Pick of the Week
What did the
iFanboy
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Pulls
Art and cover by Scott Kolins
Variant cover by Francis Manapul
Size: 32 pages
Price: 2.99
I suppose I should admit something before I get too far into this thing.
I didn’t read Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins’ long and epic Flash run. Sure, I read it for a little while, maybe a year or so, but eventually I just sort of lost interest, and decided it wasn’t for me. You’ll hear my esteemed partners speak about it in hushed reverence, and in the wake of The Flash series of recent memory, I can understand why people would be wistful for those heady days. Since then, I’ve also heard plenty of praise for Johns’ work with the Rogues, especially when he and Kolins team up again, like they did in the Rogue’s Revenge mini from Final Crisis.
Cut to today, and I’m picking Blackest Night: The Flash #3 as the best comic of the week. The truth is, I can barely remember what happened in the last two issues. I do remember that I generally liked them, especially Scott Kolins’ artwork, which doesn’t look like anyone else’s on the market. I couldn’t tell you if he’s getting better or if he’s always been this good, but it really stood out to me as exciting and energetic, and in an entirely different way than, say Ethan Van Sciver’s does in The Flash: Rebirth. I remember reading an interview with Kolins some time ago, when he was talking about refining his style in order to speed up. He eschewed lots of shading, crosshatching, and rendering, to just work in simple lines. It allowed him to get books done completely on time, and modern coloring filled in what he wasn’t penciling anymore. From that necessity was born his trademark style, and it just keeps looking better every time I see it. Couple that with some really fantastic page layouts, and the ability to draw a character as ridiculous as Captain Cold (he just is, I’m sorry), but give him a gravity that he has no business possessing. Yet there it is, coupled with words from Johns, Captain Cold has this unbelievable gravitas, and becomes an odd anti-hero, with a code, and as a reader, you look at the drawings of Cold, you just just believe it. And that’s just his work on a single normal human. Throw in all the crazy Flash movement, and all kinds of Black Lanterns in this issue as well, and the artwork causes the actual issue to positively vibrate with energy, heat, and sub-zero cold.
Holding down all that penciled pandemonium, Geoff Johns provided a script that was full of heart (again), and managed to hook me in to these characters in a way that a lot of the other emotional moments in Blackest Night have left me a bit flat. For one thing, it feels like these stories matter. They’re not part of the main titles, but they’re not throwaway stories. Barry and Bart have actual moments in this. I had no idea that they didn’t really have much of a relationship yet, and they really shared their first significant contact in this issue. This is going to matter to upcoming Flash stories. He’s also working out the way the relationships work between Barry, Wally, and Bart, and not just leaving the meat of the interactions for the other books they’re in. The character development here is essential. This script was also a wonderful touch on the Barry-as-Blue-Lantern story, and his descriptions of the Blue Lantern energy were among the best so far. I like Barry as a Blue Lantern. It makes sense, and it works. To be honest, I can’t say I completely understand everything that’s happening with Professor Zoom, and his time traveling undeadness, but that doesn’t strike me as the point anyway. Reverse Flash is part of the threat. I get that. But that’s only the catalyst for what happens between the protagonists, and their triumph or defeat.
Speaking of villains, the real reason I came away with such a smile on my face after reading Blackest Night: The Flash #3, was the rogues. If this whole issue was just the few pages focusing on the Rogues, and Captain Boomerang, it might still have grabbed the prize. Here’s the lowdown: Captain Boomerang (in the running for silliest costume AND name) took his undead daddy, Digger, and threw him a pit, where he feeds him any people he can push down the hole. It’s an old zombie movie trope, sure, but I was under the impression that the new Boomerang wasn’t a bad guy, or at least not as much of one. But his father’s reappearance threw him off the deep end, and his compass got all kinds of screwed up. The rest of the Rogues show up at the pit, make some discoveries, and take action. There’s one specific page that really did for me, where Cold says, paraphrased, “Rogue’s don’t do that.” The whole sequence was one of the best I’ve read in this whole loved-ones-return-from-dead road we’ve been on since the summer, and it was starring characters I’ve never even begun to care about.
Combining an abiding love for these characters and pencils lively enough to fly off the pages themselves, I simply loved reading this issue. In the midst of all the bombast that’s going on Blackest Night proper, it’s often these little bits that are the most satisfying, and for all the wonderful work that Johns has done with Green Lantern, it’s clear that when he’s at his best, he’s working with The Flash family and the Rogues, which has been proven here once more.
Josh Flanagan
There! I picked a Blackest Night book. Happy?!
josh@ifanboy.com
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Nice! I completely agree about Kolins – so unique and while Van Schiver is good, Kolins is just better. Flash and the engery he brings to it is just awesome.
Just like the ‘Rogues Revenge’ mini from last year, I totally missed the ball on this series. Oh well, gotta wait till the trade….again! But great review as always man.
