Flashpoint Beyond #6 (of 6)
(W) Geoff Johns, Tim Sheridan, Jeremy Adams (A) Xermanico (CA) Mitch Gerads
In Shops: Oct 18, 2022
SRP: $3.99
The fate of the Flashpoint Earth hangs in the balance as Thomas must make the ultimate choice! What will happen to this fractured reality and what does it mean for the DC Universe at large?
Flashpoint Beyond #5
(W) Geoff Johns, Tim Sheridan, Jeremy Adams (A) Xermanico (CA) Mitch Gerads
In Shops: Sep 06, 2022
SRP: $3.99
The Clockwork Killer’s identity is finally revealed as the dust settles after the showdown at Arkham Asylum. But as we learn the truth behind how the Clockwork Killer came to be, Thomas is faced with a reality-altering choice!
Flashpoint Beyond #4
(W) Geoff Johns, Jeremy Adams, Tim Sheridan (A) Xermanico (CA) Mitch Gerads
In Shops: Aug 02, 2022
SRP: $3.99
Thomas is quickly closing in on the Clockwork Killer, but his investigation might be impeded by young Dexter Dent and his own vigilante agenda: breaking his mother out of Arkham!
It was new comic book day yesterday! What’d you all get? What’d you like? Sound off in the comments below. While you think about that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web.
Kotaku – She-Hulk’s Arrival In Marvel’s Avengers Leaked In Awkward Xbox Livestream Moment – With a show coming, is it a surprise really?
The Mary Sue – 99.5% of HarperCollins Union Vote in Favor to Initiate a Strike For Equitable Pay – We support them.
Reviews
Comicbook – Batman #125
CBR – Flashpoint Beyond #3
The Beat – Saga #60
Comicbook – Saga #60
Collected Editions – Shazam!: To Hell and Back
The Beat – Starhenge #1
CBR – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin
Flashpoint Beyond #3
(W) Geoff Johns, Jeremy Adams, Tim Sheridan (A) Xermanico (CA) Mitch Gerads
In Shops: Jul 05, 2022
SRP: $3.99
The DC event of 2022 continues! Thomas Wayne’s investigation into the Clockwork Killer goes sideways when he is confronted by a deadly alien invader the world knows as…Project: Superman? But what’s happened to the Kryptonian and Krypton in the World of Flashpoint? Will Thomas Wayne do what he has to in order to stop Superman-or has he changed? And what are those strange earthquakes now erupting across reality?
Flashpoint Beyond #2
(W) Geoff Johns, Tim Sheridan, Jeremy Adams (A) Xermanico (CA) Mitch Gerads
In Shops: Jun 07, 2022
SRP: $3.99
The DC event of 2022 continues! As Thomas Wayne investigates the continuing mystery of the Clockwork Killer, another mystery erupts when a strange inmate within Arkham claims that Bruce Wayne is the only Batman that should exist. And Thomas’s world is again turned upside down when a new, twisted version of an iconic Batman villain is born.
Flashpoint Beyond #1
(W) Geoff Johns, Jeremy Adams, Tim Sheridan (A) Xermanico
In Shops: May 03, 2022
SRP: $4.99
Batman’s hunt for the Clockwork Killer brings him to Europe and face to face with the mad king, Aquaman. On the eve of Aquaman’s sinking of London, Batman infiltrates his stronghold and goes on the warpath for answers. Nothing matters to Batman, whose world is already dead, but if he can track down the Clockwork Killer, Thomas can save his son’s world and put everything back together again.
I’ll admit that I was a fan of the original Flashpoint even oh so many years ago. Yes, it was grim and gritty, but the alternate world was interesting and shook up DC’s classic characters. It opened up a world of possibilities, not just in the story itself but what came after. Flashpoint Beyond #1 takes us back to the world but one slightly different.
Focusing on Thomas Wayne, he knows this isn’t quite the world he lived in. There’s subtle differences and there’s others that know this as well. With a mystery of who’s trying to stop Thomas from correcting things as well as something going on in the main DC universe, Flashpoint Beyond #1 mainly focuses on Thomas’ story.
Written by Geoff Johns, Jeremy Adams, and Tim Sheridan the comic is an interesting one. There’s some aspects that are really great and then others that fall really flat.
