Flash : Zoom - 2e partie

The Flash (2011)

by Robert Venditti, Van Jensen, Brett Booth (Illustrator)

Barry a passé toute sa vie à chercher l'assassin de sa mère dans le but de faire sortir son père de prison. Et c'est chose faite. Désormais, Barry connait l'identité du véritable coupable : un certain Eobard Thawne, que Flash va bientôt rencontrer sous un autre nom... Zoom !

Contient THE FLASH #46-52

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

163 pages, Hardcover

First published November 22, 2016

About the author

Robert Venditti is a New York Times bestselling author of more than three hundred comic books and graphic novels. Some of his works include the monthly comic book series Justice League, Superman ’78, Hawkman, and Green Lantern for DC Comics, X-O Manowar, Armor Hunters, and Wrath of the Eternal Warrior for Valiant Entertainment, and the graphic novel Six Days, inspired by the story of his uncle’s participation in D-Day. He has also adapted Rick Riordan’s global bestselling Percy Jackson and the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus novels, as well as Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia and Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz. His graphic novel The Surrogates was adapted into a feature film by Touchstone Pictures, and his work on The Flash was the basis for season three of the CW television series.

Venditti lives in Atlanta, where he both writes and serves as a storytelling consultant for some of the most recognizable entertainment brands in the world.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today Anne will be reviewing yet another Flash comic that no one gives a shit about...

3.5 stars



Ok, but this is the last volume of New 52's Flash, and (in case anyone cares) the title ended with issue #52, which I think was very fitting since Barry ushered in the New 52 with Flashpoint.
I know that shit is dorky as hell, but I love it.



The events from the last volume tidied things up with his arch enemy Zoom, and his father. <--Barry's dad was finally exonerated for his wife's murder after Zoom's capture led to DNA evidence that he was the one who killed Nora.
So, without Zoom to plague him, Barry should be able to enjoy himself for a bit, right?



Well, not so much.
His foster father/police captain, Darryl Frye, believes that the Flash is a danger to the general public, and needs to be arrested. Of course, he has no idea that he's after is Barry's alter ego.



And, naturally, it would be too simple to just tell him that, because then he'd call off the manhunt...and we'd have no story.
Admittedly, this whole The Flash Is Dangerous! thing was a pretty thin plot device to start with, you know? I mean, yeah, a bad guy tried to blow up a building (or two) and Flash acted without the captain's consent to save people. And, yeah, their were a few close calls and some property destruction, but nobody died.
Plus, and this is the important part: it's not like Flash set the bombs!
Don't you think the police department has bigger fish to fry?!



*giggles*
Ok, I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist that one.
And, no, King Shark isn't in this story. But the Rogues are! Led by Captain Cold, and deputized(ish) by Frye, they're out to capture the guy who's put all of them in jail...once or twice.



They're using these drone-things that locate any use of the Speed Force to alert them to the Flash's presence. Again, that's sorta thin, but it does lead into a cool side story with Wally.
But the actual BIG REVEAL is who's behind the curtain when it comes to the drones!
This took me by total surprise...



Well done! I didn't see that one coming!
But after that? The story slid pretty quickly into an over-the-top Circus of the Ridiculous. It was EVIL for the sake of EVIL, which is (to me) never really that impressive.
However, I'm willing to give it a pass because...aw hell...it's the last volume, and they're just trying to wrap this shit up.
Speaking of...



An added bonus is the issue of The Flash: Rebirth #1 included at the end to help usher you into DC Universe: Rebirth. Except you really should read DC Universe: Rebirth first, so you can understand what the hell is going on in the Flash issue. So. Yeah. Kinda sucks if you're trying to go in order...

Recommended for Flash Fans

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This New 52 run has had it's ups and downs, but I thought the ending volume did a great job. I thought it was a good ending. The best part of the run was the Rogues and so they are back for the end of this run.

The city has hired the Rogues to capture the Flash. The police are hunting him. Several times they almost catch him, but in the end, it's not the Rogues that get him, but a new Baddie in town - Riddler. Yes, the Riddler comes to Central City and he has figured out a way to catch the Flash and even unmasks him. It even looks like the end. Riddler doesn't have to be faster than Flash, he has to outsmart him.

