Tag: the flash comics

The Flash issue 300 – 1981 A Flash Odyssey

20th Jan 2016 · Leave a comment ·

This is the 25th Anniversary addition and I think that the writers were celebrating with something when they wrote this. It isn’t technically a Zoomy (Professor Zoom aka Eobard Thawne) story but he is kinda in it as both an imposter and in flashbacks.

Because it isn’t a Zoomy story I’m going to keep this review short. However it does cover a load of classic flash origins and law both for the Flash family and the Rogues. So if you are looking for that then it’s worth a read.

The basic story is that Barry Allen finds himself bandaged up and paralysed in a hospital bed. He believes that he is the Flash but this disturbs his doctor. They call in a psychiatrist called Patrou who reveals that although he was struck by lightning he didn’t get super powers. He got chemical burns and paralysis. During his recovery he was given reading material including Flash comics and has adopted the Flash’s story as a coping mechanism. Dr Patrou is there to make him confront his delusion of being a hero and help him to recover.

The story is basically in two parts. One is Barry playing along with patrou but not believing him. Thus he spends his time musing on his own origins and which of his rogues gallery could have done this to him. So you get to read mini stories about Vandal Savage, Grodd, Mirror Master, Pied Piper, Captain Cold, Heatwave, Top, Golden Glider, Rainbow Raider, Weather Wizard, Captain Boomerang,Trickster and Dr Element. You do also get a recap of what happened with Zoomy after Barry found out he killed Iris, leaving Zoomy lost/dead somewhere in space and time.

The other half of the story is Barry receiving guests. Ira West, Dexter Myles and Wally West visit first and are disturbed by his apparent delusions. Elongated man and Green Lantern turn up. Barry tells them personal stuff about them that he couldn’t possibly know but it turns out that both of them have revealed themselves to the public / written autobiographies and so Barry’s argument isn’t valid. Finally Iris turns up. Not dead but she left him and remarried his college friend Wiley Summers. They now have two children.

Barry seems broken. Dr Patrou confronts him claiming that actually Barry had already undergone cosmetic surgery and that the paralysis is psychosomatic, meaning that if he breaks his delusion then he’ll be well again, free and able to leave. He also claims that even Zoomy is still alive. Barry says that if he can prove that then he’ll believe that being the Flash was just a delusion.

Shock horror! Dr Petrou is evil! He has created all of Barry’s visitors and now creates himself a Zoomy too (wish I could do that…). He explains that it’s all down to his telepathic hypnotic suggestions and that Barry still has super speed, he is just unable to use it. And so he takes the new Zoomy to see Barry. Barry claims that he now believes and Petrou gets Zoomy to undo his bandages at super speed as final proof. Barry is suddenly cured and can get up to walk!

But what’s this!? The Flash is standing in the doorway. Patrou can’t believe it. But then Barry explains that as soon as he was no longer paralysed he got his super speed back and was able to use a speed mirage to make it look like he was in two places at once. Barry confronts Petrou who is actually Abra Kadabra! He wants to know how Barry worked it out and he explains that Zoomy wouldn’t exist if the Flash didn’t due to his origin story. And so it all turns out ok in the end.
Well….except that Zoomy is still lost somewhere in space and time if not exploded : (

The return of Professor Zoom part 8

8th Jan 2016 · Leave a comment ·

This is the last part of this arc. Other parts can be found here; PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6 & PART 7.

The Flash 47: Reunion

Last issue, so this review is going to be long with lots of picture. I want to highlight all the interesting points.

This comic starts with Henry Allen discovering that his son, Barry is the Flash. He doesn’t seem too shocked by it really. Whilst they are sharing secrets Eobard gets Henry to tell Barry the truth, that he didn’t kill his wife, Barry’s mother and that he only confessed because otherwise Eobard would have killed Barry.

Barry forgives his dad for the lies and swears to bring Eobard to justice, however first he wants to know why Eobard did it. So Eobard starts to describe his past and the future. First of all it turns out that he funded Henry’s haematology lab when Barry was born. He wants to destroy Barry because of what he’ll become, but we knew that from the acolytes plot.

Eobard states that he is from the future, 2463 to be precise. He spent years building a cosmic treadmill and using Rip Hunter’s journals to master time travel (which is really different from original Eobard from the comics who is a total engineering genius. Gonna post about their differences separately). He travelled back in time, apparently sacrificing everything, to fix one thing and that was Barry. Barry however doesn’t believe him.

