Monday, June 27, 2011

Flashpoint: Reverse Flash and Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance

Lot to get through today, so let's cram the last of this week's Flashpoints in while we can. Also, I'm considering doing all the Flashpoints on Friday and call it... a bad idea that will never be on time... and let's just leave it at that.


Scott Kolins and Joel Gomez

"My Revenge..."- Eobard Thawne is a man from the 25th century that desperately wants to be the Flash, but on his first outing, Barry Allen attacked and beat him for abusing his powers. this makes Thawn hate Barry and, after accessing the negative speed force, he became the Reverse Flash and travelled time.

Summary: The issue is really just a history lesson as Reverse Flash goes from event to event to try and un-make the Flash. But he can't kill him... or stop him from becoming the Flash, which would make Thawne cease to exist. So killing him and stopping the lab accident are out. Then he tries to stop the Flash from saving the day the first time, which also results in him ceasing to exist. Skipping to the next best thing, he tries to kill Barry's wife, Iris... and again, this does not end well, and in one situation, he actually succeeds and Barry snaps his neck, killing him. Witnessing his own death forces Thawne to re-evaluate his plan and he heads for Barry's childhood. By removing Barry's best friend as a kid from existence, Barry becomes more reliant on himself and his parents. This leads Thawn to take the logical next step, and then arrives at the Allen's doorstep to murder Mrs. Allen. All of this, by the way, is canon.

Highs: I like that this issue is written like a science experiment in what can and cannot be altered with time travel.

Lows: If my summary wasnt clue enough... not much happens. It reads quickly and factually.

Verdict: B. Not the best or worst I've read but it could use some sprucing up and could be more interesting. So... awkward dance break?


Image and video hosting by TinyPic





Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning

"Breaking News:" Who is Lois Lane without Superman? Apparently the exact same, without the wedding ring. That being said, this is what a "history" book is supposed to be.

Summary: First off, let's talk about that cover. See all those awesome characters, not Lois Lane, that take up most of the cover? Not in this at all. Also, Lois doesn't even have a gun.... Moving on... We open up to news reports covering events from the last year, in order (Suck it, Emperor Aquaman writer). From the wedding assasination of Hippolyta, to the sinking of Themiscyra, to the destruction of the UN building when the two forces fought, to the takeover of Great Britain by the Amazons. We stop at 8 months ago, in Paris, where Lois and Jimmy Olsen are on assignment for fashion week. And Jimmy has some serious cougar love (though I don't consider Lois a cougar, really). I gotta nitpick just a little bit here... the art here is nice, but the artist apparently has never seen a female figure. I know comics get a bad wrap for women having ridiculous measurements (42-16-38), and the bodies here are drawn well, and fairly proportional, but EVERY female has enormous breasts. And there are a lot of women here, of course. As they are preparing to do a report on the event, tidal waves crash down on the city, flooding it very quickly. Lois and Jimmy take off for a church wiht the highest point in Paris, and Jimmy stops every other panel to help people along the way. Even in the church, when a man trips on a pew, Jimmy hands his stuff over to Lois and help the guy, only to be crushed by water and debris. The survivors are qre rescued from the tower by some Amazons who execute a priest for his belief in a false god. The women and children are taken to New Themyscera, which is a floating island built out of the remants of London. All of these survivors are sent to camps, and stripped of their belongings. Lois doesn't want to lose the camera so she buys time by hiding in the bathroom. Turns out the camera is a device for contacting Cyborg in America because Jimmy WAS BASICALLY JAMES BOND JR., complete with montage. Lois wants to be a hero too, so Cyborg has the device become a bracelet. The next few months that lead to the present are about how all the men in the area have been executed and only the strong are allowed to stay in the area. Lois escapes from the prison camp and is attacked by Amazon guards, only to be saved by Penny Black, who I know historically, not in the comic sense, who is quickly shot by Artemis.

Highs: That cover looks tight. And I do love the characterization of both Lois and Jimmy.

Lows: The cover lied... The art began to get choppy in the more populated scenes. But I guess if 4/5 of your cast has D-cups, there's going to be some difficulty fitting things on pages.

Verdict: A-. Not bad at all, and I think this is a far better introduction to what's going on with the Amazons than anything so far. So how about more dancing from Community?

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

No comments:

Post a Comment