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A review by dr_matthew_lloyd
The Flash, Vol. 2: Rogues Revolution by Francis Manapul
3.0
The New 52's Flash continues with another fun adventure without much bite. It feels to me like "basic superhero" - there are some villains, a hero, some fighting, some complications, it's all good. But there are few peaks and troughs as it goes along, leaving the experience enjoyable but not terribly exciting. It's carried along by great superhero art, and some hints that things are developing in interesting ways.
The betrayal by Doctor Elias is somewhat amusing, especially his "I'm a scientist" excuse, as if that even means anything (what kind of scientist? and isn't he, really, an engineer?). There's less of an emotional punch as there might have been had their alliance thus far, in this universe, lasted more than one part. But Elias is exploring the "superheroes - good or bad?" thing much more effectively than I've seen it done in other stories. The other, more interesting development is the continuing relationship between David Singh and Hartley Rathaway/Pied Piper. There have been a few homosexual characters in the New 52 that I've read, but the others have largely just been there, open and unquestioned - which is great, and not every relationship should be grounds for a storyline - but this one is actually exploring how difficult it can be to be in a relationship where society has shamed one partner into silence.
Perhaps the worst thing about the whole volume is the relationship Barry has with women - or, more precisely, the decisions he makes for them. Firstly, there is Iris West, stuck in the Speed Force with a handful of other people, apparently "trapped in the past" (I'm not sure how Barry came to that conclusion). It's really unclear why he decided that he shouldn't go back and try to save them. The decision seems to happen off-screen, unjustified. Then there is Patty Spivot, his (former?) partner/lover who believes Barry to be dead and the Flash to be responsible. Barry decides first to tell her the truth, then the old superhero cliché that he can't "burden" her with that responsibility. Hopefully, this is setting something up - I like Patty, like Elias she seems to have some idea about why superheroes might be a bad thing, but Barry's choice just to leave her to believe a lie is uncomfortable. We shall see how this develops.
The betrayal by Doctor Elias is somewhat amusing, especially his "I'm a scientist" excuse, as if that even means anything (what kind of scientist? and isn't he, really, an engineer?). There's less of an emotional punch as there might have been had their alliance thus far, in this universe, lasted more than one part. But Elias is exploring the "superheroes - good or bad?" thing much more effectively than I've seen it done in other stories. The other, more interesting development is the continuing relationship between David Singh and Hartley Rathaway/Pied Piper. There have been a few homosexual characters in the New 52 that I've read, but the others have largely just been there, open and unquestioned - which is great, and not every relationship should be grounds for a storyline - but this one is actually exploring how difficult it can be to be in a relationship where society has shamed one partner into silence.
Perhaps the worst thing about the whole volume is the relationship Barry has with women - or, more precisely, the decisions he makes for them. Firstly, there is Iris West, stuck in the Speed Force with a handful of other people, apparently "trapped in the past" (I'm not sure how Barry came to that conclusion). It's really unclear why he decided that he shouldn't go back and try to save them. The decision seems to happen off-screen, unjustified. Then there is Patty Spivot, his (former?) partner/lover who believes Barry to be dead and the Flash to be responsible. Barry decides first to tell her the truth, then the old superhero cliché that he can't "burden" her with that responsibility. Hopefully, this is setting something up - I like Patty, like Elias she seems to have some idea about why superheroes might be a bad thing, but Barry's choice just to leave her to believe a lie is uncomfortable. We shall see how this develops.