Pick of the Week
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Art, cover and variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
Variant cover by TONY HARRIS
Size: 40 pages
Price: 3.99
“The Flash #1 by Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul is the iFanboy Pick of the Week for the week of April 14, 2010″
You have no idea how it good it is to be able to write those words.
After the past few years, I wasn’t too sure that there would be a time where The Flash would be a top book. I have accepted the ups and downs that come with the comic book industry. Much like how it is when you follow a baseball team, you have your good years and you have your bad years. Sometimes you have one really good year followed by a decade of bad years. You may start reading a comic book when it’s at its height of popularity and quality, only to watch it slowly degrade over time as the revolving door of creators swings and the consistency and feeling of the book disappears. Or sometimes, the book drops off the cliff after years of being a steady, dependable read.
Many of you know me as the outspoken Marvel/X-Men fan around here, but what many of you may not know is that I rank The Flash up there on my top list of comics and heroes. In fact, I would easily place The Flash in my Top 5 comics/comic characters. Hell, maybe even Top 3. I don’t know what it is about the character and family of characters that attracts me, maybe it’s because I have never been able to run fast, who knows. All I know is that in 1997 when I picked up my first issue of The Flash, I was intrigued. And then it was a young Geoff Johns and his run on The Flash in the early 2000s that cemented it for me. I feel in love with the Flash family, and Wally West shot his way to the top of my list and for 5 years, we were treated to some of the best comics around.
And then he left The Flash, finishing his epic run to move to his next epic run on Green Lantern and other works at DC. You all know the agony for years that followed his leaving The Flash. I won’t dwell on that, rather just reminisce about when, it must be 2+ years ago, when they announced that Geoff Johns would be returning to The Flash with The Flash: Rebirth, and how like a giddy fanboy, I texted my friend (another Flash fan) to share the news. And now, nearly three years later, we’re back to the start. Issue #1 of the new Flash ongoing series.
Earlier today, I got a request from one of the staff members at iFanboy asking if we could make a change to the comics ratings system, because according to him, The Flash #1 deserved more than 5 stars. I chuckled, while being extremely excited for this book but not having read the issue yet, I thought “Sure it’s going to be good, but that’s a little extreme. It can’t be THAT good.”
Oh how wrong I was. This book was indeed that good, if not more.
I already know that Geoff Johns can write these characters. While I’ve seen him write Wally West as The Flash more than Barry Allen, Geoff Johns has shown that he essentially is the Speed Force. His grasp of the world of Central City and Keystone City is so acute that I’m beginning to wonder if he didn’t grow up there. You know that feeling you get when after being away on a trip for a long time and then you get home and just exhale in the comfort of being home. That’s what reading The Flash #1 felt like.
But it’s not just Johns mastery of The Flash. No, what put this book over the top was the artwork of Francis Manapul. If you thought we raved about his work on Adventure Comics a lot, then be prepared to hear a lot of out and out gushing over his work in The Flash #1. I don’t even know how to explain it properly, but there’s just something so… right about Manapul’s art. It strikes a chord somewhere in me that no other artist drawing right now does. It has a simplicity and delicateness to it while at the same time being fluid, dynamic and kinetic. Exactly how The Flash should be. We raved over his double page spreads in Adventure Comics, and we’re treated to more in this issue. But Manapul is no splash page wonder, his storytelling is top notch as well as his layouts. And his layouts! Out of nowhere we’re treated to a layout of the Rogues that dared to come close to the amazing layouts of J.H. Williams III on that first arc of Detective Comics last year. I did not see that coming at all. It’s just another dimension to some of the best artwork in superhero comics right now, if you ask me.
From a story standpoint, Johns and Manapul handle a first issue with ease. If you’ve never read The Flash before, you can jump on here. If you’re a long time reader of the character, you will giggle with excitement while reading this. Johns is able to tell a story that recaps for old readers as well as presents a starting point for new readers, all the while setting up the groundwork for this first story arc. A task not easily done, but the level of ease that these guys did it with almost makes you think making comics is easy. We know it isn’t though and it takes two masters to create something as wonderful as this issue.
