Flash Friday!

© DC Comics from Flash Rebirth #6

Welcome back to Flash Friday everyone!!  This week I have Green Arrow #8, Aquaman #7, Blue Beetle #7 and Savage Hawkman #7.  This issue of Savage Hawkman sees a cameo from Static.  He seems to be getting plenty of time in other books now that his is nearing the end.  Let's dive in to this week's reviews.

Aquaman #7-  In Aquaman this month, we see Black Manta.  Black Manta has been featured in the recent Young Justice comics and cartoon.  He has also been one of Aquaman's villains from way back.  It was interesting to see him show up as Arthur is neck deep in an Atlantean mystery.  In this book we also see The Others.  We don't get much information on The Others but we do see that Arthur is in TROUBLE.  His wife doesn't know this woman who shows up out of nowhere and acts like she knows him.  Busted, Aquaman!  Mera is MAD and it is not going to bode well for Arthur.  You can just tell that things have gone south fast for Aquaman.  I really enjoy this incarnation of Aquaman and Mera.  Arthur is quite dashing, never says "outrageous" and is pretty bad ass overall.  There is a reason that this book has been called one of the best of the New 52.  I also love that Mera is a strong female who is not defined by her husband or her marriage.  Mera can stand tall on her own and her husband can depend on her.  All women should be so awesome.  Aquaman #7 earns 4 Flashes for having action adventure and a hero about to be schooled by his wife.

Green Arrow #8- This is the second installment from the new creative team behind Green Arrow.  In this book we see Ollie trying to get away from the Skylarks and their inventor father.  I love that we see Ollie in the hood on the opening page of the comic.  Green Arrow in the hood is one of the most awesome and iconic images from DC Comics.  It's also nice to see the art coming back around in this book.  Last book, Ollie looked a bit too much like Justin Timberlake.  But it seems like the new creative team is learning the GA ropes and working to bring the book around.  Ollie is still a bit too pretty and I'm still trying to wrap my head around this perverted Ollie who doesn't have Dinah to kick his butt into shape but the book is making a come back for me.  We do get to see the start of Ollie's environmentalism.  Looks wise, I really think that New 52 Green Arrow is patterned off of the Green Arrow from the TV show Smallville.  But in the end, Green Arrow #8 earns 3 Flashes for keeping me reading.

Blue Beetle #7-  Poor Jaime!  He's run away from home after being made out to be a super villain.  Now that he's in New York looking for another metahuman superhero to help him learn the ropes, things are looking up for the young hero... right?!  Unfortunately not.  The scarab is just not helping Jaime out too much right now.  He's had to run away and hasn't had much luck with finding another hero in New York.  (Which is pretty crazy considering how many live or work in or around NY in the DC Universe.)  Jaime keeps getting found at the scene of other people's crimes.  The scarab tried to get him some currency so that "host Jaime" could eat but that backfired.  The scarab learning curve is pretty insane.  I really hope that Jaime starts to get some help and manages to get this scarab under control.  I was hoping to see STATIC and Blue Beetle working together again but it appears that that won't be the first Blue Beetle match up that we see.  In book #9 we'll see Blue Beetle meet up with Green Lantern Kyle Raynor and the New Guardians.  Overall, Blue Beetle #7 earns 3 Flashes for a being an interesting chapter in Jaime's story as he becomes more comfortable in his new skin.

The Savage Hawkman # 7-  In this book we see Carter Hall, also known as Hawkman, team up with the teen hero STATIC to take down Gentleman Ghost.  Gentleman Ghost is a classic villain who has stolen the Mortis Orb and is raising all of the dead in New York.  You may have seen him on Batman: The Brave and the Bold or in the video game of the same making but this Golden Age villain is is a dark and scary foe in this book.  How will Hawkman fight someone that he can't touch.  It's a pretty interesting team up between a modern age hero and a Golden Age hero where the heroes don't even actually take out the bad guy.  But he does get what he has coming to him and Hawkman does put the Mortis Orb some place where no one will find it.  This book earns 4 Flashes for a fun team up (even though I can't say that I really love the new, dark STATIC).  I also enjoyed seeing Gentleman Ghost get his.

Next week, our pull list consists of Batman & Robin and Superboy.  Batman & Robin will have the end of the Born to Kill story arc so that next month we can begin the Night of the Owls event.  Can't wait for that!!  Superboy will begin The Culling story arc which will cross over into the Teen Titans and Legion Lost series and leading into the new book, Ravagers.  May will see a few new books added to our pull list.