Woopty-doo, the Flash is back! And this time? He’s a dick.
The Silver-Age Flash, Barry Allen, died spectacularly way back in 1986 within the pages of Crisis on the Infinite Earths. For the longest time, this death seemed to be the one death beyond Bucky’s that was actually permanent in comics. Well Bucky’s back over in Marvel comics and now Barry’s rejoined the living in the DCU as well.
I am not a fan of Ethan Van Sciver’s art, but I thought he really knocked a home run in these pages. Really very nicely detailed with lots of stuff going on in the background. I had lost interest in Van Sciver’s work on Green Lantern during the recent Sinestro Corps War, but his pencils in the pages of Flash Rebirth are very fresh.
I have issues with this book.
I already bitched about the bait and switch that DC pulled with this book. ‘Nuff said on that score.
Barry Allen’s been dead for 23 years by my calendar. Somewhat less by DCU standards. Still, he’s been gone for quite some time. Beyond that, he was beloved and respected by all the other DC characters. So coming back from wherever the hell he’s been, you can imagine, the world is pretty excited. Parties are thrown in his honor by his friends. His wife makes him dinner. His hometown holds a parade.
Barry chooses not to attend any of these events. Dick.
He’s got more important things to do: “I can’t be late… for whatever the rest of the world needs me for.”
Self-important dick.
Now there are four active speedsters in the Flash family: Golden Age Flash (Jay Garrick), Silver Age Flash (Barry Allen), Flash (Wally West), and Kid Flash (Bart Allen). Seems a bit much when you consider they all do basically the same thing, run really fast.
How many of these guys do you need?*
And that said, perhaps Barry’s not quite as important as he thinks he is?
(*) Best line from this issue… All the bad guys from Flash’s Rogues’ Gallery are sitting around considering the return of Barry and the fact that there are now FOUR speedsters. One of them remarks, “I think we’re gonna need more rogues.”