Broken Frontier

The Flash gets a surprise visit from a family member returning from the future with bleak news that could alter his existence as the Scarlet Speedster.

Perhaps this is a good time for new readers to come onboard now that writer Marc Guggenheim is being joined by artist Tony Daniel starting with this issue. I think it’s about time that a quality creative team is permanently attached to a title struggling to gain a focus, and this issue should appease most fans.

To begin with, Bart is still finding his way around the super hero community now that he has accepted the mantle of the Flash. To make matters worse, Inertia’s recruiting former Rogues to aid him in his quest to bring about a devastating plan to halt time. Of course Bart is left in the dark about that plan, until his grandmother Iris Allen returns from the future to warn of the dire events yet to take place. Bart definitely has the odds stacked against him this time, but now is the time to truly test his abilities as the Flash.

For my tastes, this series looks to be finally rounding into shape. I really like the way writer Guggenheim crafts his plots, especially in this issue whereby the Rogues take front and centre stage. Do I smell grand story arc brewing here? It certainly appears so, and many interesting elements have been blended well to get us off to a rousing start. If nothing else, there seems to be a more definitive direction developing, and the ending set up an intriguing element that could essentially carry the series for the next year or so. At this juncture I am quite pleased with Guggenheim’s abilities as a writer, and perhaps he can give this new incarnation of the Flash a reason to be read on a monthly basis.

At least his artistic counterpart, Tony Daniel appears here for the first time with the confidence of a seasoned pro. My biggest complaint up until now was the misdirection this series suffered with the choice of past artists, but now those fears have been quickly snuffed out with Daniel’s coming onboard. Every single panel is sound and there was certainly room to show off his drawing abilities with a spectacular splash page of the Rogues storming into action. Viewing his work here is like a breath of fresh air and I am hoping his stint here is as a good as the work he did on Teen Titans (his previous gig).

Well, I don’t know about anyone else, but I am pleased with the direction the Flash is now heading into. Writer Marc Guggenheim’s first arc is looking to develop into an all out action packed adventure, and this is definitely what the character needs to force stability into the book. Of course it also helps to get an artist like Tony Daniel onto this title to help further cement this said stability for the next year or so. If there are readers out there who dropped this title early on, then I suggest you rethink that decision and give the book another chance. At least for me, Guggenheim and Daniel have got me energized for more.