Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • Reinventing Superman

      Mark Stack
      January 26, 2005
      The Panel
    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
    • 3.0

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

      Mark Stack
      February 22, 2021
      Big Two, Big Two Reviews, Marvel Comics, Reviews
    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
    • Singles Going Steady 7/18/2018 - Tasty Treats

      Mark Stack
      July 20, 2018
      AfterShock Comics, Archie Comics, IDW, Image, Indie, Reviews, Singles Going Steady
    Recent
    • 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
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 3.0

      Under the Dome 1.02 "The Fire" Review

      Mark Stack
      July 2, 2013
      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
    • Lea Hernandez: Vampires, Demon Hunters and Otherworldly Things

      Mark Stack
      June 18, 2012
      Interviews
    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
    • New VOD Release 'Chris Claremont's X-Men' is the DVD Bonus You Wanted

      Mark Stack
      February 19, 2018
      Classic Comics, Marvel Comics, News, Reviews
    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
    • Graphic Novel THE HEART HUNTER From Legendary Comics Releases Late 2020

      Mark Stack
      September 12, 2019
      Indie, News, Press Release
    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
    • You Gotta Read This: 'Her Eternal Moonlight Sailor Moon's Female Fans In North America'

      Mark Stack
      October 5, 2016
      Books
    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: 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
  • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN'S UNIVERSE
  • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Big Two

Riding the Lightning with The Flash #1

Mark Stack
June 24, 2016
Big Two, Big Two Reviews, Columns, Comics Bulletin Soapbox, DC Comics
showcase #4

Barry Allen debuted in Showcase Vol. 1 #4 (Cover art by Carmine Infantino and Joe Kubert)

DC Comics’ Rebirth has seen a new The Flash #1 debut this week from the talents of writer Josh Williamson, artist Carmine Di Giandomenico, colorist Ivan Plascencia, and letterer Steve Wands. In a week full of debuts from stellar art teams, the work of Di Giandomenico and Plascencia stands out for how it integrates costume design with environmental elements to create a dynamic superhero presence on the page.

Barry Allen debuted as the Flash in 1956 (this October will mark the character’s 60th “birthday”) with one of the most instantly iconic superhero costumes on the scene. The primary red and yellow color scheme is complimentary with the yellow really popping to create a palpable sense of energy that adds to the lightning bolt insignia as well as the wraparounds on the wrist and waist. The costume hasn’t changed much over the decades and the modern iteration’s main differences are the loss of the wings on the boots and the addition of seams that add further to the lightning bolt imagery. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.

Although, not being broken doesn’t mean one can’t still fortify. The Speed Force, an extra-dimensional energy that fuels the Flash’s speed, is most often portrayed manifesting as yellow streaks of lightning when the character runs. The Flash’s symbol on his chest is a lightning bolt so it stands to reason that his running generates lightning. Don’t think too hard about the “why” of that. It’s one of those things that just works conceptually while also serving a function. Speedlines are one of the ways an artist may choose to indicate, well, speed but they aren’t necessarily the most dynamic visual. The lightning generated by the Flash running serves the same purpose as speedlines with the added benefit of being an element created within the world of the comic that looks a lot more interesting.

While not necessarily a problem, the lightning can sometimes look disconnected as it surrounds the Flash. Thin lightning bolts surrounding him can, rather than looking powerful, do more to recall a benign plasma globe. If the Flash is surrounded by lightning then he’s the lightning rod channeling all of it so it doesn’t hurt to depict him more in that manner.

lightning 1

Excerpt from The Flash #1

Di Giandomenico does something that seems so simple in concept that one might dismiss it but its effectiveness is immensely rewarding to see depicted on the page. He arcs the Speed Force lightning through the wraparound lightning bolt symbols on the Flash’s forearms and waist so that it appears to be physically moving through his body rather than around him. The lightning can be chunky with no clear separation between it and the symbols in certain panels. Along with the tense, ropy muscles that Di Giandomenico provides for the Flash’s legs, this depiction screams power that is violently trying to escape the character’s body.

That doesn’t work without the colors Plascencia provides. The Flash’s reds and especially his yellows are the brightest colors that appear in this comic. He pops against the intentionally muted background colors of his rainy city in this issue. The lightning he generates is so bright as to almost appear white at times with a visual heat that suggests a mythical god come to Earth. The effect of the lightning arcing through the Flash simply wouldn’t exist without Plascencia’s colors providing such verve.

Excerpt from The Flash #1

Excerpt from The Flash #1

Maybe this has been done before but that doesn’t negate the impact of such an effective choice in the depiction of the character. The fact that artists like Di Giandomenico and Plascencia are finding exciting ways to visually interpret this character after 60 years of publication speaks well of the love from creators that has gone into the Flash over those years. It is that love that has enabled the Flash to catch on in the hearts and minds of generations of readers ranging from his debut to this most recent Rebirth.

Barry AllenCarmine Di GiandomenicoDC ComicsIvan PlascenciaJoshua WilliamsonRebirthThe Flash

Share On:
Tweet
Dark Night: A True Batman Story Review
Interview: Kyle Higgins and Rod Reis, Co-Creators of HADRIAN’S WALL

About The Author

<a href="http://comicsbulletin.com/byline/mark-stack/" rel="tag">Mark Stack</a>
Mark Stack
Publisher

Mark Stack aspires to be a professional amateur. You can e-mail me at markstack.cb@gmail.com.

Related Posts

  • What Looks Good for the Week of 9/23/2020

    Daniel Gehen
    September 21, 2020
  • Singles Going Steady for the Week of June 10, 2020

    Daniel Gehen
    June 16, 2020

Support Us!

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Friends of the Site

  • SOLRAD
  • Your Chicken Enemy
  • Psycho Drive-In
  • Women Write About Comics
  • The Beat
  • Loser City
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