DC has published issue #1 this week of the eagerly-anticipated return of Barry Allen as The Flash.  The issue is scripted by the renowned Geoff Johns, with art by Ethan Van Sciver and colors by Moose Baumann.  The Barry Allen version of The Flash is one of the Silver Age's flagship DC characters.  Most comic book enthusiasts consider DC's introduction of the Barry Allen Flash in Showcase #4 back in 1956 as the official start of the Silver Age of superhero comicdom.  I'm a big fan of the Carmine Infantino issues of Flash from the 1960's, and as such have been looking forward to The Flash: Rebirth series. 

     Issue #1 reflects the wide-ranging changes to The Flash Universe since those days.  In helping to save the world in previous DC storylines in the recent past, Allen/The Flash apparently got pulled into "The Speed Force," which is a part of the extradimensional lightning that all speedsters access to do their superspeed running.  The plot of issue #1 is a two sub-plot introductory story.  One storyline focuses on introducing the reader to the wide-ranging cast of both good and bad characters in The Flash's life, as his friends, family and the world in general prepare celebrations honoring his return to Central City from his entrapment.

     The alternating storyline is an extended dialogue between The Flash and Hal Jordan/Green Lantern, as Barry Allen expresses angst over his return and how he sees his roles and responsibilities in society versus the other people's expectations.  The issue concludes in a cliffhanger, as Allen unintentionally re-opens access to The Speed Force, with seemingly disastrous multiple results.

     Given that Geoff Johns scripted the issue, Spoiled-Old-Me expected an instant classic along the lines of Johns's acclaimed run at Action Comics last year, or at the level of rare quality that he has brought to Justice Society.  While we don't get that level of story quality, we do get a very good comic story in a more traditional format that follows very nicely in the style and content footprints of the traditional Flash comic title that has evolved over the decades.

     While this comic wasn't what I expected, I did find it very enjoyable for a few reasons.  Johns takes on the detailed task of introducing the reader to the very wide range of Barry Allen's family, friends, foes and the various Flash successors, from Wally Wood onward.  He pulls this introduction off very well, to the point where someone like me who hasn't followed The Flash for years and doesn't know many of these characters can actually come away from this issue having easily learned a bit as to how these folks fit into the 2009 world of this title.  Johns also provides credible writing on the action side of the story.  The accidental access to the dangers of The Speed Force is handled well, leaving the reader with several good hints anticipating at various sub-plots that will evolve in upcoming issues.

      So a definite thumbs-up for a well-scripted and nicely drawn return to the 2009 DC Universe for the traditional Barry Allen version of The Flash.

          
      BOOM! Studios has released issue #1 of Irredeemable, a bold experiment by creator/writer Mark Waid.  Best known as the writer of DC's iconic Kingdom Come, Waid has presented us with a unique new series that explores the dark side of superheroism-gone-bad to a degree rarely presented in comic book format.

     The main character of Irredeemable is The Plutonian, a blond, blue-eyed All-American Boy caped superhero cut in the midwestern cloth of Superman.  In flashback sequences, Waid shows the mysterious Plutonian teaming-up with a Justice League-type group of superheros and all initially seems well in their world.  However, Waid juxtaposes this flashback world with the present day, in which The Plutonium has gone murderously berserk and is in the process of relentlessly hunting-down his teammates and slaughtering them and their innocent loved ones.

     This is a very cutting edge and at times mesmerizing take on the dual questions of why a Superman-like boy scout of a hero would go rogue and just what does it take to stop the most powerful person on the planet when he completely goes over to The Dark Side.  Mark Waid pushes the plotting envelope farther than I believe any comic creator ever has in exploring this difficult theme.  I actually had to read this comic book twice, in order to absorb the revulsion of several of the scenes of The Plutonian's violence and mayhem against innocents and his good guy former superhero friends and allies.

     Waid also examines in this new series the major comic superhero theme of the nature of good versus evil.  Issue #1's story line is rich with Waid's proposal that this is a very grey issue area;  while The Plutonian's former allies initially are presented as preyed-upon, weaker good guys, there are strong plot hints here that all is not as it seems, that they themselves harbor dark sides and quite possibly may have betrayed The Plutonian to the point where they are responsible for victimizing him until he transforms into a slaughtering madman.

      If you miss this comic title, you're quite possibly missing one of the boldest experiments in examining the psychological nature of superheroism to come down the publishing pike in quite some time.  So my advice is don't miss Irredeemable.  Reading this comic is to some degree uncomfortable and draining, but it's definitely entertaining.  And unlike just about any other comic out there at the moment, without sounding pretentious, its just plainly an important comic book in its sobering and difficult examination of the basic superhero concepts of good, evil and the nightmare of when the All-American dream of caped crusading goes awfully, horribly, irredeemably wrong.