Flashpoint

So I'm pretty new to comics. In fact, this was probably one of the first non-Batman titles that I've ever read. I was drawn to it because I knew that it was the story that launched DC into the New 52, which is where I'm starting with my comic reading in general. I knew the general premise going in, but I gotta say it surpassed my expectations. Light Spoilers follow. I won't give away anything really big. Basically, the story is about The Flash (Barry Allen) waking up in a strange, alternate timeline. His mom is alive, he doesn't have his super speed, Batman isn't afraid to kill people, no one has heard of Superman or the Justice League, and Aquaman and the Atlantians are waging a war against Wonder Woman and the Amazons that threatens to destroy all of civilization. Barry must find a way to restore history to normal before this war destroys everything. A lot of the ways that this timeline differs from the normal one are really interesting. Batman's back-story and the appearance of a certain Kryptonian really stand out as memorable parts of the story. The comic also did a good job of being accessible to new readers. Like I said, this was one of my first non-Batman reads and I understood it all perfectly (previously I had only known The Flash from the Justice League cartoon). Geoff Johns did a great job of explaining aspects of Flash's past for new readers. The story all builds up to an exciting climax in the fifth issue, and if it had ended there it would have still been a good read. What made this story great for me were two scenes in particular towards the end. I won't give details, but one is Barry with his mother and the other is Barry delivering something to Batman. These two scenes were very emotional and definitely went above my expectations. After finishing this I am totally interested in Geoff Johns as a writer and I can't wait to start reading his runs on Justice League, Green Lantern, and Aquaman!

I have always been a fan of the DC Universe since I was little kid. They had a huge playground of characters and universes for you to choose from. At times it was downright confusing but it was fun nonetheless. Over the last twenty of so years (Hard to Believe it has been that long). DC has been trying to cleanse the confusion caused by their massive continuity begining with the awesome and critically accalimed Crisis On Infinite Earths then the mediocre Zero Hour: Crisis in Time and then the very cool Infinite Crisis Despite all of that it really did not do much to deal with the confusion. Fans would debate what story was in continuity and did this happen or that happen. First Batman was a part of the Justice League then he wasn't and then he was. First he discovered who killed Thomas and Martha Wayne then it was a mystery. First he was known somewhat by the public then he became an Urban Legened. You get my point. First Wonder Woman was not a founder of the JLA then later on she was. Many of Supermans John Byrne adventures were wiped out. It got ridiculous. Not to mention Hawkman. (Check out the The Hawkman Omnibus Vol. 1 to help clear up that confusion. Unless you have been reading consistently for 20 years you may have missed out on those confusing and convoluted moments. The point is (no pun intended) Flashpoint is designed to restart that and in some ways I think pay homage to everything that came before it. I loved this book. I loved the Kubert art and the crazy plot. I highly recommend it. It's interesting how Barry Allen died in the original Crisis which changed the old universe and he is now the catalyst for the changes that result in this new universe which by the way is very very cool. Please check out the DC Comics: The New 52 Many of the titles are awesome. Check out your local comics shop for more information. The highlights of this story include Batman and the radical changes to Aquaman, Wonderwoman, and Superman. Many fans were angry about the changes but I was not. This book I think honors that old quirky multiuniverse aspect of the old DCU and helps to bring in something new and different. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fresh start in comics.

Fantastic read. That's all I really need to say. Flashpoint is a modern-day classic in my opinion. The conflict and resolution that Barry deals with in this book are fantastic. I won't say too much because the book is often on sale and if you're reading this review, you should be reading it. It is a relatively short read, so you could definitely get through it in an hour or two depending on your reading speed. Overall, I love this book and highly recommend it for both new and long-term DC comic fans.

