The Flash, Vol. 1: Move Forward

The Flash (2011)

by Francis Manapul (Writer, Artist), Brian Buccellato (Writer, Colourist)

Türkiye'de de ( CNBC-E) yayınlanmaya başlayan dizisi ile Dünyada en çok okunan çizgi roman dergileri arasına giren The Flash ; Diziyle paralel giden yeni serisi ile Türk okurların karşısına çıkıyor!!!!

Üzerine dökülen kimyasallar ve yıldırım çarpması sonucu polis bilimcisi Barry Allen, Yaşayan En Hızlı İnsana dönüşmüştü. Ama Flash'ın bile kaçamayacağı şeyler vardı. Yıllarını intikam peşinde harcadıktan sonra, Flash'ın arkadaşlarından biri arkasında yeni düşmanlarla geri dönmüştü. Onu kovalayanlar, Flash'ın durdurabileceğinden bile daha çabuk çoğalan, durdurulamaz bir çeteydi.

Iron Heights denen yüksek emniyetli hapishanedeyse Flash'ın en tehlikeli düşmanı, kaçışını tasarlamakta, intikam hayalleri kurmakta ve Flash'ı ebediyen buzlar altına gömme planları yapmaktaydı. Öfkesinin sebebiyse Flash'ın öngöremediği kişisel bir acıydı.

Tüm bunların üzerine, Flash'ın bedeninin derinliklerindeyse akıl almaz yeni güçler açığa çıkmaya hazırdı. Bu beklenmedik, görülmedik yetenekler de Flash'ın koşmasını sağlayan Sürat Kuvveti'n kullanıyordu. Yeni yetenekleri Flash'ın en büyük silahı da olabilirdi, en büyük kabusu da.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Comic Book, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published November 13, 2012

About the author

Francis Manapul is a comic book artist living in Toronto, Canada currently working for DC comics. His list of credits include the forthcoming Adventure Comics, and Superman Batman. In the past he's worked on titles like Legion of Super-Heroes, Iron and the Maiden, Necromancer, Sept Guerrieres, Tomb Raider, Darkness, G.I Joe and of course Witchblade.

Photo by Luigi Novi.

Reviews

[Kemper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meet the new Flash. Same as the old Flash.

Barry Allen gets the New 52 reboot treatment here, and I gotta admit that as a newbie inspired to pick up Flash comics thanks to the TV show, it’s nice to get a story featuring just one speedster as the hero rather than small army of them I found in Rebirth. I also appreciated feeling like I didn’t have to read Wikipedia entries to learn decades of history.

Even though it’s a streamlined story that goes back to the relatively early days of Barry as Flash, it jumps into the deep end of the pool fairly quickly as far as bringing in familiar characters with new twists as well as digging right into the more timey-wimey aspects of the Flash universe. Frankly, I could have done with a bit more of getting to know Barry as a character, and the gimmick of having an old friend come back as a new villain with accompanying Flash-backs (Flash-backs! Get it??) just didn’t do much to help with that.

I really liked the art, and I’m interested in seeing where they go with this. But overall it just felt like they dumped readers into this revamped version without bothering to tell us exactly why we should care about it.

[Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

NEW 52 FLASH is GREAT. I know I'm somehow in the minority (and obviously those who don't like it are just crazy), but it's exciting, dramatic, and incredibly illustrated. Just a fun and dynamic story with fleshed out, sympathetic characters.

I haven't read all of the Flash. Some very silly Golden Age stuff, most crises and Flash events, like Flashpoint and Rebirth, and some pre-New 52 Barry Allen. I'm missing all of Morrison and Millar and Johns' Wally West. (I know. Inconceivable!) But I have a pretty good sense of what makes a solid Flash story, and this is it.



Until now, Flash has been a B character. Some say he's too nice, his rogues are lame, his powers are dumb. Well, sorry, but that's all bullshit.

