Reviewer: Ben Morse
Story Title: “Animal Houseâ€
Written by: Geoff Johns
Penciled by: Howard Porter
Inked by: Livesay
Colored by: James Sinclair
Lettered by: Pat Brosseau
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Publisher: DC Comics
I’ll come right out and say it: The Flash has become a victim of its own success. Geoff Johns and his artistic collaborators have made this title so good for so many years now that we as readers have raised our expectations to the point where a less than absolutely perfect issue is seen as a disappointment (granted a less than perfect issue of Flash is still a dynamite read and better than 75% of the books on the market, but still…). This is why “Ignition,†a groundbreaking and unique storyline, was panned at the start because it was a little slow-starting (of course it proved everybody wrong in the end). Well, I’m sad to say that, well…this issue of The Flash was…less than perfect.
Good lord, it hurt to say that.
There was some good stuff…heck, it was The Flash, there was tons of great stuff…but there were enough shortcomings for me to notice, and thus, as an objective reviewer, I must do my duty and point them out.
First and foremost, Geoff Johns took one of the strongest villains during his and other Flash runs, Grodd, and made him look like a pushover. This certainly doesn’t help the image of the DCU’s baddest gorilla, who was also made to look like a chimpy chump in recent appearances in Superman/Batman and Outsiders. The way Flash takes Grodd out is kind of neat, but it’s so absurdly simple that you wonder why he hasn’t thought of it hundreds of time before, not to mention how Grodd could ever be a threat to anybody ever again if he’s put down so easily. Johns revitalized Grodd as a vicious and terrifying threat during “Run Riot,†so after several issues of teasing him as a villain lying in the shadows, the abbreviated battle is a major let down.
Nightwing also gets the short shaft in a book typically known for handling its guest stars better. Last issue did a great job of defining the friendship between Dick and Wally and giving it a real world feel; since Dick doesn’t do much outside of serve as cannon fodder this issue, you kind of wish Johns had quit there. Perhaps the wallpaper guest appearance could be forgiven if not for the fact that Dick’s quick resolution of an interesting friendly difference of opinion last issue squashes a potentially fascinating future dynamic (and makes Dick look kind of like a goober).
Something also feels off about Howard Porter’s art this issue. It’s usually much smoother and cleaner; this issue looks like a regression to some of his work from way earlier in his career. The figures are a bit too blocky and angular and the action doesn’t look as fluid as usual; Grodd in particular looks more silly than scary. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad art, but much like the rest of the issue, I’m used to better here.
Of course, as mentioned before, the issue is not without its good points. I think it would take a real life bolt of lightning to prevent Johns from nailing the character of Wally West for even one issue; the narrative is entertaining as always (though the “Grodd terrified me when I was a kid†thing is nothing we haven’t heard before) and I never get sick of Wally’s observations about the differences in living life at super speed. The moment with Wally in the Flash Museum is sort of a nice touch, but it’s also a bit sappy, and, to be frank, I’m getting sick of every issue ending with a goofy smile when the guy needs to be missing his wife more; I don’t need or want Wally miserable, but it’s just not believable when he forgets that the love of his life is gone every time he gets to hang out with one of his superfriends.
The continuing sub plots, as usual, make the issue. The scene with Heatwave is brief but beautiful and I’m anxiously awaiting the upcoming “Rogue War.†The moment between Flash, Warden Wolfe and Ashley Zolomon at Iron Heights is appropriately tense. I’m torn on the last few pages; it seems a bit contrived, but I’m very intrigued to see where it leads (especially considering who it involves).
So, yeah, sorry team Flash, but it just wasn’t clicking this month…but it’s all good, you don’t even need to apologize, I owe you dozens of freebies. Besides, it’s like when you drop a delicious ice cream cone on the ground: it sucks for a second, but you scoop it up and enjoy the rest of the dairy goodness.
