Reviewer: John Babos
Story Title: Driven (Part 1 of “Ignition”)
Written by: Geoff Johns
Penciled by: Alberto Dose
Inked by: Alberto Dose
Colored by: James Sinclair
Separated by: James Sinclair
Lettered by: Kurt Hathaway
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer Geoff Johns has made a name for himself by making long-standing heroes and concepts fresh and accessible to both new and veteran readers. He is known for delivering some of the most memorable last page cliffhangers of this and any other time. Geoff Johns is a clearly a fan living a fan’s dream… working on some of the most iconic characters in the industry. He is a known quantity – whether you like his work or not – and is arguably one of the industry’s “Top 10” writers.
Geoff Johns has written The Flash for some time. He is trusted by the fans to deliver solid and meaningful stories. In his most ambitious arc yet, Flash #201 marks of the beginning of his Ignition multi-part tale that will establish a new status quo for the lead character and the denizens of the book’s “twin cities”… and for the entire DCU.
This issue flows from the much-hyped Flash #200 that ended in dramatic Johns’ fashion by up-turning the Flash franchise’s status quo… by retconning (a.k.a. retroactively changing continuity) and making Flash’s “Wally West” alter ego actually a “secret” identity again – this is an in-continuity explained retcon unlike the Superman: Birthright mini-series that has changed Superman’s post-Crisis origin in an almost whimsical fashion (well written, mind you, for the most part), but I digress. No one (well.. almost no one) in the DCU remembers that Wally West is the Flash, including Wally himself.
That’s where Flash #201 begins.
Wally West takes a job with the Keystone City police department – a position readers may or may not expect – an occupation that Geoff Johns hopes will reinforce the Flash’s “working man’s hero” allure. Flash #201 should actually be titled Wally West #201 as the only Flash of the book adorns the cover – this is a similar approach that Johns took for Flash #197 which focused solely on Flash arch-nemesis Zoom.
Ignition starts off with a bang with Flash #201. Johns has tailored an interesting yarn, but…
Who is Alberto Dose?
The book’s new artist brings a very unique, stylized, and darker take to the Flash than has ever been taken. It’s a bold and controversial move – a style that is very un-Flash-like. However this was a calculated move by the Johns and the editorial team to visually mark a change in the status quo of the book to match the scribe’s new darker take.
Whether “Dark” Dose stays beyond the Ignition arc has yet to be revealed. His art suits the arc, but not the long-term future for the Flash. Dose’s gritty style is better suited for a Vertigo title or books from the Batman franchise. It is a different approach to the Flash and is well suited for the current ground-breaking-intentioned arc.
Pre-201 penciler, and newly Marvel-exclusive, Scott Kolins will be missed on the title. Thanks for the memories Scott! However, Johns is still here and the future looks bright…. um, actually dark…hmm… for the forseeable future.
Pick up #201 – it may be a hot find in light of the presumed post-200 and post-Kolins expected drop in readership for the title. Don’t miss out on this surprisingly interesting tale.
