Today, when most of the #2 issues of the DC Universe 'event' (or is it the DC Universe now?) called the 'New 52' have been released, I take a fond look back - at Flashpoint and the 1st issues of what will, for better or worse - heralded as a period of change for the average comic reader.
Flashpoint worked for most people. Innovative concept, no? Heroes, villains, altered timelines, different people, same names - except it's all been done before. No, here I'm not talking about the popular Elseworlds moniker books (all of which were loads better than what DC gave us here), which stopped coming out a few years ago, I'm talking about another DC Universe event called Zero Hour: Crisis in Time which came out in 1994. While Crisis on Infinite Earths addressed the question of multiple universes (space), this shorter (5 issues) series took upon itself to rectify the time anomalies. Written and drawn by veteran (then!....and the guy's still writing/drawing a couple of titles in the new 52! Wotta man!) Dan Jurgens, also known as the guy who killed Superman, the series dealt with a mystery antagonist destroying the past, present and future of the DC Universe - the identity of the said figure was kept secret till the very end, and that presented perhaps the best character development for him ever! (No, for those of you who haven't read it, I'm not spoiling it for you, until I review it!) Suffice to say, Flashpoint is 2/3rds Zero Hour.
Barry Allen is no longer the Flash. In fact, the world now doesn't have a Flash (if this sounds familiar, it's because Geoff Johns did it before in the beginning of his acclaimed Flash run, in a story titled Wonderland), the world is on the brink of war between Atlantis & Themyscira and there is no Superman. Barry Allen must figure out why all of it went to hell....before it gets too late. He's not without help, though - Batman is helping him, but this Batman isn't Bruce Wayne! (My rules - no spoilers for something that's not older than 5 years)
A lot of ground to cover in 5 issues, with splendid art by Andy Kubert and classic character moments by Geoff Johns - the scene with Barry and his mother is worth the full price of admission. But that, unfortunately, isn't enough to salvage this title - it's not that it's all bad, just that it's nothing we haven't seen before. In fact, a few of the 3 issue tie ins offer better stories - especially Batman: Knight of Vengeance & Secret Seven.
On to the new 52 - as an event, I really applaud the guys over at DC for taking this daring step - but it worked out so so for me. My top 5 picks:
Batman:
Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo have hit it out of the park this time. Conspiracy theories aren't new in comics, but I really applaud the people who have dealt with colossal revelations and taken it forward breaking all the stops - people like Ed Brubaker (Captain America), Dan Jurgens (Zero Hour), Jim Starlin (Batman: A Death in the Family), Alan Moore (Batman: The Killing Joke) and Judd Winick (Batman: Under the Hood). I'm stunned, and I'll be back for more!
Flashpoint worked for most people. Innovative concept, no? Heroes, villains, altered timelines, different people, same names - except it's all been done before. No, here I'm not talking about the popular Elseworlds moniker books (all of which were loads better than what DC gave us here), which stopped coming out a few years ago, I'm talking about another DC Universe event called Zero Hour: Crisis in Time which came out in 1994. While Crisis on Infinite Earths addressed the question of multiple universes (space), this shorter (5 issues) series took upon itself to rectify the time anomalies. Written and drawn by veteran (then!....and the guy's still writing/drawing a couple of titles in the new 52! Wotta man!) Dan Jurgens, also known as the guy who killed Superman, the series dealt with a mystery antagonist destroying the past, present and future of the DC Universe - the identity of the said figure was kept secret till the very end, and that presented perhaps the best character development for him ever! (No, for those of you who haven't read it, I'm not spoiling it for you, until I review it!) Suffice to say, Flashpoint is 2/3rds Zero Hour.
Barry Allen is no longer the Flash. In fact, the world now doesn't have a Flash (if this sounds familiar, it's because Geoff Johns did it before in the beginning of his acclaimed Flash run, in a story titled Wonderland), the world is on the brink of war between Atlantis & Themyscira and there is no Superman. Barry Allen must figure out why all of it went to hell....before it gets too late. He's not without help, though - Batman is helping him, but this Batman isn't Bruce Wayne! (My rules - no spoilers for something that's not older than 5 years)
A lot of ground to cover in 5 issues, with splendid art by Andy Kubert and classic character moments by Geoff Johns - the scene with Barry and his mother is worth the full price of admission. But that, unfortunately, isn't enough to salvage this title - it's not that it's all bad, just that it's nothing we haven't seen before. In fact, a few of the 3 issue tie ins offer better stories - especially Batman: Knight of Vengeance & Secret Seven.
On to the new 52 - as an event, I really applaud the guys over at DC for taking this daring step - but it worked out so so for me. My top 5 picks:
Batman:
Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo have hit it out of the park this time. Conspiracy theories aren't new in comics, but I really applaud the people who have dealt with colossal revelations and taken it forward breaking all the stops - people like Ed Brubaker (Captain America), Dan Jurgens (Zero Hour), Jim Starlin (Batman: A Death in the Family), Alan Moore (Batman: The Killing Joke) and Judd Winick (Batman: Under the Hood). I'm stunned, and I'll be back for more!
