Major Spoilers
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Twitch Discord RSS
    Major Spoilers
    • Home
    • Reviews
      • Random Access Memory
      • Retro Review
      • So You Want to Read Comics
    • Podcasts
      • Critical Hit
        • Critical Hit House Rules
        • Critical Hit World Building
      • Dueling Review
      • Finally Friday
      • Geek History Lesson
      • The Legion Clubhouse
      • Major Spoilers Podcast
        • MSP TPB for 2019
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2013
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2012
        • On the Next Major Spoilers Podcast – 2011
      • Munchkin Land
      • Top Five
      • Wayne’s Comics
      • Zach on Film
    • Features
      • Casual 60
      • Comic Casting Couch
      • Comics Portal
      • Did You Hear?
      • Editorials
      • Features
      • Gamer’s Corner
      • Hero Histories
      • Let’s Get Nerdy
      • Major Spoilers Adventures
      • Random Access Memory
      • So You Want to Read Comics
    • Movies
      • Did You Hear
      • Movies
      • Television
    • Comic Previews
    • Patreon
      • Patreon
      • Store
    Major Spoilers
    DC

    Review: The Flash #241

    Stephen SchleicherBy Stephen SchleicherJune 24, 20083 Comments5 Mins Read

    “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” – Like by the end of the issue

    flash241picon.jpg

    Even though Mark Waid said returning to the Flash after his long run was a huge mistake, there is one thing you have to give him credit for; adding the children as a plot device that would have repercussions down the road – hey, just in time for a new crisis!

    flash241.jpgThe Flash #241
    Written by Tom Peyer
    Art and Cover by Freddie Williams II

    I’ll be upfront and say the Flash Mob story has left me rather “meh” since Spin first showed up to bring Wally West down.  From the mass hysteria, to the appearance by Gorilla Grodd and white monkey Nzame, to the “forced” appearance by the old New Gods (I’m sorry, but this is not the Fifth World, no matter how many times Morrison tries to spin it), and finally to the hysterical mob burning the Flash Museum, this has been a story that I just can’t get behind.

    That being said, even a weak story can have some really great moments.  Take, for example, the statement made by the Flash on television that he’s not making any money as a hero. Ever since he made that deal with The Spectre oh so long ago, where everyone in the world forgot who was under the mask, all the freebies given by Central City have dried up, forcing Wally to get a job, and try to keep it while moonlighting as a hero.  While Clark Kent has made a name for himself as a reporter, and Bruce Wayne and Ollie Queen are million-ba-billionaires,  Wally’s plight really reflects the struggles of any hero who isn’t independently wealthy, smart enough to set up their own industrial complex, or working for the government, and shows the thin line some heroes may walk between a life of heroism and a life of crime.

    A nice moment in this issue comes during the burning of the Flash Museum.  Instead of zooming around to put out the fire in an instant (something Wally could do easily), there is a great inner monologue as Wally struggles to decide wether he should save Inertia, who had his speed stripped to the point where he is a living statue, from being burned alive.  Of course The Flash does the right thing, but still, that ultimate revenge moment shows the struggle Wally is still going through over the loss of Bart.

    If characters are to mature they need to go through many challenges and struggles, nothing throws a wrench in the works like a kid or two.  Geoff Johns took readers to the brink of family-hood, while Stuart Immonen, and Joey Cavalieri brought the kids back with a bang just before everyone was snatched into another dimension, seemingly never to be heard from again.

    Which brings us back to Mark Waid.  Since the “Bart Allen as The Flash” idea went down in flames forcing DC to bring back Wally, it also meant Waid had to bring Linda and the kids back, too.  But instead of seeing the kids age naturally, Waid threw in a gimmick that has Iris and Jai’s metabolisms screwed all up to the point where they will experience rapid age growth and could grow old and die with no warning.

    Since their return, we haven’t seen a bump in age until this issue.  During the kidnapping attempt (by Morrison’s repurposed Fourth World Gods) Iris experiences an age jump from pre-teen to teenager.  Freddie Williams II has done a great job of portraying Iris as a pre-teen for many issues, and then showing the results of puberty after her first growth spurt.  While the results of the growth spurt do help save Wally and Jay Garrick from Grodd, jumping a few years is nothing compared to the growth spurt Iris experiences at the end of the issue.

    Love them or hate them, Waid’s gimmick gives everyone an out should the readers, writers, or editorial big wigs grow tired of Wally as a family man. A simple series of keyboard strokes can cause the kids to grow old and die, or have them become the ultimate sacrifice in the Final Crisis, which could be a possibility since Tom Peyer did feature the New New Gods attempting to kidnap the West-lings.