He's a nice guy. True. But just because he isn't a bloodthirsty emo psycho like Batman doesn't make him Beaver Cleaver. The man gets angry, he's a skilled and clever fighter. And it's not like he's a flat character. He loves, cares, rages, laments. He's dynamic.

The thing is, it's not that he's an all around cheerful doormat, he just had a different emotional response to tragedy. Rather than Bats who always broods and mourns the past, Flash "moves forward." See what I did there? He's an optimist, not a cynic. But, like broody Bats, there's still an undeniable darkness in his past. Balance.



Flash's Rogues Gallery is awesome, and dare I say fun. They're not as "grimdark" as others, like Joker or Two Face, with the exception of Reverse Flash and Zoom. But that's a nice change. Because they sometimes work together. Team work! (Captain Cold's story here is great at simultaneously showing his humanity and ruthlessness.) They have classic villain roots and it shows. If you're okay with a little moderation, the Rogues are pretty cool.

Barry Allen's powers have come a long way, but they were never dumb. Because he's more than just a cosmic track star. Yes he runs, on a treadmill no less, but the man manipulates physics. Creates vortexes and throws lightning, runs on water and up and down buildings, thinks at the speed of light, vibrates through solid objects like a ghost. And, you know, TIME TRAVELS. Let's be honest: his powers are badass. You can't deny it. And that's coming from a die hard no-powers Batman fan.



Francis Manapul writes AND illustrates, which I never knew. His illustrations are fantastic. Detailed and inventive like Frank Quitely but people look normal. He draws clean if sometimes sketchy, with Flash's complex actions looking crazy yet effortless. The title pages for each issue are probably the best I've ever seen, cleverly incorporating "DC Presents: The Flash" into the page every time. He just TRIES and it's refreshing. Brian Buccellato, who colors and eventually co-writes subsequent volumes, colors really well, they're bright and dark and textured, moderating for tone like the best of colorists.

The writing is dynamic, sometimes jumping from present to past to create a complex layered narrative. The story overall is part sci-fi adventure, part crime procedural, part romance, coming together to form a wonderful balance that keeps you turning pages.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I'm not really attached to The Flash one way or the other. I have yet to read anything about the character that makes me go WOW! I love this guy!...yet. I'm holding out hope that at some point that will happen, and that's why I keep reading titles like this.




I think Barry Allen has the same problem as Clark Kent. He's just so darn nice.
Which is great...if you want to marry him.
Otherwise, he's not all that interesting as a person.



Which is so sad when I think about it. I mean, he's a good guy who always does the right thing. Does that make him boring?
Unfortunately, yes. Yes it does.

Moving Forward's plot wasn't awful or anything. It just wasn't great.
The villains aren't mind-blowing, either.
There's Captain Cold, who now has the power to freeze things without his lame guns. That could turn out to be a good thing, but I'd like an explanation as to how he got the powers to start with. He just kind of showed up and Ta-da! started freezing things.
There's a new guy (I think he's new?) called Mob Rule. He's an old friend of Barry's who (due to military experiments involving pig DNA) can clone himself by chopping off a body part. Is he good? Is he bad? I don't know.
Next up is a guy who has been trapped in the Speed Force for so long that he's not only developed 'hurricane hands', he's also become a bit unhinged. Not really sure what happened to him after his encounter with Flash.
And finally, Gorilla Grodd eats his father's brain and becomes king of Gorilla City. That storyline really didn't go anywhere.



Also, if you're expecting an origin story just because this is a reboot...don't. It's kind of glossed over in a few flashbacks.
Stuff spilled on me!
Zap-Zap-Ouch!
I got electrocuted!
Wow! I'm really fast!
Badda-Boom!
Origin story complete.
Fade To Black

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having never read any of Flash's comics before, and with my intro to Green Lantern being so disappointing, I honestly had no idea what was in store here. Thankfully I ended up pleasantly surprised with this one.