Eobard and Barry fight as Eobard whines about giving up everything he’s ever known (though you know, it was his choice to do this). He continues to talk about his past, saying that he saw his world burn cause of the Flash. Barry points out that he isn’t alive that far in the future so Eobard must be lying. However this is when we get to the truth of it all. The Flash had reached a god like status in Eobard’s time and even their justice system was based on him. Eobard took over the Gem cities (Central and Keystone) and then an army of people rose up against him all in the name of the Flash.

Now Eobard claims that he was a benevolent ruler, giving the people what they needed but they rose up anyway. Considering that the Flash was revered as a god and Eobard destroyed the Flash museum and tried to erase his image out of jealousy I’m pretty sure that is why they rose up. Though he didn’t really make things better as Eobard is shown killing the people who rebeled against him, and the mayor when he took over the cities. He didn’t really get the chance to show what kind of ruler he could have been, like in regards to important everday things like health care, taxes and looking after the vulnerable. Loving the costume though…

Anyway, so Flash’s legacy is the reason that Eobard hates him and why he needs him to not be a hero rather than die a martyr. Due to all the talking Eobard doesn’t notice when Henry sneaks up behind him and smacks him round the head with an iron bar. Eobard then goes to kill Henry but Barry speeds him out of the way. Henry is surprised that Barry is suddenly faster than Eobard, and it seems that Barry has somehow levelled up. He doesn’t know how it happens but he feels faster.

So Barry gets on with fighting Eobard again, though he still loses, Eobard boasting about how he is the fastest. Unfortunately for Eobard he mentions time, and Barry has a sudden epiphany. It turns out that Eobard isn’t fast at all, he is simply using time-dilation to slow the time around him to appear fast, the total opposite of Barry’s powers. Barry goes on to talk about running not being his only power, that his connection to the speed force is what moves time itself forward and that he can use this.

So the big fight begins. Eobard bitches about how he was chosen to replace the Flash, how he is meant to be a hero. And then during the fight we get into Eobard’s past. He was always told about how great and perfect the Flash was, how he’d never measure up to him. His family was one of failures and criminals, his own father killing his mother (we see that Eobard had silver/grey hair as a child as well, so it isn’t an indication of age). He wanted to prove he was better than the Flash, to break him. At the time in the fight he is trying to drown Barry in a deep puddle, but Barry has a sudden power flare, throwing Eobard off.

Barry starts to fight back again, wanting to know why Eobard killed him mother, though it is kinda obvious now. Eobard explains that in his future the Flash had had the perfect family, brought up by two loving parents, something that Eobard was denied, hence he thought he’d level the playing field. So he killed Barry’s mother so that they would be the same. This pisses Barry off no end and so he knocks Eobard out and gives a little speech about how he is off to jail and will always be a failure.

Henry wants to kill Eobard but Barry stops him. Henry and Barry hug it out. Barry rushes off to get something to keep Eobard sedated and then the police turn up. Barry is back in civilian clothes by this point. They arrest Eobard and Barry swears that there is enough evidence to clear his dad. Though what about the guard he murdered, or breaking out of jail, or stealing medical supplies…. I get the feeling that for the sake of a happy ending most of that is going to be overlooked.

So in the end Eobard is locked up in a special cell in Iron Heights, with power restraints too. Not sure how they knew how to make those but ok. He still thinks he has won though cause it seemed that the police and people hate the Flash, but only time will tell is that is true.

And that is the end of this arc. It’s been interesting and I’ll put up my thoughts on the various incarnations of Eobard and his history in another post.

The return of Professor Zoom part 7

7th Jan 2016 · Leave a comment ·

The previous parts of this review can be found here; PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, & PART 6. And the next one is here; PART 8

The Flash 46: End of the hunt

Ok, so we are back to only Booth as the artist again. As much as I find his art variable, it’s nice to have one artist for a whole arc, gives it a sense of consistency.

This comic back tracks slightly as I was sure that Barry Allen aka The Flash had sped off at the end of the last issue. However this one starts with him still arguing with Captain Darryl Frye, who is trying to arrest him. The Flash refuses arrest and unarms the police that are pointing guns at him. The Flash pretty much begs Darryl to see reason and work with him like they used to but he is having none of it. He blames Flash for everything, saying his powers, as demonstrated by disarming the police, are too powerful. The Flash say’s that everything is actually Thawne’s fault. Now here is where it is strange because Darryl doesn’t know who Thawne is, but he did when he was talking in the van to Henry a few issues ago.