I’ve often quoted the work of Thomas Wolfe with “You can’t go home again” when we talk about creators revisiting characters they’ve worked on in the past. And while this technically isn’t going home again for Johns, since it’s Barry and not Wally, it’s pretty darn close. Luckily for me, as a Flash fan, Johns proves that maybe he can go home again.
Yes my friends, The Flash #1 is the Pick of the Week and all is back to normal in my super hero world. Now when does issue #2 ship?
Ron Richards
We’re not changing the ratings system though.
ron@ifanboy.com
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I agree. I really haven’t seen much Manapul art, but this just blew me away. Can’t wait for the next issue!
I thought Flash: Rebirth was terrible so that almost caused me to pass this up, but Flash is a character I really want to read so I gave it a shot anyway and loved it too. Hard to believe the same guy who wrote Rebirth also wrote this; this was leaps and bounds better in my humble opinion. I’ll be sticking around for sure.
I knew you we’re going to pick this. Getting away from my feelings, as I was reading this I just thought: "Ron Richards is a happy man right now."
People seem to think I didn’t like it all that much because of my review. But this was a good issue! A bit exposition heavy towards the middle but that is to be expected of any #1 issue. It’s Manapul’s art that really makes you wanna pick this series up. Literally orgasmic pages in this. That’s right, Orgasmic!
Still though my pick was Chew #10 for continuing a deep universe of characters and some fantastic art.
I got into comics far too late to experience Johns’ Flash run, which is a shame, because reading it now, it really seemed like something special. I’m quite excited to start following this, though, because if this first issue is any indication, this is going to be one hell of a ride, story and action wise.
I’m glad Ron finally found a Flash book to love (again).
Great stuff, anyone know if they’re gonna keep it as a 3.99 title? or maybe just 22 pages with back-up features, or a 2.99 title?
Its supposed to go back to $2.99 next issue. There original was a back-up with Wally that would have likely made the book $2.99 but that got scrapped.
Yeah it was damn good.There is something about Manapul’s art that just feels right to me whenever I see it.
This was a damn fine read. I’m very happy with how this issue turned out and am so happy to finally have an ongoing Flash comic that I can enjoy again. Great great stuff.
I went with Secret Six for my POTW. Simone took that story in a different and interesting direction than what I was expecting and it completely blew me away. I can’t wait to see what she has planned for the whole team now.
Predicted this "Pick Of The Week" here: https://ifanboy.com/content/articles/New_Comics_for_04_14_10_are_just_trying_to_make_it_to_May
That’s 3 of the last 4 POWs I predicted! Pretty good so far. 🙂
Like most people my age who were born in the 80’s, I grew up with Wally as Flash. Sure Barry was cool too I guess but Wally was always my Flash. However, Im starting to think that this series might change my mind. I cant wait to see how Captain Cold and the other rogues react when they finally come face to face with the old Flash.
The one tiny nitpick I have is that Im not entirely crazy about Manapuls art, it looks a bit too manga-ish for my tastes. I kind of wish Kolins was the regular artist on this book.
heh I read the subheading and was like "it hasn’t been 5 years, Geoff Johns was writing it in 200– oh, oh my god he’s right!"
Excellent Choice. Now let me tell what’s wrong with Joss Whedon and the avengers movie…
Man oh man was this good.
Great – Now I will have to wait eons for the trade paperback before I can ride the lightning again…….WHy do I feel like Bart waiting for a kettle to boil !
I concur.
I have been following Manapul since he started on Iron and the Maiden and went to Legion of Superheroes… from the beginning he has been good but his last two books Vegas reached a new level. That is what motivated ne to get this and now Johns has me wanting more despite never having read the flash before. This was great…
It’s like Ron found Jesus or something… 😛
HUDSON HAWK!
Good man, Ron.
Great Review and I could not agree more, this was almost my POW but the intrigue of The Unwritten got that. But you know what? Maybe they can be Co-POW!
I remember a few years ago when on Around Comics Tom Kater’s said he would keep reading The Flash and would tell everyone when it got good again. I think we are at that point.
Really?
