THE FLASH #1
Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL and BRIAN BUCCELLATO
Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
Variant cover by IVAN REIS and TIM TOWNSEND
On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The Fastest Man Alive returns to his own monthly series from the writer/artist team of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato! The Flash knows he can’t be everywhere at once, but what happens when he faces an all-new villain who really can! As if that’s not bad enough, this villain is a close friend!
CNN’s Geek Out has a preview in their Science of the Flash article. The writer/artist team of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato have been running the interview circuit, speaking with CBR, IGN and Cosmic Treadmill about the new direction for Barry Allen, the roles of Iris West and the Rogues, and the new villain introduced in this 5-issue arc, Mob Rule.
I just read THE FLASH #1 and it was terrific! Being a Geoff Johns fan, I wasn’t sure how the book would fare without him at the helm. If you’ll pardon the pun, Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato didn’t miss a step. This book moves with the wild speed and fun that a Flash story should. Manapul’s stylized pencil/brush artwork is even more impressive here than it was prior to FLASHPOINT. The page showcasing how Barry’s costume comes out of the ring and forms over him in pieces looks crazy-cool and totally works for this new DC universe.
I wasn’t sure how I would feel about Barry and Iris’ marriage being nullified like so many others in recent comics, but I found myself not minding at all because she’s still a pretty significant player in this first issue. I also enjoyed seeing a threat from someone other than Flash’s typical Rogues. This book is easily one of my favorites of the new 52 launch and I think it’ll be a big seller for fans who give it a shot.
I just finished reading it myself. I totally respect your opinion Ryan, but I feel the exact opposite. I was bored through the entire thing. Barry never has been able to hold my interest and this issue is not an exception. The art is amazing, Manapul is just phenomenal. They’re totally setting up a relationship between Iris and Barry and I’m not excited at all. Didn’t we already have to spend years watching that build up? Sorry but I’m not interested in seeing it again. I wish I did like it. I opened the book with high hopes. But I guess the inner Wally fan in my took over and I just can’t get into Barry taking his place. Sorry DC, you lost me on this one.
I’m also missing Wally, but it’s not either/or with me – I’ll happily read about both Barry and Wally. And I’m delighted that Barry’s book proved an enjoyable read for me. With luck, lots of people will support it and DC will relax and give us Wally back.
I enjoyed this book loads more than expected, it’s very nicely written and drawn, with some original moments of storytelling. And the new change looks loads better in colour than in the mono previews, not so sharp at the edges.
Sadly, with this issue I don’t think there’s any doubt left that Wally’s tenure as the Flash has gone the way of Connor Hawke’s tenure as Green Arrow. Didio and Johns, et al, are playing coy because they know that acknowledging this will engender a hue and cry that they no is coming, and which they no desire to deal with, but I don’t see how there’s any way around it.
Whatever shape Wally takes should he show up in this rebooted DCU will be vastly different from the one we’ve followed all these years — and frankly I’m not sure it’s a Wally I’m particularly interested in reading about. As far as Barry, while I was never opposed to the notion of him racing back to fictional life, as far as I’m concerned, his return came at far too high a price. I’m out.
Fantastic first issue! Nice seeing characterization in Barry that has slipped through the cracks since Rebirth. I wouldn’t say I was fearful of what was to come in regard to the writing (especially since my expectations had really been low for the past few years) but I’m absolutely looking forward to this series now. Loving the art though I’d still like to see the crimson color pop a bit more in the costume.
I’ve read some great Flash stories starring Wally West by Johns and by Mark Waid. The stories were terrific and I had a blast reading them… and I don’t miss Wally West, not at all. Honestly, it’s hard for me to really tell the difference between Barry and Wally, and I prefer the originals to the legacy heroes (discounting the Golden Age Flash, of course). If DC can find a way to integrate Wally into the new continuity without making him a nearly identical Flash, I’ll welcome that. I don’t know if they can, however, so I’m not sure they should even try. But that’s my preference, which I imagine is in the minority amongst Flash fans.
Read it and really liked it. Manapaul and Buccelleto did a pretty good job with the story, in my opinion, and the art was phenomenal. I’m looking forward to the next issue.
I just asked for a copy of the sketch variant and was quoted $150!!!
I got the 1:100 variant (last #1) for $40, how can a 1:200 be worth more than 3 times as much????
Sheesh!
I do not like this Flash story. :/
The Gouger is my least favorite character.
Hold da phone! The who?!
Please explain why one character is named Gouger. That sounds potentially nasty…as something I don’t even want to see if I had a free copy in hand.
I believe he’s referring to the retailer selling the variant for $150 as a gouger.
Ha, cheers Lee, I was also wondering who The Gouger was … I suspected he was the least-appropriate Flash villain since bloomin’ Murmer.
Sorry for the confusion… yeah, I was talking about the retailer.