How it resolves is great. It's not the best ending, but it's a great ending. I look forward to reading the Rebirth run as well. I didn't think Barry had his sense of humor in this one. He wasn't very funny, really and I missed that. I enjoy the quips. I was one of the few, I suppose, that enjoyed Ezra Millers Flash in the DCEU. He was funny. I do think the TV show gets Flash right and I love that.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a fun read!

It pretty much starts with Frye on the hunt for the flash and we see him recruit the rogues to hunt the scarlet speedster down but what we find is how the city and Iris doesn't want it to happen and well the police are in the wrong and there are some dire situations where its deliberately put up by the Rogues and we see Barry trying to fight against it but he can't defeat them and later on gets captured and then escapes and then the big reveal with who is behind it: THE RIDDLER! So its Flash vs Riddler and all his machinations for Central city, and will the Rogues and Frye have a change of opinion and stop the Riddler with Flash when their city is threatened?

Its a very predictable read but I like how it delves into the Rogues a bit more and shows their heroic side after the events of Forever evil and they fight aginst the Riddler and him as a villain is interesting but they could have done more with it like him giving Flash riddles as his character implies and make it a battle of the minds which would have worked well considering Barry is a CSI and all like clues and stuff but regardless it works well and we learn of the villains motivations and everything and the fight is awesome with great moments for Wally ad his father too. And the end of new 52 and dawn of Rebirth, its an amazing read! One of the best series from the new 52 era! ;)

[Jesse A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this era of Flash. I found it one of the most consistently enjoyable titles in all the New 52/Convergence time line. This volume was no different. Consistently good art, fun stories, and interesting ideas. I don't know how Rebirth Flash will end up but I will miss this version.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yay for no more Brett Booth! I used to love his art but there is so much clutter in his Flash art that it distracts from the story. Every panel was filled with all of these energy effects to the point you couldn't tell what was going on. Jesus Merino is a far superior artist these days.

The volume started off strong even though the premise was flimsy, that the Flash causes more damage than he stops. So let's hire the Rogues to take him down. I did love seeing the Rogues work together to go after the Flash. And I have to say I was totally surprised by the mysterious bad guy working behind the scenes. It was a fantastic idea. But once the villain is revealed, the writing goes downhill so quickly. It's such a stupid idea. Hey, let's take over the city and everyone will just lie back and let me. The master villain acts SO out of character when he's supposed to be a genius. It infuriated me how dumb this played out. Started strong but ended with a limp.

[Will Robinson Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Venditti and Van Jensen's writing on the Flash has been a mixed bag. After all they have brought us the confusing debacle of the two Wally Wests. To fare I felt that this volume was a pretty solid Flash story. I am a big fan of the Riddler character. Batman, Volume 5: Zero Year: Dark City really displayed how awesome and formidable a villain he can be and what he does to the Flash is incredible. I do not want to give the plot away because I do not what to ruin the surprise of what the Riddler is doing in Central City. Basically the Flash has become a fugitive since the last volume and the CCPD are trying to arrest him in fear of his abilities. The CCPD go as far as to hire the Rogues which consists of the long time Flash foes Captain Cold, Mirror Master, Weather Wizard, Golden Glider and the Trickster to take down the Flash. The tension increases as the CCPD unknowingly is sold drones that are capable of tracking the Flash's speed by the Riddler. The Riddler slowing weaves his plan to hold Central City hostage and destroy the Flash in the process. The weakness to the story to me are the shoe horned in parts with the New 52 Wally West learning he has acquired the same abilities of the Flash. This part of the story was as well paced with the main arc and felt a bit boring. The art work was not bad and it is still funny to me that the Riddler has now singlehandedly manage to hold two major cities hostage both Gotham and Central City. The Flash Rebirth issue is a especially pleasant bonus to this collection. I enjoyed this volume of the Flash series. It is unfortunate that this did not feel like a set up for the coming DC Rebirth Flash series but reads more like a filler arc to hold readers until the new writer and artist team take over.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Venditti is on his way out, and Van Jensen seems intent on filling this comic with every clichéd superhero trope he can. Police wrongly go after the hero. Check. Even to the point of the police chief blaming the hero for the increased number of baddies since he showed up. Superjail has a power failure, releasing all the inmates. Check. Hero is told that innocents will be killed unless he surrenders. Check. Super-cliffhanger turns out to be nothing. Check. Rogues help against bigger villain. Check.

