Quarter Bin #16/the life story of the Flash

On this special occasion, this flashpoint, I’m bending the rules a little, talking about back issues and new comics at the same time, and while the New 52 is technically the impetus, the subject, once again, is really Geoff Johns, a man whose impact on comics is still only emerging.

The Quarter Bin contribution (which for the record actually set me back two bucks in this particular instance) is AVENGERS #58 (473) from November 2002, as well as STARS AND S.T.R.I.P.E. #12 from July 2000. These are among his earliest notable titles, relatively speaking (Johns actually began writing comics in 1999), but both adequately demonstrate the penchant he’d pursue into 2011. As I’ve detailed previously, I was not actively reading comics during this period, so early Geoff Johns has always been something of a wash for me. I wasn’t even totally sold on him after GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH, so what exactly am I supposed to say I know?

STARS AND S.T.R.I.P.E. is the first ongoing series Johns launched, a sort of pastiche to the Golden Age that dragged it kicking and screaming into the 21st century, updating a couple of obscure characters who might otherwise have deserved to be consigned to comics limbo. Combined with the relaunch of the Justice Society, STARS was an indication that Geoff had no qualms looking to the past for inspiration, even if he wasn’t slavishly devoted to the specifics of what he looked at. By the time he worked for Marvel, however, I had a much different impression of what kind of creator he actually was.

In short, there was one particular moment that got noticed by the Internet community circa 2003, and if you know what I’m talking about, great, because otherwise I don’t want to confuse the matter here. Suffice it to say, but my first real impression of Geoff Johns boiled down to the opinion that he was a new breed of writer that equated salacious and immature material as an appropriate way to write modern comics. I’ve never been much of a Marvel fan (though I’ve worked on that in recent years), and so combined with the fact that I wasn’t actually reading comics at the time, I took it for granted that this was still the case, and that I wanted nothing to do with the career of Geoff Johns.

All of this is to say, at least in the case of AVENGERS #58, I probably couldn’t have been farther from the mark. Even with the big movie and all the momentum headed into next summer, I will probably never be much of an Avengers fan (a bad experience with a much-hyped Kurt Busiek relaunch probably didn’t help), but I know enough about the team and its importance to Marvel lore (especially under the auspices of Brian Michael Bendis, who’s done everything in his power to elevate the team to the level of the X-Men franchise). There’s definitely a core team of all-star Avengers, but most of its membership seems to have consisted of the same general mediocrity that the Justice League regularly devolves into, despite the perennial efforts to concentrate on the heavy hitters.

Periodically, the Avengers get that same kind of treatment (now would not be one of those times, since everyone and their mother has been a member in the modern era of one incarnation or another). At least as far as my impression of AVENGERS #58 and Geoff’s overall ambitions seem to have been, it would seem Geoff Johns was very much a proponent of the all-star iteration. This particular comic is part of a greater epic which sees the world on the brink of a fantastic crisis, with the team called on to lead the world in a very overt manner, with most of the onus falling on Captain America, something he seems incredibly reluctant about (in fact, prior to Ed Brubaker, Steve Rogers was very much a Hal Jordan kind of guy, bucking authority; CIVIL WAR was his last great, or perhaps greatest, moment in that regard).

It makes me wonder what kind of impact Geoff might have had at Marvel if he’d made a stronger commitment. Don’t get me wrong; I’m extremely glad that he’s basically become the face of DC. The thing is, his departure from the House of Ideas left the door open for Bendis to swoop in and assume control of the Avengers, which has become a series of crossover events that have arguably done nothing but weaken the concept of the Avengers Geoff apparently worked hard to strengthen, including the moment I will continually refer to as the most infamous moment of modern comics, “No more mutants,” the most gratuitous and backward development that still has yet to be untangled (and even the Young Avengers’ efforts in that regard has since been overlooked, since Bendis has done such a great job of obscuring the message).

I’m not here to argue the top writer between DC and Marvel. I’m not a Marvel guy, so maybe Brian Bendis really is awesome, and his work is worthy of being at the forefront of the industry’s top publisher. All I know for sure is, I infinitely prefer Geoff Johns, and I have new reasons every year to affirm that belief. FLASHPOINT has lately confirmed it all over again.

