DCU Comic Book Reviews

THE FLASH:  THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE #5

Lightning In A Bottle, Part Five:  Missing In Action

December 2006

Written by Danny Bilson & Paul Demeo

Pencils by Ron Adrian

Inks by Alex Lei & Rob Lea

Cover by Ken Lashley

Synopsis

The Griffin has just tossed Bart Allen out the window of a skyscraper.  Bart changes into the Flash and runs back up the building and then all the way up into the sky, like a missile.  He lands at the Keystone Zoo, in the Gorilla cages.  Cyborg is there to take him home.  When they return to Griffin’s apartment, they find he is gone.  Later, Jay and Joan Garrick are supposed to be having dinner with Bart and Valerie, but Val fails to show.  Bart runs to her house, but finds it empty with a note saying she has gone west.  When he returns to the restaurant, they see Griffin rushing to stop a bank robbery.  Bart and Jay get to the bank first and capture the criminals.  Upset, Griffin decides to take matters into his own hands.  Elsewhere, Valerie is being held hostage.  She is then visit by Tad Thawne (aka Inertia).  Tad needs Valerie’s genetic material in an attempt to wipe out old speedsters.  The next morning, Griffin kidnaps Jay Garrick with the hope he can tap into the speed force through Jay.  Except Jay is no longer connected to the speed force.  However, Bart is and he is coming for the Griffin.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Yet another issue of the Flash and yet another art team.  Despite all the changes in the artists and the multitude of inkers that have graced this book since it began, the art has not looked all that different from one issue to another.  I don’t know if this is a compliment to the artists that they are working to create a unified look or a complaint that the art is so bland and totally unremarkable.  More than likely this is a comment on the industry as a whole; there are very few artists who are unique enough to be noticed immediately for the work.  Unfortunately, this is working against the Flash, which to date does not have any recognition with its art.  The Dodsons, Cory Walker, Jesus Saiz and Cliff Richards have all made a mark on their books that is distinctive; The Flash meanwhile is just another superhero book amongst a bunch of other super hero books.

As for the story, the Griffin is slowly becoming a one-note villain.  He started interesting as a dangerous hero, but now he has slipped into hand-wringing clichés.  And regarding the appearance of Inertia, I don’t know enough about him or the character’s history to get too excited about his appearance.  I will just have to wait to see what happens.  I am, however, curious to see how the arc concludes, especially with regards to Inertia.  It seems a little odd to introduce him in part 5 of a 6-part story.  I am tempted to think he might have an important in the finale, but the way this series has started, I am not too sure about that.

Cyborg’s appearance was really cool as he plays Obi-Wan to Bart’s Luke Skywalker.  I like the pep talk that Vic gives and here’s hoping that at some point the moping, droopy Bart disappears and we get the impulsive Bart back. 

The cover states Sal Velluto as the penciler (or perhaps artist as the inker is also usually give cover credit), but the inside credits Ron Adrian as the penciler.