Speaking of the devil, Eobard Thawne aka Professor Zoom and his acolytes; Block, Roscoe Dillon and Xolani aka Folded Man turn up. Eobard threatens Barry, claiming he’ll make him atone for his apparent sins. Barry pushes Darryl out of the way for his own safety and then speeds off into the city, giving chase. Eobard commands his acolytes to get after him but they suddenly realise that Magali isn’t there. Eobard claims that she was weak anyway, but that he also has no idea where she is…. (cause he totally didn’t drain her powers and leave her for dead).

Meanwhile Henry Allen is looking after the now seriously injured, aged and power drained Magali. He tries to stop the bleeding in her neck and helps her up. Magali claims that she can now see how Eobard had lied and manipulated them. She has just enough power left to decay the door and Henry then kicks the door in. They bump into Selkirk in the hallway who they explain the situation to, that Eobard is looking to take everyone’s powers and that he already has Magali’s making him effectively immortal. Selkirk tells them where Eobard was heading and advises that they take one of the vehicles in the basement to find and stop them.

Over the other side of the city, on a bridge, the Flash is fighting with Xolani and Block. He isn’t foolish enough to fall for their tricks this time though. He takes out the bridge under Block, dumping her in the river and then goes after Roscoe only to be stopped by Eobard. He grabs Barry and holds him up whilst he monologues cause bad guys always have to give a speech. Roscoe (who seems to have gone from tween to twenty) bitches that he had the Flash in his sights, but Eobard says that Flash is his alone to destroy.

Barry goes to punch Eobard but he grabs his fist and stops him. He gives another speech about time and power as he literally bitch-slaps Barry. He then does the one thing that really marks him as a villain and that is he explains his evil plan. Oh yes, he explains about how he had Henry make the glove and how he is going to steal the Flash’s powers.

Eobard is about to administer the killing blow when suddenly Magali and Henry turn up. The rest of the acolytes are shocked to see the state that Magali is in. She explains what Eobard did to her and how he is planning to do that to them too. Then she tells them how he orchestrated all their situations, which although true there is no way she should know about. Yeah she could guess but she has no evidence of it. Anyway, this sets off Xolani who’s wife was murdered as a consequence. Eobard argues that she needed to die, something he isn’t going to apologise for and then threatens to kill any of them that stand in his way.

He tosses the Flash aside and goes after Magali first but Roscoe comes in to protect her as does Xolani. The Flash goes and collects Block, giving her to Xolani to keep her safe.Eobard tires to attack and drain Xolani but Block gets in the way and his glove gets destroyed. Then Eobard resorts to whining like a 6 year old as his previous team run off;

So Eobard is left to fight with Barry. Barry pretty much thinks he’s a psycho as Eobard is talking about the future and being overly theatrical. Eobard then grabs Henry and dashes off to the Allen family home. He hints to Henry about who the Flash is and then the comic ends there.
Last part tomorrow 🙂

The return of Professor Zoom part 6

6th Jan 2016 · Leave a comment ·

The prevous parts of this review can be found here; PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, & PART 5. And the next two parts are here; PART 7 & PART 8

The Flash 45: Thunderdome

I’d like to note that there are other pencillers on this comic and so the art is slightly different from the previous ones, though you can tell Booth’s work.

The downtown precinct is currently covered with a dome of frozen atoms thanks to Block, and everything is slowly being destroyed by a lightning spitting machine / bomb that was triggered by the Flash using his powers. Captain Darryl Frye of the CCPD is busy pointing his gun at the Flash (aka Barry Allen) because so far it looks like their predicament is all his fault. The Flash pushes Darryl out of the way of a lightning bolt, but it doesn’t make him any nicer. Luckily David Singh, head of the crime lab, steps in to defend the Flash, and they decide that the bomb squad could detonate the device. This isn’t going to work though cause of the atom dome, which is apparently at absolute zero, meaning that they don’t have anything hot enough to ignite the oxygen it is made of. Wally West has a great idea but no-one is willing to listen to him because he is just a kid.

Meanwhile outside the dome people are gathering. Hartley Rathaway (previously Pied Piper) is there concerned about his boyfriend David Singh. Iris West is also there for Wally. She hears her cameraman say about if a kid died then it would be a great story and so punches him in the face, threatening worse if he doesn’t shut up. She’s lucky the police are under a dome otherwise she might have been charged with assault.

But they aren’t the only ones watching events. Eobard Thawne aka Professor Zoom and his acolytes, Magali, Block, Roscoe Dillion and Xolani aka Folded Man, are also watching from a rooftop. Eobard says that the dome must remain until the whole precinct is destroyed. Magali shows concern for the innocents that may be trapped inside, but Eobard assures her that the sacrifice is nothing compared to the people they’ll save by destroying the Flash. She is still doubtful though as she has only seen the Flash try to help. Eobard explains it away, saying that they have seen enough evidence over their centuries together though I doubt that is true considering she has doubts.