As with any success story, there’s always a backlash that seeks to undermine that popular by saying it’s not actually earned (and so, you might say, my opinion of Bendis). The critics will say Johns milks Silver Age nostalgia, and writes in generalities, barely covering the minimum requirements for storytelling by glossing biographical material for entire issues at a time. To me, that kind of writing is endlessly fascinating. Any writer who can get inside the head of a fictional character has more than done their job by my book. I don’t just want to follow a lot of action, or some twisting adventure. I don’t care if I’m reading something I’m infinitely familiar with, or something brand-new. It takes a great fool to imagine something new, after all, but a greater fool not to acknowledge something that already exists.

FLASHPOINT, ultimately, isn’t really about some flashy event with an alternate reality or launching some bold new era, but rather the culmination of the story Geoff has been telling with Barry Allen since FLASH: REBIRTH. Where most fans saw only a character who’d met a noble end two decades ago, a favorite member of a distinguished superhero lineage, Geoff saw potential. He didn’t just see the man who’d idolized Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash, but a figure who could live out the fantasy so many other comic book superheroes could never touch, someone who could revisit the greatest tragedy of his past, and find out the consequences of interfering.

I honestly don’t know if the death of his mother was a touchstone event for Barry prior to Geoff Johns, because the reference material I have readily available doesn’t even mention it, but that’s what Geoff has been meditating on since Barry’s return, his extreme guilt, and incredible rage upon learning the truth, that it was his mortal enemy, the Reverse Flash, who caused it. No other writer has shaped a whole crossover event on such a personal story, and stuck with it (there was Hal Jordan’s insane quest in ZERO HOUR, and the Scarlet Witch in HOUSE OF M, but mostly, it’s usually just everyone reacting against some inciting event). I would argue that FLASHPOINT #5 is ultimately the most emotionally satisfying denouement for such an event.

I’ve been seeing a parallel with the TV show FRINGE throughout FLASHPOINT, perhaps even its very nature (as Barry and Thomas Wayne would themselves argue, given the chance), and for this, this is a very good thing. A great story will always take inspiration from the most appropriate sources, no matter the original medium. FLASHPOINT is a different kind of comics event because it tells a different kind of story, and without Geoff Johns, that wouldn’t have been possible. He understood that Barry Allen had at least one other great story in him, and it had nothing to do with all the things others had previously believed were obvious. He took a look at Barry himself, and never looked back.

The more I read FLASHPOINT, the more I realized I would have to read the whole thing. I really wasn’t supposed to. As I’ve been trying to make clear throughout the year, 2011 is supposed to represent a break in reading comics for me. I’ve come to blame FLASHPOINT for the zip line that has strung me along the last few months. I know the New 52 is upon us, but in many ways, I’ve now reached the break line (if I can manage it). Barry’s back in the blocks. Here’s the rest of the stuff I should not have bought:

MYTHICA
This is a “rough cut” preview for a local indy project Escape Velocity had on display on its counter, from the mind of Matt Campbell. Its concept is actually not that bad, but I worry that Matt might be confusing the actual storytelling with a more generic adventure narrative than he really needs. Anyway, worth a look.

RETROACTIVE 1990s – GREEN LANTERN (DC)
Ron Marz and Darryl Banks back together is a reunion I’m very happy to experience, even if it’s patently nostalgic. Kyle Rayner very much became my Green Lantern, and this is the team that helped make that possible. Coupled with a flashback to Kyle’s relationship with Donna Troy (how’s it she has never had her own series?), one of his many failed relationships (which also include Jade and Soranik Natu). Even the cover was absolutely classic!

RETROACTIVE 1990s – THE FLASH (DC)
Brian Augustyn, who was a regular collaborator on the book during the decade, was tapped for this one mostly because Mark Waid is engaged elsewhere these days, but this is an interesting look at what he might have done on his own (then again, my blackout from just about the end of that period might have overlooked Brian’s brief solo run, apparently alluded to in a note). There’s also a Mark Millar flashback, for the record.