It's a horror show of cliché.

There is stuff to like in this book, like the awakening of nuWally and the reveal of a rather surprising villain. Even the nuRogues are becoming more interesting as they revert to their former selves. But the actual plotline was quite boring by the end, leaving me longing for a Rebirth.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a Ho-Hum end to what had been of the most consistently enjoyable New 52 titles. I like how they used an unexpected villain to good effect, but much of the interpersonal conflict was far too contrived.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last volume of Flash before Rebirth.
Ties up a lot of storylines with good storytelling and great art.

Another good one from Venditti.

[Jenny Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another rather sucky New 52 ending... The Issue 1 Flash Rebirth was the best part of the volume...
So, the rogues are back to be powerless, it's their gadgets that do everything, except for Golden Glider. Mirror Master is not stuck in the mirror realm anymore. No explanations. Art was not that great either. Seeing Wally, the new one, come into his powers was pretty good. Other than that and the Rebirth issue, nope.

[Michael Church · Rating 4 out of 5]

This managed to end on a pretty high note for me. On a related topic, Robert Venditti only co-authors 2 of the collected issues. Van Jensen weaves a better and more interesting narrative. His characters seem more fleshed out, or at least more relatable. Maybe they just make more sense. Whatever it is that’s explicitly different from the last volume, it works much much better.

It’s not perfect. I still don’t really get the PD’s obsession with pursuing the Flash or their willingness to partner with the Rogues. The Rogues also have their own problems in my mind. I get that they have a code and all that, and that it’s one of their main defining characteristics, but it was presented a little heavy handed. I still don’t see any real appeal to Iris or Wally from the New 52 either, mostly because neither of them have gotten much focus or development. Man, I miss Patty...and the original creative team...

Jesus Merino does a good job on art. It’s less shiny and fake than Brett Booths on the last couple of arcs. Nothing that really stands out, but I mostly liked it.

What really stood out was the preview of Rebirth Flash. Carmine di Giandomenico on art is a big selling point for me automatically and Joshua Williamson is already working with a compelling narrative to start with.

Ultimately, this was a satisfying end to the New 52 Flash series and did it’s job of making me excited for Rebirth.

[Alex E · Rating 3 out of 5]

The new 52 Flash series sputters to an end in a good, but not great volume.

The Rouges are back (again) and this time they have the law on their side. I actually liked this concept as its something that is pretty interesting. It lets the Rouges be who they are without the interference of cops while they are out "rouging" it up. And to their credit, they actually take down the Flash! However the story is nothing we haven't seen before, or at least very similar with the twist being a secret villain-behind-the-scenes villain that we all know, but is not a usual Flash foe.

The art is alot better in this volume than the previous two or three as it seems to be a more modern, style of drawing provided by Jesus Merino. I think this book suffered greatly from the drop off from Manapul to Booth, but Merino did pull out some good work. Kudos to Merino.

With this book, I am officially caught up on the Flash and I have to say, he is a great character. Not only in DC but pretty much ever. I never read any Flash books when I was growing up, but I'm glad I finally came around to reading them. There's a reason why the Flash is such a major character that affects so much in the DCU and many great stories revolve around Flash either directly or indirectly. While this last volume ended in a bit of a lack luster way, I am happy to say that I am a Flash fan and will continue to read his adventures in the Rebirth era of DC.

...Wally is still my favorite Flash though :)

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Read as single issues]

After a disastrous Reverse Flash arc, Robert Venditti departs Flash and leaves Van Jensen behind for the final arc which pits the Flash against The Riddler and the Rogues. It's probably an issue or so too long, but it brings the Rogues back in a good capacity which I always appreciate, and the Riddler's plan isn't quite as daft as it usually is.

There's a lot of focus on Wally West here too, which is a good primer for his eventual transformation into Kid Flash, which is a tad quick at the beginning of Rebirth.

There are a lot of artists involved in this arc, with Brett Booth departing to pencil Aquaman for a bit before starting a Titans run; Jesus Merino is probably the best of the bunch, but Joe Eisma draws a little Kid Flash story that's pretty to look at after he's been drawing Morning Glories for years.

