Flash Rebirth #1 Review - Hit The Ground Running

Written By: Joshua Williamson

Art By: Carmine Di Giandomenico - Colors By: Ivan Plascenicia

When Wally West showed up in the DC Universe Rebirth Special #1, it couldn't help but tug at a DC fan's heart strings. That encounter continues in Flash Rebirth #1, and again it just about steals the show. There are a few wonderful exchanges between Wally and Barry, including this alternating thought exchange from writer Joshua Williamson.

Wally: Barry saved me.
Barry: Wally thinks that I saved him.
Wally: That's twice he's given me this life…
Barry: That I brought him back.
Wally: The greatest life a kid could ever ask for.
Barry: But really…Wally brought me back…

It's easy to get wrapped up in Wally's loss, but Williamson also makes sure to spotlight how the meddling of time has affected Barry, and just how wrought with guilt he is that he couldn't remember how important Wally was to his life. In fact, Barry's supporting cast here is stellar, with his Dad acting as a wonderful sounding board, allowing the audience a glimpse into Barry's mind. Barry was always a bit more closed off than Wally, but his Dad is an excellent window into who Barry is.

Other standout sequences include Barry's interaction with Batman. It results in this gem of a thought from Barry, commenting on the no laugh zone that is Batman's home: "A part of me wants to make a joke to lighten the mood, but Superman once told me there is no laughing in the Batcave." I've always enjoyed how Barry plays off of Bruce and the fact that we now get a whodunnit essentially with both of them makes me giddy. If there is a downside, it's that all of the great moments in Flash Rebirth #1 come when Barry is playing off of someone else, with the few introspective moments not doing enough to make me truly care about Barry as a singular character.

On the art side of things, Carmine Di Giandomenico's pencils are at times frantic and pulse right off the page, perfect for a character like the flash. Initially, I wasn't in love with his pencils, but by the end of the issue, he won me over. Everything feels kinetic, and if you weren't sold initially, by the time page 17 hits with that fantastic splash page, you will be.

Overall this is a wonderful reintroduction to The Flash and sets the benchmark at a nice height for future issues. I still feel that Barry hasn't escaped Wally's shadow since his first Rebirth, but now is as good a time as any to make it happen.