Citizen Cold #1
Writing and art by Scott Kolins
Now this is a much better return to Central City for Scott Kolins than his Flash art a few weeks back.
In a world without the Flash there are still Rogues; villains who plague the twin cities of Central and Keystone. There is no Barry Allen or Wally West running through the streets to stop them, there’s just…Citizen Cold. That’s right, the best of the best of the Rogues is the lone hero in this story, where all the bad guys are his old partners. He’s still in his classic costume, still rocking the cold guns, and he’s still Leonard Snart. So what’s the twist?
By far the most intriguing part of this issue, and this character, is that Cold is essentially the same Cold we’ve all grown used to. The same one that Geoff Johns spent years writing with Kolins on pencils. Sure, he’s the hero of Central City, but he’s hardly the typical mold of a hero…which is to be expected as nothing is as familiar as it could be in Flashpoint. Cold has his fans, hell, he’s beloved by the city, there’s a wing at Iron Heights named just for his rogues gallery called ‘The Freezer’ filled with guards who love his work. On top of that, he kills without much issue, offing a villain right from the get go. The ones who survive him wind up beat the hell up, and that creates a lot more resentment for him amongst his enemies than Flash ever got.
Cold is a guy who relishes his fame, but who never opens up his identity. Not because he cares if someone goes after his loved ones, as despite his origin not being changed, it’s revealed that he never went back for his sister, nor did she get out. He keeps his secret so that he can be left alone. He’s also a fame loving, endorsement cashing, whore loving jackass. He’s Captain Cold, regardless of the name change, and I think that’s what makes this issue work. There really aren’t too many sweeping changes, at least compared to the other Flashpoint titles to have hit stands, and the issue works better because of it. Kolins was obviously paying attention when he was the artist before as his characterization is great.
He’s still using the newer style that he’s shown off in JSA and his recent issues of Flash, and I’ll admit, I do prefer his old work, but this is a nice looking issue. Kolins draws a great Cold, not to mention the rest of the Rogues. Weather Wizard with a beard looks more badass for some reason, and Mirror Master? It’s a great design, I’ll leave it at that. This issue is a big improvement over his Flash issues visually, which makes me believe that they were a bit rushed.
Citizen Cold is a big time hero, one who may just be ready to let it all slip away at times. He’s handled in a way where he feels like a title star and not just a supporting cast member with a mini series. There’s a lot of respect given, and Kolins does a really good job here. There are also a few supporting cast members tossed in; Iris West is the reporter hot on the heels of Cold for the ever elusive exclusive, and her driver/cameraman/nephy Wally West comes along for the ride. That’s right people, Wally West is actually in a comic! If you were a fan of Johns original run on Flash, you’ll probably like this quite a bit.
Overall?
8/10
