Flash Friday!

Images © DC Comics, GIF made by yencid.

Welcome back for Flash Friday!  This week we got seven new comics.  It was a pretty exciting week.  This week's pull included: Red Hood and the Outlaws, The Flash, Savage Hawkman, Aquaman, Teen Titans, The Justice League, and Blue Beetle.  It was a great week for comics!  Next week only has Green Arrow so I think I'll split this week's stack in two.  I'll do four books this week and the other three can be added to next week.

The Flash #7- In this book we see the end of the fight between Flash and Captain Cold.  Barry ends up breaking the barrier again and creating a wormhole to try and rescue Iris West and anyone else that was swallowed by the wormhole created when he broke the barrier to save Patty.  After Barry runs into the vortex (the Speed Force) Patty is shown complaining about the Flash.  Honey, you don't know how wrong you are.  This inherent dislike and distrust of The Flash is so polar opposite of the love and adoration that the Gem Cities have had in the past for The Flash that it's kinda creepy.  I hope that Barry chasing after Iris is a step in the right direction.  I'm also wondering if the flutes shown in one of the scenes is foreshadowing the Pied Piper.  He is one of my favorite Flash characters.  I really hope that things start looking up for The Flash but first it looks like he'll have to fight Turbine in the Speed Force and Gorilla Grodd after that and an encounter with Grodd NEVER goes well.  The Flash #7 earns 5 Flashes for being an awesome book that showcases what Barry Allen and The Flash are all about.

Teen Titans #7-  This book has beautiful art.  Really.  I love Brett Booth's work.  I even kinda love how Cassie is kinda masculine looking.  Wonder Girl has always been super cute and delicate so it's different to see her buff and lovely but not classically beautiful.  So, Red Robin leads the Teen Titans in a mission to N.O.W.H.E.R.E. to rescue Superboy.  Not everyone is in agreement that they SHOULD save Superboy, but they go anyway.  Once at the compound, they do manage to free Superboy but nothing goes as planned for the Titans.  While Bunker, Skitter, and Kid Flash fight to free Superboy, Wonder Girl fights the baddies behind N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and Red Robin and Solstice argue in the information center of the complex.  The scenes with Red Robin are a little confusing.  I get that he wants solid proof of what the bad guys have been up to.  He was trained by the World's Greatest Detective.  But what does he do to Solstice and why do he leave her there?  That could be Lobdell trying to show the pragmatism that comes with being a member of the Batman Family of heroes but I don't buy it.  Tim just gave a lecture on doing the right thing and standing together.  And if New 52 Tim is the same Tim who worked with Dick and Bruce, then he knows that this is wrong.  I'm kinda hoping that this is just an ambiguous bit thanks to Lobdell's writing and not proof of Tim's ass-hat status.  Also in this issue, Bart almost remembers his old life.  I really hope it doesn't turn out to be something like him working under Thawne in the 30th century.  That would be awful.  Part of what everyone loved about pre-52 Bart was his joy, his innocence and his deep sense of purpose when he takes on the Flash mantle.  Evil Bart is just... ew.  So far, the action has been so fast paced that we have had very little of the actual team building and character development that I enjoyed in the older Titans books.  Teen Titans #7 earns 4 Flashes for beautiful art and an interesting story line.

Justice League #7-  This issue of the Justice League brings us to the present day now that their origin story is complete.  And in the present day we still see a bit of what we saw in their first encounter with each other.  Batman gets exasperated as Hal Jordan runs off on his own and Barry races after him to try and keep his friend out of trouble.  Everyone else at least has some respect for Batman as the ultimate strategist.  Hal ultimately is saved by Wonder Woman which seems to happen pretty often and really chafes him.  So sorry that you were saved by a GIRL, Hal.  No wait, I'm not.  Hal Jordan can be seriously annoying.  There is also a bit of SHAZAM in this issue as they start giving us the background for Captain Marvel.  I'm not sure where they are heading with it yet but Billy Batson's back story feels a little different.  He;s headstrong and out spoken.  He appears to be moved from foster home to foster home.  I thought he lived with his uncle but I'm not sure.  I haven't read any Captain Marvel other than his entries in the DC Encyclopedia.  All in all this was an interesting issue and I can't wait for next month when Ollie rolls up and makes the JL take notice of Green Arrow.  Justice League #7 earns 4 Flashes for great art and a good set up to understanding their team dynamic.

Red Hood and the Outlaws-  The first thing we see in this issue is "Doctor Jason" dropping off Crux at Arkham Asylum.  (YAY!!! J-Bird is back in Gotham!!!)  I really enjoy the art in this book.  Thin and wiry Roy is my favorite Roy.  I like him a lot better than buff, kinda serious Arsenal Roy.  I also am liking getting to see more from Jason.  I could really live without Starfire.  I just don't like her.  The only Starfire incarnation that I've really liked was animated Teen Titans Starfire.  And Teen Titans Starfire is nothing like comics Starfire.  But I digress.  In this book the team doesn't make it far from Arkham before someone from Jason's past shows up and an argument ensues.  Jason's past from the time right after he was resurrected is still kinda fuzzy to me but we're getting bits and pieces.  In the next book, the guys will have to deal with Susie Suu again and we'll see "The Replacement" cameo.  I'm nervous to see Lobdell write this interaction between Jason and Tim.  I guess we all will just have to wait and see.  Red Hood and the Outlaws #7 earns 3 Flashes for lovely art and interesting use of favorite characters.

Next week I'll have reviews for Green Arrow #8, Blue Beetle #7, Aquaman #7, and Savage Hawkman #7.  Have a great weekend!! I'll be at a signing on Saturday for author J. R. Ward.  Hope your weekend is full of fun and relaxation!