Comic Info
Comic Name: The Flash (Volume 4)
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Francis Manapul/Brian Buccellato
Artist: Francis Manapul/Marcio Takara/Marcus To/Ryan Winn
# of Issues: 7
Release Date: 2014
The Flash (4) #15
Reprints The Flash (4) #13-19 (December 2012-June 2013). King Grodd and his army of gorillas have invaded Central City! Now, the Flash and the Rogues must fend off the waves of apes to save the city. Grodd has access to the Speed Force and is more dangerous than ever!
Written by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato, The Flash 3: Gorilla Warfare continues Manapul and Buccellato’s critically acclaimed run on the New 52 series. Following The Flash 2: Rogues Revolution, The Flash 3: Gorilla Warfare collects the five part Gorilla Warfare storyline in addition to the two issues following it. Issues in this collection were also part of The Flash by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato Omnibus.
Gorilla Grodd is one of those tricky characters…he is what he is: a giant talking gorilla. While this worked in the ’60s, it is a hard sell to realistically portray a talking gorilla as any sort of real threat. In addition to this problem, you have a bit of a rewrite on Grodd with the New 52 (essential he first appeared a few issues ago in the New 52 version…which of course creates all sorts of inconsistencies since he sometimes was a major player). Manapul and Buccellato do a good job trying to make Grodd relevant and a threat.
The Flash (4) #19 Variant Cover
I do really enjoy the tone of this comic. It is very comic book based and it doesn’t really try to be more…something that writers often feel they must do to “legitimize” the field of comic book writing. It is refreshing just to have a well-written superhero comic that isn’t trying to be clever or boastful. It is a lot like Mark Waid or Geoff Johns…Manapul and Buccellato are solid but not flashy.
I find this also true of the art of The Flash. A lot of visuals played by Manapul and the others who work on the book feel like cleaned up and stylish versions of previous entries before them. This does not mean that the art is bad, but it doesn’t jump out to me as much as it probably should. It is good art and continues the trend of strong art for this comic.
The Flash 3: Gorilla Warfare is a nice entry in a comic that already has proven to be one of the best of the New 52. The characters and stories are fun and the comic has wide appeal. The series continues to pick up speed…tap into the Speed Force and catch it! The Flash 3: Gorilla Warfare is followed by The Flash 4: Reverse.
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