The Fastest Man Alive

Joshua Williamson & Carmine Di Giandomenico “The Flash Vol 1: Lightning Strikes Twice” (DC Comics, 2017)

Do you want the good news or the bad news? Because this book has some of both.

Let’s start with the good news.  First, this book (& the Flash himself) seem to be central to the Rebirth event.  So you are reading a book about a character who is right in the thick of things.

Second, if you are a fan of the show, Rebirth puts the Flash very close to his TV counterpart.  If you like the show, you will most likely like this book. (And this is a very smart move on the part of DC comics. Too often there is nothing on the stands for people who are brought in by other media.)

The bad news is all intertwined with this.  First, this book doesn’t really deal with any of the big story of Rebirth or with White Wally West.

Second, just like the TV show, we get another evil speedster.  Really? Maybe I’m the only one, but I am so freaking tired of evil speedsters.  I’m ready for a Turtle revamp.

It’s not that I felt like any of the writing or art was not competently done. It’s more that I felt that I’d read all of this before. Evil Speedsters, dead women.  It just feels tired.

I think that it’s important to have new stories that are more in the spirit of the old stories.  Not just old stories over & over again.  There’s a difference.