Flash #1

First off, I'd like to make a correction about the creative team. Francis Manapul is the artist. Brian Buccellato is the colorist. And they co-wrote the first issue. I haven't been paying super close attention but I'm pretty sure this is the first of the 52 I'm reading that is written and drawn by the same person. It's like I'm reading an Independent Comic Book!

The Flash is a comic book about a guy who runs really fast. So the most important thing when writing Barry Allen/The Flash is to fill all of his dialogue with as many speed related puns or references to movement as possible! Some comments are also just comments that if made to a different person, you wouldn't think twice. But when said to The Flash, there's sort of a little nod and wink to the fact that he's the fastest man alive. Let's see how many Francis and Brian are capable of and I'll give each Flash comic a rating of Speed Force Points! A high rating means the writer never let you forget you're reading a comic about the fastest man alive!

#1: Page one.

Barry Allen's Date: I'm only kidding! I know this was a big step for you...
Barry Allen's Date: ...since it's only taken you two years to ask me out.
Barry Allen: I'm pretty methodical, Patty.

#2: Page seven.

Unknown Enemy: 33...think fast!
The Flash: Come on, guys. You're making this too...
The Flash: ...easy.

Now Page six had a few Slow him downs! and Less talking, more running! but those are directly related to the fact that he's running fast, so I won't count them.

#3: Page ten.

Dr. Elias: If there's ever anything I can do for you...
The Flash: I won't hesitate. Take care.

#4: Page thirteen. Because you know Barry could do that!

Director Singh: Barry! Where the hell is my report?!
Director Singh: I needed that report in my hand yesterday!

#5: Page sixteen. Manuel talking to Barry.

Manuel: Try to keep up this time.

#6: Page seventeen-eighteen. Manuel again talking to Barry.

Manuel: You of all people should know....
Manuel: ...we're always running from something.

#7: Page eighteen. I won't list the whole dialogue for this but Barry thinks back to some advice his mother gave him and it's all about movement and running as a metaphor for living.

#8: Page nineteen-twenty.

Barry Internal Monologue: He was always trying to stay ahead of his mistakes. Too busy outrunning ghosts to notice the friends he left behind. Friends like me. But the thing is...no matter how fast or how far you run...you can't outrun...yourself.

Not bad! Flash Issue #1 scores an 8 out of 20 Speed Force Points for running/speed references in normal dialogue not meant to reference The Flash running! And I'll give it a couple more Speed Force Points for the length of the two analogies on pages eighteen and nineteen. So let's make it 10 out of 20! And I'll give the comic 3 more Speed Force Points for only having 20 pages of comic! That's shorter than normal, right? So that's 13 Speed Force Points for #1! Good job, Manapul!

Some things about the story:

Iris West shows up on Page Nine as a 'Central City Citizen' (is that a newspaper? She is a reporter) to check if the Flash is okay. Wally West was Kid Flash. So Wally's mom? Maybe The Flash just had sex with her in-between two of the panels!

The Villain of the Month is Multi-man. I think that was his name in the old DCU. It looks like the take on this Multi-man is either Multi-man has lost the identity as #1 or the 'real' person. Or else he was just used for his DNA to make clones. But whatever the case, he's being pursued by his own selves. And Barry seems to know him from college.

One more note: Captain Cold did not appear in this comic. Not yet, anyway!


That's me as Captain Cold! And, apparently, my date, Captain Bowling!