The Flash: Rebirth #1
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico
While watching the DC Rebirth announcement panel in late March, a few titles really caught my eye. Flash was the unexpected title that shot its way to the top of my pull list after I heard Joshua Williamson’s epic pitch for the book. Having Flash train a group of young speedsteers and one of them going bad is a stroke of genius on Williamson’s part. It takes the Flash mythos’ idea of legacy and mixes in an Anakin Skywalker twist. The Flash: Rebirth #1 does not directly introduce this story but it proves that Joshua Williamson has a strong handle on Barry Allen and Wally West. With Flash: Rebirth #1, we’re looking at another hit in the reinvigorating DC Rebirth line.
Williamson begins his Flash issues by recapping Barry Allen’s origin in a very clever way. He puts Barry on a case that is almost exactly like his mother’s murder. Williamson is able to stay away from flashbacks while going through what made Barry Allen the man he is today. The characterization is fairly solid and feels like a lot like CW Barry Allen. He feels responsible for the world but he is still grounded in his family’s tragic past. This is conveyed through an expertly written heart to heart between Barry and his father. The best parts of this issue are when Williamson shows Barry interacting with his supporting characters. Williamson clearly demonstrates that he has a compelling version of these characters in his pages and that is enough to get me excited about the future of this book.
Though despite its great elements, The Flash: Rebirth #1 feels a little muddled and confusing. Once we pass going through Barry’s origin, Williamson addresses the status of Wally West and it’s presented in a very perplexing way. Nothing that happens feels well-explained or even contextualized. It just feels like a required sequence that was forced into the middle of the book. At times, this comic feels too unfocused to properly explain the complexities of time travel and alternate universes. This disorders the plot and left me confused at many moments. This may be Williamson’s biggest challenge jumping into a Flash ongoing. Properly utilizing the scientific element of the Flash while making it accessible to readers is a difficult task and this issue may indicate Williamson hasn’t quite figured out how to do it.
Carmine Di Giandomenico is tasked with bringing Williamson’s story to life and does an expectedly excellent job. His style feels like a perfect fit for The Flash as it blends a nice cartoony element with clear speedster effects. Not all artist can capture The Flash’s speed really well on the page but Giandomenico is able to make it simultaneously clear and dynamic. Giandomenico does a strong job of pencilling Williamson’s emotional story and brings a great look to this issue. If this keeps up, The Flash may be one of DC’s most visually pleasing titles.
The Flash: Rebirth #1 starts off this series with a slightly jumbled issue that also proves Joshua Williamson has a strong handle on Barry Allen. By rooting the conflict of this comic in the tragic origin of his hero, Williamson is able to effectively recap the character’s origin and introduce new readers to the centre of his heart. This basic understanding of what makes Barry complex as a character shows me that Williamson is going to be delivering great character work in the future of this series. However, it is yet to be determined whether the writer will be able to make the science fiction aspects of this comic easy to read. If Williamson is able to focus on the strengths of this issue, he could be striking gold with this Flash run. That is why everyone should at least give this comic a chance.
Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico
While watching the DC Rebirth announcement panel in late March, a few titles really caught my eye. Flash was the unexpected title that shot its way to the top of my pull list after I heard Joshua Williamson’s epic pitch for the book. Having Flash train a group of young speedsteers and one of them going bad is a stroke of genius on Williamson’s part. It takes the Flash mythos’ idea of legacy and mixes in an Anakin Skywalker twist. The Flash: Rebirth #1 does not directly introduce this story but it proves that Joshua Williamson has a strong handle on Barry Allen and Wally West. With Flash: Rebirth #1, we’re looking at another hit in the reinvigorating DC Rebirth line.
Williamson begins his Flash issues by recapping Barry Allen’s origin in a very clever way. He puts Barry on a case that is almost exactly like his mother’s murder. Williamson is able to stay away from flashbacks while going through what made Barry Allen the man he is today. The characterization is fairly solid and feels like a lot like CW Barry Allen. He feels responsible for the world but he is still grounded in his family’s tragic past. This is conveyed through an expertly written heart to heart between Barry and his father. The best parts of this issue are when Williamson shows Barry interacting with his supporting characters. Williamson clearly demonstrates that he has a compelling version of these characters in his pages and that is enough to get me excited about the future of this book.
Though despite its great elements, The Flash: Rebirth #1 feels a little muddled and confusing. Once we pass going through Barry’s origin, Williamson addresses the status of Wally West and it’s presented in a very perplexing way. Nothing that happens feels well-explained or even contextualized. It just feels like a required sequence that was forced into the middle of the book. At times, this comic feels too unfocused to properly explain the complexities of time travel and alternate universes. This disorders the plot and left me confused at many moments. This may be Williamson’s biggest challenge jumping into a Flash ongoing. Properly utilizing the scientific element of the Flash while making it accessible to readers is a difficult task and this issue may indicate Williamson hasn’t quite figured out how to do it.
Carmine Di Giandomenico is tasked with bringing Williamson’s story to life and does an expectedly excellent job. His style feels like a perfect fit for The Flash as it blends a nice cartoony element with clear speedster effects. Not all artist can capture The Flash’s speed really well on the page but Giandomenico is able to make it simultaneously clear and dynamic. Giandomenico does a strong job of pencilling Williamson’s emotional story and brings a great look to this issue. If this keeps up, The Flash may be one of DC’s most visually pleasing titles.
The Flash: Rebirth #1 starts off this series with a slightly jumbled issue that also proves Joshua Williamson has a strong handle on Barry Allen. By rooting the conflict of this comic in the tragic origin of his hero, Williamson is able to effectively recap the character’s origin and introduce new readers to the centre of his heart. This basic understanding of what makes Barry complex as a character shows me that Williamson is going to be delivering great character work in the future of this series. However, it is yet to be determined whether the writer will be able to make the science fiction aspects of this comic easy to read. If Williamson is able to focus on the strengths of this issue, he could be striking gold with this Flash run. That is why everyone should at least give this comic a chance.
A Look Inside
