Flashpoint World Of Flashpoint Batman

Flashpoint

by Brian Azzarello (Writer), Eduardo Risso (Illustrator)

Flashpoint has changed the DC Universe, and nothing is as it was before. Now, Batman is Thomas Wayne, driven by the death of his son Bruce to punish criminals... and in pursuit of a Joker whose twisted crimes will bring him to the brink madness himself! "Batman: Knight of Vengeance" reunites Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso, the acclaimed creative team from 100 BULLETS. Dick Grayson travels with his parents and the death-defying Deadman across war-torn Europe, performing in the their circus... until an Amazon attack leads them to their true fate, in "Deadman and the Flying Graysons" by JT Krul (CAPTAIN ATOM) and Fabrizio Fiorentino (TITANS).

In this world, Deathstroke is a pirate on the world's most dangerous waters, questing for the only treasure that really matters, in "Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager" by Jimmy Palmiotti and artist Joe Bennett.

And in "Secret Seven" by Peter Milligan (RED LANTERNS), Shade the Changing Man leads a secret team of bizarre heroes—but will he lead them to their deaths?

Collecting BATMAN: KNIGHT OF VENGEANCE #1-3, DEADMAN AND THE FLYING GRAYSONS #1-3, DEATHSTROKE AND THE CURSE OF THE RAVAGER #1-3 and SECRET SEVEN #1-3.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Batman, Dc Comics, Comic Book, Fiction, Superheroes

272 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

Brian Azzarello (born in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American comic book writer. He came to prominence with 100 Bullets, published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo. He and Argentine artist Eduardo Risso, with whom Azzarello first worked on Jonny Double, won the 2001 Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story for 100 Bullets #15–18: "Hang Up on the Hang Low".

Azzarello has written for Batman ("Broken City", art by Risso; "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire", art by Lee Bermejo, Tim Bradstreet, & Mick Gray) and Superman ("For Tomorrow", art by Jim Lee).

In 2005, Azzarello began a new creator-owned series, the western Loveless, with artist Marcelo Frusin.

As of 2007, Azzarello is married to fellow comic-book writer and illustrator Jill Thompson.

information taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Az...

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 3 out of 5]

(B+) 76% | Good
Notes: Stories about the madness and resolve that trauma instills, each only compelling inasmuch as their leads are familiar.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oddly enough, I'm just now reading this. But I figured it was high time to see how Flashpoint's Batman (Thomas Wayne) came to be for realises.
And, of course I wanted to see this:





Apologies. I honestly cannot help myself.
But the bottom line is that this one little storyline is the only thing that's really stuck around, and it has slowly become woven into the new stories that are out now. So, it's a little bit iconic.
Can I call it iconic yet? Too soon? Maybe give it a few more years?
Anyway. I wanted/needed to read it, and now I finally have.



How was it? Eh. Kinda short for something that made such a big impression. But it was definitely interesting, so I can see why this survived the Flashpoint.

There was also Deadman and the Flying Graysons which turned out to be a pretty good yarn. Would be kind of cool to see how all of this turns out. You know, before Flash goes back and wipes them from existence.
Aw.



Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager was also included. Deathstroke is a pirate or something. It was ok. I'm not the biggest Deathstroke nerd so I'm sure I probably missed some cool references or something. Whatever. I could have lived without it.



The Secret Seven stuff was confusing. I still don't know that an M-Vest does. But it was confusing in one of those this is kind of cool ways that made me wish I could read more. Then again, I like these weird teams with all the off the wall magic users.



Flashpoint itself wasn't all that impressive to me and I've been dragging my feet for years to finish out all these little tie-in titles. But this? It was actually fun and well-worth reading.
Recommended!

[Alejandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy good tales from the Flashpoint world, Batman!


This TPB edition collects “Batman: Knight of Vengeance” #1-3; “Deadman and the Flying Graysons” #1-3; “Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager” #1-3; and “Secret Seven” #1-3, all tie-ins of the “Flashpoint” event.


The general rating is an average sum result of each individual rating to each story featured in the TPB


BATMAN: KNIGHT OF VENGEANCE

Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )

Writer: Brian Azzarello

Illustrator: Eduardo Risso

This is the main story and the very reason to buy the TPB, set in the alternate reality known as Flashpoint.