I thought it was good as in fairly average. The art was great, but it seemed to lack something. But I am not a believer in the Johns midas touch. I think he has done some great work, but also put out a lot of average stuff. Along with the fact that I feel like he is trying too hard to bring everything back to the 80’s, only occasionally moving forward.
I thought Blackest Night was sort of a disaster. I just don’t have a taste for comics that are just about the fighting and that seemed to be all it was about. Give me some character development.
I love Francis Manapul’s art also, but am I the only one who doesn’t like Geoff Johns’ writing? Clearly not judging by @junoro’s comment.
I know he is a huge star and I know all the ifanboys love him but I really don’t get it. I tried Blackest Night and found it wanting. So I thought I will try him doing characters I know and got the Avengers World Trust trade and also found it a bit… I’m finding it hard to articulate, but it just didn’t gel with me. I want to like him and get into "good comics", but so far they aren’t good for me. This might seem like an odd thing to say, but can anyone tell me why I don’t like Johns’ writing?
I’ve never been a fan of the flash, but this issue blew me away…I had thought about picking it up purely to see what the buzz was about (and the brightest day tie-in) but never in my wildest imagination did I think i would love it this much…i should have known better after the fantastic job johns has done with green lantern, another character i had never really been a fan of. As long as he’s on, i’d continue picking this series up.
I had fun with this issue. It’s a good #1 issue, setting things up with relative ease and giving the series a clear scope and structure. I wasn’t blown away by it, but it was light and fun and it’s already more interesting to me that Flash: Rebirth.
I’m REALLY sincerely hoping that with this book and Brightest Day, we’re past all the rebirth-y "reset the status quo" plots, and Johns can actually get down to some character-driven work.
I loved that I had so many #1 issues this week. I realized that these are some of my favorite weeks of comics because each first issue is a doorway to limitless potential. Sure, half of ’em will turn out to be mediocre, but still — I like that sense of starting something new.
Free Flash ring that actually fits my skinny fingers!
@Junoro That is the DC mantra for that last ten years you just didn’t notice it. It started with the return of Oliver Queen and ends with the return of the Hawks. A move back to the childhood (Silver age) of DC editors.
As for the issue is was ok. The art was good and the story was fine what I wonder is what they are gonna do with Wally. Wally West has been a Flash (kid) since 1959 and The Flash since 1985. Wally has been a Flash for 50 years and to move him back into a sidekick role would be a shame. Part of the reason they killed off Barry to begin with was to take the book in a new direction. What if in 1985 instead of moving forward to give Wally West the mantel they bring back Jay Garrick to take over as the Flash? That’s crazy you say that would never happen! It already has in the DCU 3 times(Ollie, Hal, and Barry) and it will happen again (Ted). Just think about it for a little while what if in the mid-80’s the DCU returned to all the Golden Age heroes because those are the "Real" characters?
@DamonS23: That would have been pretty cool. It’s hard to beat those Golden Age characters.
So The Flash and The Mets are moving in opposite directions?
Great review. Flash Rebirth was very over-my-headish, but this issue was very new reader-friendly and I really enjoyed it. Go Phils
The story was okay and the art was great but… Honestely I felt the same way about this that I have for a lot of post one more day stories. What I mean is that Johns is basically writing Barry exactly the same as he did Wally. There is no reason this story couldn’t have been told with Wally (especially the way Johns was writing him by the end of his excellent run) who remember at one point was a mehanic at the police motor pool. Oh there would have to be a few minor changes but less than you think. The reality is, especially after the ludicrous Flash Rebirth, I have yet to read anything that justifies why we need Barry Allen back, beyond the fact that Johns has a deep and passionate nostaglia for the character. Using Barry still feels like a step backwards, especially since it requires to ignore important little things like the fact that when Iris returned she was in her late 60’s and looked it. I know, I know why care about continuity when DC and Marvel have made it clear lately how little they do these days. This was decent but no more than that, though I will admit the big reveal near the end was a good one that should at least lead to a fun remainder of the story. I guess we will see.
This issue basically showed me that, should I ever need someone to draw parts of my life, I would hire Francis Manapul. I don’t usually pay attention to the art in books, but something about Manapul’s sketchy kind of work just makes me actually pay attention to it. It’s great, plain and simple. Hopefully we get more than 9 issues of this team (or however long Johns and Manapul were on Adventure Comics)
Good issue though I gave Brightest Day the edge for my pick of the week. Just a crap ton of value and I get nostalgic about how cool another 52 like book could be. And that wasn’t long ago at all.
