Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint #1

Issue:Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint 1 (This World We Live In)
Arc: Flashpoint
Released:
Writer: Rex Ogle
Artist: Eduardo Francisco
Penciller: Paulo Siqueira
Inker: Roland Paris

Rating: 67% (4 Fresh 2 Rotten)

Critical Consensus: Obscure character Traci 13 gives a more human perspective on the Flashpoint Universe in this above average tie-in.

IGN 7/10 (Fresh) Jesse Schedeen The Flashpoint Universe is still a strange and unfamiliar place, but it's books like this that will help readers feel a little more at home in the setting as the event continues through the summer.

CBR 2/5 (Rotten) Doug Zawisza  The characters presented in this issue are less compelling than their “true” counterparts. I’m not sure what role Traci Thirteen is going to play in the resolution of this storyline, but given DC’s recent announcement of the ambitious relaunch of their entire line of superhero titles, I think it is safe to say that Traci doesn’t quite help put things back the way they once were. Where she puts them and how that affects everything else remains to be seen. Unfortunately, it doesn’t remain to be seen with any urgency.

Weekly Comic Book Review D (Rotten) Minhquan Nguyen Merely competent art can’t save a script riddled with forced emotions, thoughtless plotting, scant information, and shallow characterization.  This may be the tie-in intended to get you into other tie-ins, which may be the least valuable use of a comic book of all.

Sciencefiction.com (Fresh) Brian Tudor Of the four Flashpoint tie-ins out this week, The World of Flashpoint was the one I knew the least about, but was looking most forward to reading. I am happy to say I was not disappointed.

Acomicbookblog.com 90/100 (Fresh) Phillip Carson The title of the book does not disappoint.  Unlike some of the other mini’s, which seem to be more about telling What If stories set in the Flashpoint world, this book actually deal directly with the events of the main series, and promises to have an impact on it as well.

iFanboy 3.5/5 (Fresh) Daniel Hobson Funnily it’s turned out to be my favourite of the Flashpoint stories so far. I like the character of Traci and the dynamic with her father. I thought that this was set up pretty damn well.

Sorry, I could only find six reviews, and Comic Vine didn't have a staff review of this issue. Check the sidebar for earlier reviews and be on the lookout for the Aquaman and Deathstroke spinoffs soon.

Flashpoint: Abin Sur, the Green Lantern #1

Issue: Flashpoint: Abin Sur- the Green Lantern 1 (Emerald Isolation
Arc: Flashpoint
Released: June 1, 2011
Writer: Adam Schlagman
Artist: Felipe Massafera
Colorist: Rod Reis
Letterer: Dave Sharpe

Rating: 100% (10 Fresh 0 Rotten)

Critical Consensus: Schlagman and Massafera do a wonderful job telling a "What if" type story and shedding light on Abin Sur, Hal Jordan's inspiration.

Comic Vine 4/5 (Fresh) Tony Guerrero Even though I knew about this mini-series for months and that it would feature Abin Sur, it wasn't until I started reading that I thought about how crazy things could be. It's often said that one little incident that happens differently could greatly affect the outcome of things, Abin surviving does away with Hal being a Green Lantern. The thought of everything he was involved in as a Green Lantern makes you wonder how it all turned out. This issue does try to give us glimpses of some of those huge events but it starts to give you a feeling of too much. This issue has the task of catching us up on this new world along with where the mini-series will go. I felt like I had to pause to catch my breath after reading. Lots of cool things here. My fingers are crossed the next issue blows me away further.

IGN 6.5/10 (Fresh) Jesse Schedeen No doubt this series will gather steam as it veers away from simply showcasing alternate takes on familiar GL concepts and more directly intertwines itself with the events of Flashpoint. But with only two issues remaining, Schlagman has precious little time in which to pick up the pace.

Acomicbookblog.com 95/100 (Fresh) Phillip Carson Overall, this was the tie-in I enjoyed most this week.  Being able to cull Green Lantern’s rich mythology to create a universe where the Black Lanterns are still tearing things up, the Red Lanterns are still prophesying  on Ysmault, and Abin Sur and Sinestro are still GLs reminds you just how vast that mythology has become in recent years.

Cx Pulp 3.5/5  (Fresh)Blake Petit There are good moments here, but not great ones, although the tie-in to the Flashpoint: Hal Jordan miniseries is appreciated.

Weekly Comic Book Review B- (Fresh) Minhquan Nguyen If you’re looking for an illuminating glimpse into one of the most mysterious Green Lanterns of all, this title doesn’t really give you that, but you still get a mildly engaging premise for his one chance in the limelight.

Sciencefiction.com (Fresh) Brian Tudor I am a big fan of this Flashpoint tie-in and it promises big things in the remaining two issues of the mini-series. I’m also guessing Abin Sur’s time as a Green Lantern in this timeline is short, but wow! I wonder if perhaps some of his spirit was left in the ring on some sub-conscience level to influence Hal Jordan to become the greatest Green Lantern. And loudest voice of dissension to the Guardian’s hands off approach to spreading their brand of order to the Universe.