I'm in love with the art style! It's a lot less ... harsh? than a lot of superhero comics and sets it apart from the rest of the New 52. As the series progresses, it starts to look more like a cartoon than a comic, but I don't mean that in a bad way. It's not easy drawing a character like The Flash and giving him so much life and movement on a still page, but Manapul and Buccellato manage it beautifully.

The Flash is an easily likeable character, maybe because he feels like a less uptight Superman to me. I'm also enjoying his supporting cast (although I'm a bit over the whole "my loved one can't know who I really am" trope), and also Captain Cold is such a Mr. Freeze ripoff (but I'll admit I don't know who came first!)

I thought maybe I'd have to slog through this one but then ended up with a completely different outcome. I'm sticking with this series and am actually eager to continue.

[Bookwraiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the art. Several of the revamped Flash mythos were good. But the story fell rather flat for me. It wasn't bad, just not terribly exciting.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first volume to the New 52 Flash series and it is quite impressive. The artwork alone is marvelous and really elevates the game. It not only brings life to the Flash's speed, but it delivers it with grace and originality. There's a 3D type of artwork that is integrated within the story that works wonders in playing with time (past, present and future) and I always ended up being impressed by it. Even more impressive are the full two-page panels before every chapter (issue) where it says "DC presents The Flash" that are truly remarkable in the way it is all presented.

While the artwork really could save any bad writing, Francis Manapul however still does a fantastic job in portraying Barry Allen as the Flash. The puns are nice and the plot twists are pretty cool. There's around three different story arcs that thrown into this first volume that each focus on a specific villain that is part of the Flash's universe (Mob Rule, Captain Cold and Grodd). Every character is well-fleshed out and gives us a nice taste of what the Flash is capable of.

But what exactly is the Flash capable of? That is the focus of this volume. This sort of explores the Flash's slow and sure understanding of his powers. Sure, he can run fast, but is that it? Aw, hell no. Flash's ability to run fast also lets him vibrate his molecules at an insane speed. What that means is that he can rotate his arms so fast that he creates tornadoes out of them. What else? He can run so fast that he breaches time and space. Yes, that's right. Dude can time travel and that is one of the best things about the Flash.

The Flash: Move Forward explores his abilities and the Speed Force and is simply a fantastic beginning for this series. Can't wait to see what else this series has to offer.



Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This run on Flash may be the best work of Francis Manapul's career. The art is gorgeous. I love how pays homage to Will Eisner by incorporating the titles into the backgrounds. Manapul and Buccellato treat Barry as a shut-in professor uncomfortable around women he's interested in and it works. I thought Mob Rule was an interesting villain. I think I actually prefer Patty over Iris as a love interest.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like a lot of "New 52" titles, "Flash" doesn't go into the origin of the character - Barry Allen, the Flash, comes fully formed and jumps straight into action from the opening pages. This might frustrate new readers who've never read "Flash" before as his origin isn't well-known like Batman or Superman's, but this choice is endemic of a larger problem with a lot of these new titles: the lack of character development and the focus on action despite DC aiming this re-launch at introducing new readers to these characters for the first time.

Barry Allen is a forensic pathologist with Central City's Police Department and is about as vanilla as they get with the bland sweaters he wears symbolising the lack of personality he has. He is better as the Flash as his powers are pretty awesome. Everyone knows he's fast but his ability to tap into the Speed Force, the source of his power, enables him to vibrate his molecules so fast he can pass through solid objects as well as other objects he touches.

Despite this though the dull enemies Flash faces are what really bring this book down. The laughably named "Mob Rule" is an old friend of Flash's who can cut off a piece of himself and grow a full size copy of himself from it - this leads to dozens of versions of the single host. I don't know what to say about this character except what a stupid power and what a boring character he was. Next up is an old favourite of Flash's, the rogue Captain Cold, who sounds like a cereal mascot. In other Flash books, Cold's power derived from his ice guns but in this new book - for no explanation whatsoever - he is able to generate ice with his hands, like Iceman. Ok... There's more but these are the two main baddies of this book and neither were interesting.