@Story: So basically this is the same Flash with a different name? If you liked the previous Flash then you would logically like this one, perhaps not his new name…
@Conor It COULD have been really cool. My point was they are moving the DCU backwards not forwards. There is nothing wrong with the characters or stories that came before I just want new stories with new characters not new stories with old characters that have been re-imagined. I didn’t like that they killed Ted Kord BUT they tried to move forward with a new guy with the golden age powers and that is truely what I want from my comics. A feeling like they are moving forward and this feels like the same old song and dance.
I knew this would be the pick. I actually caught myself grinning from ear to ear in public when I read "Hey, kid. Name’s the Flash. Nice to meet ya."
If the stories are good, then why does it really matter who is under the mask?
@drakedangerz
Because it’s not "their" Flash. Hopefully that crowd shuts up when a Flash Corps book is announced.
@DamonS23: Problem – the current comic book industry is structured around telling the same stories over and over with the same characters. We’ll use Blue Beetle as an example. The killed Ted Kord and brought in a new, younger Blue Beetle… And nobody bought it. Everyone just wants Ted back.
The industry isn’t designed to move forward, it’s designed to exist in a never ending cycle, and the majority of the audience doesn’t appear interested in it.
I undestand that Wally fans are upset. And I sympathize. Now eveyone know how Hal and Barry fans like me felt for all those years. You guys had your turn and now we get ours again. It’ll circle back around again eventually.
(The above being said by someone who, up until the last few years anyway, was also a big Wally fan. You can be both!)
I’m right there with you Ron. 6 stars,
@Conor Unfortunately I’m a 90’s DCU fan and being as currently it is one of the most hated era’s of DC I don’t think I will be reading comics in 20 to 30 years when someone decides to bring it back….which I wouldn’t want. As for the industry the real reason they brought Barry back was a Flash #1 would out sell a Flash #1 with Wally right now plain and simple. Damn you Kevin Smith! This is all your fault!!
@DamonS23
The problem with your argument is that the way they ‘offed’ Hall and Ollie was cheap, gimmicky and exploitative. Hal jordan was practically raped by the editorial. It was better than the characters deserved.
It does apply to the Flash, except, Bart Allen was the Flash and it went horribly wrong. Blue Beetle being cancelled is a shame, though. It was like what the Spider-man writers are trying to achieve right now, but not as boring.
I think this is the first Francis Manapul drawn book I have read and I think I’m a little bit in love. The dude has to be one of best in comics right now and for me its because he can draw faces. Its so expressive, more like candid snaps shots rather than being posed photography. What I wouldnt do to see his lines being colored w/ something less water color-y!
And does someone want to tell me whats up w/ FLASHPOINT? Is it the next big DC tie-in event after brightest day and will brightest day that really last til 2011? Blackest night was great but is it just me or am I the only one who just wants some regular ol single superhero adventures again? when a cross over was something to be excited about not just the norm.
oh yea BEST LINE OF THE WEEK: "What are you doing in there? Growing coffee beans?" I read that w/ a NY accent in my head and laughed out loud.
@Muddi900 Everyone that has ever died in comics died in a cheap gimmicky and exploitative way! Hal Jordan’s book was cancelled in 1972 he spent the next 20 years as a back-up or co feature until he killed the GLC and became Parallax after which he spent his time in the DCU until Final Night where he gave his life to reignite the sun. He spent a year or two dead and then returned as young Hal to fight along side Kyle in Emerald Knights and shortly after came back to the DCU as the new Spectre in Day of Judgement that book was cancelled and about a year later he returned. Hal Jordan never really left the DCU he just keep being changed until something stuck.
Is it still bad I wish this was a Jay Garrick series? Manapul drawing Jay…..God that would be something to read.
I’m sure Jay will turn up from time to time.
@Paul: I’m sure he will, but I seriously want a Garrick ongoing.
Or my eventual dream of a Road Trip comic with Jay and Alan.