I am going to gear my review to NEW readers of comic books. I feel the enjoyment level of this series of comics (known as a trade paperback – take that down – you’ll hear that a lot) will vary between veteran readers and new readers. Aside from maybe buying a comic here and there in my teen years, I am a new reader. My age demographic is 27-35 to help paint a picture. This was my very first purchase and read – for the new age DC era. I purchased this trade (there’s that word again) after reading some reviews both on Amazon and Reddit. This story gives reason, to an extent, to the new character changes that occur in the New 52 run of comics; which started in 2011. DC apparently felt the need to “start fresh” with a whole new line of continuity – primarily to tap new readers. I will say this, if you are a NEW reader – you do NOT need to read this. Knowing what occurs here will not change how you read The New 52 line of comics. If you are starting out new, then you have no reason to worry about re-alignment of continuity. Just jump on in and enjoy! With all that aside, let’s get to the story itself. Like I said it is not a prerequisite to read in order to enjoy The New 52, however, I very much enjoyed it –and there is a lot that could be said about knowing what prompted the changes. Geoff Johns, form my understanding, runs the show over there at DC – so you already know that the story is in god hands. His writing is phenomenal and the whole story arc flows nicely. There was never a dull moment reading where I wished things sped up in order to get to the “good stuff.” Also, the artwork is superb. The advancements in both the writing and the artwork throughout the past few decades are certainly noticeable. Like many of the reviews state: the story is about Barry Allen waking up at his desk at work to find himself – not in a new universe – but a distorted present reality. I don’t want to give much away about the plot – cause in doing so will would set off a major spoiler alert – however this new reality shows what would have happened if Barry’s mom never died. The butterfly effect that occurs is quite drastic and deadly. This is a major “What If” type of story that truly shows the effects of what can happen if history is changed. Read this if you want to see some of your favorite heroes like: Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Superman, Batman, and Cyborg in all new ways. Friends and foes take different paths this time around. Not to mention the Batman who dawns the cowl in this story is grittier than the Batman you know. …Also, don’t worry if you start to feel emotions in the last couple pages; this was intended. Yes, a comic book – words and art – will make you feel emotions. So you are reading this review and wondering why I gave it a 4 and not a 5. Well, it is simple. It was too short of a read. There was so much story to be told within this story arc – that doing so in 170 pages felt rushed. The story progresses rapidly and ends swiftly. This story sets up the reasoning of The New 52 and should have had more bulk to it. The subplots within the story certainly could have had more emphasis. With that said – there are side trades that you can buy that will tell the side stories. However, I felt that this specific story simply needed – more.

Perfect if you love the flash :)

In 2011, every DC Comics fan was told of a major event happening in that a massive reboot of the entire DC Universe was going to occur and that it would all be in part to the a storyline guided by the character of Barry Allen/The Flash. With the last major story having been the Blackest Night and the Brightest Day, Flashpoint would be the last actual story of the Post-Crisis DC Universe. All in part to the machinations of the Flash. Barry Allen finds the world that he had known before has changed from how had remembered. With Barry Allen having been dead for years and then resurrected his memories become muddled. For he is not just risen but also his futuristic rival Eobard Thawne/The Reverse Flash. Barry realizes that his power in tapping the speed force has it so that he cannot change the past, Eobard's power with the negative speed force is different in that change has happened. With Eobard having harmed Barry's own family. This in turn causes Barry to try his hardest to change it back. Unfortunately he wakes up to a world far worse than he could have known. A world in which he would have saved the life of his family but his friends either fail to become heroes or become villains. As this story goes on for Barry attempting to change back the world to the way it was before it was changed, he races against time as the rest of the world goes on to its eventual destruction. Barry wakes up to a world in which he never became the Flash and the Justice League doesn't exist. The change in the timeline caused Superman's spaceship to veer off course and destroy Metropolis. While Abin Sur wasn't overcome by fear and had survived, while Hal Jordan continued to remain an ordinary pilot. Aquaman and Wonder Woman had become the respective monarchs of their kingdom only to have a torrid affair that would make the Trojan War look like a seedy talk-show special as the world plunges into war that will lead to its annihilation. Basically only three heroes dominate in this world. Shazam's power is not in the hands of a sole participant but in five children who become the mighty Captain Thunder, basically its Captain Marvel only as a hive mind, with Billy Batson, Mary Batson, Freddy Freeman, etc. Victor Stone/Cyborg who is more noble and courageous than he ever was as a Teen Titan. And Batman, only not Bruce Wayne but Thomas Wayne, because this is a world in which Joe Chill's bullets hit Bruce Wayne and not Thomas and Martha. Barry knows the world is in danger and no matter how great it is to have his family whole he knows that whatever must be done to restore the timeline is what matter. So he finds Thomas Wayne/Batman as they unite to turn Barry into the Flash and attempt to save the world. I must say this truly was a great story and I have to admit its great, but the problem with it is that its too good. So much of this alternate timeline is a great read that I want to know more about it. Thankfully DC knows how popular this story was an created a 'World of Flashpoint' miniseries. I also have to say that I'm almost ashamed of Barry's actions leading up to Flashpoint. But I am glad he sees the error of his ways. Without a doubt one of the best things is Thomas Wayne as Batman. I would love it so much if he were depicted like this one day. Plus for better or worse, this story gives birth to a fresh new direction into DC Comics... The New 52 Universe. Thank You Mr. Geoff Johns. A

This was a very good and interesting Flash Comic story to read because it had action and heroes and villains going against one another to have a chance to save the world timeline and have everything safe from around the world and this story made me appreciate the comic book hero Flash even more. This book is worth recommending as well

