The End of Flash: Rebirth #2

[trueredorion.insanejournal.com]

The last two pages under the cut.

And before anybody whines about how Johns is retconning the Speed Force into being evil or something, it's not a retcon. The Speed Force has been trying to kill Speedsters since Bart was Flash.

Comments

[mullon.insanejournal.com]

This is interesting, especially since so many people thought Johns was bringing back Barry just to ape the Silver Age. Of course, we have to see how long it lasts.

[vignettelante.insanejournal.com]

Indeed. Come to think of it, bringing back a character under guise a nostalgic stunt only to pull something like this is actually kind of a nifty twist.

...If it actually lasts, that is.

[aaron_bourque.insanejournal.com]

Heh. Hah. Ha.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Heh.

[trueredorion.insanejournal.com]

Anything constructive to add?

[foxhack.insanejournal.com]

*hands you an oxygen tank*

[kagome654.insanejournal.com]

Huh. Well, that's kind of neat.

[foxhack.insanejournal.com]

Wait. What?

[pyrotwilight.insanejournal.com]

I was kind of expecting this. >.> I like it.

All that's left for me is to see Cobalt Blue return and nearly kill Barry.

I however am annoyed at the deaths of Savitar and Lady Savitar. Or at least at Lady's. We don't have many female speedster's for one thing.

I mean all I can think of are Jessi Quick/Liberty Belle, XS and Lady Savitar.

[trueredorion.insanejournal.com]

Iris?

[comicoz.insanejournal.com]

What tipped you that this was coming? I was debating about even getting this issue (since #1 was zzzzzzzzzz), but I will now because I want the full story.

[heehaw_tng.insanejournal.com]

"Ahhhh...Deeeeeath!"

"No, Grandpa, that's Barry Allen!"

[box_in_the_box.insanejournal.com]

And before anybody whines about how Johns is retconning the Speed Force into being evil or something, it's not a retcon. The Speed Force has been trying to kill Speedsters since Bart was Flash.

Hell, before THAT. How many times did the Speed Force try to EAT Wally? By the time Morrison and Millar handed the title back to Waid, it had happened so often that even WIZARD Magazine was making jokes about it.

I ... actually really like this. It's a swerve, and yet, it fits.

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

Ummm. "You're the new Black Flash"

Who was the OLD Black Flash?

Plus, WHAT is a Black Flash? Why would Wally suddenly pull a name like that out of nowhere?

[heehaw_tng.insanejournal.com]

Ummmm...because he's met the Black Flash a gazillion times in the past?

Wiki yourself (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Flash)

[jlroberson.insanejournal.com]

Given the strange things Barry's been through over the past twenty or so years which have to do with time and stuff, it's possible he may always have been the Black Flash.

In any case, the old one appears to be smoking on the ground there.

[nymphgalatea.insanejournal.com]

Huh. Well...I guess this teaches me to always trust Geoff Johns.

I thought Flash: Rebirth was gonna be really dull, and the first issue was. But...this just got interesting. *Barry* just got interesting.

[(Anonymous)]

Huh. Ok Johns, you've got my attention. I suppose that it's too much to ask that this will be the new status quo?

[mbelrose.insanejournal.com]

I won't believe it until I see the skis.

[aaron_bourque.insanejournal.com]

That's the Black Racer, that's different. That's Death Of The New Gods. This is Death Of Speedsters.

I can't wait for Death Of Laughing Gas, Death Of Refrigerators, and Death Of Alleyways.

[phoenixmessiah.insanejournal.com]

Barry Black Flash = Hal Jordan Parallax

Whatev.

[aaron_bourque.insanejournal.com]

Death isn't evil. And it's not a space bug.

[jlroberson.insanejournal.com]

So, once again, Barry is, like Franco, still dead. Well, it is and isn't a surprise...

Who was that Barry just killed?

[pyrotwilight.insanejournal.com]

Fomer Lady Flash the late Lady Savitar whose name always escapes me.

[zegim.insanejournal.com]

Alrigh, alright.

That's awesome.

I said it.

[batcookies.insanejournal.com]

This was a pretty fucking hateful issue, all in all.

We've got the complete "MY PARENTS ARE DEEEAAAD!" Hunter Zolomonization of Barry's origin.

And the bowtie? It's a clipon, given to him when he was rushing to a court case. A tie leftover from the policeman's ball. It's not that he's a lovable Bill Nye type that would wear a tie like that if given the choice. Nope, he's such a workaholic, such a cop, that he doesn't "do" real ties. When he's late, it's because he's obsessing about his mother's murder. Nothing "adorkable" about him any more. He's hardboiled. He's SERIOUS BUSINESS.

All in all, this has removed every single thing I found remotely likable about Barry Allen before Johns started the book.

Bra. Vo.

[kagome654.insanejournal.com]

Aw, I haven't read the issue yet and now I'm not sure I want to. I liked adorkable Barry Allen.

Why are Johns' awesome moments (and I still think the above scene is kind of awesome) always undermined by flat characterization? Sadness and woe.

Off to read more JLA: Year One or New Frontier or something.

[moneyless_jew.insanejournal.com]

I called the gut punch. Thank you, Geoff.

[queen_marshed.insanejournal.com]

Now all that needs to happen is a Barry vs Hal fight. Then Geoff will oficially gain himself a new fan. XD

[jlroberson.insanejournal.com]

Okay, Wally: run like hell.

Question about the BF. He's basically Death for speedsters, correct? Now what I'm wondering is, does he come when it's their time, or does he MAKE it their time? I mean, is he just this voracious force that kills?

[pyrotwilight.insanejournal.com]

The latter. He doesn't appear until it's their time from what I've seen.