As if Hal Jordan’s return wasn’t enough to convince DC to stop killing iconic heroes this should be.
Flash IMO is fixed, this is the Flash comic I want to read. DON’T F IT UP AGAIN!
Now if we can please get Aquaman and Green Arrow back solidly we can all turn an eye towards the Justice League of America.
Exactly, Ron. Exactly.
I wonder if the killing off of characters and the bringing back of characters are both similar things. They do both becasue the character was failing.
I have no opinion of either Flash and have never really read many Flash books. I think he like any character can be interesting if the stories are good and in my mind stories are good if there is character development. I have been primarily a fan of the DCU since the Death of Superman and Breaking of Batman that got me into comics in the first place. But I am tired of what Conor says of just telling the same story over and over again.
It is for that reason that I wonder if real stories can be told anymore in the DCU or Marvel. Because for me stories are about character development and if the same stories are told over and over again then there can be no development. Having said that there are lots of stories that seemed hopeful when they begain but did not turn out well in the end. The New Kryption stories had so much possibility to show Superman in a new light, and did for a while, but then they drifted off. I hold out a lot of hope for Brightest Day. The characters could have really interesting struggles with being alive again and with the relationships they had, something hinted at in Flash Rebirth. But too often those possibilities are not fulfilled.
With respect of "forward" v. "back", I think Ron’s right that it’s cyclic in some respects… but where he trips up a bit is saying "OUR turn AGAIN"… I think it’s okay for the iconic stories to cycle but you want your AUDIENCE to move FORWARD. If you go backwards in terms of audience, the comics start to skew older, continuity gets more muddled (wanting to drag the past into the present), and you cannibalize your existing fanbase.
Moving fowards with the audience means being brave enough to make clean breaks, to update and make relevant (I don’t mean baggy pants and hoodies, I mean character motivations, texture, & context), and fresh accessible continuity instead of frankensteined amalgam of baggage from the distant and recent past (forced together without addressing the underlying motivations and context that gave rise to those trappings in the first place). "Man of Steel" was this type of step that suddenly made Superman make sense for a whole new audience of readers… while "Secret Origins" is that sort of frankenstein monster that isn’t going to help anyone who’s skeptical of a do-gooder who wears underwear outside his tights "get" Superman.
The problem DC has right now is a lack of vision and daring to make those clean breaks when necessary, which means the cycles are accelerating faster than ever before (again, look at Superman and see how rapidly his underlying origin has been soft rebooted in just one decade; how quickly a new version of Zod, Brainiac, or Metallo arises). Look at Flash and you have Bart burning out in 13 issues. Then Wally burnt through more creative teams in two years than he had writing him in the past 15 years prior!!
Once again, not saying Wally is the One True Flash, I’m saying that in terms of creative consistency and character arc he’s an anomaly. No other pillar character with so few creators for so long while in mainstream universe, and DC should find a way to capitalize on that otherwise be daring and make the necessary clean break… not these half-hearted reboots but and missed opportunities for relevance like "Secret Origins"… bring on a genuine Crisis reboot for the next generation because the cycles were in now are just getting tighter and tighter (look how quickly we came from Hal’s Rebirth and Secret Origin to the Ragnarock of Lantern mythos!! Where can you go from there? It feels like what Johns did in Rogue War, leaving subsequent writers with a lot less compelling stories to tell).
Basically, let’s see character driven cycles instead of creator driven cycles… the way it is now, it’s all about the creator getting in his story, his arc, in and then out… there’s much less respect for the long term effects their stories have in terms of characterization and imposing restrictions/forclosing plotlines on future writers. For example, Johns is really fond of prophecy… but this has the negative effect of either forcing Johns to deliver too soon (accelerating the cycle) or imposing something on a future creator who has no intent to deliver (harming consistency/characterization and reader investment) or binding their hands if they do. I’d like to see a more long term view of how creators treat the characters and how they try to get new readers engaged.
