If the rumors are true, it seems that the mini series called Flashpoint will have some major repercussions on the DC Universe proper. What exactly those repercussions are going to be though, it's anyones guess at this point. What Top 5 Comics aims to do with this series of articles is take a gander at all of the Flashpoint issues and their tie-ins, giving the rundown on them, telling you which ones to check out and which ones aren't exactly up to muster. It's obviously a big event, but will it be a good one? Only time will tell.
This week we will cover: Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #2, Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost #2, Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance #2, and Flashpoint: Project Superman #2.
Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #2
Writer: Adam Schlagman
Artist: Cliff Richards
Company: DC Comics
Company: DC Comics
Like the first issue of this series, Hal Jordan is a book that is right on target and knows what it is. It's not the best book in the world by any means, nowhere near hitting the heights of Knight of Vengeance, but Schlagman's writing is up to par and makes this Top Gun-esque book that pits jet fighters against giant Amazonian monsters (as the cover dictates, something which I heartily approve of) a lot of fun to read. He's taking a few story strings from the recent movie, especially where Hal Jordan's character is involved. The unsure of himself but daredevilish pilot works well. Richards' artwork falls into that range of pretty darn good. He's got the handle of pretty much everything that is needed, especially in the regard of making the high flying adventure of the issue cool and memorable. That his planes are so clean and grounded in realism is yet another added bonus. All in all, Hal Jordan is a solid book, though it could stand to venture outside the traditional lines that encapsulates it, something that would make it even better.
Writer: Sterling Gates
Artist: Oliver Nome
Company: DC Comics
Thrown through time and fighting the likes of Brainiac? Yeah, you would think that Bart Allen would be screwed, and yet, Sterling Gates is giving him a fighting chance. More to the point, it's believable. Gates' Kid Flash is smart, resourceful and a hero at his heart. He's not lying down on the job or giving up just because he's trapped in the future in a world that's being devoured in an almost Martix-like fashion. This makes for some well structured, fun, and speed force defying fun. I truly wasn't sold on the character of Patty, this woman who has taken up the mantle of Hot Pursuit, mainly because Hot Pursuit wasn't that interesting of a character to me. However, Patty is. She's got a lot at stake and seeing what makes her tick is proving to be interesting. Where this book falls down however is with Oliver Nome's artwork. There are scenes where his stuff is quite good, his character work, but there are others that have a real jumbled feel to them and feel kind of scatter-shot. The bare bones are there, it's just that Nome hasn't really found his voice completely yet. Still, Gates' story, and the ideas that he puts to paper, is the draw. This is a book that any Flash fan should probably seek out.
Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Artist: Gianluca Gugliotta
Company: DC Comics
Well, the cat's out of the bag with that cover. The Wildstorm Universe has invaded the DCU, no doubt about it. Some will more than likely say that this is inherently a bad idea. Since I have a soft spot for Grifter and I found the notion of him being the leader of an underground resistance intriguing, not to mention that DnA were the ones implementing said integration, I was actually looking forward to it. That said, the story here is not one of the best. Part of that has to do with Gugliotta's artwork, which is flawed and slap-dash in a lot of respects. His anatomy is all over the place and characters simply look placed about on the page instead of having any life to them whatsoever. However, DnA do not escape this unscathed. There are some weird calls and oddities that make this crack-jack team of Rebels feel less than smart as they battle a group of Furies. There's also the real chance that much of what this team accomplishes won't have any huge ramifications on the main Flashpoint series. Overall, despite a few neat ideas that feel like the things we've come to expect from this writing team, the narrative gets lost a bit. That coupled with the less than stellar art makes for a mediocre outing.
Writers: Scott Snyder & Lowell Francis
Artist: Gene Ha
Company: DC Comics
The best of the Flashpoint titles this week, Project Superman tells the tale of Kal-El, an alien child who is captured by the government, poked and prodded for knowledge, and ultimately being primed for a life as nothing more than a weapon. Snyder and Francis' story is dark to say the least, but this notion of a scared little boy who wants nothing more than a family, does its job extremely well. They pepper in some ideas and appearances that make the book feel very Superman-ish while they also color a bit outside the lines. That's what these Elseworlds style books are for though. Ha's artwork continues to be a huge factor as to why Project Superman is so good. I was a little worried that he wouldn't stay on, as he traditionally is not the fastest artist in all of the land. I love his young, emotionally stunted Kal-El. The level of emotion that he's able to capture in those alien eyes and his demeanor is quite helpful in selling the words of the writers. He also doesn't skimp on the rest of the things in this book, nailing everything from the scenery to the bloody action that inevitably rears its ugly head. A great series so far. I can't wait to see how it ends.
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