Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Flash #51 Review


They're Coming to Take Me Away Ha Ha!

Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Scott Kolins, Luis Guerrero, and Steve Wands
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: July 25, 2018

As the dust settles in the wake of “Flash War,” the Flash and his family of speedsters try to pick up the pieces of what’s left. But bad blood can run deep. This is the one race the Flash Family can’t win!


The issue picks up two days after the "War" and begins with Iris writing down what amounts to a walking tour of her memories...old and new.  Of course, it's all very Wally (not Wallace) centric with us getting a recap of his origin and why he is so great.  It's okay if you just jumped into the story here, but is also here to show what Iris now remembers.



We then get an update of what Wally is up to now, but if you read Flash War (and it would be odd if you didn't as this is an epilogue) this again will not surprise anyone...he is still running looking for Zoom and his kids.  

The issue continues with Kid Flash leaving in a huff to join up with the Teen Titans because he is a "product of Barry's mistake" and Barry giving his apartment to Commander Cold.  This is the best part in my opinion because I love Cold, but also because we are finally getting a commitment with Barry moving in with Iris.  

Through all of this, Joshua Williamson lays heavy on the Flash War recap to get everyone up to speed before we finally get to see and hear from Wally himself.  He is broken up about not being able to find his children and the issue ends with Superman and Wonder Woman showing up.  To help?  Nope!  To take him off to the Sanctuary!!!!  What?!?!?!?!?  I mean...WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!  Being upset about not finding your kids gets you sent to the Sanctuary?  Why aren't they helping him find them or Hunter?  Plus, Barry spells out that he was the one who basically committed him!  Bullcrap!!!



We end with more setup for the Heroes in Crisis story and I want to know why all this real estate is being used to lead up to another book that Williamson isn't writing.  There are a whole lot of questions left on the table after this supposed War we just went through and I would much rather deal with those instead of forcing a beloved (and still underused) character into another book and then just get generic lip service to boot.  

This is just a recap of the Flash War story and setup for the Heroes in Crisis one.  I saw that Tom King said that every major event needs a Flash, but come up with a better reason than Wally is upset about not finding his children.  How are they going to solve that at the Sanctuary?  The reason we love Wally is that he will do anything for his family so I am really interested in what help he is getting.  Overall, this epilogue is just set up and since it follows an "event" that ended up being just set up itself, it left me angry and frustrated.

Scott Kolins is on art and he isn't a bad pick to follow up on Howard Porter issues, but even if it is similar, it isn't as good and did take a little bit to get used to the change.  After I adjusted, though, I was fine with his work, but that may have been because I was so mad at the story itself.

Bits and Pieces:

This Flash War epilogue was nothing but a recap of the event followed by a sudden and forced way to push Wally West off to the Sanctuary and the Heroes in Crisis story.  I hated it!

3.5/10

17 comments:

  1. It was truly a waste of time! We learned nothing!Could have been a page or so on either Zoom or Wally's kids are shown! This whole War story arc is crap. Zoom even said on last issue on page 10 I think, "You two have no clue about the war that is coming." Wait WHAT?! seriously just rename this story arc Prelude to the Flash War except unlike Batman's preludes, don't make the end result shit. As of now, still one of my favorite character's from the war is Commander Cold.

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    1. Yep...love cold but the whole flash war was setup and i am afraid nothing will be truely explained. This could have been done in 2 pages

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    2. I've been regretting putting my trust in Johns with Rebirth a sentiment that keeps on building up. I took his word for it and a couple years later still no light and empty promises. The Flash is a royal turd because the old canon has coated the New 52 shit which looks deceivingly pretty from the distance but when you come close it looks crappy and smells like the corpses Barry keeps in his morgue. By the time the doomsday clock ends I'll have a shitscraper of feelings built and permanently close the chapter of DC if the old days of glory won't return.

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  2. Flash under Williamson has been the biggest yawn of a comic book ever .... Hey guys look over there Negative Speed Force, opps I meant Strong force, opps meant Slow force ... There all nonsense and putting a word in front of force is all he's done for 30 issues now

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    1. He ain't a writer cut out for the Flash job.

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    2. Williamson's run will be the second most hated after Venditti and Van Jensen's. Mark my words.

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  3. Wally has been written poorly, treated even more poorly and now he is submitted to a mental hospital by his beloved uncle where Tom King will make him the murderer of his wacky noir. Nope, hard pass.

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    1. Exactly! I don't understand why other sites are giving this 10/10s...it really upsets me

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    2. Please don't give them more ideas to torture Wally. Being sucked by the speed force every millisecond, having heart attacks, pacemakers, chronal convulsions, lost life, anger issues and depression are enough.

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    3. Haven't you heard guys? Tom King has killed Wally West in his Heroes in Crisis also another redacted hero. They were literal about Wally's last run. Rebirth was nice while it lasted.

      http://comicbook.com/dc/2018/07/25/the-flash-51-basically-confirms-what-flash-will-die-in-heroes-in/

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    4. DC is pulling our legs. They invested everything they had in rebirth to let it die. Dan Didio and Jim Lee think that bad publicity, grim, gore and shock value are equally good like conventional promotion. Tom King is the master of deception if you don't agree reread Batman's wedding. It's normal after Barry returned from the dead for Wally to be harassed by all kinds of suffering with that said he has raced death before and won.

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  4. Screw this Heroes in Crisis bullshit.This issue makes me want to not pick up future issue because any important character development or story progress will never be shown in this book. It's not worth investing money or time in waiting to nothing. The art this issue was drawn by Wrong-Turn himself.
    No more flash for me.
    2/10

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  5. This is an appalling development for Wally and the Flash history. Barry's decision to close Wally in a psychiatric ward is worse than Flashpoint. In Flashpoint Barry had little idea of what's to be expected but now betraying his nephew coldly and become patronizing is infuriating. And for what because Wally is devastated by the loss of his marriage and family. Does this make him a possible Joker? What happened of Bart Allen no mention of him. Trash the comic of Flash 0/10.

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    1. Yep...i told eric today, to me, this issue closes the door on what was promised for rebirth and the hope and love is officially dead

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  6. I actually really enjoyed this issue, maybe like an 8.5. I love Kolins art as it always gives me flashbacks to his art when Geoff John's was writing flash. I think it was a fitting down time issue after Flash War, just hope these new force powers don't linger on too long and we also get Wally's kids back. Want to see some more Rogues stuff soon as well

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