Inside the dome, Wally is sick of being ignored. His friend Tim is hurt and in need of a doctor and so he resolves to put his plan into action even if no-one will help. So he sets off to the garage to do so. The Flash notices that Wally is missing and goes to try and find him. But Wally has attached one of the magnesium engine blocks to the front of a truck and set it alight, remembering that it burns so hot that a fire-crew can’t put it out. He announces over the tannoy his plan and Barry races to join him. The Flash saves Wally, letting the truck crash the dome. He’s about to give him a lecture about being reckless but then they realise that Wally’s plan is actually working.

The Flash quickly starts collecting people, including Darryl who protests, and putting them outside the dome. However, using his speed is still feeding the lighting machine/bomb and it explodes just as he gets the last person out. Hartley spots David and they reunite with a kiss. He pulls back, not wanting to embaress David considering their last argument was about David wanting to keep their relationship secret. But it turns out that the explosion was a wake-up call and David loves Hartley too much to care what others think. I find their whole relationship really sweet. Darryl finds the Flash and has a go at him, but Barry has finally reached the end of his rope and shouts back before dashing off in search of Professor Zoom.

Professor Zoom is in his tower watching as Henry finishes the device he kidnapped him to build. It turns out that it is a power stealing glove. You simply thrust the needle fingers into a powered person and it drains their power transferring it to the wearer. Obviously Henry tries to use it on Eobard, but he is far too fast and easily gets it off him.

Eobard then goes onto explain that the glove isn’t to stop the Flash but to take his power. Magali turns up and having overheard this is absolutely appalled. She vows to stop Eobard, reaching for him so that she can age him, but he grabs her with the glove and takes her power. He gloats, saying about how he hated relying on her power to keep him young and how he plans to take each of his acolyte’s powers. He leaves her for dead with Henry locked in that room.
And that is where this one ends. Next part tomorrow.

The return of Professor Zoom part 4

4th Jan 2016 · Leave a comment ·

The previous parts of this review can be found here; PART 1, PART 2 & PART 3

The next ones are here; PART 5, PART 6, PART 7 & PART 8.

The Flash 43: Getting the drop

This issue starts with Eobard Thawne aka Professor Zoom, addressing his acolytes; Block, Magali, Roscoe Dillon, Selkirk and Xolani aka the Folded Man. Block wants to just kill the Flash (aka Barry Allen) but Eobard makes the point that the Flash is more than a person, he is an icon, and his image must be destroyed before they can kill him.

Meanwhile, over in the Aspen Valley neighbourhood Henry Allen, Travis and Ernie are still on the run. They’ve come to meet Anthony aka Girder, but he was apprehended by the Flash in the last issue. Instead it is Barry Allen that they find there. Ernie and Travis try to attack Barry but Henry fires a warning shot to get them to back off. Ernie and Travis do so and Henry gets some alone time with his son. Barry is all up for hugs but Henry is more concerned about Barry’s investigation. Barry says that he saw another speedster at the family home and Henry totally flips out, telling him to run and stop investigating. Barry begs him to turn himself in, but Henry says he is out for vengeance. Barry runs off vowing to clear him anyway. Henry joins Travis and Ernie, promising them money in exchange for help.

Barry gets home to find that his housemate Hartley Rathaway (previously the Pied Piper) is still up mixing music. They have a heart to heart about how Barry shouldn’t take the law into his own hands and that he should trust the police to bring his father in alive. Barry decides it’s time to sleep as he’s meant to be seeing Iris’s nephew, Wally West tomorrow. Hartley makes a comment about how he’s doing it for Iris really, but he denies it.

The next day we switch to Wally West who is doing some sort of off road racing for his school. His teacher seems very impressed at least. Iris and Barry turn up to cheer him on whilst wearing ‘Team Wally’ t-shirts which is kinda cute. However the football coach is less than happy with what Wally’s homemade racer has done to his football field. He starts shouting but Barry pushes him back, knocking him down and pointing out that football season isn’t for another month. The guy backs off, not wanting to be sued, again. Wally is super perky and happy that Barry stuck up for him. He tells Barry that he knows what it is like to not have a father and gives him some advice and a big hug.