Cosmic Book News (Fresh) Matt McGloin If you are on the fence about picking up the Flashpoint titles for fear they may be meaningless, take off the Yellow Power Ring -- and don the Green! Flashpoint: Abin Sur - The Green Lantern #1 should be on the pull lists for all Green Lantern fans!

CBR 3.5/5 (Fresh) Doug Zawisza   Staying off of the world of “Flashpoint,” this story offers just enough of an “Elseworlds” feel to be enjoyable, and save some distinctions otherwise could easily be a tale from the adventures of Abin Sur before he died and passed the ring of Sector 2814 to Hal Jordan. This issue is an intriguing glimpse at what could have been, given a surreal focus when directed through the lens of designs of the “Green Lantern” feature film.

Inside Pulse 6.5/10 (Fresh) Grey Scherl Adam Schlagman is an assistant editor at DC Comics, and to my knowledge, this is his first full length job as a writer. I believe he does a fine job both with the universe building as well as with the characters. By no means is it perfect, but it is definitely enjoyable…far more so than I anticipated. If you’re a fan of the Green Lantern Corps, or a fan of What If?! stories, or, like me, a fan of both; then this book is for you.

iFanboy 3.5/5 (Fresh) Ken Goach The story was a mixed bag. It was interesting and I like how it tied in things from Blackest Night and the Red Lanterns. I liked the changes, which are what an Elseworlds-like event should have. But there were two things I did not like. I thought Abin Sur striking Sinestro was sort of out of character, despite the insults and painful past events. Also, the "Prophecy of the Flashpoint" just sounds dumb. Not another mystical Lantern prophecy!

Next: Flashpoint's Wonderful World

Flashpoint: Secret Seven #1

Issue: Flashpoint: Secret Seven 1 (Hunter's Moon)
Arc: Flashpoint
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Fernando Blanco
Penciller: George Perez
Inker: Scott Koblish
Released: June 1, 2011

Rating: 56% (5 fresh 4 rotten)

Critical Consensus: Vertigo standout Shade the Changing Man makes his return to the DC Universe with mixed results.

Comic Vine 1.5/5 (Rotten) Mat Elfring Today, I gave a Flashpoint tie-in a 5 out of 5, and in the same day, another tie-in gets 1.5 out of 5. Not all tie-ins are worth your money. The book is a dull read, and unless you care about the Changing Man, you're not going to care about this book. This book does have some promise, but frankly, it is not worth your time. The Batman and Abin Sur Flashpoint tie-ins are vastly superior Secret Seven. I say skip the issue and maybe come back for number two, depending on how that is. I have a feeling that it will pick up but remember, not all tie-ins are created equal.

Comicbooked.com (Fresh) Emmett O’Cuana Shade and Enchantress will presumably over the course of this series assemble a new team to help Cyborg in his mission, a prospect briefly alluded to. However, the main focus of the title is the reintegration of these characters into the DC universe, as well as their return from comic book limbo with all the strongest aspects of their previous appearances present and accounted for.

CBR 3/5 (Fresh) Chad Nevett I’m not sure that “Flashpoint: Secret Seven” #1 holds together completely and is little more than a series of crazed moments that entertain in the moment. Those moments, though, are very entertaining. More than anything, this is an interesting comic that you wouldn’t see DC publish normally and using “Flashpoint” as the chance to try something a little out there is great to see.

IGN 6/10 (Fresh) Joey Esposito The art is the saving grace for this purchase. Remarkably, the book doesn't feel as disjointed as one might think with three different artists contributing. Granted, the story is so chaotic that it could be distracting from the finer details of the artwork, but I was surprised at how cohesive this issue is. You'll get the expected insanity from Perez (what's a DC event without some semblance of Perez detail?) plus really cool new designs for Shade and Enchantress. It's just a shame that it couldn't all feel more worthwhile than a lot of cool imagery with nothing threading it together.

Weekly Comic Book Review C+ (Rotten) Minquan Nguyen On the one hand, you get Flashpoint characters who seem truly unfamiliar and exotic.  On the other hand, they’d also seem unfamiliar and exotic in normal circumstances.

Chuck’s Comic of the Day A- (Fresh) Chuck Here Milligan seems to be trying to bridge the gap between the two characters (the original and the Vertigo version), and so far it's very interesting. The title also has a fun mystery going over the identities of (and the fates of) the Secret Seven.

iFanboy 4/5 (Fresh) Thomas Gerlick  This book was my Pick of the Week. Not that this book blew me away, but really nothing in my stack blew me away this week. Sort of good no bad sort of week. This issue introduces us to the Flashpoint world versions of Shade and Enchantress. The story is well-written, but a little pedestrian. Where this book really shines is in the art.