A mugger assaulted the Wayne Family in a dark alley, and two shots were fired, but the one who died was young Bruce Wayne, and his parents survived the vicious incident. Thomas and Martha Wayne, each cope with the loss of their son in different ways. Thomas become “The Batman” but also took total control of Gotham City, building casinos to watch closely the criminal activity, having Oswald Cobblepot supervising them; and privatizing the Police Department turning it into “Gotham Security”, having Jim Gordon administering it.

Few super-villains got arrested…

…since this version of Batman prefers to eliminate the threats, but still there is one major menace that even this lethal Batman has been unable to control…

…The Joker.


DEADMAN AND THE FLYING GRAYSONS

Rating: **** ( 4 stars )

Writer: J.T. Krul

Illustrators: Fabrizio Fiorentino, Mikel Janin & Alejandro Giraldo

The devastating war between Atlanteans, lead by King Arthur Curry, and Amazons, lead by Queen Diana, turned Europe into a doomed war zone, especially in the lands near of water. But even in the middle of a war, people needs distraction, something to put their minds in something else less gloomy…

…therefore, enter the Haley Circus and its parade of artists and freaks. In the area of acrobatics, Deadman (aka Boston Brand) and the Flying Graysons (John, Mary & Dick Grayson) are the main attraction; but the circus have other shows like the freaks: King Shark, Ragdoll and Kent Nelson and his fortune-telling act using certain golden helmet…

…and it’s precisely this odd helmet that Queen Diana wants badly and she sents an Amazon Strike Team (reinforced with a surprising character) to recover the helmet not matter who’d die in the process.


DEATHSTROKE AND THE CURSE OF THE RAVAGER

Rating: *** ( 3 stars )

Writer: Jimmy Palmiotti

Illustrators: Joe Bennett, Tony Shasteen, Alex Massacci & John Dell

Deathstroke (aka Slade Wilson) is a pirate, and in an alternate reality where Aquaman is a warrior king in the process to conquer the whole world, definitely is a too dangerous profession, however, he needs to find his daughter Rose Wilson, so there isn’t any choice but to play against all odds and traveling through unsafe seas, if he wants to see his daughter again.


SECRET SEVEN

Rating: *** ( 3 stars )

Writer: Peter Milligan

Illustrators: George Pérez, Fernando Blanco & Scott Koblish

In the dangerous alternate world of Flashpoint, there are several major factions like the Amazons, the Atlanteans, the Resistance and Cyborg’s team, so when Shade, the Changing Man tries to raise a new small faction known as “Secret Seven” for his own personal agenda, things can’t go well.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is even darker than the Flash volume! Batman isn't the Batman we know and love. He's a much more driven, more morally compromised version. What would happen if a man's child was killed in front of him and he was powerless to prevent it. The Joker is probably even more twisted, and you wouldn't believe me if I told you. That's just the Batman story.

Then there's the story about the biggest jerk in the DC-Verse, Deathstroke, and his crusade to find his lost daughter. I can't call him a hero, because he's not. He's ruthlessly selfish and murderous. I feel bad for anyone who throws in with him. He's not a man I'd trust as far as I could throw him. This is non-stop action, a world in which the seas have become a lawless place of pirates, and the Atlanteans kill humans with impunity.

The story about Dick Grayson and his family tells us how things might have gone if Bruce Wayne had not been there in his life after the death of his parents. Also shows a Europe that has been decimated by the Atlantean-Amazonean war, and where various DC-verse figures have become freedom fighters (even ones who were once villains).

My least favorite was Secret Seven. It was pretty gruesome and twisted, and while I see the point of it all in terms of the Flashpoint story arc, I didn't really appreciate the story at all.

I would still give this four stars because I thought it was pretty interesting, and frankly, nightmarish.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The world is broken and it's all Flash's fault.

How did he do it? You'll have to read the book but know that the DC world has changed: Bruce Wayne was murdered so his father is a more brutal Batman, Superman came to Earth but is a test prisoner of the military, Wonder Woman and Aquaman are disgruntled lovers with no loyalties to humanity who are literally tearing the globe apart and the list goes on and on. Evocative artwork with an epic scope.

This particular installment focuses on Thomas Wayne and his complex and twisted relationship with the Joker. You get to see twists on the typical character, including an obsequious Penguin who works for Thomas Wayne's gambling establishments.



STORY: B plus

We then follow Dick Grayson's life in the circus in which he flees with the Nabu Helmet. This one was average at best.

