Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Andy Kubert
Inks by Sandra Hope
Colors by Alex Sinclair
Lettering by Nick J. Napolitano
Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 11, 2011
Readers of Geoff Johns’ recent stint on "The Flash" know a big story is building centering around The Flash’s arch rival The Reverse Flash. That and unless you have been living in a cave, DC's major summer announcement of the upcoming reboot is the launchpad for Flashpoint. Nothing in the DC Universe will ever be the same.
Aged bodies have turned up dead, and it seems that The Reverse Flash has found a way to bring the past, present, and future all to one moment in time, and all we know that this can prove to be extremely dangerous.
Flashpoint #1 picks up with Barry Allen waking up in his office at the Central City crime lab when he overhears that Citizen Cold, the local hero, was fighting against The Pied Piper. In a rush to stop the madness, Barry Allen darts away from his desk to transform into The Flash, but notices he doesn’t have his ring. He then falls down a flight of stairs, and is greeted by his mother. Fans of The Flash will know that, in our universe, Barry Allen’s mother is dead. Barry is trying to put the pieces of his life together, tells his mother that he is The Flash, who she is not familiar with, so Allen starts asking about other heroes. Mrs. Allen doesn’t recognize any of the heroes he mentions, until he brings up Batman.
We jump to a scene where Batman is viciously hunting on the rooftops Gotham City. When he tries to murder the villain named “Yo-Yo”, who appears to be a youthful woman, Cyborg saves her and confronts Batman. We then find out that Wonder Woman and Aquaman have ravished parts of the world, and are becoming increasingly dangerous. Cyborg tries to amass a group of heroes and possibly villains and most agree under the condition that Batman is a part of the deal. When Batman declines due to the lack of organization and tensions within the team, the rest of the members decline, as well.
The issue wraps up with Barry Allen traveling to Gotham City to see Bruce Wayne in a completely dilapidated Wayne Manor. He enters the Batcave to discover it is completely low tech, and we begin to learn that the Wayne behind the cowl is not the one we are used to.
Flashpoint begins in a direction where everything is familiar yet mostly off kilter. This is expected of an "Elseworlds" story, is that what we have here borrowing from the 1999 title of the same name? I don't know, but sure am looking forward to where this goes.
You must read this title, as it is the summer blockbuster, and if only to find out who Batman actually is on the last page. A concept I never dreamed off!
