You must have been reading a different book...

Comics are expensive. This run so far has dedicated a lot of pages to things that don’t require it. Here we get 4 or 5 pages dedicated to a blood transfusion conversation. That’s just one example. For me the art just doesn’t gel well with the story being told. Compare this to Batman dark patterns, which is great writing and art collaboration. Both titles by Watters.

Haven’t read Dark Patterns but I’ve enjoyed this run, this issue just lacked. I see you point about the transfusion.

Batman Dark Patterns is great. I highly recommend. If you liked legends of the dark knight back in the day then you should definitely check it out. It’s the same writer with the artist from absolute Wonder Woman.

Read waid and johns runs You will like

The Absolute line is above average, but it’s not that great. I don’t get all the inflated reviews.

Thank you Superman Fan. Geoff John's and Mark Waid are two of my favourite writers. I will check these out. Which one do you recommend starting with?

Mego-joe - "it’s hard to find a reason for the existence of any of these Absolute characters out side of being different just for the sake of being different" I see this kind of commentary a lot. It's utterly arbitrary. Why should anything exist? It's obviously so they can tell fresh stories without adhering to the main continuity.

If that’s all you’ve got there’s got to be something within the story itself. That’s just not enough of a compelling reason. It didn’t work in the New 52. Why will it work now.

You see that comment a lot because it’s valid.

Start with waid Flash 74 - 79 will make you love wally more

I'm sorry, I completely disagree with you and we aren't going to see eye to eye. I'll have fun reading the comics and you can ponder whether they should exist or not. 7 is a high score for something that you think should not exist.

A single issue can be done well even if it isn’t compelling enough to bring you back. Differing opinions are fine. I want to understand what others like in what they like. The why’s of it. I just don’t see why a new version of the character is necessary. Do you like the character or idea of the character? What’s the reason to like it besides that it’s a new continuity? Why go back with a character instead of forward?

Because the main lines aren't selling. That's the real reason. So they switch up the talent and put a spin on things. There is an in universe reason as to why we have these and I honestly think that is compelling enough as it is. In a world without hope, one created by Darkseid that still fields the same heroes, what about them would change? It's a fomula that has worked for years. What If?, Elseworlds. This is THE Elseworld.

Then add on top of that strong writers and burgeoning artists and you have the EXACT reason this should exist. People aren't reading The Flash, or Batman, or Superman. Not in the numbers that they are the Absolute line. You might not like it but that just means you are not a part of the majority. Which is fine but to dismiss it because you aren't a part of the percentage that is reading these over mainline is just unnecessary.

People have many reasons to switch up. Most of the time I see people jumping off runs because of writers they don't like and coming back because of one they do. The Flash is a pretty good example actually. The same can be said for artists though they are less consistent in long runs than they used to be. A single writer can have many different artists during a run so that's just not as much of a thing anymore. Tonal shift, status quo. There are so many reasons to leave and come back a character.

Also, like Superman Fan said. Waid's run is amazing. Probably the single greatest run on the Flash ever. It's what got me into the Flash and being a die hard Wally fan. He established the Speed Force, the Flash Family. Everything that has been transformed over the years that a lot of people clamor for it's full return. And while we get pieces of it back it has never been the same. But start on 62, not 75. 62 is the start of Waid's run and redoes his origin. Easy jumping on point.

Just bought Waid's Flash omnibus! Cheers guys.

I don’t find the in story reason compelling. If you do that’s fine. Imagine if they just had good talent on the mainline books….

@Hex hot-take: I personally like Geoff Johns a bit more than Mark WAid. Yes, Mark WAid introduced a lot of Flash co ntent and is the template for Flash runs. But Geoff Johns writing just works for me more, while Mark Waid has short anthology stories. I still enjoy Mark Waid and give it an 8.5 (I finished both Mark Waid's runs). But personally I enjoyed Geoff Johns a bit more on subjective manner

@motorik I would recommend checking out Grant Morrison/Mark Millar's Flash run. It's just 12 issues but that run brought in crazy time dimensional concepts that transformed Flash into an OP character done right.

I’m with Joe on this. Give me lemire on the regular book not spurrier. But I still had fun with this book

@daspidaboy, two of my favourites. I love Millars Jupiter Legacy. Such a shame the tv adaption missed the mark. I will check them out!

You aren’t going to get this talent in the main books because of the lack of creative freedom and the weight of continuity.

@George - exactly mate. You understand it. I understand it. It's not complicated. Can't wait for Absolute Martian Manhuter next week. By the wonderful Deniz Camp no less.

@motorik - manhunter looks crazy cool. If you like Camp and you haven’t read it yet you should check out Assorted Crisis Events.

Sus Gabe they call him lol.

@mego-joe they could have the best talent in the world on the mainline books and it would still be hit or miss. Some writers have easy go of it writing within the constraints of editorial mandates and being pinned down by continuity, some don't. But when you can start something like this and you don't have to hold to any previous stories, the take can be fresh, the writer can take the story and the character wherever they want. It's basically and Image book with DC characters.

P.S. Lemire is the king of hit or miss on mainline books. He doesn't work well with editorial mandates. Just check out his X-Men for a good example of that.

One of my comments was that it works better as a brand new character for this and WW. Current JSA demonstrates Lemire’s struggle inside continuity. I’d say a great comic writer wouldn’t have a problem inside mainline continuity if they understand the character and are writing the character and not the idea of the character.

Any decent writer can come up with something without constraints, it takes a really great writer to do it inside continuity. Venditti’s Hawkman is a great example of this. He did something very creative and interesting not only in continuity but in a complex and often contradictory continuity and made it work.

Despite disagreement I really appreciate the conversation! Thanks all!

@mego-joe When Lemire is on point, he's fantastic. His more recent works have not hit high. Gideon Falls and Ascender/Descender were absolutely amazing. I do agree, his JLA is patchy but I'm enjoying it. We may disagree here but it seems we are all passionate and avid readers. We're keeping it alive.

His New 52 Animal Man was great, I loved his Frankenstein Agent of SHADE and The Terrifics. In enjoyed the first volume of Black Hammer, but that’s almost satire. It’s in a weird space.

I respect your opinion. But let me ask you a question. Isn't Jay the Flash? The first one who also inspired Barry? Isn't Wally the Flash? The kid who took on the role of his uncle/idol to preserve and carry on his legacy? The Flash is about legacy. Jay, Barry and Wally are the Flash. They inspire each other.

The story is meant to be disjointed as it reflects what is happening to him.

Barry was always kind of a nothing character though. Wally was always the one with the personality. Barry is a loner. His own fiance didn't even like him in the beginning of his own book because he was such a white bread sandwich. And he has only been The Flash longer than Wally for a shockingly little amount of time comparatively. Most things people love about the Flash, came from Wally's runs and they just attribute it to Barry because of the TV show and his resurgence after N52.

Barry was my first Flash. Issue 306 to be exact (great issue). I read Barry backwards from there. Before the death of Iris, Barry met the stereotype of the silver age hero that had no hero’s journey. A hero right out of the box. Wally had a hero’s journey, which is why for me he is the better character. We are late stage in that journey in the main continuity (the whole main dcu feels late stage frankly), so I am looking forward to seeing where this goes.

I respect your opinion, but for me, Wally has always been my Flash (and for a lot of people too). I’ve always found Barry pretty boring (in fact, even in the CW show, they just gave Wally’s personality to Barry Allen). Plus, since this is a reinvention, it makes sense to go with the younger, more reactive Flash who still has to find his way. (I agree with you regarding the back and forward.)