STORY: C to C plus

Then we have Deathstroke as a pirate taking advantage of the war and trying to locate his daughter. This one was better than expected.

STORY: B to B plus

Lastly, we have Secret Seven which is a warped view on realities for superheroes. It had its moments and even a few surprising highs.

STORY: B minus

ARTISTIC PRESENTATION: B plus; STORY/PLOTTING/PANELS: B minus to B;
CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B minus to B; DC MYTHOLOGY: B plus to A minus; WHEN READ: end of November 2013; OVERALL GRADE: B.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure time I read the first batman story in this collection and skimmed the rest mainly because the batman was so freaking good, yet dark that I found it really hard for the other tales featuring night wing, deadman and a death stroke story to follow it up. IMO DC should have lead with all the other stories in this collection and ended with the flashpoint batman

Interesting mix of art and storytelling though

[A.J. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finished reading Flashpoint, hated it alot, so decided to read some tie-ins! And holy shit they were all horribly cringe. This has 4 stories set in the Flashpoint world and they are all fucking terrible. Brian Azzarello starts the collection out with the worst story of the lot, as he is a complete fucking hack whose story is one so fucking dumb it asks a question only a moronic teenager would find interesting: What if Thomas Wayne became Batman & Martha Wayne became Joker after their son Bruce is killed in the alley instead of them. OH MY GOD ISN’T THAT SO COOL? Well maybe if you still live with your parents in your mid-40’s.

The book is then followed by 3 more mini series’ that are even more boring that the already horrendous Azzarello story. Skip this unless you love Flashpoint. I cannot believe I read all of this.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really enjoyable. It definitely showed some dark parts of the Flashpoint world that weren't as focused on in the main book. The writing for most of the book was good and it was interesting. The Batman and Dick Grayson/Deadman was awesome. The Deathstroke stuff was good. But the Secret Seven chapter fell pretty flat for me. The artwork was good for most of the book too. Overall I'm glad I read this but I wish it had been more about Batman or Nightwing.

[Logan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to be honest, I mainly just read this for Batman! Overall though, it was quite disappointing; mainly for the unappealing artwork and pretty average story that could have been better. I did like how the series fleshed out Gotham a bit and the world this Batman operates in, but in the end it wasn't anything mind blowing.

[Damon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice collection of short stories.

The batman one was quite good. I also liked the one with the pirates and the one with Shade the Changing man.

The one about the circus was horribly boring, confusing and badly visualized.

It is supposed to relate to some sort of alternate version to whatever it is these characters usually get up to. I prefer to think of it as stand alone though.

[Tawfek]

didn't read DEADMAN AND THE FLYING GRAYSONS yet, but recording this here anyway so it won't confuse the hell out of me, i got excited there for a second thinking they wrote more about flashpoint batman

[Mizuki]

One sentence: Wayne Casino looks pretty cool!!

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

What if Joe Chill had killed Bruce Wayne and spared his parents Thomas and Martha Wayne? Would there still be a Batman of Gotham? And what might that look like?

This is the premise that the 100 Bullets team Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso take and run with for a much too short three issue run in this Flashpoint series. Flashpoint is a series where Barry Allen, the Flash, has travelled into a parallel dimension where the world he knows is slightly askew here. Here, Thomas Wayne is the Batman, and all of the familiar characters in the Batman world are completely changed. I won't spoil it for you because this is a genius storyline and the reveal of who the Joker is, is so mind-bendingly cool and brilliant that you should discover it yourself. Suffice it to say, if the entire book had been like this it would be undoubtedly a five star must read. Unfortunately Azzarello and Risso's Batman run is ends and what follows are three fair to poor stories, two of which have nothing to do with Batman whatsoever.

With no Bruce Wayne Batman and a different Joker, Dick Grayson grows up in the circus with this parents. But in this Flashpoint universe Wonder Woman and the Amazonians are at war with Aquaman and the Atlanteans who have flooded most of Europe while the Amazonians terrorise the rest of the continent. Grayson and his circus get caught up and their fellow acrobat, Dead Man, fight for survival in this desperate new world.

The third story is about somebody called Deathstroke who I've never heard of nor know anything about. He's some kind of Pirate captain looking for his kidnapped daughter. Aquaman makes an appearance but generally this entire story is a total snoozefest for me. Didn't know what was going on, didn't care.

