del gorky
03-03-2007, 08:05 PM
As this thread discusses Flash #9 you can assume it contains spoilers about the issue which I'm sure almost all of you did.
This issue marks the first one with the new creative team featuring writer Mark Guggenheim and I'm sure DC hopes one that begins to rebuild the sales of this title following the disaster that was Bilson, DeMeo and Lashley. This issue is an improvement on their short run but almost anything this side of Chuck Austen's X-men would have been. Nonetheless, I felt that it was still just okay at best. All of this was not the creative team's fault. They inherited a lot of garbage that has to be buried but Guggenheim should be smart and get rid of almost everything he can that they did. Because when something doesn't work and fails as badly as Flash has, they're no point in having a huge ego and believing you can tweak it and make it work. Let's take a look at what's there right now.
(1) Flash in L.A. I assume this was done by Bilson & Crew due to the fact it's the only city they are familiar with and it keeps things simple for them. Still this is sort of irksome since much of the Flash's history and supporting cast is from the Central/Keystone area. As a result, a new supporting cast must be developed and the last thing this title can really afford is time and issues to do so right now. Also, creating a new supporting cast all too often devolves into the writer inserting new "Mary Sue" characters into the title.
(2) Bart as Flash While this provides a relatively clean slate continuity wise for new readers, I frankly doubt there are very many left now. But this only provides a relatively clean slate. Bart's been around in The Flash, his own Impulse series and most recently Titans. So far in both the previous eight issues and in Guggenheim's issue, there seems to a lack of depth in characterization and they seem to have lost the "voice" of Bart from his run in the Titans where Geof Johns did really good things with Bart. Bart seems hollow and most of the dialogue rings false. Guggenheim does a good job referencing past continuity though hitting notes of him being a Titan in the past and his actions while there in this issue. On this point, maybe it's wait and see what the new writer does. Still Barry is coming back in some form soon and taking back the title book may not be out of the question.
(3)Aging of Bart I thought this was an unnecessary and bad move on the part of DC editorial. It would have been fine to have a teenage Flash. DC artificially aged Bart four years without any good explanation (that tricky speed force- sure guys) and now consistently refers to it but doesn't really show any consequence of it. I assume he'll be shown to be a little more awkward esp. around women but I think this will basically be thrown away as plot point making you wonder why the need to do it at all. Bart as a teenage Flash is unique. Now it's like having Wally when he began as Flash again. This is basically a screw-up that Guggenheim is stuck with. It may just be best to drop it and move on.
(4) Upcoming Issues It seems that Guggenheim has decided to pump the books sales by quickly bringing all the Flash Rogues back into the book as quickly as possible which might work for a short while. Frankly, I doubt we'll see anything we haven't seen yet. I hope to be surprised but I don't expect it. All this will do is really make readers compare Johns' excellent handling of the Rogues to the current issues. This could prove dangerous. I would have preferred a couple of story arcs showing how Bart uses his abilities and goes about being Flash before then putting him up against the Rogues. Clearly though sales are in the toilet. Guggenheim continues to use the new girlfriend Val but I hope it doesn't last. Bart's twenty; he's allowed to fall in and out of lust quickly; in fact, it's normal and healthy. Tying him down to an out of work scientist just to give him someone to talk to is pretty lame. In many ways, I would love for Flash to be a very action heavy and compressed comic. All too often Flash is written by new writers as quick read which really spreads the story out over time. Bilson & DeMeo already learned this doesn't work. Yes, Flash should always be fast paced but it should be filled with content. This is a tough juggling act to pull off. It requires a lot of story ideas and the ability to convey them in a minimum number of issues. Flash has always worked best as a comic because it provided great value, i.e., real bang for the buck. Guggenheim is already showing he can accurately hit emotional notes (Bart's reaction to fighting with Val); I want to see if he has any actual interesting stories to tell that don't take 6 issues to get through. His work on Blade may indicate he is capable of doing this with a good art team that doesn't waste panels or over-indulge in "money-shot" art.
(5) Humor I think most readers enjoy Flash having a light hearted tone and it certainly helped the comic in Guggenheim's first issue. But he probably went a little to far with the humor and laid it on too thick. This issue had too many in jokes and breaking the fourth wall. Most of the good Flash runs have benefited from a positive attitude from Flash and a general light hearted atmosphere combined with outlandish villains who are nonetheless deadly and dead serious about their goals. In other words, it's cool and fun to make us laugh and smile but it's best used as a set up to show how nasty the Rogues are.
(6) Art The art on this book has suffered lately. Lashley was incapable of meeting a deadline and rarely worth it when he did. The replacement artists were even worse. Flash due to it's kinetic nature can be a tough assignment and an artist either fits or he doesn't. So far the new art team is merely perfunctory at best. There are lots of solid artists that can meet a deadline. Flash's editor should start finding one. No one's looking to find the hot artist of the month on Flash. It's not what the readers of the book are looking for. Competent solid art with a good handle on showing "speed" effects is what's required.
(7) Final Thoughts. I wish the new team on Flash the best. I've been reading the comic for 35 years. I hated it when it was cancelled for a couple of years. I really hope that doesn't happen again. But I will say that I was tempted to stop buying Flash for the first time in all those years about three months ago. And really my opinion on that hasn't changed yet but the new team has bought the book some time. It's really a shame I love reading The Flash, always have. But it's not me that's changed, the comic book has and it's worth reading right now.