The art is the book's saving grace. Francis Manapul crafts some excellent pages utilising the comics format perfectly like when Flash falls out of a building and vibrates through the street into the sewer - it's a really well laid out page. There's also a strong sense of motion on the page when Barry changes into Flash or fights a group of soldiers or even uses the Speed Force to see future events - the sense of motion is crucial to get right in a comic like this and Manapul does an excellent job at drawing this. I also really liked that the title pages of each issue were drawn into the scene to become part of it, it was really creative and eye-catching.

But imaginative art aside, the weak story, unconvincing dialogue and paper-thin characters weren't enough to interest me in the Flash's new adventures and I can't imagine this series is going to win many new readers to this character's side. "Move Forward" is too much of an average superhero comic with an unimpressive lead superhero in the spotlight and a complete snooze-fest to read. What should've been one of the major series of the reboot is one of the most missable.

[Rylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good, I don’t know all that much about the Flash so it was nice to have this be an easy entry point. The story itself is decent, nothing too special. However the art in here is breathtaking, it really carries the book. This has some of the most creative paneling and every page is a treat to look at.

[Bhanuj · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars for the story, 5 stars for the artwork.

You know how they say, your first may not always be the best; the best comes later.

DC ‘s rejuvenated New 52 Flash was my first Flash comic. After having seen the amazing TV adaptation of The Flash recently, my expectations were through the roof, but they came crashing down.

Unlike other superheroes, the trademark of Flash a.k.a Barry Allen is his humor. Flash is a man who is still a boy at heart ready to sweep you off your feet with his speed and his jokes. But sadly somewhere while making a rejuvenated leap, DC dropped the fun part.

The Flash Volume One collects issues #1-8. The first five issues have a good story line but things get intolerable sixth issue onward.

In the first five issues Flash faces The MOB. The story goes into the origins of flash more seriously. The mystery that is the Speed Force is quite complex and intriguing. Flash is tapping the speed force and as a consequence breaking the very fabric of space and time. Flash was not just running faster he was thinking faster too, making his brain tap into the speed force and determine the immediate future by consolidating all possible outcomes.

However the saga of Mob Rule had a very indigestible ending. Manuel (flash’s friend who is behind the Mob) wanted to get rid of his clones and wouldn’t willingly help save the dying clones. But when they eventually did die, instead of being happy and free, he blamed the Flash. Sighs!

Sixth issue onward the mob rule is replaced by Captain Cold and things go downhill really fast. It is as if the refrigerated milk went sour on the sixth day.

The artwork is artsy and spectacular. For the first time I was reading the book solely for the artwork. The angles from which some of the scenes are drawn, are remarkable. The sequential little boxes that appear amidst the big picture falls perfectly into a big whole.

Will I read the next volume? Probably yes, if not for the story then definitely for the artwork and for a lot of things that were left unresolved in this volume.

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a HUGE Flash fan back in the day – I mean like the 80s and early 90s – Volumes one and two – especially Mike Baron’s run to start Wally’s volume 2.

Then I grew up – what a drag.

But then! I grew up enough that I didn’t give a damn what anyone thought about an adult reading comics and went all in. This was a couple years ago. So DC’s New 52 was pre-Lyn “I’m 50 and I can do whatever the hell I want”. Before and since, but New 52 was well under my radar.

Until now!

Picked up this TASTY collection from WAY COOL, SMOOTH OPERATOR writer Francis Manapul and BAROMETER OF HIP artist Brian Buccellato (except looks like both collaborated to make this a synergy of comic greatness – each contributing writing and art duties!)

Here’s the thing: Flash is crazy fast, but can he also think that fast? Does his cognitive ability allow him to manage moving at those speeds?

And then – then you’re going to get into time travel. If he’s moving and doing stuff so fast no one else can even see him, he’s practically on his own. (BTW – LOVED the way Marvel adapted this idea in the X-Men Days of Future Past).

So – Manapul and Buccellato did a GREAT job with The Flash’s storyline in this New 52 offering.