Later that day the Flash is out on patrol when he picks up a police transmission that says that there is a hostage situation and the perpetrators will only speak to the Flash. Flash gets there, saves the hostages, finds out that they are actually mannequins and that the perpetrator is Henry. The reason Henry staged all this is that he wanted to talk to the Flash (he is unaware that Barry and the Flash are one and the same). Henry explains that his wife was killed by a man called Eobard Thawne and that he is afraid that Eobard is now going to hurt his son Barry. He says that he believes the Flash is a hero and as Eobard also has superspeed, the Flash is the only one who can stop him.

The cops turn up and arrest Henry and co. Whilst they’re in the back of the van Darryl yells at Henry telling him that he now has no chance of clearing his name and getting out of prison. But Henry is more concerned about Thawne being back. Turns out that Darryl knows about Thawne killing Nora, even though they couldn’t prove it at the time. Henry confesses to being jealous that Darryl got to raise Barry but knows that he can’t do anything from prison and so wants Darryl to swear that he’ll protect Barry. He agrees but then a woman, Block walks out in front of the van (I must confess that I actually quite like Block. She’s a kickass strong female and I’d really like if they wrote some seperate stuff for her later on in the series. Magali too.)

Block destroys the front of the van and then hands over to Roscoe who spins the doors off allowing Magali to abduct Henry. The Flash is about to step in when the Folded Man gets in the way and Barry suddenly finds himself teleported into the deep ocean.
The comic ends there, Part 5 tomorrow.

The return of Professor Zoom part 3

3rd Jan 2016 · Leave a comment ·

The previous comic reviews can be found here; PART 1 & PART 2

The next parts are here; PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7 & PART 8.

The Flash 42: Blood is thicker

Barry Allen, aka, the Flash, races over to Iron Heights prison as soon as he discovers that his previously incarerated father is missing. He wants to examine the scene but is denied as he is apparently too close to the case. He is told that his dad was part of the break out but he refuses to believe it, thinking that he has been kidnapped instead. So Barry examines the room at super speed (I love that he is wearing a Batman shirt) finding nothing. Iris turns up but she’s not looking for a story cause she’s meant to be on only Flash stories. She tells Barry that the Flash is hated by the cops and seen as a problem by the people of the city due to the damage he leaves in his wake. As per usual, disaster and character assassination are at the forefront of ‘good’ news reporting. Anyway, Iris was actually there to see her brother Daniel West aka Reverse Flash. She reports that Wally, her nephew, is now doing well, applying himself at school so that’s a good thing at least.

Meanwhile at a Medi-Barn distribution centre, Henry Allen and co are stealing stuff. So much for Henry not being a criminal. (There is a nice nod to Kord industries on one of the boxes.) Henry apparently has a plan but unknown to him, Eobard Thawne aka Professor Zoom, is watching him unseen. Henry and co are about to leave when Professor Zoom triggers the alarm just to be annoying. A guard rushes in and Henry tells him not to shoot, that they can come to a peaceful arrangement, but Professor Zoom has other ideas. From the unseen dimension / speedforce Professor Zoom makes Henry pull the trigger on his gun, killing the guard. Henry is confused but they need to run before they get caught, so off they go.

Anthony aka Girder goes back to Keystone city to visit his grandma. She is just about to fix him a snack when the Flash turns up. Grandma is having none of it and threatens the Flash, however Girder just goes straight ahead and fights him. The Flash agrees to leave Girder’s gran alone in exchange for knowing why they kidnapped Henry. Girder tells him that they didn’t but he doesn’t believe him. They continue to fight and Barry eventually leads him to a junk yard where he captures Girder using a giant magnet. He tells him to talk, but Girder isn’t believed and so just tells the Flash to ask Henry himself.

The Flash then turns up at one of the prison guard’s house. Turns out that the guard’s wife is dying of a blood disease and Henry promised to help cure her if he helped him escape. The guard had looked into it and found out that Henry was indeed an amazing blood doctor previously at the forefront of his field and so agreed. He’s prepared to go to jail for this as long as his wife gets treatment but the Flash says he won’t turn him in as long as he says when he sees Henry again.

As the Flash is running home, Professor Zoom pulls up next to him. Barry asks who he is but Eobard just asks why Barry is so angry, insinuating childhood trauma as the cause. Barry goes to grab for him but Eobard is too fast. Eobard disappears and Barry finds that he had chased him down to in front of Barry’s childhood home where his mother was murdered.

The comic ends there with Barry striking a rather flexible pose. I can’t pinpoint what exactly is wrong with it, or maybe I’m just distracted by how fabulous his butt looks, but I’m sure there is something up with that position.

Part 4 tomorrow.

