This week in the Flash...

[shankie]

From this very week! So there are like... spoilers and stuff.

Sorry, I'm just so tickled about Wally being back I had to do it sometime, right?

First, JLA-Hitman #1, the first issue of a two-issue short set back during the 'good old days' of JLA. Kinda like most of JLA: Confidential which is most of why I love that series so much. So.

During the earliest issues of JLA especially, Flash was played as the 'old hand' at superheroing; Batman describes him as being one of the longest of them in a mask, regardless of age. It wasn't very often he was played quite so straight as I've seen here. Seriously.

He's like Mr. Spock only... bitchy.



More sciencey than Barry ever really got. It being the Silver Age, but still.



But seriously, folks. This is certainly... different. Wally's being portrayed as using his head without a mishap/funny happening? When he wasn't insulting Kyle it was kinda like Barry was in the suit. Not that this isn't a totally valid writing; it's just different than usual.



Barry, however, wouldn't have that look on his face, or burn quite that hard on a teammate. A lot. Seriously. The level of Kyle-hate from Wally goes beyond Batman's overt disdain and straight into a case of threatened masculinity or something. The man who uses "doohickey" and "thingie" to describe tech during missions is lecturing someone on being more specific? Getting all high and mighty about using the full potential of his powers? Wally's powers were limited by his own emo for like, a decade.

This Flash is a man in a glass house. And sure throwing rocks. Left and right.

Okay. Mildly ranty. But! I do dig this story.

Clark being so wonderfully trusting and hurt (in a very manly way) when that trust is broken. Being somewhat of an outsider even in this setting.

It's not often that Bruce gets caught with his foot in his mouth, either. Sure, he recovers, but he's Batman.

The book is very fun. Could have been easier on the Flashdickery, but meh. With the painfully predictable (and just plain painful) stuff happening elsewhere (Green Arrow/Black Canary+wedding=headdesk) this is actually decent stuff. And that's saying something.

Next! Okay, so this is actually last week AND this week; Countdown #33 & #32.

Flash snatches Piper and Trickster out of Batman's clutches and into his significantly more pissed off hands. It's telling about how the Rogues Gallery has become something... different. Or is it?





It's all very grim and dark.

And then Countdown #32 rolled around and... well, I actually really enjoyed it.

Really.



The mummy is a good gag, alright, I'll admit it.

I really like the mummy.

But seriously. Barda punching a mummy.






And then suddenly these people have substance outside of the piece of the puzzle they're supposed to be filling for the ultimate Event-y goal.

And speaking of iffy? I was pretty iffy about where The Flash relaunch has been going. Mark Waid and all. About his kids and about Linda becoming suddenly not a reporter but a super-scientist. Were they afraid of making her too much like Lois or something?

She's been a reporter since day 1 of her being in Flash comics. Maybe I'm just a traditionalist, but still... it's a leap.

I'm still iffy about Linda's transformation; but I love their kids. From The Flash #323.









Seriously, must she always be wearing a lab coat? ::cough:: Anyway. Yeah.

It's different, but it's more like it, if you know what I mean.

Not that any of this makes up for the wedding issue this week. C'mon DC. It had such a promising start.