Blackest Night: The Flash # 1 (of 3)

As part of the big BLACKEST NIGHT event, dead friends and enemies return to bedevil Barry Allen-- who is himself a recent returnee from the next world.

This is a rather strange issue as it ties in with both BLACKEST NIGHT and the FLASH REBIRTH miniseries. Unfortunately, due to delays, the REBIRTH miniseries still has not concluded so it isn't clear how this story really fits in with the events that have already happened in comic-world-- but which have yet to be published in our world.

The focus of this issue isn't even entirely on the Flash. Instead, we see the Flash rogues getting in on the act, facing off against their deceased counterparts. Of course, the creative team behind this book (Johns and Kolins) have worked with the rogues before so this issue actually ends up looking like an expansion of their earlier miniseries.

In fact, the scenes with the rogues actually come off better than the scenes with the Flash (or Flashes). Perhaps it is just Kolins' grittier art style or maybe it is just the difficulty of conveying Barry Allen's new (altered) characterisation but the villains just seem more forceful, their determination more convincing. The scenes with Barry Allen fighting a revived gorilla just look confusing.

Maybe this will change by next issue as we learn more about the threat against the Flash family but if DC Comics isn't careful, the bad guys will end up upstaging the heroes.