This is something of a reboot, so we start all over again with the story and characters, and the artists explore the many aspects of The Flash that make the story so appealing.

Someone once wrote how Marvel heroes are people trying to be gods, whereas DC characters are gods trying to be human. Barry Allen’s god-like speed force powers are on full display and this collection highlights some of the best qualities of the storyline.

Also – imagine the fastest man on the planet drinking too much coffee! Yeah, the vibrations gets explored too!

Speed Force!

And!

Mob Rule – one of Flash’s most interesting rogues.

Captain Cold!

Grodd!

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

A resounding meh. I picked this up because I wanted to know more about The Flash ahead of his spin-off show coming to television this fall. Despite the #1 on the cover, this latest reboot is not the story you are looking for if you are not terribly familiar with the character.

And let's be honest, while he and his red tights are familiar, he is not Batman or Superman, so they could have done a lot more than totally skipping his origin and giving just one very brief paragraph (top right corner of the picture below) explaining how his powers come from the "Speed Force" and showing how he can now change into his costume using some sort of magic ring.

One highlight was the art, which was gorgeous, and the story, while bland, wasn't bad, it just wasn't what I was looking for. I'll scout around elsewhere for a different iteration of his origin and some "must read" story lines.

[Reza Qalandari · Rating 5 out of 5]

هم داستان عالیه، هم طراحیش!

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was epic!

I loved this volume!

It starts off with Barry meeting his childhood friend Manuel but some people are after him and well the chase starts as we see whats happening to him and they maybe his clones and well their origins and ties to the military are discussed here and its awesome and how Barry deals with his growing powers and then the blackout and how he helps people and thats awesome to see.

This volume also has the fight between Cap Cold and Barry and I like the setups done here and its wonderful especially when they hint at other characters like Rogues and Gorilla Grodd and the fight between Cap and Barry is cool and really well done.

Then him discovering the secrets of speed force and the troubles it maybe causing and its fun but yeah and also going against a new villain "Turbine" was fun but I wish we had more of the battle than the convo and that becomes its weakpoint.

But overall its a very solid volume which sets up a lot of things and promises a lot many things to come and the art is wonderful especially some panel sequences like that tree and everything, its very creative and the use of water paints makes this volume a must read!

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Since this was part of the "New 52" reboot of the DC Universe, I was expecting a rehashed origin story of Barry Allen/The Flash. Instead, it starts a relatively short time later (months? year?, not sure...), introducing several supporting characters and new/old antagonists like Mob Rule, Captain Cold, and a super-fast glimpse of Gorilla Grodd, which is likely a lead-in to the next story arc.

The artwork is very good, and it's interesting how they capture his high-speed movement, which can't be easy on the a "printed" page. (Note to DC: create a truly interactive format for certain characters that somehow showcase movement). I really liked a couple of the variant covers included, but most left me wondering how they were ever included; they were simply terrible.

[Blindzider · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was quite taken by Manapul's art while reading the "road to Flashpoint". This series is no exception: beautiful soft colors and creative layouts especially on the title pages, and easy to understand storytelling. The writing is just fine. This being the first volume in the New 52 there's some building of his world, and the first story arc smartly gives Barry some backstory but also ties to the current "bad guy" who has an inventive (and creepy) origin. Wisely, the resolution of the first arc leads right into the second. All of this while dealing with Barry's personal life as well as the Flash's reputation in the city. Intertwining and constantly flowing plot threads make for an engaging book.

Overall, very pleased so far.

[Zeynep Ceyda Demirkan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Olaylar çok kopuk geldi bana. Belki düzelir diye ümit etmiştim lakin düzelmedi. Evrenin sıfırlanması ve yeni evrenin Flash üzerine kurulmasından dolayı kaynaklanan bir durum varmış ortada sanırım. Bu dünyaya hakim olmadığımdan dolayı anlamadım gerçi ama öyleymiş yani dkfhf

[Shawn Deal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought there was s lot to like here. Liked how it started, with a good redefinition of the main characters. Loved the art style. And I liked the story. A nice starting point for anyone jumping into the flash.

