Flashpoint #5

My first review on this site is ironically the issue that ends the DC Universe. Well, that and reboots it.

Flashpoint has been a fun read for me, as a fan of alternate reality stories, it was cool to see what Geoff Johns and company did here. And they really did a great job. Not all of the tie-ins were good mind you, but some of them were, and besides, the tie-ins aren't what dictate my thoughts on this.

The issue, which among other things shows us what we all knew was going to happen the second this story arc began, opens up where the last one left off with Barry at the mercy of Professor Zoom. The cover is just a bit misleading in that Professor Zoom is not as prominent as you would think, but he does serve a good role. I've always liked the Reverse Flash and its good to see him get his dues here, also being the one to reveal a certain twist. Now it would be poor form to say what that twist is, but suffice to say, it makes Barry's role in Flashpoint matter. It erases the feelings some might have had that Barry was actually not really doing much in Flashpoint that gave him relevancy. Here, Barry steps into his own and makes a choice that I for one might not have had the strength to make as he resets the world...

And that is actually where the issue falls just a little short. The explanation on why the DCnU will be different or why its changing at all couldn't be more vague, and the double-spread, while absolutely awesome, will really only confuse you, since all of the "team shots" so to speak include a mix of characters from mainstream DCU, Vertigo, and others. The ending also feels just a tad abrupt, and it would have been nice to see some of what happens in Flashpoint be brought into the DCnU (such as some of the more minor characters being featured in this story getting special attention in the DCnU too, or some of the elements of the Flashpoint world being in the DCnU, but...)

But those are the only things wrong with this. It really is a great read, with some pretty cathartic moments, not the least of which involve both a certain man of steel and Thomas Wayne as Batman, who, as I believe another reviewer has pointed out, really has been the real star of this story. It is that level of prominence that Thomas has here that makes the ending work a lot better. It is a little weird to see that Barry is already in his new armor-ish look though. On that note, the art here really is quite amazing. That's all there is to it.

Regardless of whether or not the new DCU is as good as DC says it will be, the horrible mistake that all of the fans say it will be, or simply solid as I think it will be, Flashpoint really was the best way with which to go about doing this, even if there were misfires along the way. I'd even say that this stands as one of the best alternate realities out there, easily trumping many of DC's Elseworlds tales.