Same could be said for the fourth and final story which is about the Secret Seven. Besides Zatanna (who looks even more like a prostitute than normal in this bizarrely realised new costume) I didn't know who anyone was so it was hard to follow along. Lots of Grant Morrison-esque weirdness though if you like that, though Peter Milligan scripted it.

Aside from the second story where Dick Grayson is one of the main characters, only half of this book has anything to do with Batman and Batman is only in the first story, so it's kind of a con to call this a Batman book. If you like Deathstroke and Secret Seven maybe you'll get more out of this but for me the book was all about the first, superb story, and then fell off completely after that.

[Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I can't remember the last time I read a comic but when my son told me the storyline re this version of Batman I was so intrigued I had to read it. He didn't know what the actual comic was so a special thanks to Anne (resident comic master) who provided me the title once I outlined the story line to her.
As mentioned it has to be about 45 years since I read a comic. I was surprised how short this story was and was unaware that there were several more comics within the paperback and the only other one I knew a little about were the Grayson's.
It was fun reading a comic even though for the majority I did not know the story line per se but it was easy to catch on. I think I may have to work more comics into my reading. It was an easy read and I read it on the train ride home from Toronto. It was a nice change of pace. Even my wife asked how it was to read a comic and I told her it was kind of neat.
If you are a fan of Batman the twist in this comic is excellent. I really cannot elaborate more than that as I would spoil everything but feel free to message me if you really want a head start on this classic version.
My rating actually basically applies to the Batman storyline and it's mainly because of how unique it is but as mentioned I did enjoy the other stories in it. And if you haven't read a comic in a while give it a try! There are so many movie adaptations these days it could be interesting to see the roots of those adaptations......

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the Flashpoint books, this was the most enjoyable, with a twisted ending that you never saw coming.

[Tiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crossposted at The Bibliosanctum.

This book is a series of mini-arcs giving a glimpse of a world where Bruce Wayne’s Batman doesn’t exist. It asks: “What kind of ripples would’ve been made in the world if Bruce had been the one to die in that alley and not his parents?” Initially, I read “Batman: Knight of Vengeance,” and that was it. That's all I wanted to read, I said vehemently. However, I finally decided to dive into the rest of the story and see what Bruce’s death changed beyond his parents lives.



In “Batman: Knight of Vengeance,” Thomas Wayne has taken on the mantle of the bat, and he is far more brutal, unforgiving, and decisive than Bruce. While Thomas subscribes to hyper-vigilantism and toes the line of being crime boss, Martha’s response to Bruce’s death is far more extreme than Thomas’. This story was heartbreaking in so many ways. From the Waynes to Selina to Commissioner Gordon, it was so poignant and painful to read. I have to say that this is my favorite story in the book.

“Deadman and the Flying Graysons” answers the questions of what happens to Robin (Dick Grayson) if there is no Batman. Dick’s parents live and they continue to tour with the circus. However, Aquaman and Wonder Woman war violently with each other, and the circus travels through war-ravished Europe, eventually finding itself on the receiving end of Wonder Woman’s fury. This was an okay story. Loved the basis for it with Wonder Woman and Aquaman’s war, but it wasn’t fully realized, in my opinion.

“Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager” follows the dread pirate Deathstroke who plans to profit off the turmoil that Wonder Woman and Aquaman have created, but first, he has to rescue his daughter, Rose, from his rival. To do any of this, though, they have to sail to Aquaman’s angry seas. What could go wrong there? I liked this more than I thought I would to be honest. It made Deathstroke very likable.




The last story “Secret Seven”… was maybe a little beyond my frame of reference. All I know is that a team is being formed to deal with the chaos on earth. I don’t want to call it a terrible story because it wasn’t… I don’t think. I just don’t have much experience with the character(s). It was a little offbeat, which I definitely don’t mind, but because I don’t have any real point to fix these characters, too, it was just… I’m not really sure how to describe it to be honest. I had way too many questions after reading this one, and I blame this on my ignorance of the characters.

Some would argue that these stories have no real connection and deal so little with Batman, but I disagree. They show that Batman, Bruce’s Batman, is both a blessing and a curse to the villains and heroes of the DC universe. It shows how his existence/non-existence shapes that world in broad terms. For instance, many of the villains lead drastically different lives. Some of them are already dead by Thomas’ hand. Some of the heroes are hardly what you’d call heroes at all. I do think that there needed to be more meat to this. The idea of what the world would be like without Bruce Wayne is a very fascinating question that this series only half-answered. However, I still mostly enjoyed this book.

