Posted on: June 10th, 2009 The Flash: Rebirth – Status quo
The Flash: Rebirth No. 3
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Ethan Van Sciver
I’m not that hard to please. As a matter of fact, you can churn out the same old schlock time and time again and if I liked it the first time, chances are I will like it next. That’s why I keep buying Nintendo despite my better judgment. Enter Geoff Johns’s mini-series The Flash: Rebirth.
Remember Green Lantern: Rebirth? A DC hero that we thought was dead miraculously comes back and now has to readjust to life in the present. Some people are happy; some people are mad. Now he’s making changes in his life and OH CRAP! Here’s somebody else we thought was dead ruining all our plans! Oh no.
Copy: Hal Jordan
Paste: Barry Allen
Recap/SPOILER ALERT:
Silver Age Flash Barry Allen escaped from the speed force after he transported there during that whole Crisis on Infinite Earths incident. He’s feeling a little guilty in the fact that he made it out while Max Mercury and Johnny Quick still remain trapped. He doesn’t know how or why it happened, but he’s determined to be all business now…regardless, everybody seems to be pretty happy about his return (except for his whiny grandson from the future, Kid Flash Bart Allen…What. A. Bitch.) Hmm…this is strange: All of our friendly neighborhood speedsters are either showing up disintegrated or busting out in these speed seizures. Dead: Black Flash and Savitar. It all has to do with Barry Allen’s touch…like a Grim Reaper for speedsters. Oh Snap. Barry’s the new Black Flash.
Well no more high-fives for Jay Garrick! The Justice League has Barry contained while he’s shooting lightning out of every orifice (eew). Barry decides to run back to the speed force so nobody else will be harmed. Superman tries to talk him out of it but the man has made up his mind. He sees his life flash (haha) before his eyes, but he finally makes it to the speed force just in time to make physical contact with Johnny and Max causing them to turn to dust. BUT WHAT’S THIS KIDS? Before he dies, Max tells Barry it’s not him killing the speedsters it’s…Professor Zoom. Final dialogue from Professor Zoom (with a strikingly not-broken neck) “Do you understand yet, Barry? Do you not see what I’ve done? I’ve shifted you into REVERSE.”
Was your mind just blown? Thought so. Mine was. Then again, it felt that way when Sinestro did the same flippin’ thing in Green Lantern: Rebirth. No joke. It’s essentially the same storyline. It’s okay though; Johns has a gift for keeping me into the story even if it is a little worn out. The thing that stands out above the rest on this series is the art by Ethan Van Sciver. He conveys something as off-the-wall as the Speed Force as a solid possibility through his panel transitions and forcibly stretched images. It actually becomes uncomfortable to look at while we’re in between physical realms. The elongated panels mixed with Barry’s flashbacks are pretty damn impressive and make for an intense last couple of pages.
All in all, I’ve given the first half of this series a strong B. Johns brings heart to every character and even if you’re picking up The Flash for the first time with this series, you’ll be okay. Just sit back and don’t ask too many questions because eventually you’re going to learn all you need to know. With any luck, No. 4 can tell me just how Professor Zoom came to be unbroken. I’m going to take a shot in the dark and say that the cosmic treadmill was somehow involved.
4 Responses to “The Flash: Rebirth – Status quo”
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Ben Rankel Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 9:43 pmNice write-up! Welcome to [GKS] and thanks for being a nerd.
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Ryan Ferrier Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 9:53 pmYes, welcome Auburn and great post.
I haven’t been following the run – I’m a trade only guy – but I like Johns/Van Schiver’s work on Green Lantern a whole lot. I’ll no doubt pick the trade up once it’s out in 2013.
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Ben Rankel Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 11:32 pmI’m a trade guy as well, Ryan. I can’t consume my comics unless I get an hours worth at least at a time. I want to follow a story right through beginning, middle and end.
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Jon Stephens Says:
June 11th, 2009 at 9:17 amGood stuff Auburn, welcome
I’ve been loving this. I thought Green Lantern: Rebirth was amazing, and I’m glad to see the greatest Flash return. These are comics! No hero ever truly dies! I’m glad to see you did a post on this, I’ve been singing it’s praises for a while and featured Flash: Rebirth #1 on my ancient comic suggestion post “The Comic Quick Picks” I hope everyone takes a hint and picks this up. It’s really good reading
Ethan Van Sciver has done beautiful work on this. One of the finest comic artists out there today.
I hear you guys on the trade paperback thing, but I just can’t help myself. Most stories involving characters I love – like Flash – I have to get each issue, and get the trade for all the other issues.