This week the CONVERGENCE tie-ins visit that time just before the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, and with that we get a look at the Silver/Bronze Age Barry Allen. This age of heroes is trapped under their dome in Gotham City, without powers and seemingly without hope. How does the Scarlet Speedster handle living without his speed?
MILD SPOILERS AHEAD
This story picks up somewhere between The Trial of the Flash and Barry’s demise in COIE. Barry Allen is living in the 30th century with his wife Iris after her reincarnation in that time period. So, how is Barry stuck in Gotham City in the present (or pre-Crisis) day?
Barry has been visiting the “past” on a frequent basis to see family and friends, and happened to be in Gotham on the day the dome fell. Without his speed, but with his scientific skills, he takes a job with the Gotham City Police Department Crime Lab. He has held on to hope for a year, but the time stuck under the dome is wearing on him. A chat with an old friend (Bruce Wayne) helps, but what helps him much more is the dropping of the dome. That, of course leads to Barry’s battle…and to the next issue.
This issue did a credible job of bringing back those Silver/Bronze Age days, particularly in the artwork. The story gave us a Barry that was believable for that era (keep in mind we’re picking up the story after The Trial of The Flash so his life hasn’t been all happy-go-lucky even though he’s living mainly in the 30th Century with Iris now). While I wouldn’t necessarily place this book at the top of the tie-ins to CONVERGENCE, it still outdoes most of the other stories I’ve read so far. And, we have a good setup for issue #2 next month. What do YOU think? Please leave your comments below.
I thought this issue was good but had some inconsistencies … Barry mentions the speed force, for example, which wasn’t a thing at the time. Also, his hair looked like Wally’s throughout.
One thing that’s wearing on me with these convergence issues is that each one captures the heroes during a period of deep depression. It’s not really capturing the tone or feel of the previous books since it puts those heroes in this other setting.
The speed force reference jumped out at me too, but I figure maybe this takes place after the Earth-One version of Chain Lightning, or some other time travel meeting with an older Wally West. Sure, the idea of the speed force means less in a world with only a couple of speedsters rather than a long history of them, but since it doesn’t actively overturn any pre-Crisis setup and wasn’t really a factor in the story, just an offhand remark, I let it slide like the costume details on the cover. (Though the fact that I love Allred’s art helps with that.)
Good point on the depression issue. It’s already “Your favorites are all back…to fight to the death!” In a way they aren’t even really *back* per se. On the plus side, unlike the opening issues of Flash: The Fastest Man Alive, everyone’s back in action by the end of the first issue, at least in the ones I’ve read.
Interestingly, all the ones I’ve read deal with separation even more than isolation. Barry missing Iris, Wally & the kids missing Linda, Donna missing Terry, Harley missing the Joker, Roy missing Lian. I’m not sure if that tracks across the entire line, or if it’s just the issues I happened to pick up.
Seems almost cut & paste to me. BLANK character from BLANK era is missing BLANK. At the end of issue 1, the dome drops and they rush of to fight BLANK.
Barry has a photo of his parents and talks about how he misses them.
IOW, his parents were both alive and well when the dome came down.
This contradicts Flash: Rebirth, of course.
Anyone else notice this?
Anyway, I like this Barry much, much better than the Barry we’ve seen since Flash: Rebirth.
I definitely noticed it. I miss the days before that particular retcon.
It is a Barry that before Convergence was in the 30th century with his wife Iris. That is, before the period in which dies (and lack of information, without your children Don and Dawn that should be gestated within the month of love he had before he died)
It is an interesting story full of strange feelings because Iris and their parents. So mentioned, he occasionally travels to the past (present century, no 30) to see his parents and friends, being in that trip is going to Gotham and when enclosed.
I can not wait to continue reading, painting interesting. But hopefully respect the love by Iris Barry to the end (and speak more of it or show us a picture of her) lately I want to join with everyone but her. 🙁