FLASH #16

[ RUN FOR THOSE BARGAINS ] 

How do you make a powerful gorilla turn mad? Do you sing him a song that's quite sad? Or do you spin him round real fast! Hoping he'll have a blast. When he realizes that he is, quite-quite glad! Nahh! Cr*p! That won't work either. Let's ask the super-fast creative team of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato, plus Publisher: DC Comics, in February 2013.

Using GENERAL terms, answer the following 4 questions about this fourth part of a STORY entitled 'Gorilla Warfare'.

• WHAT'S THE MAIN THRUST OF THIS TALE: Whilst the rogues and the police force fight off a swarm of grouchy gorillas rampaging across Central City, Barry (The Flash) Allen, decides to make the ultimate sacrifice, and give Gorilla Grodd exactly what he wants.
• ARE THE MAIN OBJECTIVES ACHIEVED: Err? Yes and no. The Flash does give Grodd the power he craves for; just not in the way he craved it.
• DOES ANYTHING ELSE HAPPEN: Yes they do. And they both involve Iris West. Firstly, there is a flashback sequence which explains why her relationship with Barry never worked out -- because she tried to trick him into helping out her criminal brother, Daniel. And secondly, Iris and the Speed Force detainees try to figure a way of getting out their very strange predicament... with a tank.
• HOW DOES THIS STORY END: With a tank going -- THUNK! -- plus a Gorilla and a very fast man looking on with rather shocked expressions on their faces.  

What is the most memorable SENTENCE OR CONVERSATION spoken in this issue?

Now most of the dialogue in this tale was a fairly competent read really, yet I liked the silly little quips the best. Like when the Chinese kid said to others trapped in the speed force about him operating the tank: 'What? Just cause I'm Asian, I'm supposed to know about tech stuff? I can't make heads or tails of this'. Plus I did have a chuckle to myself when the Lieutenant said to the rest of the warring cops 'Open fire at anything covered in hair'.

Ogga-Ogga.

What was the BEST thing about this issue?

Even though I'm pretty damn sure it wasn't the main thrust of this adventure, I still enjoyed the manner in which it clarified that Barry and Iris could have had a relationship, if she didn't try to dupe him into helping out her criminal brother.

Honestly. As soon as I read this section I immediately said to myself "A-Ha! So that's why their not together! It's Daniels fault. The git". Plus it also got me thinking as to how Iris will be played in the up and coming issues too.

Betty and Veronica? What do you think?   

What was the WORST thing about this issue?

Again with this title, my one slight gripe with it was how its story's are structured as an overall narrative. For instance: This one was bookended with the set-up and the resolution of the Flash's part of the yarn. And in between there were short little vignettes involving Iris and the rest of the gang.

Please note: This isn't a large criticism by any stretch to the imagination. Rather, it's an observation where plot and pacing is concerned. Because it was slightly lopsided.

What was the most INNOVATIVE thing about this issue?

In many ways the amalgamation of 'tried and tested scenarios' melded together into a new format does seems to work for this book an awful lot. We've all seen cops and villains fighting side by side before. Plus I can say exactly the same thing about Flash verses Grodd, or a flashback and pain in the ass brother. However, I've never seen them all in the same story at precisely the same time, sculpted into one!

Pick TWO CHARACTERS out this comic book, and compare them individually to a SIMPSONS CAST MEMBER.

EDNA KRABAPPEL AS IRIS WEST: I'm afraid to say that after reading this issue, I couldn't help but see this desperate teacher and this desperate journalist as one and the same person. Solly.

KANG AS GORILLA GRODD: Come on. It does make some sort of a sense if you think about it. If you take away all of those testicles and that slimy green skin of his, I'm damn sure you'll see a monkey somewhere within this world conquering alien.

What WORD or PHRASE could you use to sum-up this story?

'I'm playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order' -- Eric Morecambe

What SONG, THEME-TUNE, or MELODY, would complement this tale, as well as add and extra dimension to it by default?

'THE POWER' BY SNAP: In essence this tale is about people yearning for different types of power. Grodd: for the power of speed. Iris: for the power to help her brother. And Barry: for the power to save his city. Nuff said.

ANYTHING Else?

Unlike the difficult time I've had writing something positive about the 'Justice League' title, in the case of the 'Flash', I can hardly seem to write anything negative about it at all. Yeah. Straight up. The art is great. The stories are normally fairly solid. Plus the overall spit and polish upon this production is one-half bohemian and one-half innovative.

Heck, just like the rest of the Wally West fans, all I can seem to gripe about is when he will return. Moreover, I've never been too happy with how the stories have been structured on occasion, because the pacing sometimes does feel a mite too labored in hindsight.

Apart from these two gripes though -- nish -- I can't fault this series! In fact, I'm starting to think of it in the same vein as Mark Waid's current run on Daredevil. It's that good. And I really do have high hopes for this books future too. I'm sure that one day 'The West's' will stake their claim on this book as they have done so in the past.  

GIVE IT, IT'S DUES: If this comic book was a soft-drink, it would have to be a strawberry milkshake. Sweet. Filling. Lightly red. Plus has a pleasant aftertaste once digested.