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A review by rhganci
The Flash, Vol. 2: Rogues Revolution by Brian Buccellato, Francis Manapul
4.0
(4.5 stars) The thing that I liked best about this second volume of THE FLASH was the way in which Manapul and Buccellato pull all of the plot threads together into single core narrative that can go anywhere from here--all details, characters, motivations, and dialogue are significant, and as questions come up, the story answers them in due time. The control that the two book-runners show over the story impresses and entertains, setting up a third volume in which the stakes continue to rise.
If volume 1 puts the pieces on the table, this volume sets them up, and then puts them into motion. There are quite a few plot threads running around, from Grodd to Captain Cold, from Patty Spivot's grief to Iris West's internment inside the Speed Force, and others. What this volume does, without resolving all of them too quickly, is weave them together to a point of convergence at which the reader sees them as all connected to Barry's dual identity. The V1 discussion of CC's sister seemed inconsequential at the time, but becomes crucial in V2, as it not only extends the story of the Rogues but also clarifies dialogue that seems at the moment of utterance to be only context, but is actually part of a larger concern, and is probably the overarching conflict that the Flash is dealing with at the current moment--it's also one that came as a terrific surprise in this volume. It's hard to pull off evil mastermind stuff in storytelling, but Manapul and Buccellato do it effortlessly, weaving a series of stand-alone stories together to a terrific conclusion (that also contains a wildly plotty cliffhanger). Well-structured stories are the best kind in my opinion, and this volume, though not a complete story by any stretch, represents a particularly well-structured sequence of comic books.
As good as the current Flash plot is, however, the #0 issue that is included at the end of the volume might be the single best issue of the New 52 that I've yet read. Without forsaking the current emotional and personal state of Barry Allen, Manapul and Buccellato investigate and clarify his history as a scientist, police officer, and of course as the Flash himself, piecing together an artfully-structured explanation of his first moments as The Fastest Man Alive. As an entre-acte between volumes 2 and 3 in which Barry's identity is at a crossroads, this brief look back is a terrific reminder of the Flash's absolutely moral nature and a validation of the statement that Batman makes in Justice League: Barry is a police officer and doesn't like to work outside the law. His code of ethics stems from the search for justice within the law, and as Central City prepares for a new challenge, this is material that makes this collection more than the sum of its parts. A terrific read, a great story, and standout artwork makes this volume of THE FLASH the exact step forward that the book needs.
If volume 1 puts the pieces on the table, this volume sets them up, and then puts them into motion. There are quite a few plot threads running around, from Grodd to Captain Cold, from Patty Spivot's grief to Iris West's internment inside the Speed Force, and others. What this volume does, without resolving all of them too quickly, is weave them together to a point of convergence at which the reader sees them as all connected to Barry's dual identity. The V1 discussion of CC's sister seemed inconsequential at the time, but becomes crucial in V2, as it not only extends the story of the Rogues but also clarifies dialogue that seems at the moment of utterance to be only context, but is actually part of a larger concern, and is probably the overarching conflict that the Flash is dealing with at the current moment--it's also one that came as a terrific surprise in this volume. It's hard to pull off evil mastermind stuff in storytelling, but Manapul and Buccellato do it effortlessly, weaving a series of stand-alone stories together to a terrific conclusion (that also contains a wildly plotty cliffhanger). Well-structured stories are the best kind in my opinion, and this volume, though not a complete story by any stretch, represents a particularly well-structured sequence of comic books.
As good as the current Flash plot is, however, the #0 issue that is included at the end of the volume might be the single best issue of the New 52 that I've yet read. Without forsaking the current emotional and personal state of Barry Allen, Manapul and Buccellato investigate and clarify his history as a scientist, police officer, and of course as the Flash himself, piecing together an artfully-structured explanation of his first moments as The Fastest Man Alive. As an entre-acte between volumes 2 and 3 in which Barry's identity is at a crossroads, this brief look back is a terrific reminder of the Flash's absolutely moral nature and a validation of the statement that Batman makes in Justice League: Barry is a police officer and doesn't like to work outside the law. His code of ethics stems from the search for justice within the law, and as Central City prepares for a new challenge, this is material that makes this collection more than the sum of its parts. A terrific read, a great story, and standout artwork makes this volume of THE FLASH the exact step forward that the book needs.