Who’s in the mood for some Barry Allen Flash comics?
When an old friend turns up dead on the scene of a crime the Flash foiled, Barry has to get to the bottom of what happened. He discovers that the body was a clone—one of dozens of his friend Manuel Lago. Those clones are breaking down and dying, so they’re trying to kidnap and experiment on Lago to stabilize themselves. Barry has to save his friend while dealing with an EMP that paralyzes Central and Keystone Cities, new powers and side effects of tapping into the Speed Force, and a prison break led by a vengeful Captain Cold.
Manapul and Buccellato’s Flash was one of my favorite New 52 titles. Not only was it accessible, but the pair’s art was stunning. Their use of inventive layouts served as a great example of what comics could be compared to the basic layouts I expected. Rereading it for the first time since the single issues came out, I worried that it wouldn’t hold up—especially since this first arc never was my favorite. But it does—in fact, I enjoyed it more now than I did when I was still new to reading comics and trying to figure out who’s who and what’s going on.
If you’re coming to The Flash from the TV show and looking for a Barry Allen-centric comic, this would be a great place to start. You’ll recognize most of the characters involved, and there’s not a lot of extra history to keep track of. If you’ve been reading Manapul’s Trinity, I also think you’ll enjoy this iteration of The Flash, especially for its art; Buccellato's coloring is different from Manapul's own, but it still looks great. And even if you don’t fall into one of those camps, this kicks off an enjoyable, fun Flash run that builds momentum as it goes—once the Rogues come into play, everything clicks and takes off.
Collected in
- The Flash, Vol. 1: Move Forward (#1-8)
- The Flash by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato Omnibus (#0-25, 23.2)
Writers: Francis Manapul, Brian Buccellato | Artist: Francis Manapul | Colorists: Brian Buccellato with Ian Herring | Letterers: Sal Cipriano, Carlos M. Mangual, Wes Abbott | Covers: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato