Flashpoint #5 - Oct. 2011

Comics Weekend "Flashpoint" by Geoff Johns, Andy Kubert, Sandra Hope, and Jesse Delperdang.

The final issue of Flashpoint opens with The Flash squaring off against his most tenacious and mendacious of foes, Professor Zoom:

Zoom explains that, thanks to his presence in the timestream when The Flash altered it, Zoom no longer truly exists. "Freed from the shackles of history", Zoom is free to kill his enemy anytime he wants, and he can't be stopped.

Except, of course, he forgot about Batman, who runs a sword through Zoom's chest as he prattles on!

Even this though doesn't stop the raging battle between the Atlanteans and the Amazons, but our small squad of heroes are helped by a new group, Grifter and The Resistance (who I believe had several hits in the 70s). But one of main bad actors in this little drama, The Enchantress, cannot be stopped, until someone even more powerful, er, drops in:

Batman lays dying, but has enough time to hand a letter to The Flash, and tell him to "run", run so fats that this whole horrible Flashpoint world will be replaced by something better (um...okay). The Flash does this, and wakes up at the world he recognizes, and finds himself in front of his mother, now back alive.

Then Flash's mother...oh, hell, at this point I'm going to just fess up and admit I didn't understand what the heck was going on, why things were occurring the way they were. Maybe I've simply lost my touch at following the intricacies of superhero comic book continuity (or maybe just don't have the background knowledge I used to), but at a certain point I didn't know why The Flash was doing any of this, or what any of it meant.

Anyway, The Flash runs through the timestream, and finds himself home. He soon makes it to the BatCave, where he is relieved to see that this Batman recognizes him. After explaining what happened (maybe Bats understands it!), The Flash hands Bruce a letter...a letter from his dear departed father from another world:

...The End.


Okay, now that Flashpoint is over, I can honestly say...um, okay.

I don't think DC did itself any favors revealing that the entire DCU was being overhauled after Flashpoint, because then immediately you knew that whatever happens in this series was moot. So that meant that whatever fun was going to be had in the "event" would have to come from the event itself.

I was on board for that, since, as I said on the Shrine before, I looked at Flashpoint like a 21st Century version of those "What If?" stories Gardner Fox and Julie Schwartz used to hatch in the 1960s, where you could go and do anything with the characters, since the normal rules didn't apply.

Sadly, I think Flashpoint fails there as well--I can't be the only one that was expecting a giant, knock down, drag out conflagration between Aquaman and Wonder Woman and...we never get it. Sure, they finally do start to fight in Emperor Aquaman and Wonder Woman and The Furies, but as soon as they do it cuts away to some other plot line and they're battle is seen only as background. And even though I've been reading comics for decades, I was still kinda excited to see a "cage match" between the King of the Seven Seas and the Amazing Amazon. Flashpoint seemed to be promising that, building towards it, and then...not much.

That said, I did enjoy the final moments of the series, the quiet scene with Barry and Bruce, two characters that don't have a lot in common and rarely have one-on-ones together. I'd love to see a less absurdly-grim Batman, and maybe this small piece of emotional relief afforded him by Geoff Johns will point us towards that.

So...now that we've got Flashpoint out of the way, we can judge the DC's New 52 on its own merits. As I said earlier today, onward and upward!

Flashpoint #5 Preview: It All Changes Here!

The hit series by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert concludes - in a flash - this week and the lives of the World's Greatest Super-Heroes will never be the same! All throughout Flashpoint we've seen the disastrous effects an altered DCU timeline have had upon the lives of Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Hal Jordan, and more...well as the story concludes with this Wednesday's final issue, it also simultaneously marks the end of 70+ years of publishing history AND the beginning of a new era for DC Comics with the launch of the New 52.

The first issue of the New 52 accompanies the release of Flashpoint #5 on August 31st and Geoff Johns recently teased that the final page of Flashpoint bridges the story to the first page of Justice League #1, also scribed by Johns with art duties by none other than Mr. Jim Lee.

The Aquaman Shrine staff plan to attend midnight release parties for both books and will bring you a special preview on Wednesday of the eagerly anticipated Justice League #1, as well as up to the minute information via Twitter during this historic week for comic book fans.

