‘The World of Flashpoint Featuring the Flash’ Graphic Novel Review

DC Comics begins winding down their “Flashpoint” event with “The World of Flashpoint featuring the Flash .” This collection concentrates on the great heroes and villains within the Scarlet Speedster’s universe. It’s made up of five stories with each one focusing on a different character. Each of the tales is equally as entertaining and holds your attention.

The first story is entitled “Reverse Flash” and it tells the backstory of the title character. We find out in one chapter why he hates the Flash and how he began to exact his revenge on him. It ends tragically and leaves the reader in a state of shock that drives you to pick up the next issue. The unique art by Joel Gomez stands out from the rest of this collection. Writer Scott Kolins does a good job of telling a complex story in a small amount of space.

The second story, “Citizen Cold,” is a three part arc that has the Flash’s archnemesis stepping into the spotlight as Central City’s mysterious superhero. Cold must find a way to keep his dark past a secret while fending off attacks from his greatest enemies. Scott Kolins writes and draws this section of the book. Kolins brings several of the Flash’s other supervillains into the mix to keep things interesting. His art has a nice texture to it and fills up the pages very well.

“Legion of Doom” takes us inside the prison walls of Belle Reve as Heatwave is imprisoned their and plans an escape to take down Cyborg. Along the way, he manages to kill members of the extended Justice League in horrific ways. Adam Glass seems to be having a lot of fun penning this cryptic tale. Artist Rodney Buchemi revels in his chance to draw scenes of heroes being taken out in ways we’d never see in the real DC Universe.

“Grodd of War” shows the gorilla ruler trying to spice things up after boredom sets in following his conquering of Africa. When arena battles don’t do the job anymore, he starts making plans to take over the entire continent of Europe. Sean Ryan does a great job of telling a captivating story in the few pages he’s given. I couldn’t stop thinking about “Planet of the Apes” the entire time I read it. Artist Ig Guara handles the gory aspects of the illustrations very well.

The last section of the book is the three-part story arc “Kid Flash Lost.” This is definitely one of my favorite parts of this collection. It has Barry Allen’s grandson traveling through time against his will, encountering different members of the Flash family and draining them of their powers. Kid Flash must find the Flash in order to deliver a message to him that could help save the universe. Sterling Gates penned this climactic and heartwarming tale of self-sacrifice and dedication to family. Oliver Nome, Trevor Scott, and Scott Kolins served as artists for the book. They did a great job of reflecting Gates’ written word.

The World of Flashpoint featuring the Flash” is a vital part of what many fans called the comic book event of 2011. It’s a compelling chapter that successfully weaves the events of all the other volumes together. Think of this as the exciting climax to the “Flashpoint” saga.

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