Reviews: The Flash #5

It's been five months since DC relaunched The Flash. Reader reviews of The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #5 have been popping up around the web and, though many fans are trying to patiently ride-out the current storyline, sentiments regarding the new creative team remain constant. Many vocal readers are poised to drop this book if Bart Allen's adventures as the scarlet speedster don't improve.

• Adam Chapman of ComiXtreme seems optimistic in commenting, "This series has been a bit of a rollercoaster in terms of quality since it launched, with the first two issues being quite strong, and then the following two stumbling, both artistically and in the script. This issue, however, is a return to the form we were hoping would be the norm after issues one and two, with Bart finally taking hold of himself, and the plot introducing some new elements which offset the still bothersome Griffin subplot... It's still nowhere near the quality of Wally's "Flash", especially when Waid or Johns were writing, but it does show some definite signs of promise, and hopefully the creative team can turn the boat around and back in a quality direction."
• Doug at Turning the Light Around, too, is waiting for the series to eventually improve. "This book is starting to annoy me less, which is not to say that it's gotten too much better than it was originally. At least they're trying new artists, and this one, Ron Adrian, is not as bad as some of the previous artists... I'm not dropping this, I'll never drop this: I love Flash too much, so I really want this to stop being such a frustrating experience each month. Come on, people."
• Michael Hartney, in the latest Uncle Mikey's Funnybook Round-Up, is less optimistic in aknowledging where the current creative team has failed us. "More fairly interesting story, more fairly lame art. What is happening here? Does DC realize how badly the ball is being fumbled with this book? Do they realize that if I'm not blown away by next issue's conclusion to the first arc (which promises to flashback to Bart's fight with Superboy Prime in the Speed Force), I will drop the book? And I think I'm one of the few hangers-on left. I'll finish this storyline out, and take it from there. Dazzle me, Bilson and DeMeo. And for the love of Christ, don't let Ken Lashley, Ron Adrian, or Sal Velluto anywhere near this book."