Mmm, ribs. If you followed DC Comics in the 80s', Barry ("The Flash") Allen sacrificed his life to save the multiverse, in "Crisis on Infinite Earths." That story was published in '85/'86, and then, in 2009, Barry came back in Final Crisis. DC Comics is pretty notorious for resurrecting their heroes: see Green Lantern: Rebirth, for example. It's also happened to Batman, who died in Final Crisis and returned in The Return of Bruce Wayne. But as is tradition, Superman did it first -- in the famous Doomsday trilogy. Unlike real life, death isn't so much a state of permanence in comics, as it is a revolving door.
There's this tension between regression and progression. Wally West, Barry's nephew, had pretty much earned his mantle of "The Flash" over the course of nearly 3 decades' worth of stories, facing down Professor Zoom, the Black Flash, a gauntlet of revamped Rogues, marrying and having children with news reporter, Linda Park. I wish I could explain to you what motivated Barry's return, but I can't. So we'll just have to see what all the hubbub is about, together!
collecting The Flash: Rebirth #'s 1-6
by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver
This story is told mainly from Barry's point of view. Now that he's returned, he's been running nonstop, intent that he's needed everywhere in Central City to stop crime. He doesn't take the time to stop and celebrate with his colleagues, the Justice Society of America, the Justice League, and the whole speedster family. Geoff Johns does a solid job of characterizing both Central City and Barry's relationship with his hometown. It's the "city on the go," never stopping to pay attention, and in a way it's like an origin story for Barry -- as a forensic scientist he was always late to appointments because he was so focused on his work.
This is all the backdrop for what Geoff Johns does really well -- the murder mystery. But instead of the traditional murder mystery, he writes it in reverse -- Barry finds out that when he runs, he has the capacity to kill people with a mere touch. It's like the Midas Touch, except well, you turn into ashes, not gold!
Barry finds out that he's been turned into the Black Flash, a grim reaper in speedster form -- by none other than his archenemy, Eobard Thawne, the Reverse-Flash of the 25th Century. Every time Eobard runs, he generates "negative Speed Force," which Barry is now an outlet for, now that he's back from the dead.
There's a great deal of rehashing of Barry's history here. I'm not sure if it was new at the time, but now in 2017, it's old news. We know that Eobard was responsible for tormenting Barry's childhood this whole time. It's just that he couldn't kill Barry, because that would have erased the Reverse-Flash's life in the 25th century! So he did the next best thing -- he murdered Barry's mother, the lightning rod that grounded him as a child. And he's going to kill Barry's lightning rod as an adult -- his wife, Iris.
With the help of the Flash family, Barry dispatches the Reverse-Flash, but not before we get montages of Barry's rogues getting together, preparing for a world that once again has The Flash.
For what it was meant to do, Flash: Rebirth does it very well. It heralded the return of DC Comics's greatest Flash, and revamped the Flash family. It added to the Flash mythos, and set the ground for a year of Flash comics (that year of which was followed by Flashpoint). The plot is somewhat thin in the comic, and that's because decompression was getting to be huge. Geoff Johns was the darling of DC comics doing this, while Brian Bendis was doing it at Marvel Comics. Johns does such a great job at adding details to the smallest scenes, that he could stretch a 3-issue story, into 6 issues. And that's what he does here. Check out this description of Jay Garrick (the original Flash) and his opinion of Barry.
The story from Jay, a third party, serves to justify to us why Barry's return is so important. He may have not been the first Flash, but he was the first Flash to break the sound barrier and then, the light barrier. And not only did he do this incredible feats of Flashdom, he motivated his hero to do the same.
The narration is spot-on too, if wordy at a few times. There are some moments where I felt like I was being told what's going on with the speed force, rather than shown, but for the most part it really helps the story. Check it out, when Barry thinks back to when he was consumed by the Speed Force.
A band of muscle in my thigh tightens up. A surge runs down my spine as it IGNITES.
Flesh transforms into electricity. And I REMEMBER. I remember what happened when I became a PART of the Speed Force.
Another cool Flash-fact for you: the Flash can run so hard, that he will join the Speed Force, kind of like a living death for speedsters. But, if it's not your time, in order to leave the Speed Force, you need a "lightning rod" to "ground" you. For Wally, it's his family. For Barry, it's his wife, which is why Reverse-Flash is so intent on killing her.
Ethan Van Sciver on art, is incredibly detailed and meticulous. It takes effort to draw all those lightning bolts and hands. But I can't help feeling it's not my Flash. His layouts are ordinary, and I have a hard time believing the top-heavy build that he gives the Flashes. They're runners, not body-builders. Compared to the kinetic layouts and spreads from Francis Manapul, in New 52, I consider them ordinary.
Another panel, of Barry helping a waiter while he is spilling his plate:
It never gets old!
A crucial page, when Superman tries to talk Barry down from re-joining the Speed Force:
Now, we no longer have to question who's faster in race!
In the end, I'm a Flash fan. Of course I'll read The Flash: Rebirth. The question is, should you? It's a thoroughly DC Comic book comic, from a thoroughly DC Comic book writer. For the way it holds the hand of the reader and explains some of the Speed Force's and Barry Allen's "greatest hits", I think it's a great entry point for anybody interested in reading about the Flash.
Read about the follow-up to Flash: Rebirth: The Flash: Dastardly Death of the Rogues
Read about the other Rebirth story: Green Lantern: Rebirth.
Read about Barry's return & Batman's death: Final Crisis
Read about Batman's return: 1-3, 4-6.
Read more about The Flash
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