This issue marks the first one with the new creative team featuring writer Mark Guggenheim and I'm sure DC hopes one that begins to rebuild the sales of this title following the disaster that was Bilson, DeMeo and Lashley. This issue is an improvement on their short run but almost anything this side of Chuck Austen's X-men would have been. Nonetheless, I felt that it was still just okay at best. All of this was not the creative team's fault. They inherited a lot of garbage that has to be buried but Guggenheim should be smart and get rid of almost everything he can that they did. Because when something doesn't work and fails as badly as Flash has, they're no point in having a huge ego and believing you can tweak it and make it work. Let's take a look at what's there right now.
(1) Flash in L.A. I assume this was done by Bilson & Crew due to the fact it's the only city they are familiar with and it keeps things simple for them. Still this is sort of irksome since much of the Flash's history and supporting cast is from the Central/Keystone area. As a result, a new supporting cast must be developed and the last thing this title can really afford is time and issues to do so right now. Also, creating a new supporting cast all too often devolves into the writer inserting new "Mary Sue" characters into the title.
(2) Bart as Flash While this provides a relatively clean slate continuity wise for new readers, I frankly doubt there are very many left now. But this only provides a relatively clean slate. Bart's been around in The Flash, his own Impulse series and most recently Titans. So far in both the previous eight issues and in Guggenheim's issue, there seems to a lack of depth in characterization and they seem to have lost the "voice" of Bart from his run in the Titans where Geof Johns did really good things with Bart. Bart seems hollow and most of the dialogue rings false. Guggenheim does a good job referencing past continuity though hitting notes of him being a Titan in the past and his actions while there in this issue. On this point, maybe it's wait and see what the new writer does. Still Barry is coming back in some form soon and taking back the title book may not be out of the question.
(3)Aging of Bart I thought this was an unnecessary and bad move on the part of DC editorial. It would have been fine to have a teenage Flash. DC artificially aged Bart four years without any good explanation (that tricky speed force- sure guys) and now consistently refers to it but doesn't really show any consequence of it. I assume he'll be shown to be a little more awkward esp. around women but I think this will basically be thrown away as plot point making you wonder why the need to do it at all. Bart as a teenage Flash is unique. Now it's like having Wally when he began as Flash again. This is basically a screw-up that Guggenheim is stuck with. It may just be best to drop it and move on.
(4) Upcoming Issues It seems that Guggenheim has decided to pump the books sales by quickly bringing all the Flash Rogues back into the book as quickly as possible which might work for a short while. Frankly, I doubt we'll see anything we haven't seen yet. I hope to be surprised but I don't expect it. All this will do is really make readers compare Johns' excellent handling of the Rogues to the current issues. This could prove dangerous. I would have preferred a couple of story arcs showing how Bart uses his abilities and goes about being Flash before then putting him up against the Rogues. Clearly though sales are in the toilet. Guggenheim continues to use the new girlfriend Val but I hope it doesn't last. Bart's twenty; he's allowed to fall in and out of lust quickly; in fact, it's normal and healthy. Tying him down to an out of work scientist just to give him someone to talk to is pretty lame. In many ways, I would love for Flash to be a very action heavy and compressed comic. All too often Flash is written by new writers as quick read which really spreads the story out over time. Bilson & DeMeo already learned this doesn't work. Yes, Flash should always be fast paced but it should be filled with content. This is a tough juggling act to pull off. It requires a lot of story ideas and the ability to convey them in a minimum number of issues. Flash has always worked best as a comic because it provided great value, i.e., real bang for the buck. Guggenheim is already showing he can accurately hit emotional notes (Bart's reaction to fighting with Val); I want to see if he has any actual interesting stories to tell that don't take 6 issues to get through. His work on Blade may indicate he is capable of doing this with a good art team that doesn't waste panels or over-indulge in "money-shot" art.
(5) Humor I think most readers enjoy Flash having a light hearted tone and it certainly helped the comic in Guggenheim's first issue. But he probably went a little to far with the humor and laid it on too thick. This issue had too many in jokes and breaking the fourth wall. Most of the good Flash runs have benefited from a positive attitude from Flash and a general light hearted atmosphere combined with outlandish villains who are nonetheless deadly and dead serious about their goals. In other words, it's cool and fun to make us laugh and smile but it's best used as a set up to show how nasty the Rogues are.
(6) Art The art on this book has suffered lately. Lashley was incapable of meeting a deadline and rarely worth it when he did. The replacement artists were even worse. Flash due to it's kinetic nature can be a tough assignment and an artist either fits or he doesn't. So far the new art team is merely perfunctory at best. There are lots of solid artists that can meet a deadline. Flash's editor should start finding one. No one's looking to find the hot artist of the month on Flash. It's not what the readers of the book are looking for. Competent solid art with a good handle on showing "speed" effects is what's required.
(7) Final Thoughts. I wish the new team on Flash the best. I've been reading the comic for 35 years. I hated it when it was cancelled for a couple of years. I really hope that doesn't happen again. But I will say that I was tempted to stop buying Flash for the first time in all those years about three months ago. And really my opinion on that hasn't changed yet but the new team has bought the book some time. It's really a shame I love reading The Flash, always have. But it's not me that's changed, the comic book has and it's worth reading right now.