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...

Flashpoint #2

Issue: Flashpoint 2
Arc: Flashpoint
Publisher: DC
Released: June 1, 2011
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Andy Kubert
Inker: Sandra Hope
Colorist: Alex Sinclair

Rating: 70% (7 positive 3 negative

Critical Consensus: With the introduction of the new versions of Batman, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman, Flashpoint's suspense builds, or does it? Your mileage may vary.

Comic Vine 4.5/5 (Fresh) Tony Guerrero Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert keep you on the edge of your seat

with amazing visuals and kick ass dialogue. The best part is the interaction between Barry Allen and this world's version of Batman. If you've ever had an interest in DC Comics and plan on reading them, you really need to be here for this. With the little peeks at some of the other characters in this world, it does feel a little like a tease for the mini-series but there's no denying the feeling of reading a comic universe again for the first time.

IGN 8.5/10 (Fresh) Erik Norris By the time you reach the final page, you'll be begging for it to be next month. The cliffhanger of Flashpoint #2 hits like a wrecking ball, and fittingly, might tear down all your expectations for where this series is headed. I was disappointed with Flashpoint #1, but after issue #2, I'm onboard for the duration.

Furiousfanboys.com (Fresh) Jeremy Conrad Flashpoint will change the DCU forever, and while we do know some of the end result, the journey there is still great.

Acomicbookblog.com 85/100 (Fresh) John Barringer Overall, this issue is a bit of a disappointment given the last one.  It’s more about setting the stage for what’s to come and meeting characters we’ve heard about than it is actually doing anything.  Perhaps all this information reinforcement is a necessary evil, laying the foundations and such, but I’m hoping something really exciting happens next issue, and we don’t just keep treading water.

Major Spoilers 3/5 (Rotten) Matthew Peterson Unfortunately, even as it’s interesting, it serves to remind us of how ridiculous The Flash’s origin actually is, and even after the issue recovers from Steve’s exposition, we end with a quiet “OMG?” feeling.  The intent of these types of stories is always to disorient us, to put familiar faces in the wrong places, but then bring them back together at the end to prove your thesis.  We’re theoretically 40% of the way through the main story, and we’re just now getting to the action and the reveal of the strange new status quo of our heroes.  I think the greatest failing of the issue for me is the realization that you WILL have to read other supporting material to get a full story.

Too  Dangerous for a  Girl! (Fresh) Martin Gray This issue usefully adds meat to the bones of the story laid out last month. It's good to move around this changed world, and see villains Aquaman and Wonder Woman, rather than simply hear about them. And the Flash/Batman sub-story takes a very interesting turn once writer Geoff Johns quits indulging his taste for brutality.

Cosmicbooknews.com (Fresh) Chris Bushley This was a fun read that had interesting ideas and new concepts, ones that get you excited for not only the next issue but for the future of the DCU as well. See, you don't always need a reboot or "younger" characters to make a great book -- you just need a good story and an expertly talented artist! If you are not reading the core Flashpoint book, you are missing out on a great read. So get in line and be the next to ride the lightning into the world of Flashpoint!

Weekly Comic Book Review B- (Fresh) Minquan Nguyen Considering how quickly this storyline wants to move, it seems we’ve already hit the deadly Big Fat Middle of the plot, where things seem to slow down, despite obvious attempts to speed things up.

CBR 1.5/5 (Rotten) Greg McElhatton "Flashpoint" is going to end up being a curious footnote in DC Comics history. If it wasn't for September's reboot, I have a feeling that it would turn out to be a crossover that was largely forgotten like, say, "Genesis" or "Final Night." Now, it's going to serve as the end of an era. Sadly, it's heading more towards a whimper than a bang.

Comics Bulletin 3/5 (Rotten)  Chris Kiser For the past couple years, a steady decline has been evident in the quality of Johns-penned comics, and Flashpoint fits that bill as well. It’s good fun, but not great fun. Maybe-read, but not must-read. The core concept just isn’t brilliant enough for Johns to get away without having to do some heavier lifting.

Next: Spinoffs and minseries