Due to Hurricane Irene, there may be unanticipated delays in East Coast stores receiving shipments from Diamond Distributors/UPS but rest assured both Flashpoint #5 & Justice League #1 will be available digitally from DC Comics through Comixology at 2 PM EST on August 31, come rain or shine.

To see the full Flashpoint # 5 preview visit USAToday.com for the news "flash" and check back at the Shrine for full recaps of Flashpoint and Justice League on Saturday August 3rd!


*Correction: Only Justice League #1 will be available digitally on Wednesday at 2 PM. Flashpoint #5 will not be available digitally until 4 weeks later, even though it is a pre-requisite to the story in JL#1.

Wonder Woman and the Furies #2 - Oct. 2011

Comics Weekend "Part Two: Cataclysm" by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Agustin Padilla, and Jose Aviles.

In this third and final issue of Wonder Woman and The Furies, we flashback to eight months ago, as ground all over the world shook thanks to Aquaman's "ultimate weapon":

One of Diana's Furies, Terra, has an empathic rapport with her brother Brion, so she can feel the pain he's enduring being used as the energy source for Aquaman's weapon. Terra in turn used her powers to beat back the wave of water about to descend upon them, cleaving into two the southern part of England in the process! A massive hunk of land shoots into the air, and Terra calls it New Themyscira as she passes out.

Now in the current day, we see why Terra is such a vital part of the Amazons. She is being spied upon by Orm, and when Diana gets word of this, she storms in and sees:

...I love that third panel, as Diana carelessly--and effortlessly--tosses Orm into a wall. That made me laugh.

Anyway, Diana is horrified to learn of this treachery, and it turns into a fight. But the fight is interrupted when Vixen has news: reporter Lois Lane, behind enemy lines, is alerting the world to the Amazonian internment camps, and sends out a worldwide plea for help.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the Atlantean fleet has been spotted off the coast. Diana snaps into action:

This is the flip-side to the scene we saw in Emperor Aquaman #3, where Orm sets off a series of explosions designed to fool Aquaman into setting off his ultimate weapon. The earth trembles, and Orm and Penthesila fight their way out of their Amazonian captives, recalling how their bond was formed, and how they did not want to see the future conquered by anything other than "the edge of a blade."

Orm and Penthesila make it outside, and they see exactly what they wanted: chaos and destruction:

...to be concluded!


Again, I wish this book's original artists, Scott Clark and David Beaty (who did this issue's cover), had been retained for the rest of this series: they gave Wonder Woman and The Furies a distinctive look, one that really stood out among the approximate fifteen hundred Flashpoint tie-ins.

There are other thoughts I have regarding this series, and Flashpoint in general, but I think we'll wait until the whole "event" is over to have a more complete picture...just a few weeks away!

Emperor Aquaman #3 - Oct. 2011

Comics Weekend "Part Three" by Tony Bedard, Vicente Cifuentes, and Diana Egea.

The final issue of Emperor Aquaman opens with the Sea King facing off against his mortal enemy, Wonder Woman:

We flashback a couple of months, and see how Arthur tricked Prince Brion (aka Geo-Force) and ended up using him as an ultimate weapon. Mera has doubts about the morality of this plan, but Arthur charges ahead. We also see how his brother Orm talked Mera into forming a secret strike team, under the ruse of stopping the war before it starts.

Back in the "present", Diana is desperately trying to talk sense into Arthur. She tells him she believes Orm and Diana's Aunt Penthesilea are in cahoots, and have been orchestrating things behind the scenes to bring about a war. For a change, Arthur listens, and tells Vulko to hold firing their ultimate weapon, which would rip New Themyscira from its roots.

Orm had been captured by some of Diana's Furies, but he's playing possum: with the help of his cohort, he sets off a series of explosions on Atlantean ships! Then it all goes to Hell:

Vulko sets off the weapon, and the ground trembles for miles. As is starts to shatter the buildings on New Themyscira, Aquaman gives in to his rage and attacks Diana, believing she's been lying all along!

Wonder Woman, seeing the futility of fighting Aquaman as the world crumbles around them, takes off and climbs aboard her invisible plane, with Arthur right behind:

...to be concluded in Flashpoint #5!


