[QUOTE=Frontier;4205830]I'd say it's a really solid Flash run even if sometimes it feels like Williamson is meandering a little or taking too long with certain concepts and it falls into talking about "poor Barry Allen" more then it should in my opinion.[/QUOTE]
Is it possible that it reads better in trade? I have found that a lot of recent month to month comics don't hold up well read in pieces.
[QUOTE=Vakanai;4206138]Sounds good. Do I need to read Flash's disappearance in the original Crisis to get Return of Barry Allen (CoIE is on my wishlist, just haven't gotten around to it yet)?
I've seen the Flashpoint Paradox film, would you still recommend the book?
And I don't collect monthly floppies (no local comic shop, and getting single issues off amazon is pricey with shipping and handling), is any of the current run already collected in trades? What are the story lines called for when I look them up?
Year One sounds good, I [B]love [/B]origin stories. Will it be a miniseries, one shot, or graphic novel? [/QUOTE]
The Flashpoint movie is pretty damn close to the book so you'll be fine. The first volume of the run is called "Lightning Strikes Twice" and they should have quite a bit of it collected. We're about 65 issues in and it looks like it won't be slowing down anytime soon. Year One will be a part of the main series starting with issue 70 and will probably come out collected as part of the ongoing series.
As for Return of Barry Allen, you should be fine without reading Crisis first. I was. It does a pretty good job of letting you know where things are in its first issue.
Edit: If you want, it might not be a bad idea to track down the "DC Universe Rebirth" one-shot that came out right before this run started as it addresses some of thr fallout of Flashpoint and how it affects the current status quo.
[QUOTE=C_Miller;4206143]Is it possible that it reads better in trade? I have found that a lot of recent month to month comics don't hold up well read in pieces.[/QUOTE]
I would say it probably is a run that works well in trade-format even if I personally enjoyed reading it from month-to-month.
I still hate the 'forces' idea. I've given it a few issues and it still hasn't grown on me.
The thing that's bugging me most not just this volume, but ever since his return, is Barry's portrayal.
I know the New 52 screwed everything, but it's simply not the same character I read years ago.
Reading the book now, you wouldn't know Barry Allen is a top CSI law enforcement officer.
It hasn't been touched upon in FOREVER, and when it is, it's in passing. Barry is portrayed like a novice hero who is bumbling around the DCU chasing people touched by 'sage force' 'strength force' etc.
Shouldn't Barry's analytical brain be doing backflips with this stuff? Shouldn't we be seeing Barry trying to reconcile this stuff in a scientific manner instead of accepting magical forces?
I guess what I'm saying is I prefer my Barry Allen as a more experienced hero. I miss my Flash Facts!
[QUOTE=married guy;4206350]I still hate the 'forces' idea. I've given it a few issues and it still hasn't grown on me.
The thing that's bugging me most not just this volume, but ever since his return, is Barry's portrayal.
I know the New 52 screwed everything, but it's simply not the same character I read years ago.
Reading the book now, you wouldn't know Barry Allen is a top CSI law enforcement officer.
It hasn't been touched upon in FOREVER, and when it is, it's in passing. Barry is portrayed like a novice hero who is bumbling around the DCU chasing people touched by 'sage force' 'strength force' etc.
Shouldn't Barry's analytical brain be doing backflips with this stuff? Shouldn't we be seeing Barry trying to reconcile this stuff in a scientific manner instead of accepting magical forces?
I guess what I'm saying is I prefer my Barry Allen as a more experienced hero. I miss my Flash Facts![/QUOTE]
I think in many ways you're right and in many ways I feel that way too. I miss the altruistic nature of comic book fan Barry Allen becoming a hero because it seemed like the right thing to do.
I reread Flash Rebirth 2009 not long ago and it really hit home how much emphasis is on it being the worst thing Zoom could have done to Barry Allen. I didn't like tragic Barry at the time and I didn't like it during the new 52. It felt like a piece of what made him special was missing.
I guess the difference to me now is that it feels like it's being written more deliberately. Like it needs to address the way Barry has been since his return and help him work through it. Almost like how Messner-Loebs addressed how Baron treated Wally those early issues.
I never felt like Barry was better than Wally because I felt like Wally earned his place as the best and Barry was forced into that position with his return. I'd rather have a run that aknowledged where Barry has been steered wrong since his return, address it, and overcome it.
If I'm wrong by the end of the run I probably won't look back on it as fondly, but I think I see where it's going and why Barry's angsty behavior is being brought up in the way it has been.
[QUOTE=Vakanai;4205946]This is probably the right place to ask this question - what are the Flash stories you would recommend to someone wanting to get into the character? Like, what are the classics new readers should get?[/QUOTE]
Josh Williamson's Flash run is better than what most people give it credit for. A lot of people complain that Barry doesn't have a mythology of his own and i think Josh is doing a great job there, in my opinion. My only downside is that Wallace hasn't been involved as much as i would like. I thought it was a missed opportunity there.
Yeah I love the current run. It can go a little slow at times and Barry can get a little too mopey, but that doesn’t come close to outweighing the good. Lots of action plus lots of character moments. Grodd, Cold, Zoom, Reverse Flash, Wally West, Batman, Green Lantern have all made appearances. To me it’s been one of the more consistently solid runs of rebirth. And when I read them, they feel kind of important to the overall Flash story.
I do think it’s kind of a random time for Flash Year One. But it’ll be a break from the force stuff so I’ll take it. And Williamson seems like he can do a year one story justice.
[QUOTE=Slim Shady;4207446]Yeah I love the current run. It can go a little slow at times and Barry can get a little too mopey, but that doesn’t come close to outweighing the good. Lots of action plus lots of character moments. Grodd, Cold, Zoom, Reverse Flash, Wally West, Batman, Green Lantern have all made appearances. To me it’s been one of the more consistently solid runs of rebirth. And when I read them, they feel kind of important to the overall Flash story.
I do think it’s kind of a random time for Flash Year One. But it’ll be a break from the force stuff so I’ll take it. And Williamson seems like he can do a year one story justice.[/QUOTE]
Williamson did say there would be a reason Year One would fit now. Of course, he's also been apparently pitching Year One since he got the Flash job, so he probably would have slotted it in somehow.
[QUOTE=Vakanai;4205946]This is probably the right place to ask this question - what are the Flash stories you would recommend to someone wanting to get into the character? Like, what are the classics new readers should get?[/QUOTE]
Waid and Johns both have a lot of good stuff in their runs. More Wally than Barry though. I really like the new52 run when Manapul/Buccellato were the creative team.
As for classics like old stuff, my go to story is always the death of Iris West and trial of the Flash. The whole thing gets played out over the course of a couple of years, so it's a big read, but it's great.
[IMG]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dz0GRKxU8AABb4e.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dz8x2FEX0AAmPQw.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE=liwanag;4209033][IMG]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dz0GRKxU8AABb4e.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]
I wonder if the woman in his arms is Iris?
[QUOTE=liwanag;4213438][IMG]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dz8x2FEX0AAmPQw.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]
He seems kind of bored on this cover :p.
[QUOTE=Frontier;4213446]I wonder if the woman in his arms is Iris?
He seems kind of bored on this cover :p.[/QUOTE]
well, the missiles were a bit slow...
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