The Flash #10

           This is a series that I said started in the middle, which is something I really don't like. Time travel stories are cool, but for the first arc of a story, I'm really just looking for a fist fight between the main character and his/her arch enemy, then you can do whatever you want. Then you can do time travel stories or  do something shocking that will change the series. After I got through the first arc, I thought okay now maybe I'll get a good Flash series. No, now I have an event that will change the series: Flash Point. If you knew that you were about to have a time travel/parallel reality story as your second arc, why would you make your first arc the same thing? I know the first arc wasn't really a parallel reality story, but it with out a doubt had time traveling, and it had different versions of popular characters, so it has the same essentials. I'm a huge fan of Geoff Johns, especially his work with Wally West, but scheduling these two arcs back to back was just a bad idea, and frankly it ruins the time traveling and parallel reality stories for a little while.
         In this issue the alternate Barry Allen (AKA: Hot Pursuit) tells Barry Allen (The Flash) all about him, the Multiverse, and all of the bad things that are going to happen. Bart Allen then comes and tells the Flash not to believe Hot Pursuit. Hot Pursuit then insists he's telling the truth and rides off. Barry runs after him, but Hot Pursuit gets away. Bart Allen wants to help Barry with this, but Barry want's to do it alone. Bart gets upset and runs away. Barry goes back to the lab to scan a piece of hair he snagged from Hot Pursuit, and it comes up as a mach for Barry Allen. Then Patty walks in. She explains how she is now working in Blue Valley, because things are slower there. Then Barry gets a call from Singh. He goes and brings Patty. A thirty year old man died in the exact same way Elongated Kid died. Then they find a witness hiding nearby.
       This was beyond disappointing. Again, I think Geoff Johns is great, but this was the worst comic he has ever written. Again this arc is redundant when matched with the previous arc, so already the comic and I got off on the wrong foot. But then when Hot Pursuit explained the Multiverse I was shocked. The Multiverse has been explained a hundred times but for some reason Geoff Johns felt the need to explain it again. That probably only bothered me as much as it did, because of the repetition of time travel, but both are pretty bad. Also I had no idea why both Barry Allens felt the need to do what they were doing alone, is it just so they could be upset? Or to make Bart upset? Johns made Barry tougher than he usually is, and then didn't offer an explanation for it. I do understand what Johns was trying to do when he had Betty move because she wanted her life to slow down, but this has been done a million times before. It's like calling Superman a weapon or saying Batman brings the villains to Gotham. Writers bring it up a lot, but every time they do it's supposed to be shocking. Overall this was not a good issue, and really ruins the series for me. The only hope Flash Point has now, is the spin offs and alternate reality stories that are coming, and those have only a medium sized chance at success.




Grade: 2.5/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Flash #5

           To be honest I almost dropped this series, with a new Geoff Johns , Barry Allen Flash series, I expected to be constantly giving this series nine's and ten's out of ten, opposed to six's and seven's. I've been really disappointed and I was exited to get almost any comic except Flash, but I heard such great things about this issue that I thought I would give it a try, and let this be the deciding issue. (if the score is more than 7/10 I'll continue) 
           In this issue the 25th century version of the Top is working with the Flash, so that Iris doesn't become some Super Villain thing. He stops Mirror Master from breaking the glass with the mirror lords, but then the White Lantern ora thing told Captain Boomerang to throw his boomerang and he broke the glass, now the Flash has to distract them so that the Top can do something else.
           I really liked this story, the action was clever, entertaining, and just plain awesome, also it didn't distract from the rest of the story. I was a little confused about what happened to Captain Boomerang, but Brightest Day is supposed to be a mystery, for now. I really liked how not everything went according to what Top told the Flash, because now it's not "Geoff Johns goes through the motions and then at the end of the arch makes a stupid excuse to make it different." I've seen that so many times before and I'm happy that it happened this way.
         The art in this is extraordinary. I like Francis Manapul but this is some of his best work. I especially like how powerful he made weather wizard. Usually I would give the credit to the writer for something like this, but Manapul really captured him as an all powerful being. A lot of times people underestimate people like him (for example: Storm) but really they are all powerful. Weather Wizard was only in this issue for a short amount of time, but I thought I'd mention it any way, because it shows how well Francis Manapul did in this issue.
         I really liked this issue, best one of the series. (so far) The art was great, the story was great, the writing was great. I especially liked how it was just one big fight scene, but it didn't take away from the rest of Barry's life, nor did it slow down the plot. This is a great issue and I'm definitely continuing with the series.



