Reviews: The Flash #9

The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #9 is now on sale and represents a new beginning for Bart Allen as the Flash. With this eagerly-awaited issue, Marc Guggenheim begins scripting the scarlet speedster's adventures. Will Bart Allen be rescued? Will The Flash return to former heights of glory? Will comic fans everywhere be able to put the early issues of this near-catastrophic relaunch behind them and look forward to a bright future for our fleet-footed hero? By all accounts, The Flash #9 delivers a reassuring response to such haunting questions. The new issue isn't in my hands just yet--you can imagine my impatience, now at Impulse-like levels--so you'll have to wait for me to weigh in on this latest chapter in the fastest man alive's history. In the meantime, here's what the rest of the online community has to say about this fresh start for the Flash...

• Laura "Tegan" Gjovaag, the woman behind the wonderful Unofficial Aquaman Website, succinctly sums up her thoughts on the new issue in a single line at the Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog: "Another good issue. I particularly like the name of the bad guy at the beginning. Recommended." (Oh, and if you like comic book reviews, you're going to love Tegan's classic Aquaman series, Ripples Through Time.)
• Over at the Comics Nexus, a review attributed to Mathan "I Miss Max Mercury" Erhardt notes that our confused young hero is finally acting like his old self. "Guggenheim does a great job of jumping onto this much maligned title. He makes it fun read and, even better, Bart actually sounds like the Bart Allen that fans have grown to love... All in all, Guggenheim is off to a solid start. This title finally has an issue that's not only an enjoyable read, but that it sounds like Bart. It's a fun issue that also spotlights Bart's character and growth. If you've given up on this title, now is the time to give it another chance."
• All About Comics's Phil Mateer is cautious in his optimism, but agrees that this is the issue to pick up if you're a new reader or a reader that's ready to return to the series. "This is… encouraging. It’s a one-issue story, accessible to new readers, but Guggenheim also gets in a page-four joke about Bart’s complicated continuity that name-checks Hawkman and Wonder Girl, and lets him, um, flash his credentials for longer-lived readers, too. It’s not world-shattering, but it’s competent, and a good jumping-on point; that’s a definite improvement over most of the previous issues of this relaunched title."
• Iann Robinson, posting his review at Our Worlds at War, is one such newcomer to the title and he's already impressed. "I just started picking this up and so far it's been a real joy to read... Bart is just starting to learn what a real hero is and how much sacrifice is involved. This issue moves the action along nicely and does a good job setting us up for the major story arc that's coming our way. A great read!"
• JediSheltie of Film Frontier Reviews also praises Guggenheim's character work and the story arc that's being established. "This is definitely the reboot that Flash #1 should have been--an action-heavy showcase for the Flash that manages to work in his current situation in broad strokes without drowning the reader in thick layers of backstory. The promise of having Flash involved in coming 'big events' is a bonus, and well worthy of one of DC's most recognizable properties."