What works well is Thomas’ story as a whole. He knows something is wrong and must deal with a world gone mad to try to solve the mystery. His “Alfred” is Oswald Cobblepot and his “Robin” is the son of Harvey Dent. The interactions with Oswald are fantastic and what’s done while Thomas is away is beyond entertaining and almost worth the read.
Where the comic falls flat is everything else. The threat of a world war feels like it’s taken out of Watchmen. It’s missing the countdown clock and nine panel pages. Then there’s what’s going on with Bruce and something with DC’s Timemasters. It doesn’t get much time and unless you know the character he’s dealing with, it has little to no impact.
The comic overall feels like it’s using concepts and plotlines that were meant for something else. With mentions of “The Button” which goes back to DC’s Rebirth, the comic comes off as the next step for “The Button”, then “Doomsday Clock”, but each is a choppy continuation of the other. With so many rumored changes of DC’s directions, it overall comes off as a comic that’s out years after it was meant to be.
The art is the highlight of the comic. Xermánico and Mikel Jani split the duties and while the styles differ, the overall visuals are solid. With Romulo Fajardo, Jr. and Jordie Bellaire on color and Rob Leigh handling lettering, there’s a nice shift in styles depending on the world. Thomas Wayne’s world is dark with a gritty dirtiness about it. Bruce’s is a bit brighter and has a more traditional look about it. The style works for the comic quite well as it makes Oswald’s moments far funnier than they should be. There’s a dark humor about it all and a lot of that is driven by the visuals.
Flashpoint Beyond #1 has a lot going for it and maybe as it goes along things come together. But, as is, the comic feels like concepts from something else reworked multiple times into this. It throws out a bit too much and it’s interesting aspects at times feel like bad background scenery. The comic feels like it’s just slightly off, which may be rather appropriate since that’s what Thomas Wayne is experiencing and attempting to investigate himself.
Story: Geoff Johns, Jeremy Adams, Tim Sheridan Art: Xermánico, Mikel Janin
Color: Romulo Fajardo, Jr., Jordie Bellaire Letter: Rob Leigh
Story: 7.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW
Wednesdays (and Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in
Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.
Archer & Armstrong Forever #1 (Valiant) – If you’ve ever read a comic with these two, you know why we’re excited. In this series Armstrong loses his immortality and Archer refuses to let him go gentle into that good night.
Dogs of London #1 (AfterShock) – Former gang members who thought they escaped their troubled past are about to be haunted by that past. The Dogs have awoken, and they seek more than mere revenge.
Flashpoint Beyond #1 (DC Comics) – The zero issue was a bit mixed but we’re intrigued to see where this all goes and how far it’ll go as we return to the world of Flashpoint!
Metal Society #1 (Image Comics/Top Cow) – Humans and robots clash and who will reign supreme will be determined when they square off MMA-style!
Quests Aside #1 (Vault Comics) – The King plans to shut down the bar Quests Aside and the retired adventurer Barrow must figure out a way to save it!
Spider-Man 2099 Exodus Alpha #1 (Marvel) – No more time travel for Miguel O’Hara. He’s back in his time and must deal with a cataclysmic clash that creates a new Garden of Eden in the American Wastelands.
Starward #1 (Heavy Metal) – Stephanie Cohen’s life is all going according to plan. The only problem is…the plan isn’t hers! On the eve of her twentieth birthday she gets a gift unlike any she could possibly expect.
Task Force Z #7 (DC Comics) – New recruits for Task Force Z? The series has been a lot of fun mixing the concept of the Suicide Squad with zombies! It shouldn’t work but it totally does!
Twig #1 (Image Comics) – It’s a tale of of hope, heartache, and determination to overcome insurmountable odds! in what’s described as a “Bone-esque” quest from Skottie Young and Kyle Strahm!
Flashpoint Beyond #1
(W) Geoff Johns, Jeremy Adams, Tim Sheridan (A) Xermanico
In Shops: May 03, 2022
SRP: $4.99
Batman’s hunt for the Clockwork Killer brings him to Europe and face to face with the mad king, Aquaman. On the eve of Aquaman’s sinking of London, Batman infiltrates his stronghold and goes on the warpath for answers. Nothing matters to Batman, whose world is already dead, but if he can track down the Clockwork Killer, Thomas can save his son’s world and put everything back together again.
