DC Comics reviews for the week of 5/8/19

The Flash #70

I’m not the biggest fan of Year One storylines as they rarely require the deep dive before the character became interesting. Not all of them can be the Frank Miller Batman saga that started the trend. But in the case of The Flash, which was one of those weird limbo titles during the transition from New 52 to Rebirth, a little clarification on this era’s origin story could be helpful.

It doesn’t hurt that Joshua Williamson has written every issue of this run and he’s deserving of having the chance to fully establish his definitive origin tale at this point. Williamson uses the arc to re-establish relationships and characters he’s teased since The Flash #1. That means some flashbacks of earlier days with some characters and Rogue name-dropping before they become a problem.

Williamson has a knack for telling stories in a way that it doesn’t feel written for a trade. When the story is done he’s moving on to the next adventure or big storyline. Year One doesn’t seem like it’s going to be this lengthy arc — based on the nature of Barry’s origin, it’s not needed. It’s nice to see Barry as a scientist make sense of his new abilities and conducting experiments. The TV show has removed all traces of Barry as a competent scientist/investigator in his own right so it’s fun watching him in action in a lab.

Howard Porter returns to do the art this issue. Between Scott Kollins and Porter, The Flash has the ideal sweet spot of nostalgia artists. Porter worked harder than usual this issue as he at times crafted 16-panel pages crammed with details without feeling too tight. Porter isn’t the flashiest artist, but his panels and storytelling are high level. Hi-Fi’s colors are fittingly bright and cheery in establishing this optimistic and fun new change in Barry’s life.

As always, Williamson provides more than I expect from a standard origin tale with a cliffhanger that teases a potential future storyline he’s laying the groundwork for here. I continue to be a huge fan of this book as it just satisfies that classic comic book approach old time fans appreciate so much. This is a terrific jumping on point for new fans as it provides a fresh look at The Flash’s early days in a fun and compelling manner.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Photo Credit: DC Comics