[ACT VII - Rogue War]
- The Flash #1/2 - Rogue War, Prologue : "Tricksters" = Prelude to the end! Crazy to think that Johns Flash run is practically over, though I have some high hopes for this finale. Check ins with each faction were fun, as well as mentions of our two wild cards: The Top and Zoom! I'm excited to see more of Owen Mercer as the new Boomerang as well as how Johns will frame this story against the backdrop of Countdown. Why were the reformed Rogues looking for Gambi/Replicant? What is Hunter's plan for Linda and Wally?
- The Flash #220 - Rogue War, Part I : "Suffer Together" = Loved the Cold monologue, as well as getting to see Owen in action. The attack on the FBI outpost was a lot of fun, and I'm pretty stoked to see this clash between both groups next issue. What will Zolomon use Jay to build? Another Cosmic Treadmill? What is the significance of Cold's weird trophy thing? I feel like we've seen that thing repeatedly for some reason. I have no idea how Jesse is going to resurrect Boomerang, but I do like the fact that Ashley is getting involved somehow. The whole Gotham Central tie in pages definitely flew over my head, but I'll get around to reading that run at some point.
- The Flash #221 - Rogue War, Part II : "Fire & Ice" = Scorched Earth! This issue read extremely fast, but if its goal was to get me hyped to pick up the next issue then it succeeded in spades. Unfortunately, this book peaked on that awesome first page monologue by Heat-Wave, easily one of the best Rogues to read. I think it's great that both of these groups have hijacked the title from Wally, and it is refreshing to have the focus on them after a couple arcs centered on Wally and Barry. Roscoe Dillon returns to wreak havoc, now to finally discover if he was bluffing about the artificial reformation! Mind-wipes galore!
- The Flash #222 - Rogue War, Part III : "Top of the Heap" = I'm not the biggest fan of the Top, but I can appreciate the fact that he's thrown a wrench into this entire storyline. From the Hartley situation, it appears that Top might not have actually reformed them but is instead shifting them in this instant. RIP Roscoe Dillon, not gone soon enough. Excited to see how Zoom factors into this. Who is Owen Mercer's mother?
- The Flash #223 - Rogue War, Part IV : "...And He Shall Appear" = Awww dang. It was me, Wally! Unfortunate that the spotlight has been wrested away from the Rogues and given to these Yellow Bastards. The Flash fatigue has gotten to me, but hopefully the return of Thawne will yield some grimdark developments for the Flashes before Infinite Crisis. I did enjoy the little fast speech of Zolomon; "SPKFDVL" for Speak of the Devil...
- The Flash #224 - Rogue War, Part V : "Teachers" = Jesus Christ this is getting out of hand? What is Zolomon's goal? Does he want Wally to get enough rage to actually interfere in the past and stop him from killing his unborn children? Is that what it takes to be a true hero? Where was Boomerang zapped to, and who was the woman he encountered? Is that the mother of Owen Mercer? What is happening to Linda in the present? What time period is this Barry from? Is it the same Barry that visited Wally back in #200?
- The Flash #225 - Rogue War, Part VI : "Push" = Well dang, that was pretty good. I think Johns was able to pull it off at the end, and I can't deny that this was a pretty good finale not only for this storyline, but for this run as a whole. Overall, Rogue War wasn't as bombastic as Crossfire or Blitz due to the jarring nature of the plot shifting gears multiple times. We go from a concentration on the Rogues to dealing with the top to fighting the Reverse Flashes through time, but I guess the only way to make a Flash story with high stakes is to make the plot itself schizophrenic and have twists and turn coming at you full speed. This may be controversial, but I think the Flash has been one of his weaker runs, even though this is probably the best run I've read on the character so far (though I am loving Jeremy Adams take as of this post). The high points were the period between Blitz and Identity Crisis where we got to see Wally grow and mature as he dealt with the fallout of his marriage and losing a child. Once we get through Infinite Crisis, I'm definitely excited to read Johns' second short and sweet run right before Flashpoint.
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