[max · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story's interesting enough but the art is the highlight of this volume, it's simply stunning. Can't wait to read more!

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished my first graphic novel yaaay!

[Ярослава · Rating 4 out of 5]

Нехай я навряд чи стану палкою шанувальницею основних лінійок DC, але у “Флеші” мені дуже подобається графіка (коливається під потреби моменту від generic коміксової до таких акварельних віньєточок) і композиція сторінок, особливо розворотів, де динаміку і сприйняття головного героя передають фрагментованою композицією, нестандартною формою панелей і т.д. І переклад тут, на відміну від “Бетмена”, жвавенький і ідіоматичний (“отримати на горіхи”, ииии! От як давно ви не бачили у перекладному тексті “отримати на горіхи”?).


(У порівнянні з ранішими прикладами кумедно, як автори наголошують: усе за законом! "Суперсили не дають нікому права діяти за межами закону"! Насправді наполягання на етичній досконалості героя знімає кілька дилем - скажімо, щойно нас прилякнули тим, що використання його суперсил становить реальну загрозу, як автори поквапцем заспокоюють читачів: ні-ні, навпаки, Флеш стабілізує плин часу у всесвіті - але культурологічно зсув цікавий.)

[Lunar · Rating 4 out of 5]

نمره م 4.5 ئه:)
واسه يه دي سي فن كه من باشم، فلش جديدي بود
و اونپايانش سبب شد بهش اون نيمو بدم.
ارت استايلش...من كلا سعي مي كنم براي كميكا ارت استايل و گرافيك رو كامل بدم، چون يه جاهايي مشكل از سليقه ي منه و در واقع گرفيكش خيلي خوبه
اما فلش به دلم نشست گرافيكش
خط داستانيش جذابه و عجيبه
اما من همچنان اين مشكلو دارم با كميكا كه همه چيز در كمتر از ده ثانيه اتفاق مي افته و خب بايد عادت كنم و طول مي كشه:D
در كل اينم پيشنهاد مي دم:))

[Peter Derk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oof. What a letdown.

After reading issue one of all the new relaunched DC 52 titles, I came away very excited about the Flash. The first issue was paced, had a good cliffhanger, and ultimately made it seem like we'd be getting some detective-y stuff along with the speedster business.

Aaaand not so much.

The whole DC relaunch has been pretty disappointing, personally. I'm not saying that there aren't good books coming out. I'm just not sure that there is a larger number of good books coming out, or more importantly that I've enjoyed DC comics more in the last year than I had in years previous.

The Flash here is a great example of one of the big problems I have with DC comics in general.

I think DC can be really good, and when they let go of the past in some ways it can create some really exciting results. I very much enjoyed some of the Wally West Flash stories from the 90's. And the Death of Superman was probably one of the most interesting Superman books I ever read. Hell, I was even into Kyle Rayner, the often-maligned Green Lantern who took over for a while.

So a relaunch like this really should have flipped my cookie, I think. But fuck me if it didn't let down in a big way.

I mean, why am I reading a complete Flash relaunch where in the first few issues we discover that one of the ideas that's going to carry over is the Cosmic Treadmill? The fact that the words "Cosmic Treadmill" got through once should tell us enough, but twice? Was anyone clambering for that? Really sweating it out after they heard about the relaunch, thinking, "Oh fuck, oohhhhhh fuck, they better not get rid of the Cosmic Treadmill! How else would they access the multiverse through the act of running if not with the Cosmic Treadmill?"

I guess what's disappointing to me about this book and some of the others is that the relaunch was a great opportunity to do some fun, different things with characters and stories without the shackles of continuity. But, instead we sort of just redid a lot of the same stuff again. We read the same stories with updated art. We got Cosmic Treadmill.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

2019 review:
Somehow completely forgot I read this already and said "Ooh, Flash New 52 vol 1. I'll read that now." Then had this slight feeling of familiarity halfway through and kept going. Still worth reading again. Still same rating.

