Out of time.
I’m making a habit of giving new teams a chance on books I
once picked up and then left due to less than good qualities. Flash is up next
with Vendetti (Green Lantern) and Jensen (Green Lantern Corps) on the job and
this is a good intro with equal amounts of reflection on the past and
premonitions for the future.
Speedsters and time travels aren’t a new concept but it is
something that I know has been fairly neglected in the New 52 (Future’s End may
sadly overcompensate on that aspect).
But what’s the best portion of this issue is how Vendetti
handles Barry. Having now got the rein of best buddies Flash and GL, it’s
intriguing for me how he differentiates Barry and Hal.
Hal is the slacker while Barry is the workaholic. And after
what the Syndicate did, these are harrowing times for Barry.
SPOILERS FOLLOW…………….
The issue shifts between present, 5 years later and 20 years
later. The present though is the main meat of this book with both future deaths
serving as bookends, one at the start and the other at the end.
Five years from now, the doctors take away Iris (who seems
to be suffering from multiple injuries) while a second person, a teenager, lies
dead even as Captain Daryl Flynn (his ‘step-dad’) berates him for not being
there to help.
Coming back to the present, Central City Police Station is
in shambles. Graffiti is sprayed all over and doors and furniture are thrown
about. As Barry takes a nap in the Records Room, Patty comes in to inform him
of his meeting with the psychologist.
There's a well handed 'good' moment as Patty is able to finish Barry’s
sentences even though he’s going at record speed trying to straighten up the
room. When Barry finally stops, Patty gives him a present – a watch that will
always make him be on time.
At the doctor’s, Barry meets up with Peter Forrest, fellow
forensic and trauma victim. Peter puts up a brave front as he relates him
extended meeting with the psychologist.
Barry, on the other hand, has much on his mind. After the
doctor gets the basics down (murdered mother, convicted father, step dad, his
lateness yet good record as forensic), Barry’s mind and body wanders as we see
him going into costume and rushing through the streets helping through
sentences with the doc.
We see him rescue a lost dog and give it to Forrest so he
can return it to it’s owner, rebuild a section of Iron Heights prison, rescue
people off a collapsing bridge – in all, a regular day.
But the theme gets stressed upon that even someone like
Barry can break, with the Doctor saying she is going to monitor his performance
for breakdown symptoms and Barry losing two minutes on his new watch.
We then flash to the future, twenty years in, as he sits in
the records room with reports of him missing and the city in flames. He counts
the time he’s lost on the watch – over two years. In a new blue costume, he
takes the report of the previously shown teenager’s funeral and promises Wally
that he’ll never be late again.
So, Wally’s back and black? I was a great fan of the ginger
back in Justice League and the Young Justice shows, and his rise from sidekick
to hero is probably one of the best done evolutions in the DC universe
(alongside close friend Dick Grayson) who was undone by the New 52.
Now about the changes, I’m not sure how I feel. Change isn’t
something I feel particularly too fond about, especially when it’s a favorite
character who’s going through the wringer. But I’m willing to give them a
chance. Wow me, Vendetti and Jensen.
Someone who’s handled expertly is Barry. He’s totally in
character and everything about him screams desperate which it needs to in the
fallout from Forever Evil.
SPOILERS END………………
I’m a little divided on how they handled a loved character’s
return, but overall this was a good start to Vendetti’s run on Flash as he
handles one of the character’s core attributes deftly, mixing in time travel
without disturbing the flow of the book.
The artwork is competent but nothing special as Brett brings
him pros and cons with him on this book. Most of the facials work, but some
problems stick out like a sore thumb.
So, I give it 8.0 out of 10.
+Excellent character work on Barry
+Mostly good artwork
+Some nice interactions, especially with supporting
character Patty and Forrest.
-Divided on the introduction of a character to the New 52
-Theme is a little overstated
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