Some time ago, I kinda panned several comic books for selfish and silly reasons. With regards to The Flash, I called the first book generic. I called the Flash boring. I called out the lack of growth…Truth be told, I had not finished the book by the time I had wrote the article. I had only read about half where it focused on Barry’s relationship with his self cloning friend. It wasn’t a fair enough shot. By the end of the second half, the book really picked up and I was compelled to buy the second volume. And after that, let’s just say I get why The Flash is such an amazing character with many levels complexity. Not just in the character, but a nice insight into why Flash’s mythology is heralded as much more than ‘running fast’. Especially for someone who doesn’t know much about The Flash.
Speed Force Gets Real
So let’s talk Speed Force. To people who didn’t know The Flash, it’s easy to see that yes, he runs fast. But why? Because Speed Force that’s why. Speed Force is a weird, unexplainable entity that seems to be the explanation to everything. I know that is a contradicting statement, but it’s really true. The source of Flash’s powers also has other implications in several other groups of individuals. We get introduced to a man who has been “stuck” in the Speed Force for dozens of years. We find out that Speed Force is responsible for the rise and fall of the Mayan Empire, the source of power for Gorilla City, and the whole world will end if Barry Allen doesn’t keep running to keep Speed Force residual energy in check…or something like that…Classic comic books.
But Speed Force is so very intriguing, that we’re willing to take these leaps of faith with Barry as he investigates what Speed Force is. It’s like a good mystery story.
Introducing the Rogues
While Vol. 1’s primary villain ended up being cooler at the end, I was not satisfied with the lack of iconic rogues. Flash might have the funnest set of Rogues. With Vol. 2 being called “Rogues Revolution”, we were able to get a great (and for me, first) look at The Flash’s rogues. Captain Cold, Heat Wave, Golden Glider, Trickster, Mirror Master, Pied Piper, and Weather Wizard. All in one volume. Now if you didn’t really know who a lot of these rogues are, there’s enough background given to characterize and spark an interest into how deep some of these characters go. Captain Cold’s no killing rule, Mirror Master and Glider’s tragic romance, and Pied Piper’s romance with the police chief. Their fun personalities as a team make rooting for them a blast.
Gorilla Grodd Invades
For sure The Flash’s scariest villain I’ve met so far is Gorilla Grodd. Savage and hulking, this villain isn’t as fun as the other Rogues. Grodd’s motives for killing The Flash lies beyond money and personal gain. The way Francis Manapul draws Grodd is absolutely horrifying, in a good way. The Flash Vol. 2 Rogue’s Revolution ends with Flash on the ropes and the Rogues close on a sure-fire victory. But when Grodd invades, the way the Rogues say, “Someone wake up Flash” sent a chill up my spine.
So all in all, I’m glad I gave it another shot. I’m very excited to continue reading The Flash. Let me know what you guys think!
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