Flashpoint

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Flashpoint
Geoff Johns
Andy Kubert
2011

The Summary
After awakening at his desk one evening, Barry Allen (the Flash) realizes the world has undergone some drastic changes - his mother is alive, his powers are gone, and his friends are vastly different people - because someone altered the timeline.

Now trapped in an alternate reality, the Flash must stop the impending destruction of the world and, more importantly, discover a way to return the timeline back to normal - or else.

The Good
Filled with familiar characters and more than a few new faces, Flashpoint provides a very unique twist on the conventional tale of superheroes.

For instance, in the first few pages, you realize that the Amazonians (Wonder Woman) and Atlanteans (Aquaman) are not on amicable terms; in fact, they're embroiled in the middle of a war which may destroy the world.  Likewise, Batman is no longer the Batman everyone knows.

It's both intriguing and engrossing, as you attempt to pinpoint the differences between time lines and, more importantly, get to the bottom of the mystery of how this newest time line came to be - and it's a twist you'll never see coming.

The Bad
Although you can read Flashpoint without any prior knowledge of the DC canon and successfully understand the story, it can sometimes be difficult to place characters or understand their purpose in the comic.  You'll find context clues to help propel you through the story, of course, but that doesn't mean it's always possible to recognize the significance of the individual characters.

Honestly, if this is your first foray into the world of DC, it's a good book with which to start.  But it can occasionally leave you feeling like you're missing something.

The Ugly
The alternate timeline of Flashpoint is very harsh and, more significantly, brutal; in fact, for much of the novel, this alternative universe often appears to be entirely hopeless.