My pick was Deadpool #19; I think I should start a compaign to get people to stop reading Merc with a Mouth, Team Up, and the upcoming Deadpool Corps. Because Daniel Way’s series is the ONLY Deadpool series that people should read.
Awesome review and a great pick! Bart Allen is probably my favorite character in all of comics, and the fact that Johns also likes the kid gets me super excited because it means that I’ll be able to read one of the greatest comic writers of our time working on freaking Impulse for the forseeable future. You’ve come a long way from Young Justice, lil’ slugger!
This was only narrowly beaten for me by Guardians of the Galaxy #23.
I’m still waffling on my POTW, but this one is a contender.
I didn’t read Flash recently except for Rebirth since I only got back into comics shortly before Final Crisis started. You brought up something that I am not that familiar with though. Has the "new" Captain Boomerang done anything really evil? The only story I recall reading with him in it was Identity Crisis which (I believe) introduced him. So his reactions here seemed fairly out-of-character, particularly since he barely met his father before he died (also in Identity Crisis).
Still, "Rogues don’t do that" was a spectacular moment.
Please don`t take this the wrong way, because I`m simply hoping to gather a better understanding, but what is the appeal of Scott Kolin’s art?
The Blue Flash costume is just about the most badass costume I’ve ever seen. It may be my first statue.
@Trevor – for me, Kolin’s is a great storyteller. Never a bad choice in panel layout. Also, there is a subtle sketchiness to his work that appeals to me – it’s like the ultra-real guys (Hitch, McNiven) on one end, the more abstract guys (Keith, Jones) on the other, Kolins falls directly in the middle. I can’t explain it any more than that.
However, when he’s drawn other characters aside from speedsters, they’ve just been OK – his Marvel work is a glaring example of this – very solid stuff, but it just didn’t, well, crackle. It’s the mix of Kolins and The Flash that just brings out the best in both the artist and the character.
@ Trevor and Dan,
I’ve never been super impressed by his art either, but his stories do read well. I’ll need to pick this issue up for a look to make my own impression.
Remember when Captain Boomerang was the Rancor?
This was a fantastic issue. My only exposure to the Flash Universe is everything that’s come since Rebirth #1, which is remarkably little, but I still finding myself loving it almost as much as the Green Lantern and Batman stuff. After every issue of this mini, I would think "Captain Cold is an utter badass," only to forget it by the next issue. Forgetting this would set him up to knock me on my ass again. It’s nice.
I haven’t finished my books yet. All I’ve got left is Green Lantern, but BN Flash is currently in the lead.
Just finished Green Lantern, and I have never had a harder time choosing my POTW than this. I can only imagine how tough it must be for the staff members when it, y’know, matters.
I chose this though. Captain Cold’s badassery pushed it over the edge.
It might go against the grain, but this may be a bigger surprise pick to me than the Scalped controversy….s’cool though. Currently my money is on my pick being Punisher, but we shall see…
Great pick! Some great layouts and really incredible character moments in this. This was the third book I read this week (it was just under GL and GL Corps in the stack), and as soon as I read it I ran here to see if it was the POTW. The last five pages or so of this issue were just gold.
Great issue. I picked G.I. Joe Cobra II #2 (worst title ever), but that was probably a combination of the quality of the book and a bit of nostalgia. Both were great issues.
I flipped through previous BN: The Flash books and I still like Scott Kolins’ art, but it doesn’t have the same kind of kinetic punch that it had with FC: Rogues Revenge. Might pick them up eventually.
My pick is Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows #3. Beautiful. The series gets ratcheted up in this one and I am dreading another delay with this book, because I want to read the next part immediately.
Damn, I picked up the first issue of tihs mini and liked it but forgot about the rest of them. I do love Flash Rogues.
I didn’t get a lot of books this week, but I have to give it to ‘Joe the Barbarian.’ Morrison and particularly Sean Murphy are kicking all kinds of ass on this.
I really liked this series. Can’t wait till they collect all three miniseries in trades.
AWESOME PICK, JOSH! 😀
"No matter what life throws at you–or what way the road turns–you’ve got to put one foot in front of the other–and keep movin’ forward–with an open heart."
😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 YEAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!! 😀 😀 😀 😀
The Flash tie-in books have been really good so far, and this one was great. Love the "Everything melts" panel, and the spliced dialouge at the end between Cold and Barry. Makes you look forward to the series in the spring.
At least it’s Blackest Night, right?
Captain Cold and the Rogues is probably the only "villian" book I would read if it got an ongoing or a mini, even Suicide Squad and Secret Six I dropped off because I couldnt find the characters compelling enough to go back week after week. But the Rogues, who do have a moral code, I could always read. IT would be like a Heist book in the DC universe.