[Mung Tombing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started reading this on may 08 and finished on may 19. Boy, that took forever. Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring Batman started off with Batman's story which was really good and ended after 10-15 pages and i was surprised to see it ending so soon and then Deathstroke story takes place and instantly i lost my appetite and why? because, i expected the whole 272 pages would be about Batman like the title described.

[Lexington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batman: Knight of Vengeance 4/5
The plot twist at the end was a good one. It was a great story but having Thomas as Batman is a bit too dark for me. I most definitely rather Bruce as the Caped Crusader.

Deadman and the Flying Grayson 2/5
This one was just meh to me but it's still sad that Dick still loses his parents despite the change in the timeline.

Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager 5/5
It was so weird to see Slade as a pirate instead of a mercenary and assassin.

Secret Seven 3/5

[Asounani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoy the Batman Story the others ........ I don't now

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

You would think by now the whole "What If, Elseworlds, Alternate Comic Universe" thing would be played out, but done right it can still be very entertaining. Case in point, this volume is great. The Flashpoint event is what lead to the New 52, which revamped the entire DC Comics line.

There's 4 stories collected here:

BATMAN: KNIGHT OF VENGEANCE: This is really good. In this universe, it's young Bruce Wayne who is murdered in the alley, leaving his grieving parents alive. His father becomes Batman, a much more brutal Batman than Bruce ever was. And his mother becomes...let's just say she doesn't handle it well.

DEADMAN AND THE FLYING GRAYSONS: One of the biggest points of the Flashpoint Universe is a war between Atlantis and the Amazons that has ravaged the world. In this volume, we get a new origin of the Dick Grayson Robin as well as Deadman, which is all set off when the Amazons invade the circus the two are traveling with.

DEATHSTROKE AND THE CURSE OF THE RAVAGER: Deathstroke and the Warlord are pirates on the high seas, trying to stay out of Aquaman's way and kill each other in the process.

SECRET SEVEN: This was the weakest of the volume to me, but even this was entertaining but unlike the other three I felt like too much was missing from the story. But it was Peter Milligan writing Shade the Changing Man, so there is some pedigree here.

Overall this was a strong volume with above average art. Judging by this volume, Flashpoint is one of the better crossover events.

[Starlight Kid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow that was dark wish there was more Batman though as the other stories were very lacking after the fantastic Batman story at the start.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything you know, will change in a flash. Here is the first of five reviews looking at the companion books to last years Flashpoint event, featuring a number of tie-in mini-series and one-shots. In each review, I will go through each tie-in separately, and then gauge the collection overall at the end to tell you if it's worth checking out or not.

First, Batman: Knight of Vengeance is probably the best of the tie-ins that Flashpoint received. Whilst I'm not a big fan of Brian Azzarello, even I must admit that this was a very cleverly plotted story, which turns all the typical Bat-tropes on their head to give a mini-series that will surprise you all the way to the very end. I'm not quite sure how this fits into the overall timeline of Flashpoint however, since it references events that can't have happened in the order stated, but still, this shouldn't detract from your enjoyment. This is one of the few mini-series that has a consistent art team throughout, and Eduardo Risso's dark style is perfectly suited for this mini-series. A good start to the trade, I hope this can continue.

I was pleasantly surprised by Deadman and the Flying Graysons. Set around Haley's Circus, which is travelling through wartorn Europe, it tells the story of Dick Grayson and family, as well as Boston Brand, still alive and not a Deadman just yet. Whilst some of the story beats are predictable, there are some nice risks taken with the characters involved, particularly Doctor Fate, and this does feel like a mini-series that could have an effect further down the line. I doubt it will, but it's nice to dream. Artistically, Mikel Janin is a fantastic artist on the first issue, and it's a shame that he doesn't stick around for the second two. Fabrizio Fiorentino is a good substitute however, with a similar style that finishes the series in a consistent fashion. Another decent series, and especially considering that I hadn't expected much from it.

