Written by Geoff Johns.
Art by Ethan Van Sciver; Scott Hanna; Rob Leigh; & Brian Miller.
Cover Art by Ethan Van Sciver & Brian Miller.
SUMMARY:
Entitled “Fastest Man Alive,” DC Comics released the conclusion of this six-part mini-series for April 2010. Desperately chasing Eobard Thawne’s Reverse-Flash into the past, Barry Allen’s Flash is joined by Wally West in the pursuit.
Thawne intends to assassinate an unsuspecting Iris West on her way to her first date with future husband Barry. It is also the same night the fateful lab accident occurs transforming Barry into the Flash. With help from his extended Flash family, Barry averts an ugly tragedy that would have had staggering repercussions.
Enjoying private downtime with his wife, Iris, Barry looks forward to resuming their present-day lives – including his new job as a Central City police cold case technician. At the Hall of Justice in Washington, D.C., the Justice League (cameos include Black Canary, Green Arrow, Ray Palmer’s Atom, Zatanna Zatara, and Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern) awaits to welcome an overdue Barry.
Elsewhere, the Rogues rue what to do about facing their original nemesis once more. Other ominous story threads awaiting Barry’s new ongoing series are also teased.
REVIEW:
Ironically, lightning doesn’t strike twice. The magic replicating Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern: Rebirth falls short for Barry Allen, largely due to his milquetoast persona and a retread of a plot.
Having already escaped Speed Force limbo in Final Crisis, Barry’s convoluted Rebirth comes off as more formulaic than necessary. By streamlining the number of featured speedsters (i.e., focus more on exploring Barry & Wally’s new co-existence), Johns could have instead made Rebirth’s plot an ideal first arc for Barry’s ongoing monthly.
While Hal Jordan’s long-awaited resurrection was exciting and unpredictably ominous from start to finish, Barry’s Rebirth finale, by comparison,is a ho-hum epilogue. Even if Eobard Thawne’s Reverse-Flash is Barry’s worst nightmare, this far-future villain is hardly a challenge for Barry’s veritable army of speedsters.
Case in point: when the faster Wally West mostly observes Barry thwart Thawne, it is evident that Johns has overplayed his creative hand. More so, Rebirth’s anti-climactic showdown is a repeat of what has already been done before. As written by Mark Waid and later Johns, Wally’s previous clashes facing Thawne and later Hunter Zolomon’s Zoom will come to mind.
Visually, however, Rebirth # 6 deploys excellent artwork. Even if Johns isn’t particularly inspired this occasion, artist Ethan Van Sciver and his colleagues slickly make up some of the difference. If given the option, one is better off obtaining The Flash: Rebirth trade paperback rather than this single issue. Not only are Johns’ convoluted plot points sufficiently untangled, fans can enjoy the full artistic array of The Flash: Rebirth.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
After a full-page cover image (in color), a four-page, black-and-white sequence previews the First Wave mini-series, which teams Batman with Doc Savage and the Spirit. An uncredited “DC Nation” column hypes the imminent Blackest Night mega-saga.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