    Yes, all my ramblings about themes are an attempt to distract you from a rather boring story.  I’m not saying Peyer is a bad writer, because he is able to weave all these themes into this issue, but you could replace Spin with any number of villains who have returned from the Prison Planet (not the Rogues of course because they are getting their own Final Crisis tie-in series soon) and the story would essentially be the same.

    Williams art is solid as ever, but I wonder if he trying new things, because there is something different about his art on the Flash compared to what he was doing on Robin.

    Question Yet to be Answered

    • With Jesse Chambers the new LIberty Belle, could Iris inherit the Jessie Quick mantle?
    • Will she continue to age over the next to issue to the point she is trying to outrun uncle Jay to the social security office?
    • Will Jai age at all, or will he forever struggle under the shadow of his “older” twin sister?  Will Linda Park West be able to cope with a daughter who appears to be her own age, or will she experience her own struggle forcing her to seek out someone who can grant her every wish?
    • Who will be the next speedster sacrificed by Crisis editorial?

    If writers are writing for the trade, there are two more chapters to this tale before we reach the end.  Yes, there are potentially a lot of great stories that could “spin” out of this arc, but this issue suffers from the six-arc blues, earning it 2 out of 5 Stars.

    2stars.jpg

    Clark Kent Flash Mob freddie williams Gorilla Grodd Heroism Industrial Complex Inertia inner monologue Life Of Crime Mark Waid Mass Hysteria Mob Story New Gods Ollie Plot Device Repercussions Thin Line Tom Peyer Wally West White Monkey
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleLatest Dark Knight Trailer Hits Interwebs
    Next Article Image Titles for September 2008
    Stephen Schleicher
    • Website
    • Twitter

    Stephen Schleicher began his career writing for the Digital Media Online community of sites, including Digital Producer and Creative Mac covering all aspects of the digital content creation industry. He then moved on to consumer technology, and began the Coolness Roundup podcast. A writing fool, Stephen has freelanced for Sci-Fi Channel's Technology Blog, and Gizmodo. Still longing for the good ol' days, Stephen launched Major Spoilers in July 2006, because he is a glutton for punishment. You can follow him on Twitter @MajorSpoilers and tell him your darkest secrets...

    Related Posts

    My Little Pony #9 Review

    Read More

    Retro Review: Uncanny X-Men #107 (October 1977)

    Read More

    Silver Surfer: Ghostlight #1 Review

    Read More

    3 Comments

    1. peterbr on June 24, 2008 5:05 pm

      Oh, is that what happened, she aged even more? I couldn’t tell.
      I don’t get what it is with comics companies not wanting their everymam characters to go through the same experiences/conflicts that every person does (you know, getting married, having kids…). Personally, I like the kids; it adds more depth to the character(s) and, again, it makes the Flash more relateable. Authors of novels and screenplays are able to write engaging and entertaining stories about married couples and families, so why should the expectation be different comic writers?

      Reply
    2. Baal on June 24, 2008 7:52 pm

      Because we’ve become an inbred mass of fans (us excluded of course) who bitch and moan about every little change so the companies need out clauses to changes to keep the dwindling reader base from dwindling even faster.

      Reply
    3. Maximus Rift on June 24, 2008 8:11 pm

      peterbr: Because certain editors/writers hate their lives and think life was better when they were 20 and single? :p

      I’m also sad to see that the Flash kids are probably going to go probably after Crisis. It is a shame and a bit odd that everyman in comics excludes parents and married people.

      Reply

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Support this site by making a purchase through our Amazon affiliate links

    Reviews
    8.3
    February 5, 2023

    My Little Pony #9 Review

    9.0
    February 5, 2023

    Retro Review: Uncanny X-Men #107 (October 1977)

    6.3
    February 4, 2023

    Silver Surfer: Ghostlight #1 Review

    9.0
    February 4, 2023

    Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #1 Review

    10.0
    February 3, 2023

    Legion of X #10 Review

    Patreon Support
    Major Spoilers Store
    Recent Comments
    • Daniel Langsdale on Fetch: Book One: The Journey arrives next week
    • Frank on Retro Review: Showcase #34 (October 1961)
    • Jimmie Vinson on Strange Academy #10 Review
    • Jonathan Cadotte on So You Want To Read Comics: The Civil Rights Movement
    • Simon DelMonte on Legion Clubhouse #135: The Prophet Has Spoken!
    Subscribe to the Major Spoilers E-Mail List
    Sponsor

    ComiXology Home Page

    Follow Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Twitch
    ComiXology Home Page">
    Major Spoilers Patreon
    • About
      • Major Spoilers Terms of Use
      • Major Spoilers Frequently Asked Questions
      • Major Spoilers Privacy Policy Statement
      • Major Spoilers Podcast Gear
    • Contact
    • Cookie Policy (EU)
    Major Spoilers is copyright 2006-2022 by Major Spoilers Entertainment, LLC

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.