Moving on, next comes Deathstroke and Curse of the Ravager. This starts out promising, with two solid issues that set up an eclectic cast of villains that you begin to get invested in, giving the series an almost Secret Six-esque vibe, but with pirates. The art by Joe Bennett and Tony Shasteen is also excellent, being grim and gritty but having Deathstroke's trademark orange and blue pop off the page. It's a shame that it all falls apart in the final issue, both in art and story. Everything comes to a rushed conclusion that kills off the majority of the characters, and doesn't offer anything of substance bar some sex and explosions. The art also falls apart with artist Alex Massacci being a completely terrible fit after Shasteen and Bennett's two issues. His work is undetailed and blotchy, which just makes things worse. It had potential, but Deathstroke's mini-series isn't worth getting invested in the first two issues, given the trainwreck of a final issue. Also, the series title confuses me - what is the Curse of the Ravager?

Finally, the Secret Seven mini-series brings up the rear. This is a very odd mini-series that doesn't really seem to impact anything at all. If you read it, it does give away that the Enchantress will betray Flash and friends in the main series, but I think that may have happened already by the time this issue was released. This series centres around Shade, the Changing Man, as he tries to grapple with his madness and call his team, the Secret Seven, to help him fight for Cyborg's cause. Instead, we get three issues of Shade moping, and then some deaths, and an unsatisfying conclusion. It's really hard to pinpoint exactly what writer Peter Milligan was trying to do with this series, other than have an excuse to write one of his favourite characters again. Artistically, this is very strong, with the one and only George Perez on the first issue, assisted by Fernando Blanco, who manages to give a consistent performance on the latter two that would almost pass for Perez himself. This is the weakest of the four mini-series collected here, without a doubt, though the artwork is almost enough to save it.

Overall, this first companion trade is very much a mixed bag. Whilst the Batman and Deadman mini-series are excellent, Secret Seven and Deathstroke will drag the trades quality down due to their poor plot execution, and in Deathstroke's case, deteriorating art style. I can see this being a common theme as I review these trades; given how much is in them, it's unlikely that everything will be excellent.

[Pinkerton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nell’ultimo omnibus Batman e ciò che l’ha spinto ad unirsi alla causa di Cyborg e Flash. Se pensavate che Gotham fosse una città buia, palcoscenico adatto al Cavaliere Oscuro, dovreste vederla ora in versione Flashpoint. Quella notte nel vicolo, fu Bruce il solo a morire.
Il vigilante divenne così Thomas, suo padre. Un padre distrutto dal dolore per la perdita del figlio che non esita un istante ad uccidere criminali per appagare la sua distorta idea di giustizia.
E il Joker? Martha, la madre di Bruce. Una madre distrutta dal dolore per la perdita del figlio che non esita un istante ad uccidere innocenti per appagare la sua follia.

A seguire il futuro Deadman e i Grayson con la loro famiglia, il circo, cercano di impedire alle amazzoni di impossessarsi dell’elmo di Nabu per consegnarlo alla Resistenza.
Il bucaniere Deathstroke, capitano di una ciurma di tagliagole, vaga per i mari saccheggiando e cercando di recuperare la figlia rapita.
La pazzia dell’Uomo Cangiante, la freddezza dell’Estraneo, il buon cuore di Abin Sur e, per finire, top gun “Highball” Hal Jordan.
Eccezionale Bat e grande l’avventura di Deathstroke, trascurabile il resto.

Nonostante la natura stessa degli “eventi supereroistici” mi stia antipatica a pelle, Flashpoint è una storia di quelle con la S maiuscola, i cui capitoli strettamente connessi alla grande guerra non solo ne aumentano il valore ma regalano anche momenti indimenticabili. Ce ne sono molti altri che non hanno un legame poi così stretto, anzi “la prendono bella larga”, ma si sono rivelati comunque letture estremamente piacevoli e interessanti per comprendere appieno questo mondo alternativo. Poi vabbé c’è pure un sacco di fuffa, più che altro inerentemente a personaggi che su di me non hanno mai avuto particolare fascino.

P.S.
Menzione speciale per il patriottico Cyborg, l’ho nominato poco ma si è visto molto su tutti e tre i tomi facendo da coordinatore e vero e proprio collante per l’opposizione a questo conflitto apocalittico.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This four star rating is SOLELY for Batman: Knight of Vengeance, which just so happens to be one of the best standalone Batman stories I've ever read. The world of Flashpoint is foreign to me. I didn't read the core series, and probably won't, as it's one of those things that didn't really "happen" in the continuity. But Azzarello and Risso really take advantage of this "What If" situation and lay it all out, attacking some of the deeper, character-based themes of Batman in a completely original way I've never seen before.

