Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • All The Rage: People In Motion

      Chris Kiser
      September 5, 2004
      All the Rage
    Recent
    • Revisiting the Witchblade/Fathom/Tomb Raider Crossover

      Daniel Gehen
      February 8, 2021
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • Leading Questions: 90% of Comics Aren't Great

      Chris Kiser
      February 18, 2016
      Big Two, Columns, DC Comics, Leading Question
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • STREET ANGEL RETURNS THIS FALL IN AN ALL-NEW HARDCOVER

      Chris Kiser
      August 27, 2018
      Image, News, Previews
    Recent
    • 4.0

      Review: Beast Wars #2 another chance to change the past

      Stephen Cook
      March 3, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 3.0

      Web of Spider-Man #3

      Chris Kiser
      December 8, 2009
      Reviews
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • 2.3

      Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

      Daniel Gehen
      February 16, 2021
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Podcast: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou reads Suicide Squad #10—RCBC

      Chris Kiser
      August 22, 2016
      DC Comics, Interviews, Reboot Comic Book Club, Suicide Squad
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • The Manic Pop Thrill of Grant Morrison and Mark Millar's Flash

      Chris Kiser
      February 11, 2016
      Big Two, Classic Comics, Classic Comics Cavalcade, Marvel Comics
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • Exclusive Marvel Preview: "Kanan" #9

      Chris Kiser
      December 10, 2015
      Marvel Comics, Previews
    Recent
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 17, 2021
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • Review: 'The Best We Could Do' is a Moving Memoir and Corrective to Trump-era Xenophobia

      Chris Kiser
      February 13, 2017
      Books, Reviews
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Review: Beast Wars #2 another chance to change the past
  • Collecting Profile: Blue Beetle
  • Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia
  • Collecting Profile: Kraven the Hunter
  • Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good
  • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Reviews

Flashpoint #3

Chris Kiser
July 11, 2011
Reviews

When writing grand scale event comics in the past, Geoff Johns has typically waited until the second issue to unveil his crux plot point, the single concept or theme around which the remainder of the story revolves. Such was the case with Green Lantern: Rebirth and Infinite Crisis, books that both followed rather pedestrian debuts with series-defining sophomore releases. With Flashpoint, however, it seems that Johns has chosen to bide his time a bit longer. Three issues in, we readers finally have the moment of coalescence we’ve needed to make this story something to get excited about.

Of course, it feels like Johns has moved even more slowly in getting us to this point than he actually has. Though this is only Flashpoint’s third official chapter, there have been in excess of twenty tie-in books published to date, most of them rather aimlessly filling out the altered reality this series occupies. The contextualization Johns provides here doesn’t magically lift the poor quality of those other comics, but it does create a framework within which they don’t come across as quite so random. Instead of a hodgepodge of Elseworld-like reconfigurations, we now know that the altered status quo of Flashpoint is part of a calculated plan by the Reverse Flash to delete the Justice League from Barry Allen’s arsenal of allies.

Added to that is the introduction of one of the series’ most fully realized and well executed alternate takes on a popular character — the Flashpoint Superman. Like the issue one reveal of Batman’s secret identity, the manner in which Superman appears is both a surprising and fitting take on the character, meshing nicely with the circumstances of the story. A fair portion of that is due to Andy Kubert’s brilliant artistic rendition, which transforms the would-be Man of Steel into a fragile, wide-eyed waif. This is the tragic figure we’d have gotten if Siegel and Shuster had place the baby Kal-El in a government lab instead of the warm environment of the Kent farm.

Those positives aside, I should be careful not to anoint Flashpoint as some sort of overnight masterpiece. There’s still a smattering of awkward dialogue between the Flash and Batman, and the previous issue’s cliffhanger (involving Barry being struck by lightning) is resolved way too conveniently. It’s that last aspect that is this issue’s real black mark, essentially reducing what seemed like a major element of the plot to a cheap shock tactic. I can’t imagine what this particular turn of events will seem like to trade waiters, who, without the 30-day waiting period between key scenes, will experience an absurdly quick solution to the characters’ problem.

Once that moment passes, however, Johns really does get this book moving forward. If the final two issues are anything like the last half of this one, DC will have me eating many of my previously uttered negative words. Either way, I can confidently say that I eagerly await Johns’ work on the relaunch of Justice League, Flashpoint #3 serving as a promising sign that rumors of his mojo’s death have been greatly exaggerated.

Check out the rest of our Flashpoint coverage:

Flashpoint Marathon: Starting Line

Flashpoint Marathon:Week 1

Flashpoint Marathon: Week 2

Flashpoint Marathon: Week 3

Flashpoint Marathon: Week 4

Flashpoint Marathon: Week 5

Flashpoint Marathon: Week 6

Our Sunday Slugfest review of Flashpoint #1

Chris’ review of Flashpoint #2


Raised on a steady diet of Super Powers action figures and Adam West Batman reruns, Chris Kiser now writes for Comics Bulletin. He’s currently in the midst of reading and reviewing every tie-in to a major DC Comics summer event and regretting every second of it.

Alex SinclairAndy KubertChris KiserDCGeoff Johns

Share On:
Tweet
Pulp Never Dies: Straight From the Source
WLG #369: The Dog Days of Summer!

About The Author

Chris Kiser
Chris Kiser

Raised on a steady diet of Super Powers action figures and Adam West Batman reruns, Chris Kiser now writes for Comics Bulletin. He once reviewed every tie-in to a major DC Comics summer event and survived to tell the tale. Ask him about it on Twitter, where he can be found as @Chris_Kiser!

Related Posts

  • Collecting Profile: Blue Beetle

    nguyen ly
    February 27, 2021
  • Collecting Profile: If I win Mega Millions, I will buy Action Comics #1.

    nguyen ly
    January 30, 2021

Latest Reviews

  • 3.0

    Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

    Daniel Gehen
    February 22, 2021
  • 4.5

    Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

    Daniel Gehen
    February 19, 2021
  • 2.3

    Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

    Daniel Gehen
    February 16, 2021
  • 4.3

    Review: RADIANT BLACK #1 Shines Brightly

    Daniel Gehen
    February 12, 2021
  • 2.7

    Review: DEEP BEYOND #1 Can’t Commit to a Premise

    Daniel Gehen
    February 4, 2021
  • 2.0

    VINDICATION Falls Short of its Lofty Goals (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    February 1, 2021
  • 4.5

    DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    January 22, 2021
  • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

    Daniel Gehen
    December 14, 2020
  • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

    Daniel Gehen
    December 3, 2020
  • 4.5

    TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Lives Up to the Hype (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    October 29, 2020
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders