017 Flash Vol 1: Lightning Strikes Twice

Confession time.  I love the Flash.  I've always loved the Flash.  Then the New 52 came along and I couldn't read the Flash anymore.  It was an awful book.  They took away the Flash and replaced him with someone I didn't recognize.  Now we're in the midst of Rebirth and I thought I'd give The Flash a look.  I was happy with what I read.  I honestly wasn't expecting to like this book.  Maybe I had the bar set low and this exceeded my expectations because of it?  I don't know.  He still isn't quite my Barry Allen, but this is the Barry Allen I could have accepted with the New 52.  He sounds like Barry.  He looks like Barry.  He acts like Barry.

I felt like this first trade was kind of mirroring or maybe aping what's going on on the Flash TV show.  That show is obsessed with speedsters.  Every season, every week it seems like all we have are speedsters.  And it gets tiring.  This trade is all about speedsters.  A new speedster villain.  A new speedster sidekick.  A whole slew of new speedsters.  Speedsters speedsters speedsters.  Sure, a lot of them end up dead, but there are still way too many speedsters in this book.  But it was a well done story, rushed (no pun intended) in some spots, but a really fun read.  The art is beautiful.  Carmine Di Giandomenico has something in his style that reminds me of Scott Kolins run on the book.  It's beautiful.  My only gripe with the art is I still hate all the lines in the costume and I really hate the constant halo of lightning surrounding the Flash.  That shit needs to go.

Based on this first volume, I plan on a return visit.

Flash Vol 1: Lightning Strikes Twice

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico, Neil Googe, Felipe Watanabe, Andrew Currie, Oclair Albert

DC Comics

015 Showcase Presents Showcase

I love the Showcase series of DC reprints.  It's a fantastic way to read and collect a lot of old books in a very affordable format.  Printed on newsprint in black & white, it helps keep the costs down.  An average Showcase book is in the neighborhood of 500 pages, so you get a lot of stuff.

The particular volume of Showcase reprints it's namesake series.  Showcase.  It was an anthology book that tested out different ideas for potential new series.  It's interesting reading the initial 21 issues as DC tried to figure out exactly what to do with the book.  The first couple issues featured themes of firefighters, kings of the wild and frogmen before it landed it's first success.  The Flash.  This volume reprints four Flash issues.  I've read these stories before, reprinted in various formats over the years.  It's still good stuff.  There are also issues featuring the Challengers Of The Unknown, a team that I try so desperately to like, but I just don't, Space Ranger, Rip Hunter and one of my all-time favorites, Adam Strange.

I can't say anything bad about the Showcase books.  I love them.

Showcase Presents Showcase

Writer: Various

Artist: Various 

DC Comics