OK so I’ve just finished reading The Flash Rebirth and color me underwhelmed (by the way this WILL contain spoilers). Now for those of you who don’t don’t know back in ‘85 the Flash was lost to the speedforce during Crisis on Infinite Earths, and during Final Crisis (2008) he broke out of the speedforce and was returned to earth.
Now here’s the story in a nut shell Barry’s back, the whole world knows and is celebrating. He’s feeling a little out of sorts, and that he doesn’t belong; in his estimation he shouldn’t have been able to escape the speedforce. While walking around the flash museum with Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) he decides that there isn’t enough time to do everything that he must do (what ever that may be). Then in true Flash fashion suits up and takes off down the street where in his travels Savitar (villain trapped in the speed force by Wally West), some how also manges to escape and when the flash grabs him he turns to dust and all characters in the DC universe who are tied into the speed force seem to be hit by lighting, and that’s how issue one ends.
For the return of Barry Allen I expected something a little bigger, I know it’s the first issue and all that jazz but it just kinda feels off. Now that is one of the things Barry says in the comic and if that line and feel were intentional then I’ll tip my hat to Geoff Johns (I’ll have to wait and see). The only part of this story that has my attention is in the first few pages where a unknown figure kills a couple of crime lab guys with a staff with lighting bolts on the ends and talks about being the one who brought Barry back. Also mid way through when GL says to Barry that he out ran the grim reaper himself, flash to a couple of kids in a field where a charred corpse with remnants of a Flash uniform on. I Also liked the art and the way the speedsters were portrayed in there movements (pretty cool looking).
Where this is all going is any one’s guess, with all the Flash’s making an appearance as well as a couple of shots of The Rouges and Gorilla Grodd (Flash villains for those of you how don’t know) i have no idea where this is going.
Still I personally don’t think that the return of another DC character from the dead or wherever the hell he was, was needed. To me, it just seems to cheapen their initial death or sacrifice and leave the reader feeling cheated. That being said I will probably continue to buy this so I can (as will most others) find out what the hell is going on so DC still gets what they want which is a another comic book sold.
