Sunday, August 26, 2012

The Flash #12

Here I am, DC - an absolute fan of The Flash since I first read his Silver Age adventures in the early 1960s. I've suffered through terrible story lines, and enjoyed great ones.

I want to love this comic.

I don't love this comic.

I do love half the comic - the artwork is phenomenal. Francis Manapul is back with this issue, providing stunning images, creative layouts and clever designs.

This issue's story is something of an improvement over recent issues, but it still misses the character by a mile.

The good news is the return of the Flash's Rogues Gallery. The bad news is the Flash doesn't really do anything but watch while they go to war with each other.

And that seems to be the big problem with this series. Despite his incredible speed, Flash seems to spend most of each issue not doing much of anything. Barry Allen has allowed his friends to think he's dead so he can devote time to fighting crime - but he has to get a minimum wage job to survive, which would seem to make it difficult to find time to fight crime, right?

The series just seems to be working against the strengths of the series - it needs more focus on Barry's "real" life and some creative challenges for his alter ego.

I want to be a fan - but the comic has to give me more to hang on to. So far, it's not managing that at all.

Grade: B-

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