WARNING THIS CONTAIN SPOILERS TO THE END OF DC’S FLASHPOINT.
Everything you know will change in a flash. That’s what Geoff Johns promised his readers with summer’s blockbuster event from DC Comics. Not other words spoken were ever truer. Soon after the start of Flashpoint DC announced that they were revamping almost all of their titles. After years of reading comic books I knew they weren’t just going to hit the reboot button. The New 52 was going to be the aftermath of Flashpoint.
In 1986 Barry Allen sacrificed himself to save the world in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Barry was lost to a whole generation of comic readers until he appeared once again in 2009’s Final Crisis. It was like readers were getting a brand new Flash, but one that already knew how to be a hero. Little did everyone know Barry’s return would signify the end of the DC Universe as we know it.
Barry wakes up one day in his office and is no longer the Flash. His mother is alive, Aquaman and Wonder Woman are battling for control of the Earth, and Cyborg is the only hero interested in saving it. Barry is stumped as to what has happened so he turns to the world’s greatest detective for answers. Only Bruce isn’t the man behind the cowl anymore, his father Thomas Wayne is Batman. The two soon embark on a mission to gather the world’s superheroes together to try and put things back the way they were. Along the way they find out Superman has become a government lab rat, Captain Marvel is a gang of teenagers, and Lois Lane is helping lead the resistance to stop the coming war.
Barry finally gets his powers back and catches up with his arch-enemy, Professor Zoom. Barry demands he tell him what moment in time he changed so that Barry can go back and fix it. It was then that Zoom revealed that he did nothing, Barry did. Barry went back in time to save his mother and in returned he killed Bruce Wayne and his mother, made sure Kal-El was never found by the Kents, and turned Aquaman and Wonder Woman into bitter ex’s. Barry had to make a choice. It was either the life of his mother, or the life of billions of people. Since the Flash is a super-HERO I think we all know what option he went with.
The pay-off of this miniseries really didn’t come till the last issue. I have never questioned Johns genius, and even though the story lagged most issues, he stayed true to his abilities in the end. Flashpoint was an alternate reality story, but it was the details that made it enjoyable. I didn’t read any of the many spin-off miniseries of Flashpoint so I can only tell you what I like about the main series. Changing Batman from Bruce to Thomas Wayne was a nice touch. It gave a us a whole new Batman to learn about, and a whole new way he does things. His and Barry’s relationship was really the meat of Flashpoint I thought.
Thomas Wayne had been living in his own personal hell until Barry showed up and gave him a way to bring his son back. Barry is so hopeful while Batman is so bitter. It was great for the ying-and-yang to play off each other. Barry Allen’s decision at the end of issue #5 was also a great moment for the Flash. Barry said one goodbye to his mother before he technically killed her. It showed that it’s not hard being a hero. This whole story Barry was worried about when he went back to change the past other things would change. Well he got his wish because when he went back in time to stop himself from saving his mother he brought several parallel universes together, creating the New 52. He also brought back something for Bruce as well; A note from his father.
Overall Flashpoint wasn’t anything too special. It had a few good moment, but most of them being in the last issue. I guess I enjoyed most knowing that the New 52 isn’t a reboot, it’s the next chapter in the DC Universe, one that all fans can enjoy. I don’t know what will become of DC, but as a long time reader I’m willing to give it a shot. If it will help rejuvenate comic books in main stream media while giving us fresh stories with the same characters I think I may like it. But something also occurred to me after I was done reading Flashpoint and I thought about the new comics to come. Where the hell is Wally West? If you don’t mind I’m going to go take some deep breaths, remember that I trust Geoff Johns, and read Justice Leaguer #1.
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