Grade: 9/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

The Flash #4

         This series has been decent so far. Not great, but not bad, it''s just enough to keep my interest. This is one of those series that I have been referring too when I say they "start in the middle of a series" I've always liked Barry Allen, I still do, his villains are one of my favorite villains in any of the  comic universe, I just wanted some introduction in this series. Opposed to some life changing thing. In this issue the Flash starts fighting Captain Boomerang, and saves some people from the destruction caused by the fight. The Renigades step in and start fighting Boomerang as well. Commander Cold goes one on one with Digger and the Flash has to step in and save him. Seeing that, the Top (the one from the 25th century) tells the Flash about the future. Why he kills Mirror Monarch, and what triggers it.
         I hate it when an entire comic is just one huge fight scene. Most of this comic consisted of people fighting each other. I can understand some fighting, I mean they are Superheroes, but does Johns really need to devote an entire issue to just a random brawl. I will admit that the fight scene was very well done, and drawn beautifully by Francis Manapul. The things about the future were pretty good, it made scene, but the Top just telling the Flash the future seemed pretty rushed and not thought out. It does open up the opportunity for some really good future issues. Even though this was my least favorite issue so far in this series, it was still well done. I was disappointed that this issue was just a fight scene, but it was one of the better fight scenes that I've ever seen. Plus it got me very exited for the future issues. So this is still one of the better series out there.



Grade: 6.5/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Brightest Day #'s 1&2

                Several people don't like the Brightest Day series. I respectfully disagree. I'm not saying OMG this is the best comic series I ever read. No, but it's pretty good. The first issue starts with the Atom trying to split Ronnie and Jason apart. It is painful for everyone, but at least it works. (since the comic is separated into sections, so will my review) We then see an average family playing rock band, when the mother starts killing them all with a kitchen knife. Her skin then falls off revealing that she is some kind of alien. After a short intermission where you find that Hath-Set made plaster molds of the Hawks faces, it goes to Martian Man Hunter who is standing over  Saul Erdel's (the scientist that brought him to earth) daughter. He disguised himself as Saul and asked the daughter (who is old now) what she remembers about the Martian. She said that they (the Erdel's) had been obsessed over a project like this before, but when it had horrible results her father kicked her off the project and continued until that day Martian Man Hunter came.  After that Deadman's ring brings him right in front of the Anti Monitor.
                The scene where the mother killed her family was so sad, and so well done. Every part of it, the look on the children's faces, and what they were saying. It was flawless. So was the part with Martian Man Hunter and Erdel's daughter. The gentleness shown on the fathers face was outstanding. Even what he said was outstanding. So Johns, Tomasi, Reis, Syaf, Clark, and Prado all did a fantastic job. Although the Artists made the scenes more effective than the writers did. Also the Atom's flame proof suit was also so cool. When he ripped Firestorm's atoms apart, he had to wear that. The scene was cool to, this comic really was good.
              The second issue picked up where the first one left off. Deadman is up against the Anti Monitor with a ring he doesn't know how to use. All of the sudden the right pulls Deadman's arm up and blasts images of all who have been resurrected into the jest of the Anti Monitor, but when he tries to attack again the ring doesn't work. So he falls to earth. The ring then kicks in again and makes a safety net for him. The comic then goes to Ronnie and Jason in the hospital. Both still have hard feeling toward each other. Jason also has a dispute with his dad about going home, or staying and researching. Jason picks research. You then see Mera and Aquaman. Aquaman accidently summons a dead killer whale who comes up and grabs him. Then you see Martian Man Hunter examining all the bodies from the mother alien thing. He gets all the information when he taps into the brain of the dog. With a little tampering he makes it so that the dog does not remember what he saw. Then the comic goes to Hawkman and Hawkgirl when they find that Hath-Set has collected all of their bones from past lives.
               I didn't like this comic as much as Brightest Day #2. I really just want to know what is going on with Deadman, also in this comic there was no explanation for what just happened, things just happened. I do expect the next issue to explain a couple of things, but I really wanted the next issue to focus on other characters that returned. But now I need and explanation.

