Too Fast to Catch: Ultimate Flash Discussion

[Deleted]

Ultimate Flash rushes in on October 25! Get ready!

[Drake]

I'm not gonna lie! I'm super pumped for this! Between the TV show (EPISODE 2 WAS AWESOME!!!!) and my recent buying of the Geoff Johns Flash Omnibus vol 1, I'm so ready for The Flash!

[Deleted]

I haven't seen the TV series, and I didn't know Geoff Johns had a Flash run. I better check those out.

[adrini]

Be careful. I have to portion what I even read of arrow or when I go to write it's not my story I'm thinking of. That kind of transference can get you.

But glad to have you! Are you going to keep to site tradition and have flash post at the last minute?

[Deleted]

Probably, hahaha. I already have some of the first draft written. It's actually going quite smoothly.

[Deleted]

#1 is up!

Sorry for not posting it this weekend. I had to take my ACT on Saturday, then I had to work on Sunday.

[Drake]

It's a nice issue. I probably liked Toxin more, but that's because of some of my personal biases to the story you're writing.

1. While I like the Johnsian Flash origin, I'll admit it has its flaws. It seems too out of the blue, too odd for the cops to just assume Henry killed Nora, and you certainly tried to rationalize it here. In fact, I'd say you did it well, but as I said I have a few biases to this approach. For one, it makes Barry's dad a COMPLETE ass. I get marriage issues. That I'm cool with. But full on abuse makes sense in context, but seems so...un-Flash-like. I mean, who's supposed to inspire Barry to be a hero? I guess we can still get to that, but it sure isn't going to be his dad, and his mom seemed frankly a bit too scared (as anyone in their right mind in that position would be) to inspire his boldness.

2. The whole issue focused around really sad events. There were literally NO happy moments. You end with Barry being burned alive (he'll live, but still....)

3. The change to the origin feels unneeded and leans to the part of the Johnsian origin I don't like: Barry made himself the Flash by becoming lighting and striking himself. That's what it seems like you're going for. Certainly there's something beyond a freak storm at play. I'm not a fan of the all-too-uncoincedental-to-be-realistic take. Again, a bias.

So...yeah. My complaints are very bias-heavy, but here's why they are prevalent and something you should take to heart (or at least 1 and 2). "The Flash is not about tragedy." That's a quote from one of the most famous Flash runs ever. Wally West said it, but still what makes the Flash--all of them--great is that crap happens, but he moves on and he always beats it out. Tragedy surrounds the Flashes, but their story isn't ABOUT that tragedy, it's about overcoming it, about having a happy ending. Remember that (and if you don't believe me, read more Flash!).

I'll end with how I end every review. A score. This I'll keep unbiased and purely from a critical standpoint.

7.25/10. Good, not great. Style's there, but the heart isn't.

I look forward to more

[cross]

Before I start let me point out that Flash isn't a character that I know a whole lot about. I know the basics but if I was tasked with writing a Flash story I wouldn't be comfortable doing it.

I didn't hate issue 1 but I didn't like it either. It felt like the story wasn't very well connected, it was jumping around and felt very fast (should it be that way since it's the flash?) The parts with Barrys dad took me out of the story too. Him being framed for murdering his wife weren't interesting to me because I'm already seeing that mystery play out on the show that just debuted and because I don't feel that he should get out of prison. Beating your wife is a quick way for me to hate a character and he hit that out of the park.

Once we got to the end, I was excited for some Flash action. The lightning strike giving him a suit was weird as hell. As I said earlier though, Im not a big Flash reader so i don't know what's going on.

I wasn't impressed with this issue but I'm still very much excited for future issues. I'm ready for some full blown Flash action. Keep it up and make the issues just a bit longer.

[Deleted]

One of the things I'm worried about is the fact that I picked this title just as the Flash started airing. Plus, I don't even watch the show. So now this title has something everyone can compare it to. I am a bit worried about the future of the title because of the less-than-stellar reviews this is getting.

Nevertheless, I appreciate everyone's opinion, and I will make this series the best it can be.

[Drake]

Don't worry too much! I debuted Guardians of the Galaxy right as the movie came out, and it hasn't detracted too much from people's opinions.

And seriously, while you may have some flaws, the story looks promising. I thought this was a good issue, just try in the future to be a little less Batman and a little more Superman tonally (or even better, a little more Flash! ).

[Deleted]

I am dropping Ultimate Flash. I've had to rewrite #2 four times, and the result is always the same: crappy. I'd like to restart this title after I've read some Flash titles other than his New 52 run.

[adrini]

...Ya. Leaning on new 52 is a bad plan for anyone. Why don't you take a break, read some older stuff, and restart? The stories are really good and I can see you have a lot more to work with.

There's a reason so many despise the new line, the writing really can be quite bad.

[Drake]

I like the New 52, but I agree with Adrini on the simple fact that the DCnU is far too a limited view for a major character like Flash. For Vibe, sure, it could work. But someone like Batman, or Green Lantern, or in your case the Flash? It's probably better if you know more.

[adrini]

There's the DCwiki. it has a page about the pre-new 52 flash world. I would heavily recommend looking at it. There really is SO MUCH more for you to work with. And while you do I would fully vote that you get an extension to figure things out.