The Flash #240

In the last year DC has botched not one but two launchings of "The Flash". Having been onboard for Wally's return, I must say that after the 9 Waid/Peyer penned issues that the Bart Allen "Flash: Fastest Man Alive" series wasn't all that bad. Bart Allen had a lot of potential as the new Flash and it was waisted when DC needlessly killed him off. Wally's return on the other hand was supposed to be a return to greatness for the character. Well, that has not happened. Saddled with two lame kids - and I'm not saying lame because they are kids. I'm saying lame because of the way they are characterized in the books - Wally just is not as peppy as he was back in the day. I was a huge Barry Allen fan, but when he was killed off in COIE I thought it was a fitting end to the character. I was a huge Wally West fan as well. His series as it flowed from its beginnings through Waid and the Speed Force and Johns and the Rogues was very good. I wasn't upset when during IC they sacrificed Wally. It had some nice symmetry to it.


Art Rating: 2 out of 4
Story Rating 2 out of 4
Overall Rating : 2 out of 4

"The Flash" Relaunch Rating: 1 out of 4

However, with Wally's return, it seems DC just doesn't know what to do with the character. Waid's second stint was a failure. Peyer was supposed to set in motion a plot that would be compelling, but we get Wally looking for a job. The new villain, as lame as the costume and name are, has started to add some interesting bits to the mix. I would prefer the villain just dress like an NBC Executive and run his Spinning like a true network suit. Just as Spin begins to to get interesting we get Gorilla Grodd - I guess he survived "Salvation Run" - rampaging through the set leaving Hulk-size destruction in his wake. Who knows if Spin will be cast aside now.

Peyer was starting to put the pieces together for a good Flash run. He has Jay Garrick tightly tied in and that is a blessing. He has a classic Flash villain Gorilla Grodd and an new rogue Spin added tot the mix. He's nudge the twins story along some. I'm hoping he grows them up fast and gets them out of the book faster. Freddie Williams II's art looked good. He is getting more comfortable with the Flash and the supporting cast. However, the coloring is just to bright in this book and brings down Williams' art. The coloring seems to have gotten better over the last couple of issues, but the reds are so red they make the pages look almost like Cel shaded cartoons. Tone down the reds and the book would look much better.

Overall, I still have this on my pull list...hoping that DC will spin the character around and make this a top tier book again.