The Fastest Man Alive.

With what might be the last film in the current DC continuity (Sorry Aquaman), Andy Muschietti’s The Flash is racing to theatres on June 16th. Which is why this weeks post will be covering the 2009 six issue limited series, The Flash: Rebirth. Barry Allen has been dead for over twenty years, and he’s got some catching up to do, is this character revival worth picking up, or should Barry Allen have stayed in his grave? Let’s find out on Gaber’s Two Cents.

Dying is an initiation of sorts when it comes to the world of comic book storytelling. With a beloved heroes death brings grief and trauma, and if done right a final ode to what made the character so special in the first place. However, in recent years characters are killed off only to be brought back within a year or so. This is not the case with the second Flash, Barry Allen. After dying in the pages of DC’s first ever Crisis, Barry Allen was out of publication for more than twenty years. Which is why it was so shocking at the time for the character to reappear and claim back his mantle as The Flash. This brings a number of unique storytelling opportunities that can set the stage for a truly personal journey for the fastest man alive.

The story opens with Central City throwing a downtown parade for their treasured heroes return, while also jumping between multiple celebrations with Barry’s family, friends and other heroes. This unique perspective provides the reader with insight on just how much Barry impacted the DC community in his absence, and it’s interesting to see how everyone shares different opinions on the speedsters return. Heroes and civilians speak on Barry as if he is a myth or legend, as no one has actually seen him since his return. This culminates in us finally glimpsing at Barry as he is visiting the memorial museum created in his honor after his apparent death. It is a scene that is very reminiscent of Cap visiting his own museum exhibition in his own film Captain America: The Winter Solider. So much so, that Marvel seemingly replicated that moment within their own work. Even Green Lantern shows up to admire the memorial with his friend Barry, echoing the same sentiment with Cap’s own film, with Falcon filling in for Green Lantern. It’s an effective opening that sets the stage for Barry attempting to catch up on all of the events he has missed.

Writer Geoff Johns does an excellent job of juggling all of these different characters perspectives of The Flash, and setting up a threat that even Barry could not have seen coming. At the heart of the story, and what sets Barry into action is a murder mystery, he is a forensic scientist after all. The villain pulling the strings and setting these crimes in motion is the speedster of the future and arch nemesis of The Flash, Reverse-Flash, who’s real name is Eobard Thawne.

John’s dialogue between Flash and Thawne is excellent, and does a exemplary job of showcasing what a crazed stalker from the future would endure just to hurt the man he obsessess over. A highlight of this interaction comes when Thawne reveals that it is he, not fate that has systematically been the author behind every failure within Barry’s life. John’s even flashes back with examples showcasing Thawne’s demented interventions within Barry’s life. Like him being the one that murdered his mother, or pushing Barry down the stairs breaking his arm when he was only just a boy. It’s chillingly executed and gives the readers that much more investment into the hero that Barry has become, and the horrors that have always haunted his psyche.

The creative duo of Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver is a winning combo with the writing setting the stage and the art delivering on the visuals. With an example being a nice little call back to the silver age of comics where Superman and Flash raced one another for charity, with Superman stating that he’s beaten Barry in a race before, with Flash replying, “That was for charity Clark”, before breaking the sound barrier and showing his true speed.

One qualm I do have with some of the storytelling decisions are how their are some unnecessary plot padding before the main threat is finally revealed. Minor antagonist characters like Savitar and Lady Flash are thrown into the mix with little to no substance behind their actions, and the audience is just expected to roll with the punches. It’s a shame too, because their inclusion could have provided some of Flash’s lesser known rogues with more exposition on why they are apart of the central mystery, but they are quickly killed off and presented as minor cliff notes, rather than being an appetizer for the main course. A small but minor issue, but a problem that holds back this Flash story from reaching it’s true potential.

So the storytelling elements are strong and present, but what about the art? The Flash can be a challenging character to work with, I mean he literally is faster than the speed of light. However, illustrator Ethan Van Sciver captures Barry in his best light. Whether it be the panels flashing back to the past, or the eye popping action scenes set in the present, Sciver draws Flash with confidence, and you can see it within the pages of the book. This is demonstrated within the one on one fights between Thawne and Barry as well. Sciver captures the frenetic and fast paced duels in great detail, with flurries of drawn punches and other elements signifying the speed being displayed. These characters are moving so fast that everything becomes frozen in time, and Sciver’s artwork captures this display of power elegantly.

All in all, The Flash: Rebirth is a satisfying reintroduction to DC’s fastest man alive. There are hiccups here and there with moments that seem only included to stretch out the story, but that does little to disrupt the quality of the book as a whole, and the finale leaves some promising questions that eventually lead to the most well-known Flash tale, The Flashpoint Paradox, the storyline that the upcoming film is based on. So put on your running shoes and try to keep up, before you know it, you’ll be there in a flash.

Cent Score: 3 Cents

The pros outweigh the cons, sit back, don’t think too much and you’ll be fine.

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