The return of Professor Zoom part 2

2nd Jan 2016 · Leave a comment ·

Part 1 of this 8 part review of the newest Professor Zoom story arc is HERE

The following parts are here; PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7 & PART 8.

The Flash 41: Yellow

I’m so conflicted about Brett Booths artwork. Some of it is awesome but then there are anatomy mistakes and he is just not great with faces. Anyway, on to the plot.
It’s another beautiful day in Central City and the Flash, aka Barry Allen, is fighting an 8ft mech rhino-guy. As this is happening and Barry is bragging about being the fastest there is another figure, Professor Zoom aka Eobard Thawne watching the fight. He is literally walking round Barry, talking to him as if he was in slow motion. Barry notices enough to be distracted and so rhino-guy knocks him down.

Then it changes to now, the previous battle being a flash-forward. Barry Allen is taking a shower and just as he gets out he is startled by a large black and white rat. Which is what he gets for sharing an apartment with former Pied Piper, Hartley Rathaway. The rat is called Moon and is apparently very tame.

So Barry dresses and takes off to visit his dad Henry at Iron Heights prison. Henry is incarcerated for killing his wife and Barry’s mother, Nora. Barry is excited as he has apparently found some evidence to help clear his father’s name, however Henry is less than happy, telling Barry to stop. But then Barry mentions a name, Thawne, and his dad loses it, confessing to the crime and putting the phone down.

On the way back to his cell, Henry is given a message by the criminal Double Down, saying that ‘the Professor sends his regards’, and that the man in yellow is coming. This is apparently enough to send Henry over the edge and a fight starts, though not for long as a friendly guard breaks it up. Once back in his cell with cell mates Travis, Ernie and Anthony, Henry hatches a plan. Lucky for him his cell mates are actually Mogul, Black Mold and Girder.

Meanwhile Barry hasn’t given up and is explaining about his lead to his boss and surrogate father Darryl at the GCPD. They are having a heart to heart when there is a report of a break in and the need for immediate back-up. Barry runs off to become the Flash and we are back at the fight from the beginning. It recaps Barry being distracted and getting hit, but then he gets up, speeds round the rhino-guy who promptly passes out from lack of air.

Meanwhile over at Iron Heights, Henry is pretending to be sick so that they can escape. To be honest it is the oldest trick in the book. They escape, hijack a boat and Henry goes off to protect his son. Though I’m not sure how he plans to do that all things considered.
The comic ends there. Part 3 tomorrow.

The Return of Professor Zoom Part 1

1st Jan 2016 · Leave a comment ·

The Flash relaunched back in 2011 as part of DC’s N52 range. Most of the Rogues were there, though slightly reinvented however Professor Zoom previously Reverse Flash, aka Eobard Thawne, was missing. Daniel West, Iris’s brother took up the mantel of Reverse Flash after an accident and turning evil. However in 2015 Professor Zoom returned.

All the following parts of this review are here, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7 & PART 8.

The Flash Annual 4: The Acolytes of Zoom

Before I get onto the story I just wanted to talk about the art. It isn’t bad but I don’t feel it’s up to DC best standard as there are inconsistencies and I just don’t find it as polished as it could be. I’ve seen worse but it annoys me when things like eye colour changes between panels, or basic anatomy obviously isn’t right.

Anyway, so this story starts out in 1520 Aztec South America. The Aztec empire is dying as the Spanish have invaded. But there is one beautiful Aztec woman who isn’t running, Magali, the fountain of youth who has the power to change the age of anything organic. The conquistadors have surrounded her but there is an old man traveling with them. He introduces himself to Magali as Eobard Thawne and claims that he will save her if she makes him young again. She agrees and Eobard deals with the conquistadors in a flash of black lightning, revealing himself as a speedster. He then invites Magali, to join him in recruiting others who have been given power by the lightning to fight against a great future evil called The Flash!

Next they are in 1883 at a diamond mine in Africa. Someone with powers is stealing the diamonds. It turns out that it is Xolani, one of the Zulu and he has the power to become a teleporting shadow type creature. He briefly visits his wife before going to hide the diamonds he stole, so that the white men don’t find anything. However his wife finds a diamond under her pillow, believing it a gift. Whilst Xolani is burying his stolen diamonds he is confronted by Eobard and Magali. A fight breaks out revealing that they all have powers. Xolani explains that he is burying the diamonds cause if enough go missing the white miners will leave and his village can be free. Suddenly there is an explosion from the village. When they get back there the whole village has been burnt down and his wife murdered. Xolani agrees to go with Eobard and Magali in exchange for help getting revenge.