Overall, I liked this issue, and the whole Emperor Aquaman series, although I'm sure part of it has to with it being a solo Aquaman book, after so long without one. We've seen so many Elseworlds versions of the Big Three, its nice to have Aquaman be the focus of a "What If?" alt-world like this one.

The one moment in this issue I wish paid off more is at the end, when Aquaman cracks Diana's invisible plane with his trident: that's something we really hadn't seen before, and I think there could have been a little more space devoted to such a great moment of Aquaman Bad-Assery.

Flashpoint Friday: Cover Previews!

We've seen the battle between King Arthur of Atlantis and Queen Diana of the Amazons covered from almost every angle during the four-month span of Flashpoint & its associated mini-series and here are two more covers depicting it from upcoming issues out next week!

Getting redundant? We're not complaining...the more new fans that see Aquaman as a force to be reckoned with, the better as far as we're concerned! And don't forget to visit the Shrine tomorrow to see what we have to say about the third and final issue of Emperor Aquaman!

Flashpoint #4 - Oct. 2011

Comics Weekend "Flashpoint" by Geoff Johns, Andy Kubert, and Jesse Delperdang.

This issue of Flashpoint opens with the Batson Family watching TV, as the President talks to the nation about the massive conflict between Atlantis and the Amazons, which is currently laying waste to much of the world.

Cut to Batman, Flash, and Cyborg fighting their way through a small army of government troops, who got the drop on them during their "rescue" attempt of the young boy Flash believes is Superman.

The heroes seem to be holding their own, but just, and then someone else enters the fray:

Later, Batman and the rest make their way to Fawcett City to draft the erstwhile Marvel Family into the fight. Flash and Batman argue over their approach--Flash wants to save the world, while Batman is more cynical, preferring to either take this opportunity to remake the world, or "Let it burn in Hell."

After inspiring Batman to change his mind (you can tell this isn't the "real" Batman!), they all take off for New Themyscira, where the battle between the Atlanteans and Amazons is raging:

Captain Thunder (not Captain Marvel in this world) goes after Wonder Woman personally, while Flash tries to talk to Aquaman, who doesn't recognize the Scarlet Speedster.

The Enchantress zaps the Captain, turning him back into Billy Batson. While defenseless, Wonder Woman pulls out her sword and runs him through! A lightning bolt hits, and when Flash looks up, things get even worse:

...to be concluded!


Aquaman doesn't get much to do here, but now we know that that's the norm for Flashpoint the book; he's a lot more front and center in Emperor Aquaman and Wonder Woman and the Furies.

I think in the end Arthur should be grateful he didn't end up with Diana; she's really nasty when she gets angry!

Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman #3 Preview

As the last issues of Flashpoint's associated mini-series roll out this month, writer Tony Bedard gives us our third and final installment of Arthur Curry's battle with Diana of Themyscira as it reaches it violent conclusion on Wednesday. Head on over to DC Comics' the Source Blog for the full preview of Emperor Aquaman #3 and watch for our recap next weekend!

Kid Flash: Lost #2 - Oct. 2011

Aquaman makes a cameo appearance--sort of--in Kid Flash: Lost #2, another Flashpont tie-in title!

Flashpoint #4: The Sea King vs. the Amazon Queen...

...with the Fastest Man Alive caught in the middle!

Emperor Aquaman's role in the main Flashpoint book has been minimal at this point, but if the preview cover above is any indication it looks like that may be about to change as the series' penultimate chapter hits this week!

In any case, stay tuned to the Aquaman Shrine for the full Flashpoint #4 recap on Saturday which will help you get ready for the universe altering changes that will unfold in Flashpoint #5 later this month, setting the stage for the launch the New DCU 52 in September!

For the full exclusive preview please visit USAToday online!

Wonder Woman and the Furies #2 - Sept. 2011

Comics Weekend "Part Two: The Sacrifice" by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Augustin Padilla, and Jose Aviles.