The Buy Pile on Comic Book Resources slammed this issue in it’s worst "No, Just No" category.
http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=24903
What can you do? Also, I agree with almost none of those reviews.
I know, he’s usually one of the crazier reviewers. (They’re all a bit crazy, amiright?) If he said it was real bad, it was probably pretty good.
Hopefully I’ll read this in paperback one day. Or digitally, if DC ever goes digital.
I don’t…I don’t quite understand what’s so "ridiculous" about Captain Cold.
Most of the Flash Rogues are quite sane compared to other villains in comics.
He’s dressed like an electric eskimo. 50’s style eskimo, no less.
And what is he the Captain of, exactly?
…the cold.
@Josh-Ass-kicking. Captain of ass-kicking.
Wow. What surprised me wasnt that this was the pick, but that it was Joshs’ pick(I assumed it was Rons).
I loved the last two issues a lot but this one was definitely the best out of the three. Overall, I think this mini was the best of all the Blackest Night mini tie ins but thats really no surprise because it was written by the same guy who’s writing the Blackest Night itself.
Captain Cold is the Captain of my Heart.
@KickAss – I personally think that guy from CBR is offensive and uninformed, I used to read his reviews and now I don’t even go to that site because of him. He bothers me that much.
I love the Rogues and they always hit a spot for me and I’m not that big of a Flash guy but his Villains are amazing, second only too Batman’s Gallery. I’d give third I think too Spidey.
Captain Cold had some of the best lines in this book.
Was anyone else thoroughly confused by the panel with Thawne (I think it’s Thawne isn’t there two Reverse Flashes?) and how all of the Zombies flock to him? Specifically the scene that shows the Brightest Day logo over his chest?
I skimmed those CBR reviews. Lame. When you are paid (if the guy is paid to review), I think you owe it to everyone to try and write thoughtful reviews.
They need to replace that guy with TheNextChampion.
Okay, back on topic, please.
Sorry
Don’t be sorry. Be afraid, very afraid.
@ScorpionMasada – TNC is great. He is Tolstoy of comic book fan reviewers.
If I wasn’t so afraid, I’d respond AmirCat.
@amircat If people don’t know who Tolstoy is, they don’t deserve a link.
My pick was Locke & Key. It eclipsed every book this week with the exception of ASM.
Didn’t get this final issue of Flash cause I had no fucking clue who most of the characters were. If I wasn’t so persistant with researching DC characters, I would’ve never bought DC books. Some of their comics are borderline unaccessable to those ignorant to DC lineage.
I agree this was POW. I agree that sometimes it was difficult to keep track of some of the rougues, but overall it was a great issue and quite a comeback from the last issue.
Supergirl #50 was also in the running, a great end to the arc.
Sorry, Josh, I disagree entirely with this pick. Mind you, it’s not terrible by a long shot but it’s not much better than average. The biggest problem is that Geoff still hasn’t made me give a crap about Barry Allen. I’ve loved Barry in his past appearances over the years but here he’s just dull, dull, dull, dull, dull, DULL. Secondly, where the hell is the story? Dead Rogues return, live Rogues fight them, Flashes run around doing not very much. Yawn. Thirdly, I hate to say it but I am so bored by Blackest Night. All the tightness and excitement of Sinestro Corps has seeped out of this unwieldly mess. Blackest Night should have been constrained to the GL titles because, as it stands right now, I cannot wait for it to be done with.
On the plus side, Scott Kollins did his typically wonderful job on the art and Geoff still knows how to write the Rogues but this was underwhelming.
Amazing Spider-man and Power Girl are the best new comics I read this week.
Man, this was fun. I hope the upcoming "Dastardly Death of the Rogues" storyline isn’t the end of my favorite characters!
My POW goes to Locke & Key, which consistently rocks my socks with each and every issue.
I enjoyed this issue a lot. Kolins is definitely one of my favorite artists and the story was solid. I was a bit disappointed that the book still managed to spoil the end of Flash: Rebirth despite having tons of time for Rebirth to finish. I guess that’s what happens when a book is as late as the finale to that one is, and in a way, my frustration lies more with Rebirth than this issue. Despite the strength of this issue, my pick had to go to Power Girl. Every time I read that book I grin like an idiot and this issue was no different. Amanda Conner should draw this book forever. It’s seriously gorgeous, rollicking fun.
Supergirl #50 was definitely my POTW too. I don’t know nothing about Flash though sometimes I wish I did. Think Rebirth is a decent enough jumping on point? Or do I have to go spend $80 on a bunch of trades to catch up?
good pick. i loved this series. kolins and johns are made for the flash but i still will love the manapul artwork!!
@robby even though I’m pretty much in the same boat as you, most people say that most things are changing about the Flash and rebirth would be a perfect jumping on point. I’ve liked it a lot and can’t wait for the new ongoing to come out.