2016 review:
I regret not having started these New 52 runs earlier. *aggressive sigh*

So I'll admit that I expected more out of this, but I can't say I'm disappointed in it. This was still good.

This opens up with Barry having had his powers for five years already. I thought they would start from the beginning, but this is better for the story because most fans know the origin and this just cuts right to the chase. He knows what he can and can't do for the most part, but he's still growing and learning. He ends up going into the Speed Force to rescue you some people and that's where this ends. So obviously this series has its work cut out for it. There's an overarching plot that will likely continue through the series.

I really liked the artwork for this. If there's one thing I can say about the New 52, it's that I find a good bit of the artwork appealing. The paneling also got immaculate at times too, especially when he was in the speed force. Pretty cool stuff.

As for character development, there wasn't much time for it because it was so action-heavy. Part of the reason I enjoyed this like I did was because I was adding this to what I already know about Barry from other comics and the CW show.

Overall, this was a good start. I'm interested in seeing where this goes.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flash fact: I was drawn to comics by the Flash, not by Batman, so I have always had a huge soft spot for the scarlet speedster. Thus, I had a bias heading in to the book.

I really enjoyed it. I didn't love it and I'm not saying it is a great collection, but I still really enjoyed it.

Francis Manapul has done a nice job in creating situations and building relationships in these issues. Backed up by some of the best artwork in the New 52, it looked and felt the way it should..... The only thing missing for me was the characters; there was no character development whatsoever and there were barely any discernible character traits for the core cast.

Still, I can appreciate the changes they are making to the Flash universe. I like the new costume, I like the tweaked relationships, the artwork is lovely, though the story boarding seems a little off-pace at times. It hits the ground running and it feels like its heading in the right direction.

4/5

[Anton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the beginning of one of the best Flash runs ever. I really love how they included a mental aspect to The Flash's powers, and I enjoyed this book as much as the well received title, Flash: Rebirth, which is widely heralded as the best Flash novel of all time. As I read this, all I kept thinking about was how this story would make for one hell of a motion picture! My only gripe is that they left one story arch hanging, and we don't get any closure regarding one of the main antagonists. I also thought that Buccellato's artwork was lazy at times, but I usually judge graphic novels by the writing, and not the art, so no point deductions for that. This book is easily one of my favorite of the new 52 titles. Writer Francis Manapul has reinvented this character in a great, new way and I can't wait to read volume 2!

[David Church · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit this…this is my first Flash graphic novel. Aside from about 15 – 20 Flash comics in my 30+ years of reading comics I never really got into anything solo w/the Flash. I always felt I got my fill with his appearances in Justice League or other titles.
The Flash I enjoy, Barry Allen…eh his scenes were ok. For some reason I cannot latch onto his alter ego persona. Don’t get me wrong the writing was really good and the artwork for the most part pretty spectacular, I am a sucker for full panel action scenes. The Flash action scenes & interactions w/ Captain Cold really sucked me in. (ever realize how many villains there are with cold powers in DC! Holy Shit!)
Maybe if Barry Allen had some edge to him….maybe if he gets an STD or something to make him a little more interesting. I am sure I will read vol. 2.

[Artemy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous artwork, convoluted story. Also, if you are relatively new to The Flash, like me, you would probably be completely lost, because this series seems to just carry on from whatever the established lore was before the New 52 reboot. There were a couple of really cool concepts here, though, and I am interested to see how they will play out, so I'll probably check out at least the next book.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Attempting to juggle more than it can handle, the narrative flip-flops all over the place, making it hard to follow what's happening. What really does shine, however, is the art which really pops off the page, elevating the messy story to a more bearable experience. Overall, the characterisations are alright, and the general idea works, but the lack in execution let's it down.

[Mohamed Shoaib · Rating 5 out of 5]

i gotta say this is some breath-taking artwork courtesy ..