DCU Comic Book Reviews

The Brave And The Bold #28

Firing Line

December 2009

Written by J. Michael Straczynski

Pencils by Jesus Saiz

Inks by Jesus Saiz

Cover by Jesus Saiz

Synopsis

During an experiment to test a new laser, The Flash finds himself in the past, near the Battle of the Bulge during World War II.  He also has a broken leg and thus can’t run at the same speed that got him to the past in the first place.  So, the Flash tries to stay out of the way of soldiers, but runs into the Blackhawks.  He convinces them that he is from the future.  Before they can do anything, however, Germans attack their location.  The Blackhawks give the Flash a gun to help defend their location, but the Flash doesn’t kill.  So, he uses bricks to send at the Germans at super speed to knock them out.  The Blackhawks are not happy; it is their job to kill Germans and they need the Flash’s help.  The Flash, however, vowed to never kill anyone.  The Blackhawks tell him he needs to rethink that position.  The Flash does.  He takes off his red costume and puts on a soldier’s uniform.  Now a soldier, he helps the Blackhawks fight the Germans.  After two weeks, his leg heals enough so that he can return back to the present.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

“So when is it right to kill, and when is it not right to kill?  What makes it right?”

There is a part of me that thinks Straczynski failed to get at the crux of the story:  Barry’s first kill.  The dilemma is handled well and I like the Blackhawk’s argument on why they have to what they do and why Barry needs to do the same.  I also liked Barry’s solution, taking off one uniform to wear another, one that imparts a license to kill (so to speak).  But the moment Barry puts on the uniform, the story then fast forwards quickly to the end when he returns to the present.  To me, the material up to the costume changes is a great set-up to the story.  It is the point where I thought the story was just getting going.  But just as Straczynski gets to that point, he backs away, as if he were afraid of examining the consequences of what the Flash needs to.  What we don’t see is how The Flash feels about killing other human beings or the post traumatic stress he might feel after being in a war zone and surrounded by death.  In fact, for someone who takes a vow not to kill, the Flash returns to his former life with very little emotional impact, other than appreciation for what soldiers do.  Don’t get me wrong, we should all appreciate the sacrifice any soldier makes when they go to war, but we also have to realize that when they return from war, the can be a lasting effect on what happened.  That I think is the story, which Straczynski manages to ignore.  Having said all that, I must commend Straczynski and Saiz for once more crafting a wonderful one-and-done story that not only tells a good story, but also examines issues and ideas that make you think a little bit.  It is good storytelling, even if it doesn’t quite get to the heart of the matter.

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