The great rebirth-era Flash reread starts here! And it starts off pretty well in spite of treading ground that is a little too familiar, with the trope of the (not-do) secret identity speedster villain front and center.
While the New 52 volume ended on a low-key but ironically high note and this does offer a continuation while being its own beast without being bogged down by continuity too much, this volume intensifies the experience with a brighter pallette with Carmine Di Giandomenico and Ivan Plascencia’s fluid art that truly brings Central City to life in ways second only to Francis Manapul and Scott Kolins only did better before them. This is, perhaps, it’s selling point as the writing, although good, tends to keep itself in “safe” territory a little too well in this regard. It is not terrible at all, but rather predictable. This has the unfortunate consequence to make Barry Allen sound like a boring person to be around, where other writers have managed to write the admittedly rather straightforward personality of the “good boy” that Allen is in ways that are a little more engaging. However it does offer a symbolic reading about the distribution of power and responsibility thereof in it’s core narrative, which makes the whole thing a little more engaging. Perhaps unintentionally so, at this stage.
Still, it is an engaging read and a solid opening that does get the reader curious to read more, but there have been better experiences in doing so around the Flash before. But it does it’s job well: showing the reader that we are back to what makes the Flash worth reading and primes itself for more. And what MORE is to come!