It's not a massively satisfying end to the series, but it's a decent finale that ties up a few loose ends (like the fate of Heatwave), and sets the stage for Rebirth nicely.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a solid conclusion to the New 52 The Flash era.

Full Stop was super fast-paced, which made it super enjoyable to read. I read this volume in one sitting, which speaks for itself. The story pulled me right in and kept me engaged the whole time. The Rogues are one of the more interesting and complex Flash villains and I always really enjoy having them around. Overall, I really liked the dynamic between the characters and how different relationships between the characters were portrayed (I especially loved Barrys interaction with his dad). What bugged me a little bit was that Captain Frye suddenly decided that the Flash is a danger to the city and needs to be arrested. For me personally that just came out of nowhere and was resolved so quickly that it didn't even had time to fully sink in. They just could have gone without this trope. But besides that I highly enjoyed this volume; fast-paced, engaging story with lovable characters.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an improvement over the previous volume, as Barry borrows another hero's villain while trying to curtail the Rogues on a police-sponsored investigation into the Flash. It works better than it has any right to, thanks to the presence of Wally and the aforementioned villain, who vamps and preens and make himself despicable. The Rogues factor in well, with a couple other characters also getting their due. This ends the New 52 Flash, one of the few series that ran all the way through the era, and it did so with a pretty good run - the early issues were visually fantastic, and the stories were never terrible (with the exception of Vol. 8's villain motivation), making some interesting changes that ultimately feel justified. It's not my favorite Flash era (I loved the Flash Family), but it was a respectable run.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great way to end the New 52 Flash series. It had some great conflict, with Barry's adoptive father leading a task force of temporarily deputized Rogues to arrest the "menace," Flash. That is just a great idea with tons of potential--which the writers lived up to. However, the best surprise of all was when the villain was revealed as...The Riddler! As soon as I saw that, I thought, "This comic just got ten times cooler!" The Riddler is my number one favorite Batman baddie, and to see him trying to outsmart The Flash was just too awesome. And that final panel, with the Flash running off--after the Riddler was captured and the CCPD had decided to work with the Flash again--was a perfect conclusion. Loose ends were tied up with a nice high note and poster-perfect artwork.

[Scott Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume is a better Riddler story than a Flash story, but it's cool to see the heroes exchange villains, and it happens so much less in DC than in Marvel. Nygma proves presciently effective in this one, in fact, Flash doesn't/can't beat him until he's set up with the perfect opportunity by a combo of New 52 Wally West and the Rogues. Great final chapter for New 52 Barry.

[Mohamed Ahmed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Good Vol The Story Was Decent and the Art Was Great And with it the Flash Has Come to a Full Stop.
I Can Say That Overall I Have Enjoyed the Flash New52 Run

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Flash, Vol. 9: Full Stop kicks off straight after the previous book with The Flash now getting suspected by the police as the cannot project his power levels! :D This makes for a tale where you are most certainly crossing your fingers throughout for them to come to their senses! :D The makes for clever plotting though as The Rogues are employed to help aid the police which results in the situations that cause The Flash to have to intercede! :D The introduction of Wally West power also is cleverly handled tying in nicely with the other story elements as well! :D The Riddler putting in an appearance makes for clever plot twisting and Flash! :D At the same the The Flash, Vol. 9: Full Stop deals with the previous plot points while at the same time setting things up for new ones to boot! :D

The art leaps off the page as well really complimenting the gripping fast paced script! :D The unusual camera angles as well really go brilliantly with script which really conveys the speed at which things are happening throughout the book! :D The character development is all there on the page as well with not only the Flash being developed but all the other character as well and things taking an usual turn with Golden Glider and Snark getting his comeuppance! :D The introduction of the Rebirth plot line is neatly handled as well which nicely dovetails with the rest of the plots! :D

The Flash, Vol. 9: Full Stop is frenetic right from the start and never lets up! :D It is full of action and twists that you will not see coming that really work brilliantly showing how far things have come and continue to change! :D The Flash, Vol. 9: Full Stop is full of action, cunning, rib breaking humour, daring do, world building, plot twists and adventure! :D Brilliant Crisp High Five! :D Get it When You Can! :D
Brilliant and Action Packed! :D Crisp High Five! :D Review to Come! :D

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Flash Vol. 9: Full Stop

Afraid of what the Flash is capable of, Captain Frye recruits the Rogues' Gallery to work with Barry Allen to track down and arrest the Flash. When it transpires that the Rogues are being manipulated by one of Gotham City's deranged maniacs, the Flash must work quickly to save Central City.