Grade #2: 9/10
Grade #3: 4/10
Average: 6.5/10
buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

The Flash #2

              I used to love Geoff Johns, especially his previous works with the Flash, but Brightest Day is just okay, Blackest Night was just okay. I'm starting to like him less. This issue was just another one of his just okay comics. In this issue the Renegades (a police group from the future who's names and costumes are based off the Rogues) are trying to arrest the Flash for murdering Mirror Monarch, which he has not done yet. After running away something in the Renegades technology malfunctions and sends them back to their time. But the after shock blows up a building. Flash saves everyone in it, goes to the library, finds out how to build a building, and builds one, all in the blink of an eye. The comic then goes to Iron Heights where Captain Boomerang is being kept. He is on his way to a check up when Captain Cold comes and freezes the guards. "You need to prove that you're still a Rogue. This time you brake out of Iron Heights yourself, then you make the Flash sweat." Then the comic goes back to Barry Allen, at police headquarters they found blood on Mirror Monarch, so they scan it and find that the killer is Barry Allen.
            Like I said, this comic was just okay. A couple things really stood out to me. I liked the whole learn how to build a building than do it part. It was just so... Flash. I also liked how the story wasn't too complicated. Several authors create too many sub stories, so that eventually you can't keep them straight. This issue was simple and enjoyable. Also the set up for the next issue is going to be good (I know this is going to sound like a contradiction of keep it simple) you have the Renegades, and Captain Boomerang. That has to be good. Not too complicated, but kind of. I didn't like how nothing happened in this issue, it took one whole issue to find one thing, and that one thing was already known. Barry Allen is the killer, we knew that, we didn't need a complete issue to explain that to us twice.

Grade: 7/10
 buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Green Lantern #51 (Blackest Night)

If you have not read my review of Green Lantern 50: do so before reading this review

This comic was not that good. I loved Green Lantern 50 so I was very disappointed to read this issue. Hal Jordan is "guiding" Parallax . This was done in the pervious issue, so that they can destroy the Black Lantern Spectre. But when this is done and the original Spectre is freed there is a battle that takes up half of this comic. I wanted to see a fight between the Spectre and Nekron. So now there is no Parallax, a good Hal Jordan, and a good Spectre. The Spectre tries to defeat Nekron, but since Nekron has no soul the Spectre has no power over him. So the Spectre is destroyed.

I hated that, it had so much build up, and for nothing. That was a huge disappointment. I love the Spectre and to see him just cast aside like that, I did not like. Geoff Johns is good, but that was a mistake. That was the entire comic, just a mistake.

Grade: B-

buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Green Lantern #50

I am a big fan of Geoff Johns, (see 1, 2, 3, 4) but now he has out done himself. The comic was well written, well drawn, but the best thing about this comic was the gimmicks. The introduction of Scarecrow to the Yellow Lantern Corps, and other heros and villains to other corps, was nothing short of brilliant. I was entranced, as Sinestro, and Hal Jordan released Parallax from his prison, to beat the Spectre. Who I have noticed is the main villain.

I have noticed one other thing, that I like and disliked. Sinestro has made a "friendly" acquaintance , with his rival Hal Jordan. I do enjoy the corps "teaming up" but I'm concerned that when Blackest night finishes in April, who will be Green Lanterns villain? This is one of the best comics I've ever read, and I recommend it to all, the rebirth of Parallax, is an amazing comic book. I compliment Geoff Johns more for this than his previous works with the Flash.

Grade: A/A+