And Then I Read: THE FLASH 16, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES 16
Images © DC Comics, Inc.
Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato continue to wow me with innovative writing and art on this title. What might, in many comics, be a super-speed slugfest between The Flash and Grodd the now speedy gorilla is much more interesting. First, they play with time, slicing the story back and forth between past events and current ones. Then, they have this thing called the Speed Force which is both the power that Grodd and Barry Allen are using as well as a very odd place where Iris and others are trapped. When Barry decides he needs to give himself up to Grodd and is meekly taken into custody by the gorillas, it seems like a suicide play, but certainly a novel one. Things get even better after that. I love this title, great writing, great ideas, charming and creative art. Perfect.
The annual “choose a new leader” issue is always a chance for entertaining character interaction, and Paul Levitz gives us plenty of it. Kind of funny to be reading this while in Rome a Pope was being elected, but that’s neither here nor there. Politics can be boring on a large scale, but in a small group of workmates, it’s kind of fun. The characters that want to be in charge but don’t like to say so, the ones that hate the idea but might be elected anyway, and everything in between. Meanwhile, on the prison planet of Takron-Galtos, some of the Legion are checking on one of their maddest and most powerful enemies, Validus. Is he as well-imprisoned as it seems? Enjoyable issue, and I still quite like the open art style by Scott Koblish.
Both issues are recommended, FLASH highly so.
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