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THE FLASH #179
"Smile For the Camera!"
Recommended (8/10)
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DC Comics
Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Scott Kolins
Inks: Doug Hazlewood
Colors: James Sinclair & Digital Chameleon
Letters: Gaspar Saladino
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
After the fantastic Grodd issue last time out, anything was going to be a little disappointing, but the inclusion of the muddy Last Laugh crossover really didn't help matters. In most respects, this is a
weaker issue than what I've come to expect, from a cover by Jim Lee instead of
Brian Bolland to the question of what exactly is motivating the Jokerized
villains to how the "Jokerization" process actually works. Leaving aside some
questions raised by the crossover elements, though, this is another solid issue
in what is fast becoming a classic run by Johns and Kolins.
Whenever the Last Laugh story wasn't involved, I was as interested
in the story as ever. The conflict between Morillo and Chyre about Piper's guilt
or innocence, and indeed the Piper story as a whole, was very intriguing stuff.
Readers have seen that the Piper did indeed murder his parents, but there can be
no doubt that there's more to the story, and Johns is teasing with the hints
he's dropping. Mind control? Multiple personality? Something else? I don't know,
and I'm dying to find out.
In addition, the build-up of
the situation at Iron Heights continues to get more and more interesting. Warden
Wolfe is looking less and less like simply an out-of-control power junkie and
more like an abusive super-villain. His use of powers isn't just when necessary,
he seems to enjoy it and to use it for petty purposes. So far, Johns has given
him a more interesting motivation than the overly controlling law-enforcement
officer that so many "bad wardens" in comics have had, and I quite like the
character.
Kolins, as always, delivers a
terrific performance. The use of camera lenses to show us Piper, or the "flash
effect" of the camera, or a jagged panel that indicates searing pain, are nice
touches. And his designs for the Joker-ized villains, particularly Deadshot, are
very nicely done, giving us a sense of the sameness that each Jokerization
causes but also giving each villain a unique look.
For the most part, though,
the Jokerization feels like a gimmick that doesn't fit into the story. Johns
uses it to good effect, to play up Piper's dark side and to fix the nastiness
that happened to Captain Boomerang, but I spent most of the time wondering why
the villains had the venom and why it was having varying effects. How and why
the Joker process spreads has been a bit unclear in the crossover, and while
Johns and Kolins make it quite clear that the villains are injecting people with
it, they don't really give us much of a why. They really can't, since the
Joker's plans in the crossover are so sketchy and loose.
Ever since Johns and Kolins have come onboard, the Flash has gotten darker. I'll admit to a little concern that they might take the "grim and gritty" too far, but so far it is working quite well and setting their Flash aside from any
others. The Piper's welcome back to Iron Heights, the death and destruction
caused by the Joker-ized villains and the mental trauma that the creators are
putting Piper, Flash and Linda through all serve to make things more interesting
for the reader.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review. |