Next they are in 1957 Australia. There is a Maori woman on a carnival stage. She is apparently the unmovable human Block and punters are paying to try and move her. All of them fail, even the strongest man can’t lift her until a man comes up and insults her Maori heritage, so she punches him. A fight breaks out, someone then shoots her, which does nothing and then they turn on her completely calling her a witch and a freak. She is saved by Eobard and co. He explains that like them she is touched by the lightening and has god like power. She agrees to join him in his quest. Eobard is really good at giving a convincing speech that plays on the current vulnerabilities of the person he’s trying to recruit.

The team end up in Oklahoma in 1982 during a tornado. The cause is actually a teenage boy. Xolani and Block stop him. The poor boy is Roscoe, his power to create tornadoes having destroyed his home. They were medicating him to control his powers but Eobard convinces him that he just need guidance and training. So on the promise of giving him a new family, Roscoe joins them too.

So with his team assembled and joined by a non-powered guy called Selkirk who is just really knowledgeable about the Flash, the team start training. They apparently train for centuries, getting the teamwork perfect so that they can take down the Flash. It is here that they start to call Eobard Professor Zoom and it is revealed that his powers are a control over time, not speed. I want to know in their centuries together, who does the cleaning, cooking etc. Do they have games night? Squabble over what movies to watch?

Anyway, Magali eventually asks Eobard about his past but he doesn’t reveal anything to her. However we do get to see a flashback. Turns out that it was Eobard who set the conquistadors on Magali, who placed the diamond under the pillow and tipped off miners to Xolani’s village, who told the guy to taunt Block about being Maori and contaminated Roscoe’s meds to set him off. When they eventually find out, and I am certain that they will, they are going to be so pissed at Eobard. Oh and he’s taught them how to take out someone with super speed, yeah, that’s not going to back fire at all….
Part 2 tomorrow.

The death of Iris West part 3

23rd Dec 2015 · Leave a comment ·

The previous reviews can be found here, PART 1 and PART 2.

The Flash issue 283 – Flashback

(Or Professor Zoom’s guide to romance & rejection)

In a quick flashback to the previous comic it is revealed that during his journey back to the 1970s, Barry Allen aka the Flash has worked out who killed his wife Iris. However, just as he gets back to his own time he is caught in an explosion. Zoomy (as in Eobard Thawne aka Professor Zoom / Reverse Flash) is waiting for Barry to arrive to watch his demise. There is a massive explosion and Zoomy believes that he has won, finally kiling the Flash.However he notices a film projector. Not expecting Barry to own one he investigates and finds the surveillance film that shows Iris’s death. He comments on how desirable Iris is and so steals a picture of her for later use, then runs off to cause more mischief in the city.

Turns out that Zoomy is behind the sudden rise in the drug trade. He is manufacturing heroine to create a nation of junkies that can work as his slaves.Yeah, cause junkies are so incredibly reliable. Apparently his reason for all this is simply because he’s bored as there is no crime in the future. Amusingly his drug making minions think that he’s crazy.

Ok this is where stuff just gets creepy… Zoomy gets his minions to kidnap a woman, dose her with ether and then hands her over to a plastic surgeon so that he can transform her into Iris. Yeah… because that isn’t creepy as fuck! But apparently he’s still in love with Iris, so that’s what he’s going to do.

So with his soon to be love undergoing surgery, Zoomy sits down to voice record his diary. I’m not sure why there is a name change but he calls himself Professor Adrian Zoom, (The writer, Cary Bates was unaware that John Broome had already named him Eobard in issue 153. It gets retconned back to Eobard later). Zoomy had actually removed the records that previously existed of what he had done in this time and for some unknown reason now feels the reason to replace them. He reveals that his plan was to escape the boredom of the future by coming to the 20th century, being a crime lord, kill the Flash and then take his wife. He regrets that the last part didn’t happen.

He explains that many months ago he went to visit Iris when she was alone and confessed to her just how much he loved and admired her. He went on to pour out his heart, including his plan to kill Barry so that he’d have no competition. Zoomy obviously doesn’t quite understand how love is a two way thing. Iris laughs in his face and rejects his offer thus he offers her an ultimatum. Either she dumps Barry or he’ll kill her and she has 24 hours to decide. He wipes her mind of their conversation and then disappears. 24 hours later Iris is at the heroes and villains Whitlock masquerade party and Zoomy is stalking her. He gets a dance with her, tells her who he truly his and then asks her out again. Iris slaps him and that seals her fate.