[Sorry, it keeps hitting submit instead of new paragraph…]
I think it’s extremely telling that Elseworlds has disappeared as a DC brand and that the All-Stars line is anemic in quantity compared to how many Elseworlds tales there used to be. That’s because the trunk of continuity is not as strong as it used to be… back then, requiring an explicit Elseworlds book to tell a tale apart from continuity. Now, with creator driven cycles, you can basically as you will no matter how off beat (Turner’s Kandor or Azzarello’s Krypton/PZ) are shrugging "who cares if its canon or not" stories (then followed by a series of Crisis events muddying things further).
I see a lot of this as symptomatic of DC knowing it needs to go forwards but letting creative unceasingly dredge up the past. Do a clean break. You can distill what was great about all pasts and get a new audience engaged in a new future based on an homage to the past (rather than trying to frankenstein rehashed past elements into present continuity where it doesn’t "work" at least, not without compromising your trunk to the point that the distinction between DCU and Elseworlds is basically meaningless).
psyched on this. i don’t read super hero comics ever but i picked up this just because it was the beginning of something (whenever I want to pick up a superhero book I feel overwhelmed of not knowing the characters or what’s been going on with the story).
I loved it, it wasn’t hard for me to follow at all and got me psyched for the next issue, it’s almost like a perfect first issue, does everything right.
Wasn’t flashpoint an elseworlds book? i hope this is the return of the elseworlds line.
Loads of agreement from me, this was a splendiferous book, but the Rogues WANTED panel layout you praise, Ron, was the one bit of Francis Manapul’s art here which I felt didn’t work. It looked clunky. Good on him for giving it a crack, though.
@Damon, who writes: ‘ Hal Jordan’s book was cancelled in 1972 he spent the next 20 years as a back-up or co feature until he killed the GLC and became Parallax after which he spent his time in the DCU until Final Night where he gave his life to reignite the sun.’
Well, no. Green Lantern/Green Arrow was Hal’s book that was cancelled in 1972 and after a few years in which GL was a Flash back-up, GL/GA returned in 1976. By 1979 Hal was the solo star again. Hardly 20 years.
@Mart You were right I was a little off his book became a co feature book or back-up book from March 1970 to December 1979. From ’79 to ’86 he had his own book again in ’86 his book became GLC which was an ensemble with Hal as the lead character. From June ’86 to June ’90 Hal again spent his life as a back up or co-feature and June ’90 is where he got his own solo book again. Sorry if I was just a little off on the timing my point was just that Hal was never really dead to the DCU. At least not like Barry’s 20 year absence from comics. I know it was longer that 20 years but Barry pops up from time to time. So again I apologize.
No apology necessary, I’m a sub-editor – we’re irritating pedants, but we mean well.
@DamonS23:
Well I won’t call Barry Allen or Steve Rodger’s deaths exploitative. I would say different about their returns, but that last page of Final Crisis #2 gave me goosebumps, and I had never read a flash book before.
5$ says Dr. Awkward’s thesis gets the COW award (comment of the week).
I loved this book, it’s the first Flash i’ve read and I found it EXTREMELY new reader friendly and would urge anyone thinking about getting into The Flash, or comics in general to pick this up. It pretty much introduced the main character and some side characters, his job and opened up the beginning of an arc in the first issue, a good example of what first issues should do.
I had a feeling you’d pick this for your potw Ron. You totally sold me on it(even though I already ordered it 2 months ago dcbs) can wait to read it when I get my box.
I really enjoyed this book. I’ve never read an Flash before. My only knowledge about the character comes from listen to Tom vs The Flash.
What are the child labor laws like in this city, though? The car wreck at the beginning almost crushes a juvenile construction worker.
Also, I thought the toothpaste ad was hilarious. It credited Robin with getting the girl, but they are both crying in the picture. Despair sex? That doesn’t sound fun.
My experience with The Flash has been exactly the same as DougP’s above. I’ve always kind of liked The Flash but I’ve never read any Flash books. I’ve been listening to Tom Vs. The Flash like crazy at work and I love it!
As far as this issue goes, I’ve read it probably 12 times! I almost never re-read issues until much later on when I decide to dig them back out but I don’t think this one will ever make it into a bag. I can’t ever remember enjoying a comic as much as this one, and that is saying a lot. This issue has raised the bar and I hope Johns and Manapul can keep the momentum up!