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Flashpoint: Citizen Cold #1
Writer: Scott Kolins
Artist: Scott Kolins
Cover Artist: Scott Kolins
Publisher: DC

After having read Flashpoint #1, some people were interested to see why Captain Cold was this big “hero” and was asked to join Cyborg’s resistance. Well fear not, because the answers are found within the pages of Citizen Cold. This three issue Flashpoint tie-in explains what Cold’s motives are and where he fits in with the rest of the superhero community. Cold has taken it upon himself to protect Central City, but not like a normal hero would. Cold is exploiting all the riches superheroing has to offer, and doing it in spades. He cashes in on endorsement deals, takes advantage of the fame, and even has a key to the city. While this may seem all well and good, some would beg to differ. It seems as though a few rogues he has locked up are planning some revenge. While it may seem that this is a pretty typical story, in this case, though, Kolins really makes it work. Kolins has done a lot of Flash work through the years, and he really knows the characters. He can draw and write all of the Flash characters, and it really shows in this issue. He really nails the look of everyone, with minor variations in the costumes and personas. Kolins’s art has really improved since he first broke out onto the scene, and his art is now much more pleasing to the eye. A decent issue, with nothing too over the top, Citizen Cold makes for a fun read. And hey, you get to see what happens to Wally West without the Speed Force. 3.5/5 – MP

Flashpoint: Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager #1
Writer: Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: Joe Bennett
Cover Artists: Joe Bennett, John Dell, & The Hories
Publisher: DC

Deathstroke as a pirate. It totally works, and honestly, I’m surprised it hasn’t been done before. The reason why I agreed to take on this book is because I’m a big Jimmy Palmiotti fan (Have you read Time Bomb or his Power Girl run?), and Ravager is one of my top DC characters. While Rose Wilson may not appear in this issue, she is the McGuffin ol’ Slade is willing to risk everything to find. His daughter has been captured, and not even the Warlord (yes, that one) of the seas, nor Emperor Aquaman and his deadly Atlanteans are enough to keep him from finding his child. Now that’s something I can get behind. Palmiotti does a nice job of showing us how Deathstroke is a strong Captain, even amongst cutthroats and mercenaries, as well as a feared combatant. His dialog is believable, and he avoids the emo pitfall, given the subject matter. Joe Bennett’s artwork is a great fit for this mini, too. It’s rough enough to work as a pirate tale, but clean enough to be worthy of sporting the DC banner. My only beef is with that stupid character, Icicle. What the hell is that guy doing here? He’s such a blatant ripoff of Iceman, every time I see his stupid face I get pissed off. I hope he dies soon. Anyway, I’m really looking forward to seeing how Ravager is depicted in Flashpoint, and I recommend this as one of the better tie-ins so far. 4/5 – AL

Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman #1
Writer: Tony Bedard
Artist: Ardian Syaf
Cover Artists: Ardian Syaf, Vicente Cifuentes, & Kyle Ritter
Publisher: DC

In this issue we get to see into the mind of one of our main villains of Flashpoint, Emperor Aquaman. As if it weren’t obvious, this isn’t your typical butt-of-all-jokes Aquaman – he’s powerful and he means business. Why has he gone wacko? Why is he hellbent on killing humanity? How does he plan to oppose his main nemesis, Wonder Woman the Queen of the Amazons? All of these questions and more are provided with answers in this issue, as it’s mainly a book of necessary Flashpoint exposition. Bedard does succeed in his story telling here, despite it being very expo heavy. He provides answers as the issue progresses, flashing back between past an present, stringing the reader along in revealing the secrets behind Aquaman’s rage. I won’t spoil it all here, but as one could have guessed, it has a lot to do with the death of Mera. Ardian Syaf’s art, like the other two Flashpoint tie-ins I reviewed in this post, is very well done. His strong point is conveying expression in the faces of his characters; be it a full face, or a lone eye, he pulls off the intense emotion surrounding Flashpoint. Going forward, it will be interesting to see where this series is headed, now that the expo is out of the way. Will Aquaman succeed in his destruction of the Amazons? Does he regret the rage he’s poured onto humanity? Those are the questions I want to see answered. 3.5/5 – AL

Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #1
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Ibraim Roberson
Cover Artist: Doug Mahnke
Publisher: DC

Woah! This one came out of absolutely nowhere, and unfortunately, I’d be willing to wager most people skipped it due to being unfamiliar with the characters. Whereas I thought the Deathstroke and Aquaman issues were solid, this one was fantastic! Lemire has taken these obscure characters and made them really, really interesting. How will Frankenstein and his crew adapt to this futuristic setting after being taken out of their element of the 1940s? Will Velcoro descend into the dark depths of villainy, or will his team be able to save him? What about the introduction of the new Shrieve? She’s a monster hunter, and now has her sights set on Frank’s crew. Will she kill them all, or help them find their way in this chaotic society? Lemire writes these weird characters brilliantly, and captures the interest of the reader. He has proven this skill in his Vertigo series, Sweet Tooth, and those same vibes carry over nicely here. His work on Sweet Tooth is what compelled me to cover this series, and while I was very skeptical going in, coming out I’m absolutely blown away. I’m going to assume most people passed this one over, but I highly recommend giving it a look at your next visit to your LCS. Lemire nailed it, and Roberson’s artwork is great, complimented by the colors of Pete Pantazis. Oh, if you were looking forward to finding out what role Manbat would play in Flashpoint, you’ll find out here. I’ll leave it at that. Pick this one up. It’s my favorite tie-in so far. 5/5 – AL

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Andy Liegl
andy@comicattack.net
Mike Parente
mike@comicattack.net