Writer: Geoff Johns
Penciller: Andy Kubert
Inker: Jesse Delperdang
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Letterer: Nick J. Napolitano
Cover Art: Andy Kubert, Alex Sinclair & Sandra Hope
The Plot
It’s the lover’s quarrel from Hell! Proof in how the battle between Diana and Arthur has escalated to Earth shattering proportions. Atlantis and the Amazons are going at it tooth and nail, and nothing is going to stand in their way!…
Except maybe the Flash who seems Hell-bent on brining Batman and the rest of the heroes of this new reality together to save Earth from Atlantezonian onslaught!
My Heretical Opinion
There is a common thread within all the DC Crisis’s…Kill off a well-known hero and let the sadness and despair be the catapult of the final Battle!
Of course, having Billy Batson take the fall seemed rather insignificant while still being ruthlessly climactic. But this issue is all about bringing in characters only to lose them a few pages later. We were given the entire Shazam family, with Billy in the spotlight for obvious reasons, and already we’ve lost him to a lightning bolt to the chest. Likewise, enter the Element Woman, who comes off as more of an excuse to get a few cheap laughs rather than actually contributing anything to the story itself.
So what happened to Flashpoint? The first three issues were fantastic! Now we’ve gone into a contrived storyline that doesn’t seem to be progressing as well at it should. Did Geoff Johns overestimate the likeability of his characters? Or does DC not realize that creating an entire new universe that only lasts for five issues doesn’t allow for character introductions of this magnitude?
But of course, let’s not forget Barry Allen’s sudden change of plans; going from restoring Earth to its old self to saving the current world of Flashpoint. It’s a rather sudden change and negates everything that Barry AND Thomas Wayne wanted to do. Why focus all your efforts on saving this alternate world when turning it back the way it was will erase everything in the world of Flashpoint from the history books. But this sudden change of pace not only feels too quick, but also means that for the past three issues, Barry’s been running around in circles chasing his tail.
However, the most daunting thing for me was the complete disregard for Superman’s involvement in the story. There was such a captivating storyline going on in #3 and this issue starts off by bringing in Element Woman. Maybe I’m overanalyzing this issue but I felt Superman has a bigger role to play in this storyline…hopefully issue #5 will finalize any lingering plot devices and not allow things to dwindle off into oblivion.
With all the negativity I’m throwing at this issue, it isn’t without its positive aspects. Barry Allen and Thomas Wayne work well together and have the chemistry needed to pull off the protagonist spotlight. Likewise, the interaction with the whole Shazam family was interesting, getting an idea of what’s to come in the DCnU.
Andy Kubert was on his “A” game this issue, bringing cleanly drawn and beautifully sculpted characters as well as incredibly riveting action scenes. I wasn’t entirely sure why the cover had Wonder Woman and Aquaman diving at the Flash with death on their minds, (unless it somehow means Flash is in the middle of this lovers quarrel) but I love it all the same!
So with the penultimate issue now published, #5 has a lot to deliver. There’s so much going on and there are only 40 pages in which to wrap it all up with. And right now, based on what was presented in issue #4…I’m not that optimistic.
5 out of 10 stars