My shop was kind enough to give me the Reis variant cover in my pull (I hadn’t asked for it), same price as the regular cover. I didn’t even notice the comic handed to me was the variant, but when some fellow came in asking about variants, the employee who does the pulls said she gave it to me because I’m “a true Flash fan, not a speculator”. I was really touched 🙂
My shop had sold out of the Flash by the time I got there at 1 pm, although it’s true they tend to under-order.
Yeah. I got the 1:25 for cover price, but my store didn’t order enough copies to get the sketch variant.
I’m telling ya, it’s the 90’s all over again with all these variants!!!
Scary
It isn’t just the variants that are making these days a redux of the ’90s…
Beautiful!
I was ready to be REALLY hard on this book. I was ready to never buy another Flash comic ever again. Not because I’m a huge Wally fan (although I am) but because vol. 3 was not my cup of tea at all.
It felt like a cash grab every step of the way, whether it was “Rebirth” or the blackest night crossover, the 12 issue series that at the end of the day felt like a check list to get Flashpoint going or the event itself. DC hasn’t seemed to care about a good solid direction for the flash for what feels like a REALLY long time.
BUT this book was everything vol. 3 was not. It was FUN. It felt like a Flash book and most importantly it felt like it had some real direction. The art was astonishing and the writing while not quite Mark Waid (like anything ever will be…) was great and got me excited to get to know the new version of Barry.
DC could have probably avoided a LOT of fan anger if they had just launched this as a reboot after vol. 2 finished up instead of dragging us on a wild goose chase for years.
Looking forward to next month.
Grill_Monkey, I (mostly) agree with your last statement; this a much better starting point than Rebirth was.
I respect the fact Geoff Johns wanted to set up a Flash family concept, multiple threads (Flash with 2 co-features, plus a Kid Flash book) that would lead to basically a Flash crossover (Flashpoint).
Which makes me wonder how much DC changed up on those plans due to the reboot. Regardless, this was a very good starting point. And wow…that art.
Great start. This is simple, clean, fun story telling with great art. Easily the best of the new 52 so far. Easily.
I quite liked it. IMO, this is what the last volume should have been: fast, engaging, and most of all, fun. “Dastardly Deaths…” was close, but a bit slow for me, and the less said about “The Road to Flashpoint” the better.
I agree with Grill_Monkey that skipping the Rebirth/Blackest Night/Brightest Day/Flashpoint train and jumping straight into this would have been much more palatable than years of being jerked around. Either that, or I’m just relieved to get something better than all that.
I hope to have a full review up by tomorrow evening.
To be fair, the event train DID raise Flash’s profile (and on the whole I enjoyed the stories), but yeah, post-Dastardly went off the rails and I’m happy to get back to basics. Great first issue! Very, very pleased.
Wally will be back, I’m sure. Law of Infinite Serialization…
I thought the issue was good, definitely one of the better ones of the 52, though not my top favorite. The art was good, but the coloring seemed a little murky.
Before the reboot, I read about 35 or so DC books a month. After trying a bunch of the 52, I have my list down to 8-9 now, mostly Batman books. So DC reduced my purchases by 75% – thanks DC! The Flash is the only one I’m going to buy out of a collector’s sense of duty and obligation. I don’t know if I’d stick with it if I wasn’t a big Flash fan.
Hey, Jesse, I was in the same boat, about 35 DC issues a month. Now my pull list is 2 Marvel, 3 BOOM!, 1 Icon, and ZERO DC. Way to go, DC!
Loved it. Was fantastic.
Who says artists can’t write?
This was a solid first issue which I rather enjoyed. They presented a more interesting Barry than Johns did and the snippets of how he ‘lives’ at super-speed were a nice touch (rather liked the apartment scene where he was working on the murder case)
Panel layouts were creative as Manapul once again does a terrific job on the art. I like that Iris is present right from the beginning (and seems to get Patty’s goat from the beginning as well)
It’s only the first issue but I’m cautiously optimistic about the this title. Yes, it’s not Wally, but this Barry looks more fresh and energetic than he did in the previous volume.
I didn’t want to purchase the Flash #1 but couldn’t resist the Manapul’s art. I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to what Manapul has in store. I, along with almost every person who comments on this site, am still looking forward to seeing Wally West again. If DC is going to bring back the JSA, then I could see them at some point doing this with Wally West. I just hope it’s a lot sooner than later.
On the subject of individual reactions to the reboot, I was buying one DC comic before Flashpoint (not counting Vertigo). I bought 7 this month, 5 of which I’ll be sticking with for at least another issue. And I plan on picking up The Shade starting next month as well.
Admittedly, most of the ones I’m sticking with aren’t in the the main part of the superhero line…
I’m in the same boat. I bought I, Vampire and LOVED it!!
I’m buying an additional 3 DC books a month now.
I was pleasantly surprised by All-Star Western. Of the four I purchased, I will be sticking with three so far.
I dislike the “transformation” elements and the lightning/glowing effects along the seams.
I like the mask changes, though.