Barry has been injected with Angel Dust by this point and so is all woozy. Iris goes to get Barry some water and walks into the room where Yorkin aka Beast-man is (I have no idea why he is hiding out there). Anyway, Zoomy is hiding behind the door. He vibrates himself invisible and in what he calls a crime of passion, he vibrates his hand through Iris’s head, killing her. He leaves the body there, allowing Yorkin, who is known to be violent to take the blame.

Zoomy stops his diary recording there, or as he calls it, ‘the Professor Zoom chronicles’. He’s all emotionally drained from talking about Iris and decides to take a nap, claiming that he’ll record about his killing of the Flash tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the factory where the heroine is being made suddenly starts to tremble and falls apart. Back at his hideout Zoomy is woken up to the voice of the Flash stating that he knew that Zoomy had killed Iris cause only another speedster could be invisible on the film. He then goes on to explain that the explosion didn’t kill him but as it tore him apart he gained control of his molecules and moved them a few hours into the future and very slowly reconstructed himself. Yeah, I know, a very silly explanation, but all this old stuff is full of silly explanations.

So obviously they both fight. Zoomy claims he loved Iris more. Barry just gets more pissed at him. Zoomy thinks he’s lost Barry after knocking him into the ocean and so goes to get in his time machine. However, Barry swam after him and gets to the time machine too, and knocks Zoomy out. He sets the machine for the future, hoping that they’ll reinstate the death penalty for Zoomy’s crimes, however they start going back in time instead.

Zoomy reveals that the time machine is booby-trapped and that it will go back and self-destruct if anyone uses it but him. Barry decides to get out of there, despite Zoomy saying he’ll never outrun the time shock wave. Barry leaves anyway as Zoomy begs him not to let him die alone.

The next issue I’m not going to review as I’m only reviewing Zoomy centric comics. But I will tell you that Barry travels through his own timeline, eventually getting back to the present where he decides that he now must get on with his life without Iris. What happens to Zoomy is not revealed, he’s presumed lost in space and time, probably dead.

The murder of Iris West part 2

22nd Dec 2015 · Leave a comment ·

First review in this arc can be found HERE. and the next part can be found HERE

The Flash issue 282 – Mishmash

Barry Allen, a.k.a. The Flash is quickly sinking towards the centre of the earth thanks to heavy matter/ gravity boots put on him by Zoomy (Eobard Thawne a.k.a. Professor Zoom/Reverse Flash) in the last issue. Barry manages to vibrate enough to stop the heat from killing him as he gets to the earth’s core. The boots aren’t core proof though and so they melt from heat releasing the Flash to be taken back to the surface by lava currents.

He pops up in the ocean only to discover Hal Jordan a.k.a. Green Lantern looking for him. Hal picks Barry up, but Barry denies wanting any further help as he wants to track down Iris’s killer himself. Because Zoomy mentioned that Iris’s killer was a matter for the history books, Barry decides that he will go to the future and look through said books.

Barry uses the cosmic treadmill and arrives in the 25th century, causing a flying car crash! He saves the car and a future policeman recognises him. Luckily he’s a fan and discovering that Flash is trying to apprehend Zoomy, he gives Barry directions to the historic library. He gets there and with the aid of a robot helper looks up Iris. It says her killer is unknown. Barry suddenly realises that Zoomy was just using this as a distraction.

Meanwhile, the chief of central city police, Paulson has just landed in a small South American country for what his family believe is a vacation. However, in reality he is on the run because it was really him who put out the hit on Frank in the last issue. Anyway, the Flash suddenly turns up and drags Paulson out of his car. He’s going to drag him to jail for being corrupt and suggests his family take his money and hit Disneyland instead. He gets Paulson to confess, though he swears that there is another man behind the whole thing, a Mr ZYX, however he never saw him. The Flash drops him off at the police station, having recorded his confession and leaves him to be locked up.

The Flash is just leaving the police station when Hal Jordan aka the Green Lantern turns up. He wants to talk to Barry but the Flash basically tells him to fuck off, even knocking him aside. Hal is confused by this and convinced that the Flash is still being effected by the Angel Dust. He tries to reach out to the Flash but is only met with violence. So Hal tries to capture him but it doesn’t work because lo and behold, it isn’t Barry at all but Zoomy in disguise. His yellow coloured suit still exerting the power to disrupt Hals green power ring. Zoomy gloats and runs off leaving Hal wondering where the real Flash is.

Turns out that the real Flash is in 2479 but about to return home. He travels through time, gets back to his treadmill when suddenly there is an explosion! To be continued.