Now, I wouldn't recommend this to a Batman newbie. It definitely requires an appreciation for Bruce Wayne to fully hit home, but if you're even the slightest bit familiar with Batman, this will hit you where it hurts. I don't want to ruin anything, so just take my word for it that this story wrenches your heart and your guts.

Then there are 3 other stories in this collection that seem to get worse as it goes along. First we see Dick Grayson and Boston Brand in a team-up of sorts that takes no chances and goes nowhere, but at least makes narrative sense. Then it's on to Captain Deathstroke, who in this world is a pirate. Knowing absolutely nothing about Deathstroke, I found this story incredibly tedious and insidery. But nowhere NEAR as insidery as Secret Seven, which assumes I have read every single issue of Shade: The Changing Man, because it never once explains who the hell he is or why we have to watch him go insane. I'd give the other stories in this collection 1-2 stars, especially after witnessing the opportunity-grabbing writing of Azzarello.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because of the Azzarello Batman story. I liked his work on 100 Bullets and he was working with his 100 Bullets artist so I figured it would be an interesting Batman AU story, regardless of the all the bad press this DC crossover/event received.

In some ways this was one of the most gut wrenching Batman stories that I have read. Out of the super hero characters Batman lends himself very well to emotionally disturbing stories where characters are psychologically badly damaged. By the time you complete this portion of the TPB I don't think anyone will walk away thinking a single soul was saved in this story.

As to the other sections:

Deathstroke-a different take on a pirate story and with some lesser known DC characters. Better than I expected, and much lighter than the previous two sections.

Deadman/Robin-Deadman was never a character that I was particularly fond of. This does a nice job of showing what could happen to a circus touring a war torn country.

Shade/Secret Seven-in some ways this was a huge mashup of Shade, Suicide Squad, Secret Six and Shadowpact. Peter Milligan comes back to mashup his version of Shade with Dikto's. Fun, a little interesting to see more of the Rac Shade persona than usual.

[Rituraj Kashyap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knight of Vengeance is one of the best Batman stories I've read. The other stories do not feature Batman at all and are not so interesting.


Rating Distribution:

Batman: Knight of Vengeance - 5/5
Deadman & the Flying Graysons - 3.5/5
Deathstroke & the Curse of the Ravager - 3/5
Secret Seven - 3/5

Average rating - 3.625/5, rounded off to 4 stars.

[Shahriar Shafin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda mixed up group of stories. the Batman one was fabulous, Deadman & the Flying Graysons was average, Deathstroke had spectacular art, and i hated the Secret Seven story.

[Pratip Vijayakumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Batman can't be darker than this. This particular TPB has the story arcs of few characters apart from Batman or should I say characters related to Batman except for Secret Seven.

Batman: Thomas Wayne being a Batman adds some dark flavour to the whole series and he is not moral enough as Bruce. Who would be in the twisted world? As Joker being the all-time enemy of Bats also has a dark past and the revelation is shocking and bothering.

Dick Greyson: Dick belongs to the circus as the actual story arc but the story takes a sudden turn which makes him a different person than the original and I loved the way the story was taken with twists and turns with Deadman being part of Dick's life.

Deathstroke: Such a badass selfish, asshole he is and in this Story arc he plays a Pirate still he has his actual healing abilities with his mercenary skills. Not much change in the character arc but the story arc is engaging.

Secret Seven: That was so damn gruesome. Enchantress was her regular self and manipulative.

I really wish they could have extended the stories instead of letting them hang in the air. A collection of Short Comic stories which gives much insight into the whole Flashpoint arc and the ruckus created by Barry without his knowledge.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring Batman

Thomas Wayne is in eternal pursuit of his former wife, the Joker. Dick Grayson and Dead man must try to protect Kent Nelson, a fellow carny, from the Amazons of Themyscira while Deathstroke tries to save his daughter and the Secret Seven tear themselves apart in service to Wonder Woman.

And all because the world has gone mad.

The artwork is sympathetic to the story and the compellingly my narrative shows the consequences of a fateful decision. A perfect companion to 'Flashpoint'.

[Alex79uk · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Batman story included in this collection is a lot of fun, set in an alternate reality, but the other stories are a bit hit and miss. The Secret Seven story at the end was probably the weakest, but overall the book was interesting enough. Certainly not an all-timer, and a fairly odd collection to bundle together.