In this second issue of Wonder Woman and The Furies, we flashforward (within a flashback, whew, this is confusing!) a bit, and some time has passed since Aquaman and Wonder Woman had their Meet Cute:

The "Peace Talks" begin, but both sides come to the table not believing the other is trustworthy (don't even ask the Amazons about the Debt Ceiling). Aquaman, Mera, Orm, Rodunn, and some others approach Diana. Arthur asks that trust must be rebuilt if the true culprit is to be found.

But it all goes to Hell:

Arthur thinks this is Orm's doing, but he says that they are being attacked, as well. Arthur tries to talk amid the noise and smoke to Diana, but she's having none of it: she slashes Arthur with her sword.

When Orm steps in, some of the Amazons get between them, and spirit their queen away, to their fleet of invisible jets. Diana is pushed to break The Seal of Tartarus, a sort of self-destruct button. She does, which causes all of Themyscira to crumble.

As Arthur and Orm rush to get off the island, Arthur reveals a grudging respect for Diana, and her warrior ways. They watch it explode from the sea, as the Amazons do the same from the air.

This battle becomes big news in the rest of the world, and things just get worse: Aquaman, in his role as King of Atlantis, officially declares war with the Amazons. For their part, the Amazons request sanctuary on the British Isles. When they are denied, the Amazons decided to simply invade the U.K., leading to a land war.

A short time later:

Over on New Themyscira, Diana is introduced to Tara Markov, who is eager to join the team. Before much else can be decided, Atlantean warships appear from the surface of the water, led by Mera, who makes a beeline for Diana. Its clearly an act of jealousy as much as strategy:

...to be concluded!


As I said about the first issue, I've really been enjoying this series. I like the way writers Abnett and Lanning use real world events as jumping off points for the story, and you can sort of see how this whole thing spirals out of control, despite the presence of people we think of as heroes, Aquaman and Wonder Woman.

I was a little disappointed the original WWATF artists, Scott Clark and Dave Beaty, weren't back for this issue: their work gave the first issue a different, less comic book-y look than the other Flashpoint books, which I thought worked well and helped make this series distinctive. Oh well, hopefully they'll be back for the third and final issue.

Deathstroke and The Curse of the Ravager #2 - Sept. 2011

Comics Weekend "Red Tide" by Jimmy Palmiotti, Joe Bennett, and Tony Shasteen.

Picking right up where the first issue left off, this Flashpoint mini is an extended flashback, showing us when Aquaman and Deathstroke first met.

After stabbing Deathstroke in the gut with his trident, Aquaman strides aboard the ship, flanked by his brother Ocean Master:

Aquaman pretty much lays waste to Deathstroke's crew, as violently as possible (all while protesting "I do wish all this killing would end", which is hard to buy when you're cutting a guy's head off as you're saying it), along with his brother's help.

A villain named Scavenger (not the Aquaman's old foe, sadly) foolishly tries to take a shot at the rampaging Atlantean:

After Aquaman deals with him (let's just say Scavenger won't be going jogging any time soon), another of Deathstroke's crew, Clayface, decides he's had enough and tries to run away. But where is he to go?

Aquaman tackles him, knocking him into the water:

The rest of the issue takes place thousands of miles away, and focuses on another ship, this one captained by Travis Morgan (aka The Warlord). Back on the Ravager, Deathstroke has his wounds healed by Sonar (the man, not the system).

Later, the two ships face off, but an unexpected party shows up to tip the scales on Deathstroke's side:

...to be continued!

Jenny Blitz is a new character, so the big reveal didn't have a lot of impact on me. Truth be told, as soon as Aquaman left, I pretty much tuned out to the rest of the book (which I've said many times, over many decades now). That said, I'll pick up the third issue to see how this all wraps up.

There's a line in the middle of the book, where Sonar--who wasn't topside when all the murderin' went on--asks Icicle, who was, what happened up there. Icicle's response is "Aquaman and Ocean Master is what happened", a nice shorthand for: it wasn't pretty. While I obviously don't want to see this bloodthirsty version of Aquaman outside of Flashpoint, I would love to see Aquaman's rep as a tough guy precede him in the regular DCU, as it does here.

One of the smart things DC did with these Flashpoint tie-in minis is make them short: three issues is a solid length to tell some sort of a story, but then get outta town before it all goes on too long.