An amazing conclusion to 'The New 52', with superb use of panelling, colouring and layout to propel the story to a satisfying end.

[Daniel Sepúlveda · Rating 4 out of 5]

No sé porque cuando terminé esta serie nunca la registré en Goodreads.
Recuerdo que esta serie tuvo un par de giros que me gustaron. Cada vez más cerca del Rebirth!

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 🌟

Barry has to work with Rogues to arrest the Flash. The Riddler comes to Central City.

[Elias Rosner · Rating 4 out of 5]

And thus ends the new52 flash and what a ride it's been. Up and down, fast and slow and here we are, closing out on a very mediocre volume. A lot of the new52 was a 3.5 and this volume is no exception but I'm giving it a 4 because Wally's arc was good enough to deserve a read. It's short but it was a well done way to move him closer to being the Kid Flash we saw way back in the futures end special and setting up the Rebirth status quo.

Mostly this volume is just ok though more story is bland and basic, the characters spend most of the time fighting with each other, the rogues are so boring and lack any of the characterization that makes them so enjoyable to watch and Barry spends most of the volume yelling or scowling. I wish it could have been a better send off to the new 52 (regardless of what you thought of it, I thought the flash books started off pretty strong) but instead it was a good summary of the whole of it. Rushed, bland, filled with odd characterization and grand villain plans that seem interesting at first but are really just bloated and overly complicated.

[Wing Kee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the single issues, wow this is just garbage!

Since Manapul left the series the series has been taking a nose dive. It was okay with Manapul but with the last team and now this, I'm so glad Rebirth is here cause this is just utter garbage.

World: The art is okay, nothing special but not really doing it for me in terms of the framing and the portrayal of speed. The world building here is absolutely terrible, it's the lack of respect for what came before and throwing everything out the window. I'm done.

Story: Garbage. Makes no sense and the characters are idiots. This is just pointless and dumb. No one acts with any brain. This is just poorly written, poorly paced, and just terrible.

Characters: Wow this is garbage. Just like at Barry's Step Father and you know how much a turd this is.

I'm done, no more talking about this garbage.

Onward to the next book!

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eobard Thawne is in jail, but The Flash is now Public Enemy No.1! The head of the task force enlists the Rogues to help catch our speedster, and Barry is not happy. To top it all off, the CCPD has purchased drones that are in place all over the city to help track speed force. The Flash is as good as caught!
But where did the drones come from? The Riddler.... who devises an elaborate plan to capture and kill the Flash for good. Good prevails, as it always does, once Barry joins forces with the Rogues. A good, faced paced, straight forward story.
This 9 Volume run has been wonderful for the Flash. It's obvious that (especially with the very successful TV show) that Flash is regaining his place in the DC hero pantheon. I can't wait to see how he goes on after Rebirth!
Volume Recommend. Series Recommend.

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rogues working with the police? Sounds promising but it wasn't. The Riddler terrorizing the city? Bleh, leave him in Gotham. This was a generic good vs. evil storyline.

The most interesting part was Wally who has a story cut very abruptly. We see him getting the speed force back and then suddenly it all ends.

Overall, I felt that the early volumes of Flash New 52 was the most enjoyable. The later issues take a dive for me.

[John Yelverton · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, the Rogues gallery finally shows up, but their marching to the tune of the Riddler? Apparently, this author has no concept, let alone respect, for the fantastic Rogues gallery he's been handed, and we the fans must simply deal with it. Thank goodness the "New 52" has come to an end.

[Edward Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork wasn't that great in this volume, but I enjoyed the story, which nicely rounded off this run of Flash, though as with other volumes the Rebirth issues really belong at the beginning of the new Volume 1s.

[Eldon Farrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the last volume, this one was somewhat underwhelming. I found the art quality to be spotty in places and that distracted from enjoyment of the story. The concept was interesting, it just didn't deliver as well as the last arc.

[Adan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The same rush to finish the story before Rebirth is in evidence here (and that ending is abrupt as hell), but this at least had a decent twist to keep it interesting, so points for that.