Comics Nexus Staff Looks at Flash #1 by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato

Capsules, Features, Reviews, Roundtables

I loved Flash, full review here, which set off some discussion amongst the staff:

 

Recent returnee Starman Morrison (catch his JL: Dark review here), didn’t like the issue much at all:  What fresh new wonders does The Flash #1 bring us? A Barry Allen who doesn’t wear ties on dates! Also, Iris West finally has a personality… borrowed from Lois Lane. Everything about this book is strictly standard from the script to the art. It’s not that bad but to my mind a title like The Flash should move like a Formula 1 race car. This one is idling in the pit. For die-hard Flash fans only. 5 of 10.

 

Manolis Vamvounis continues his triumphant return by backing me up:  I love what Manapul is doing here, rebooting his storytelling style and arranging panelwork around how time and space would be perceived by the FASTEST MAN ALIVE. Too bad he also happens to be the BORINGEST man alive in this issue. I was so happy when those goons broke into the scene on the third page so he could shut up about those effing trains! It’s too bad he’s a bad remnant of the 60s and we’re stuck with him again, they even erased his marriage and relationship from continuity in an effort to make him hip and approachable? Iris deigning to look on him was his only redeeming quality as a character, fools. Still, 7/10 for the nice art :)

 

Grey Scherl, our lovely current EIC is on my side too: I expected absolutely nothing aside from pretty art with The Flash, I’ll be honest. Hey, I’ve never even denied it. DC’s big writer-artist craze recently hasn’t exactly turned out stellar results with David Finch sucking up Dark Knight. So I bought Flash because the art looked awesome. And man, I am glad that I did. Francis Manapul does something in one issue that Johns hasn’t done in the past several year. I care about Barry, I like Barry, hell, I don’t want Patty Spivot to go back in the continuity hole she came from anymore.  Barry is interesting for the first time since he came back, and did I mention the book is gorgeous? 8.5/10

Glazer is a former senior editor at Pulse Wrestling and editor and reviewer at The Comics Nexus.