Flashpoint is here and it did not disappoint one bit. Thanks to Geoff Johns for that once more and especially Andy Kubert’s fantastic art! Now to the story of Flashpoint. At the end of the Road to Flashpoint, a three part arc taking place in The Flash ongoing series, it was revealed that the Reverse Flash is the one behind aging people beyond their years and that he is the anomaly messing with the timeline that Hot Pursuit was searching for. Unfortunately they do not catch him by the end of the arc and he settles for killing one Barry Allen (Hot Pursuit) since he can’t kill the real one. Hot Pursuit was a Barry Allen from on the alternate Earths and he is now a pile of dust thanks to Reverse Flash. At the end of that arc a bolt of lighting flashes and everything changes. It was very reminiscent of House of M to tell you the truth, just as the Scarlet Witch changed reality.
Barry Allen wakes up at work at the beginning of the issue, with his co-workers calling Captain Cold, Citizen Cold and a hero. They’re also puzzled by who “The Rogues” are. Flash hears there is a shoot out going on involving this “Citizen Cold” and the Pied Piper and instantly gets up to go investigate “Flash” style. He notices his ring is missing and then succeeds in promptly falling down the stairs… quite literally at the feet of his mother. You know, his mother who was killed by the Reverse Flash? Yeah, instant jaw drop for him but also a touching moment for us to watch as he embraces someone he hasn’t seen in years.
I actually highly recommend that you read the comic before proceeding any further because like any alternate timeline/universe story it’s really fun to find out everything that has changed. *spoilers follow*
The first hero in this new timeline we get to see is Batman. This is not the Dark Knight we know by a long-shot. I would say he’s a darker knight and not only because he has glowing red eyes with his bat-suit. After questioning a minion of the Joker about the whereabouts of “Judge Dent’s” twins, he throws her off the rooftop he chased her to with no qualms about it. He’s hardcore.
Cyborg ends up catching her before she hits and Batman says he should have just let her die. Next we get treated to a mixed gathering of heroes and villains including some we know – Captain Cold, Pied Piper, Shazam and Abin Sur – and a bunch I’m not too familiar with. Cyborg has called the meeting because of the threat they face in the form of Aquaman and Wonder Woman who are not the heroes we know and love from our timeline. In this one they have decimated much of Europe, with Atlantis lead by Aquaman sinking the Western part of the country into the ocean killing a hundred million people. Wonder Woman didn’t fare as well, killing 32 million in United Kingdom to create a new Themyscira. Wow, didn’t see that one coming.
Cyborg assumes that Batman, a master tactician in this timeline as well, will join them and the majority of the gathered agreed they would too with his backing to take down Aquaman and Wonder Woman. Batman however declines and causes everyone to back out, much to the chagrin of Cyborg.
*Mega SPOILERS Ahead!*’
Once Barry finds out that Iris is not married to him in this timeline and involved with someone else he borrows his dead mom’s car to go to the only person he can think of who can help him… Bruce Wayne. However, upon arriving at Wayne Manor he finds it to be deserted and abandoned. Barry makes his way into the bat-cave finding only a couple tables with bat gadgets on them, a picture of the Waynes and a glass display case containing a gun. That’s when Batman attacks him and demands to know who he is. Barry tries to reason with him, calling him “Bruce”. Batman responds by saying “Bruce is dead. I watched him die.” It is then revealed that this Batman is…. Thomas Wayne. BOO YAH!
I love this issue, especially with the Batman twist at the end, and I can’t wait until the next issue. Hopefully I’ll get a couple War of the Green Lanterns chapters to hold me over until the next one. I give this issue a five out of five grizzlies. Excellent art and great story! See you in a month for Flashpoint #2!
Grizzly Bomb 