Two comic books released last week — the first issue of The Flash: Rebirth (DC Comics) and the third issue of Marvel Comics’ Secret Warriors (wittily subtitled "Nick Fury: Agent of Nothing") — are sticking in my mind for the sheer quality of their writing.
The Flash: Rebirth is writer Geoff Johns’ terrific reboot of the Barry Allen-Flash. (Hey, I know I’m in comic-nerd territory already, so I’m not going to stop and explain who Barry Allen is for newbies; sorry.) What I admire about Johns’ work is the way he so easily handles often-tedious backstories and histories of classic comics characters, and just makes the action surge ahead. He’s done it with Green Lantern, and he’s done it superlatively with Superman during a recent run in Action Comics. With The Flash, Johns (working with artist Ethan Van Sciver) has brought together what seems like every DC superhero who’s ever broken the speed of sound into a tense new narrative about a bad, bad "speed cult."
Meanwhile, over at rival Marvel Comics, co-writers Brian Michael Bandis and Jonathan Hickman are doing a smashing job on Secret Warriors. It’s all about what’s happened since Nick Fury’s S.H.I.E.L.D. organization has been exposed as a bad-guy Hydra front, now occupied by the super-bad H.A.M.M.E.R. Bendis and Hickman make Fury — an eye-patch with a heart of stone — a poignant figure. As one character remarks, "You’ve been pushed aside by your organization and abandoned by your country… you’re a poor little boy who’s gone and lost his flag, Nick Fury, an agent of nothing."
For my money (at the comic shop most Wednesdays), both Bendis and Hickman write the best dialogue in comics. (Also check out the banter Bendis bats out in the equally-good Dark Avengers.) So there you have it, writers at their peaks: Johns a master of humanizing comics mythology, and Bendis and Hickman creators of conversation that seems real no matter how "super" the action is.
Do you read both? Either? Let me know.
Haven’t been reading Secret Warriors, but you’re right on with Johns’ writing on The Flash. He’s easily the best writer in comics right now and I look forward to seeing what he does with this book over the next few months – although I prefer Wally West to Barry Allen and hope that Wally still has a place as Flash after the series ends.
once they make the voulumes available I’ll be all set!!!
While the first issue of Flash: Rebirth was nothing but set-up, it was done so in a way few writers but Johns could make interesting. The art by Van Sciver was tight and it sets up a really intriguing mystery. As for Secret Warriors, it just keeps getting better and better. The writing is crisp and the art is nothing short of fluid and dynamic. I’d recommend both titles to any comic fan.
I read them both, but I wouldn’t call them the best series in comics. The Flash has only had one issue and Secret Warriors has only had three. For my money, the best series in comics is Secret Six, written by the amazing Gail Simone. It’s funny, action-packed, and disturbing. The art by Nicola Scott is beautiful. It shouldn’t be missed.
Eh. I thought Flash: Rebirth was pretty underwhelming. All of the characterizations felt slightly off to me. Especially Bart and Barry.
Johns has a habit of hitting the reset button when he takes over a title. See Green Lantern: Rebirth. It’s fine if you’re new to the book or haven’t read it in a long time. But for those of us who have read the stories Johns is revising or ignoring, it can be annoying.
On the whole, this was Johns setting the stage for his new status quo. Not bad, but nothing to get too excited about.
Definitely no where near the best super hero comic out there right now. As a previous poster mentioned, that honor belongs to Secret Six. If you’re not alreadey reading Secret Six, give it a try. It’s much better than Flash: Rebirth.
I love “Secret Warriors” and am so glad to see more and more PopWatch posts about comic books. Hickman is definitely one of the best writers in the medium today, and Stefano Caselli’s art is gorgeous. Glad to hear you’re enjoying it, Ken. Now, EW, feature more comics in The Must List and I’ll be a happy man!
Secret Warriors is a ripoff between 24 and Mission Impossible.
Bendis is not original at all.
I so wish I could afford the time and money to follow all of the comic stories I want to, but alas…I buy TPBs pretty often, but a lot of times it’s like starting the story in the middle and then not getting a satisfactory ending.
Nova is still the best thing in comics now, but the two you mentioned are right up there, too.
Bendis is one of the best writers out there right now- Secret Invasion was ok but House of M was one of the best comics i’ve ever read- he made “b” grade heroes into stars. Alias was just amazing and the way he writes Jessica Jones & Luke Cage is just brilliant. yes he writes the best dialouge- its the action i have a problem with. Ed Brubaker’s run on Captain America is just genius.
Secret Warriors is a ripoff of Mission Impossible and 24…. that makes it awesome.
No lie, no exaggeration: with Bendis stretched so ridiculously thin, the best comic in the business is Invincible, by Robert Kirkman, from Image Comics. I skip the weekly and wait ever-so-patiently for the trade paperbacks, and they are a real treat to read.
I thought the first issue of Flash:Rebirth was just OK. The parts with the Golden Age Flash saying he owes his superhero career to Barry Allen, and Bart Allen petulantly complaining about why everyone thinks Barry as The Flash is a big deal, felt too meta and self-indulgent to me, as if Johns was trying to convince the reader why Barry Allen is the One, True Flash. Johns now has the rest of the series to SHOW us why that is true, rather than simply use other characters as mouthpieces for why he thinks so.
By the way, more comics-related PopWatch posts please!
I hate to say it, but reading “Flash : Rebirth” reminded me of why I thought Barry Allen was boring in the first place. I enjoyed the story but most of my enjoyment was in spite of Barry. He’s just sort of there. Unfortunately, Barry’s best role as Flash came as an inspiration in death, not as a living super-hero fighting the bad guys. It just made me long for the days of Wally West (pre-kids). Now that was a Flash that kept me interested month in and month out.