Man, what happened? I know that makes my review appear to be negative, but it isn't. I loved Andy's artwork since he took over X-Men from Jim Lee in the 90's. That's when I was first introduced to him. At first, I refused to buy anymore X-Men after Jim Lee left, but after looking at the cover by Andy, his style eventually started to peak my interest. So I caved in and got an issue and couldn't stop. He has such a distinct drawing style that I always knew it was him right from the comic book cover alone. I didn't even need to see his initials. His drawing of people's faces and hands were always special. Anyways, my reason for the question relates to his drawing style. It appears to have changed over the years and I feel I can no longer spot comic book covers drawn by him as I previously did. Comic book artists and their unique style is always ever evolving. It's understandable to try new things, new techniques, new facial expressions etc. Those are great things to experiment with. I love this trade paperback and his artwork is truly beautiful, but it's missing that certain something that made me fall in love with his earlier pieces of art. There are certain characters in this book such as female characters and I'm shocked by the way he draws them compared to his X-Men days. Granted, the female characters in the book aren't superheroes, but that doesn't mean they should be drawn with less detail and beauty as if they are irrelevant. Not everyone can be Jean Grey, Storm, or Rogue. I like the way he draws female characters and I miss that about him and thought I could find more of that here, but it's not here. Regardless, the book is great. I brought it for his artwork so I can't comment on the plot and honestly I could care less about the plot. Only got this for pure Andy. Thank god he draws the entire book and there aren't any guest artists cause I would have been even more LIVID!!!! Now I can spend all day admiring his technique and talent.

Uma hq para proporcionar, especialmente em leitores contumazes, o prazer de uma história inovadora e desafiadora deve conter, além de uma história bem contada, uma arte que nos pegue, que nos prenda e desperte para manter o interesse na narrativa em alta. Em Flashpoint o já consagrado Geoff Johns nos traz um argumento inovador e, como deve ser uma boa narrativa, repleta de reviravoltas e surpresas que, aliado à arte do "monstro" Andy Kubert, filho de Joe e irmão de Adam Kubert, nos enche os olhos, numa arte que engrandece e não permite que tiremos os olhos da obra. Além destes aspectos, que por si só já concedem ares de clássico à hq, não podemos nos esquecer da trama inteligente e incrivelmente inovadora, trazendo uma tendência ou premissa que atualmente quase se constitui em uma obrigação na escrita dos roteiros atuais, a de infringir tensão extrema na vida dos Super heróis, quase que fundindo suas mentes e respingando em suas existências, o que, em meu entendimento, concede grandeza, humanidade e polidez à personalidade destes. Isto é Flashpoint! Recomendo e, inclusive, a situo como indispensável aos amantes de uma boa hq.

ＤＣコミックス大長編作品「フラッシュポイント」 内容はいわゆる『世界改変』 警察の鑑識係バリーアレンは落雷事故により 世界最速の男となりその力を正義のため走るヒーロー・フラッシュになった。 グリーンランタンらと共にジャスティスリーグなる組織を結成など ところがある日、目を覚ますと能力が消失 いつも隠し持っているコスチュームはどこへ？ さらには亡くなったはずの母親が警察署へ尋ねにきた。 驚くのはこれから、テレビを見ると アマゾン軍団と海底人帝国の戦争によりヨーロッパ大陸がほぼ壊滅に 当然ジャスティスリーグなる軍団がいない！ 友人であるグリーンランタンはハル・ジョーダンではなく宇宙人アビン・サー なっている？！これはどういうことだ？ バリーもバットマンの正体を知る数少ない人物のひとり 原因を突き止める為にゴッサムシティのウエイン亭へと向かい 地下基地バットケイブヘいって見ると様子が変だった。 なんとバットマンがブルース・ウエインではなくトーマス・ウエインであった！ 世界改変の原因を突き止めるのに力が必要なバリーアレンは、ある実験を行う・・・ マーベルコミックスの「Ｘメン・エイジオブアポカリプス」「Ｘメン＆アべンジャーズ：ハウスオブM」 につづくクロスオーバー大長編、「スーパーマン」「バットマン」といったその他タイトルも 一時「フラッシュポイント」の関連作に変更されていた。 ほんのわずかな登場、途中で抜け出したりするキャラクターに関しては関連作品を買うべし。 一例としてスーパーマンなる人物は「プロジェクト・スーパーマン」の単行本をチエック！ 本筋は明確にかかれていて解りやすい。 脚本家の丁寧な画面構成と作画者の絵が実にきれいでありがたい。 もっともありがたいのは作画者がアメコミファンなら知っていて当たり前、Xメンを手がけてきたアンディ・キュバートである

Really enjoyed the story. Artwork was great in it.

Ordine arrivato in pochissimo tempo e in ottime condizioni. La storia è fantastica, e non credo che si possa dire qualcosa di male su questo. Unico difetto, dura troppo poco.

The comic was awesome but kind of overrated Th art was beautiful