Comicperday.blogspot.com (Rotten) Timbotron I'm not sure why we should care, since all this is being rebooted. Is Shade part of Peter Milligan's new Justice League Dark book? Maybe some of this will stick, so I guess that makes sense. It's odd, though. If DC was rebooting their whole universe, you'd think they'd want these last few issues spent saying goodbye to all the concepts not making it into DCnU. We're about 40 titles in, and there is no sign of Tim Drake, Martian Manhunter, Power Girl, Connor Hawke, Wally West, Cassandra Cain, or Stephanie Brown. I would have liked to have visited with those characters a tad more rather than all this new Flashpoint stuff.

Ocdcast.com (Rotten) Chris Renshaw    What the heck is happening in this book?  They try to explain it, but the way it is done assumes that you are roughly familiar with the character in the “normal” DC Universe.

Flashpoint: Batman- Knight of Vengeance #1

Issue: Flashpoint: Batman-Knight of Vengeance 1
Arc: Flashpoint
Released: May 31, 2011
Writer: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Eduardo Risso
Letterer: Clem Robins
Colorist: Trish Mulvihill

Rating: 90% (9 positive 1 negative)

Critical Consensus: Flashpoint’s Batman spinoff has beautiful art and is a great start to this Elseworlds-like miniseries starring Thomas Wayne.

ComicVine 5/5 (Fresh) Mat Elfring I've read all of the Flashpoint tie-ins so far, and this is by far my favorite. It's so much more than Batman in a new suit. It's a complete reinvention of the character, and it's done exceptionally well. The writing, by Brian Azzarello, is fantastic, as well as the art, by Eduardo Risso. It's the most fun read I've had today, hands down. If you're only going to read one tie-in to Flashpoint, make sure it's this book.

CBR 4/5 (Fresh) Chad Nevett It’s a shame that “Flashpoint: Batman: Knight of Vengeance” is only three issues long. Already there seems enough depth in this Gotham and its protector that it could easily carry an ongoing series.

IGN 7/10 (Fresh) Erik Norris Don't get me wrong, Flashpoint: Batman #1 is a well written, well drawn comic, it just doesn't carry much weight. Hopefully the second issue of Flashpoint: Batman - Knight of Vengeance can turn things into high gear and make this companion mini-series worth the investment.

WeeklyComic Book Review A- (Fresh) Minhquan Nguyen If the stories of this altered universe are going to be this solid, then I’ll be sad to see it go when it inevitably does.

NerdyNothings B (Fresh) Rebel Rikki  Knight of Vengeance #1 is certainly interesting enough to warrant following, and Eduardo Risso on a monthly book is always a welcome sight. I do fear, however, that as the story progresses more of its pages will be devoted to straight-ahead action, and I hope that’s not at the cost of us really coming to learn how different Thomas Wayne’s world is.

SimplySuperman Batman  7/10 (Fresh) Adam Basciano While this book doesn’t have the wow factor of Flashpoint #1,  it does further immerse you into this altered universe.  And while it’s missing that jaw dropping ending of the main series’ opening salvo, the setup certainly leaves room for that in subsequent issues.

Popnculture.com (Rotten) Ernie Enriquez The whole point of me getting into Flashpoint was hearing that Thomas Wayne was Batman. I thought this would be a very unique story to tell. Seeing a grumpy Thomas Wayne running Gotham as Batman sounds like nothing we have ever seen before. With all the hype I gave it, it sort of let me down. The story was extremely slow. It dragged in so many parts, but maybe as a whole it will pay off. This could be one of those books that I enjoy more as a trade paperback. Again, the idea is amazing, but I am hoping the flow is smoother.

MultiversityComics 6.5/10 (Fresh) Walter Richardson This isn't a bad issue, but it isn't a great one either. But it is great looking. If you're someone who will occasionally buy something solely for the visuals, then you definitely will have no hang ups on buying this. If you need solid writing, though… well, I'm not saying not to buy this, but you may want to wait until issue two (if not three) to decide.

ReadAbout Comics (Fresh) Greg McElhatton  I’m rapidly coming to the conclusion that the best thing about DC’s Flashpoint mini-series event isn’t the main story itself, but rather all of the Elseworlds-esque mini-series that are spun out of it. One of the most promising ones just from the announcements was Batman: Knight of Vengeance, thanks to it reuniting Brian Azzarello, Eduardo Risso, Patricia Mulvihill, and Dave Johnson. And now that it’s out? Well, it’s quite frankly exactly what you would expect from the creative team of 100 Bullets.

Thebatmanuniverse.net 4/5 (Fresh) Melinda Hinman I find the parallel universe we seem to be in quite fascinating, but I do think the writing in this is a little heavy, and the issue almost plodded a little, just because Gordon and Wayne were having the same conversation in three different locales. It felt a little like they were trying to draw out the issue to fill it. I hope that trend doesn't extend to the rest of the books. The art was not something that bowled me over, but with the exception of the cover to Brian Azzarello's "Joker", I have never seen a Joker that terrified me more.

Next: Secret Seven, Green Lantern and more...