildings of Central City to the grooves connecting the pieces of his costume, nothing out of place or mis-proportioned.  Whether in his Flash suit or in civilian garb, Barry looks about the same as always.  All of the visual effects and panel layouts are wonderful.  Then there are the pages in which Barry realizes how quickly his brain is working.  Those "isolated" page set-ups are perfect.

     Manapul and Buccellato are a wonderful team and I'm looking forward to more fantastic issues from them.  This deserves a 9.2 out of 10.

Cover of Flash #2:
http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/files/2011/10/FLS-2_Cover.jpg
Interior page of Flash #2:
http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/files/2011/10/FLS-2_1.jpg

A New Dawn

A New Dawn
Review of Green Lantern: New Guardians #1
By: Andrew Hines


     What would happen if you gave a weapon to an artist? The universe's ultimate weapon, the Green Lantern rings are limited only by the bearer's will power and imagination.  Think of the things an artist could create with that and the things such a wild imagination could create. That is what Kyle Rayner has always brought to the GL Corps. New Guardians is essentially the telling of Kyle Rayner and the various other Lantern Corps' place in the new DC Universe (DCnU). So, to kick off, let's do a basic run-down of Kyle Rayner and the multiple Lantern Corps (as of last year's Blackest Night, which somehow still happened.)


     In the old DC, Hal Jordan went mad due to the destruction of his hometown, Coast City, killed all but one of the Guardians and became Parallax in an event known as the Emerald Twilight.  This surviving Guardian, known as Ganthet, created one last ring from the will power and life essences of his fallen brothers.  The red robed Guardian journeys to Earth to find cartoonist Kyle Rayner who is to become the sole Green Lantern.  In the original introduction to the character, Rayner described his benefactor as "a blue midget in a red dress."


     Cut to about a year ago, and we see the War of Light.  Where the strongest light in the universe is the emerald energy of Will which power all Green Lantern rings, there are six other colors that create the spectrum used to power the individual corps.  The colors are as follows: green for Will, blue is the color of Hope, yellow represents Fear, orange for Avarice (greed), red symbolizes Rage, the violet energy of the Star Sapphires is the symbol of Love and the rarest is that of the Indigo Lanterns whose energy is the collection of Compassion.  The reason for these representatives of the different emotional energies is most likely to replace the emotionless and therefore distant Guardians of the Universe.  That would at least explain part of the title, "New Guardians." Now that we've taken care of this expository drivel, on with the review.


     Tony Bedard starts off the issue brilliantly tying in an old Corps-shattering event known as the aforementioned Emerald Twilight.  Even better is the fact that he stuck with the first few pages of the original introduction to Kyle Rayner, without going too far into his personal life. They also thrust it into the present day and to the action of the moment quite efficiently.  The only question raised at that point is how long it has been since the Ganthet, or rather, the ring chose Kyle Rayner.  I enjoyed Bedard's writing because, like Geoff Johns, his writing is perfect for 18-35 year old readers.  This is because he can take a rather mundane scene like sitting at a bar and turn it into a situation that reveals something about the character.  He does the same with the action scenes, wherein a brawler would immediately go in for a kill or a more passive individual would try to find a peaceful way to solve the current dilemma.  Thankfully he also brings in formerly established characters like Fatality and Saint Walker.  The ending is enough to get me excited about another issue, though I'm hoping a few things like the timeline, accomplishments and the like will be cleared up.


     Tyler Kirkham's artwork is a bit distictive, especially in terms of shadows and facial design.  It's a great way to start off a book like this without causing too much hype.  Many fans latch on to an artist whose style matches up with their idea of a given character, causing them to follow only the issues that particular artist works on.  Having someone like Kirkham drawing one of my favorite characters will probably have that exact effect for me.  I hope to see his artwork for at least the next dozen issues.  With Rod Reis' rich colors also featured on both the cover and interior pages, the artwork is a joy to behold.


     There are very few errors in design, or scripting.  The fact that there are even a few mistakes, puts this at an 8.6 out of 10.

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