Flashpoint

I was trolling around my local library (I've only been in town a few months and haven't had time to really explore the tiny library they have here) and I stumbled upon their little baby graphic novel section. BUT STILL. They have grpahic novels here. I can go back to reading comic books without buying them! Woo! AND the librarian that checked me out, when I mentioned how excited I was to find their graphic novel section (even if it's only a shelf long), she told me that in the next month or so they're supposed to be getting a lot more. I'M SO EXCITED! I got a stack of books and of those I'm going to be posting about this one:

 

Why is Andy Kubert so good at drawing things?

I didn't know how I was going to feel about this because this is the comic they used to launch the new 52 and we all know that I'm still coming to terms with what the new 52 has done to my comic book life (TIM DRAKE WHYYYYYYYY) but, surprisingly, I really enjoyed this comic/graphic novel/trade/whatever. Maybe that's because it was all about Barry Allen who holds a very small but very special place in my heart. And the focus was kind of (not really but kind of) on Batman, and you know I love that.

So the basic concept for FLASHPOINT is that time has been altered so the Flash wakes up in a world in which Superman never existed (kind of), the Flash is no more and Aquaman and Wonder Woman are tearing the world apart as they fight a dangerous war against each other. Barry (who doesn't have his Flash powers) teams up with Batman and Cyborg (and the SHAZAM! kids, which is an idea I love) to try to save the world/fix the altered time stream. Oh, and he does get his powers back, eventually.

It is fun for no man. Except Batman. Maybe.

I really liked the story, the tiny little references Jones and Co. included for the reader. Like those to Hal and Lois. Plus Kubert's art is BEYOND AMAZING. Seriously. Andy Kubert is so good. I think God made his hands to draw the Flash. No joke.

In the end, I really did enjoy this comic. In fact, I probably like this more than what most of the new 52 is doing. That's just wrong. And a little sad. Especially that weird thing at the end when Flash is running and he sees, like, three different timelines. One of them is the one we've had recently (note that Batman is wearing the kind of lame "lit up" bat-symbol) and another is clearly the new 52 one (see the costume Superman's rocking, his Kryptonian "battle armor"). I just wish we would have ended up in the first time line I mentioned. I hate the lit up bat-symbol but I miss the way Superman once was.

My only hangup is with the treatment of Bruce/Batman in the last little bit. It's a very touching scene between him and the Flash (I loved by the way when Flash said Bruce was/is one of his closest friends. Too cute!) but I can't help but feel it's a little too out of character for Bruce. Also, does Barry remember the way the world would be before this episode into the messed up future/world thing? I mean, does he remember all the things that happened in the DCU before the new 52? Before it was five years old or whatever. You get what I mean? Care to shed any light, friends?

Look, look with your glowing red eyes.