RETROACTIVE 1990s – SUPERMAN (DC)
I couldn’t possibly be happier that the SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL team of Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove, rather than Dan Jurgens (who otherwise would have been the obvious choice) was tapped for this one. I always felt they didn’t receive the recognition they deserved. This tale more than demonstrates that neither has lost a step. How about a comeback?

JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 (DC)
The book I’ve been calling a de facto All Star series was not a disappointment, and hey, is also written by Geoff Johns, featuring Jim Lee on art. A sort of answer to Lee’s more official All Star effort with Frank Miller, we get to enjoy the often-overlooked dynamic between Batman and Hal Jordan (with some terrific insights, I might add), plus the reintroduction of Cyborg, Vic Stone, whom Johns has been itching to use more extensively for a while (if the FLASH OMNIBUS was any indication), and a really unusual look at Superman, too. I may have to officially call this a can’t-miss book.

RETROACTIVE 1990s – JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA (DC)
The infamous team of Keith Giffen/J.M. DeMatteis/Kevin Maguire is back together again! (Remember all the nostalgia tours last decade?) Also, please note Multi-Man, also seen in CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN MUST DIE!

RETROACTIVE 1980s – SUPERMAN (DC)
I was extremely confused why a bunch of ’90s elements were featured in this one, until I actually read it. Pretty clever, Marv Wolfman (though, really, who would argue that John Byrne didn’t deserve this one?). I’d been avoiding the older decades in these retro specials mostly because I was less familiar with them (and thus reading them would have been less enjoyable), but that was a clever ploy to trick me into this one, I must admit. Worth it.

FLASHPOINT – ABIN SUR: THE GREEN LANTERN #3 of 3 (DC)
I don’t know much the conclusions to these individual books will affect the New 52, but wouldn’t it be awesome if White Lantern Abin Sur actually did pop up?

FLASHPOINT – DEADMAN AND THE FLYING GRAYSONS #3 of 3 (DC)
I love the conclusion to this one, just so horribly appropriate.

FLASHPOINT – CITIZEN COLD #3 of 3 (DC)
As the event itself progressed, it became easy for me to forget that Cold was originally one of my motivating factors to be interested, because Geoff spent almost his exclusive focus in the main book on Barry Allen, with most of the rest on Thomas Wayne (which again, made that ending so powerful). Not surprisingly, our good Citizen doesn’t get away with his deception, but reading a Rogues book is always fun. Shouldn’t there be an ongoing by now?

FLASHPOINT – HAL JORDAN #3 of 3 (DC)
What a poignant and tragic ending. That was another benefit, for sure. I didn’t read the Wonder Woman or Aquaman titles, but I have to figure theirs were appropriate, too. I took a look at the conclusion to PROJECT SUPERMAN, and that one had a similar conclusion. This whole event was good for that whole Elseworlds vibe. Wouldn’t it be nice if Elseworlds came back?

FLASHPOINT – KID FLASH LOST #3 of 3 (DC)
This is another one I wish I knew how much the conclusion actually affects the New 52. Do I consider this the death of Bart Allen? I guess we’ll just have to find out. I like the nod Max Mercury receives, though. I still hope for more sustained Max goodness!

WAR OF THE GREEN LANTERNS AFTERMATH #2 of 2 (DC)
Tony Bedard concludes one era of Green Lantern lore with a cliffhanger! Still, it was fun to see the dynamics of the Corps at a climactic occasion, and there were some clever developments and moments. What’s to become of Ganthet?!?

BATMAN INC. #8 (DC)
Almost overlooked this one (for some reason the latest issue was a shelf below the other one), but I made a vow to read every issue of this book, and so was glad that I finally spotted it. Clever digital shenanigans and a demonstration of Bruce Wayne’s business sense, something that was necessary for the whole Batman Inc. concept that the character has made integral to both aspects of his life. Only Grant Morrison could have told a story like this.

ACTION COMICS #904 (DC)
The last issue (before the first one, as Mike pointed out on the other side of the counter!), written by Paul Cornell, ostensibly wrapping up the latest Doomsday story, but really making a final statement on the Man of Steel in this particular era, plus revisiting Lois & Clark, perhaps for one last time, at least for now!