Every year, the major comic book publishers usually have an enormous story that affects all of the books in their line, a story that changes how we view the characters and paths they are on.
This year, the major DC Comics event is called Flashpoint.
It launched this week with Flashpoint #1, written by Geoff Johns and art supplied by Andy Kubert. It is the first of a five-issue mini-series that will also see another 15 separate mini-series and four one-shots through the summer.
It all begins in Flashpoint #1 though. When Barry Allen, the Flash, wakes up at his job and realizes continuity has changed, it leads him on a hunt to discover why: Why his mother is alive when she has been dead for years? Why he is no longer married to the woman of his dreams? Why Wayne Manner is destroyed? And why many of the superheroes he once called friends are drastically different or not even known by people in the world?
It’s the kind of story that reaffirms why I love Geoff Johns. He’s a great writer and Flashpoint #1 is no exception. When I turned the last page of the book and read it, I was blown away. That doesn’t happen often. It’s a rare thing to take a superhero I love like Batman and convincingly write an alternate version of him—a darker version than what we know the Dark Knight to be—and yet it works. Johns has done this, and it’s why I will be reading the Flashpoint mini-series to its end.
And, if you like these characters, why you should too.
The art is of course superb. I’ve always enjoyed the work that the Kuberts put in and Andy is on top of his game in this issue. It’s dynamic and alive. It’s tough to beat artwork like this, and it’s easy to see Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert work exceptionally well together.
 Flashpoint #2 |
 Flashpoint #3 |
All in all, I’m really excited about this series. Just from the first issue, I can see how DC Comics is shaking up their universe. It’s going to be a great ride.
Flashpoint #1 is in fine comic book stores now!
