Flashpoint TP Paperback – 20 Mar. 2012

I really enjoyed this story. The Flash is the perfect character to use the time travel paradox. As Batman admits if he had the power he would use it to save his parents. The story and the art work are incredible, best of all this is not even an else world. As someone has already said this is the main story so it moves very quickly, and leaves the reader to try and work out many of differences in this world. There are separate stories of each of the main characters if you do want to research it further.Barry Allen, has woken up to a different world, he does not have the powers of the Flash and his closest friends and allies are different, if they even exist. To find the villain responsible Barry must seek out the one hero he know exists (Batman) and get him to help put the world right. Though like everything in this timeline this person is not who he is supposed to be. I have to say I really enjoyed the Batman Flash team up and hope that DC does a more of them not just Batman Superman all the time.If you like comic books get this book. Even as a standalone it is a great story, being part of a series it is not a complete standalone like say Justice TP, but it is comic books action and fun at its best. Especially if you are a fan of Batman or the Flash.

We've seen it before in other media, people who go back in time and change one slight thing and return to the present to see their world turned upside down. This is the premise of Flashpoint but it's done in a world building way that makes you believe that DC could literally create series after series based on such a strange world.Barry Allen wakes one day to discover that his mother is actually alive, and that she was never murdered when he was a boy, but he also discovers that he has lost his connection to the Speed Force, the essence that gives him his abilities. Discovering from then on that he never became The Flash, he also learns that although Batman exists, he exists under different circumstances to the one he knows so well, and that Aquaman and Wonder Woman are heads of state for Atlantis and Themyscira respectively and are involved in a war against one and other that threatens to destroy the world.Barry then has to enlist help from this mysterious new Batman in order to get his powers back, and learn why the Reverse Flash hid his costume in his costume ring, resulting in him having to restore the timeline.The story is very well built and has a satisfying conclusion too, which culminates in the creation of the New 52 universe, which you will witness on the last few pages of the book.

The graphic novel itself comprises the original 5-issue miniseries, alternate covers, plus a variety of character sketches, with a wraparound image on the book itself which is revealed when you remove the jacket.The story is quite well done, albeit somewhat compressed. Scenes, sometimes even single panels, refer to events which take place in the range of single issues and three-part miniseries which surround the core narrative. I wasn't actually going to bother with any of these others when they're collected except for the Superman tie-in (I'll explain why later), but now, having actually read the whole core story, I find myself interested enough to want to buy several of the others.The artwork is good slick stuff by Andy Kubert (one of two comic artist sons of comic artist legend Joe Kubert) in a stylish quasi-realistic super-hero mode being attractive, dynamic and detailed.Now the story. Barry Allen/The Flash wakes up in a changed world where he isn't the Flash, Batman isn't Bruce Wayne but is prone to kill criminals, Hal Jordan is still a test-pilot, no-one has heard of Superman and the world's great and most trusted super-hero is Cyborg. This, on its own, isn't too bad but, as Barry discovers, things are far worse. Aquaman and his kingdom Atlantis has drowned western Europe and is at war with Wonder Woman (who killed Aquaman's wife) and her Amazons who have conquered the UK, killed millions and castrated male survivors. This war threatens to destroy the world unless the superheroes can band together to stop them. The problem with this is that most super-heroes hate each other.As I said above, there's an awful lot going so I can't really go into detail without going on for ages and spoiling all the surprises. Just two subplots though: Barry Allen has to forge an alliance with a vicious Batman he doesn't know; Kal El does exist but he's been locked in a secret vault since he arrived on this planet as a baby and isn't the Superman we know. Needless to say, Barry Allen, with his powers returned, faces his arch-enemy who has caused the reality shift and hurtles back in time to get things back on their proper track. Which is when something strange happens. And that something strange is the creation of DC's New Universe which is the whole reason behind Flashpoint.But even if you take away all the reasons behind it and we're still left with a good full of surprises super-hero yarn and that's just fine by me.

Although I freely admit that you probably need to read other 'World of Flashpoint' sets to fully understand this, it works wonderfully well with the supporting material. That is how it should be judged! If you intend to read this as a standalone piece of material then knock a star off as elements of the narrative will be confusing. Howevever, if you're a die hard fan who wants to understand the prequel story to 'The New 52' then I guarantee you'll want to do a bit more reading anyway. The book itself attempts to get through an awful lot in 5 issues worth of material, and certainly needs a few read throughs to reveal all of its secrets. This is a journey worth taking if you give it a chance.

Bought this for my grandson and he loves reading it.

Absolutely the best graphic novel I’ve read digitally. It explains much needed details about flashpoint and the dc multiverse and leaves your imagination running rampant.My only bug-bear is Batman/Dr.Thomas Wayne describing anti-convulsants as ‘anti-epileptics’. That’s not what they’re called! And as a Doctor, Thomas Wayne should know that.Anyway apart from that it was a brilliantly thrown together graphic novel for D.C. fans all over the multiverse. Brilliant read and one I’ll be adding to my physical collection at some point.