The Flash: Rebirth #2

The Flash is not a cool a character. He just runs fast. Marvel has a guy who can run fast and they're smart enough to realize that guy, Quicksilver, is not one of their most important characters. Geoff Johns tries his hardest to make Barry Allen's return cool and meaningful, but Flash's overall lameness conquers great writing.

One way Johns tries to make the character interesting is by having Flash struggle to keep up with the pace of the world. He may be the fastest man alive, but the world has passed him by during his absence. Flash doesn't know where he belongs in society. The problem is, neither do I. What makes this guy more important than any of the other Flashes? For that matter, what makes any Flash important?

Since this series is a reintroduction to Flash, I suppose some flashback sequences are a must. They're not done effectively, though. The six pages of flashbacks that appear in this issue are out of place and meaningless. I still have no idea as to the significance or reason for that side story.

One thing I did like in this issue was the comparisons to Hal Jordan. Both have died and come back, but in totally opposite ways. Hal Jordan's death was significant to the DC Universe in that it destroyed the Green Lantern Corps. Subsequently, his return brought about the reformation of the corps. Barry Allen's death didn't mean anything. Life went on without him and many other Flash's took his place. He searches for the meaning of his return and on the last page of the issue finds out it might not be as terrific as his best friend's resurrection.

I don't mind Ethan Van Sciver's art as much as some readers. His characters are crisp and discernible and his lightning-fast speed effects are cool. Some of the action was a little hard to follow and there was a bit much of some dead space in panels. Overall, though, I think Sciver has done an effective job.

This series is doing an ineffective job creating some interest in Flash. I still don't realize what his return did in Final Crisis and I don't really care where it will go from here. Hopefully, the Black Flash twist will lead somewhere interesting.