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The Flash #10 - Weather Wizard

3

Barry Allen has survived his trip through the Speed Force as well as Gorilla City. After failing to save Iris West, will be be able to prevent his girlfriend Patty Spivot from getting killed?

Despite being the fastest man alive, Barry continues to race against the clock in trying to save those he cares about.

The Good

From the very first page you get a sense that Flash is living in a dangerous world. There's always been a level of light-heartedness when it came to Barry Allen. We're seeing that his adventures in the "New 52" world are not quite the same as before. We've already seen Captain Cold's appearance and now it's time for another Rogue to appear, the Weather Wizard.

As with Cold, Weather Wizard has gone through some slight changes. We still don't know the full extent of it but it's clear he means a little more business than before. He's not just a guy in a green suit with a wand that can control the weather. He's involved with other things and there's a bit of violence when it comes to his family history.

When the series started, it felt like Flash was in a smaller world. It was a little unclear how much history he had. We knew he was active as the Flash for at least five years. Seeing more villains and having Weather Wizard here further expands on Flash's mythos.

The Bad

I'm a big Marcus To fan but it's always difficult to see another artist fill in for the main creative team. It's understandable that Francis Manapul would need and deserves a break after the first nine issues. It wasn't just the change in art as story elements contributed as well but this issue had a really different feel to it.

Has Barry given up on Iris and the others? What about Turbine? After going through the Speed Force, he was forced to take a detour to Gorilla City and he's determined to try to save Patty but it feels as if he's written the others off already.

Patty's investigation really felt out of place. She wanted to get out of town after believing Barry was killed but having the case get her involved with the Weather Wizard felt too convenient. Also the fact that it was an unsolved case and she manages to get all the answers so easily (okay, maybe not so easily as it may cost her her life).

The Verdict

Flash is on a mission to save his girlfriend. After failing to save Iris West and others, it looks like Barry may have decided where his heart lies. This issue has a different feel to it, in part by Marcus To's art instead of Francis Manapul's. But besides that, we have a pretty violent opening scene and Weather Wizard has a darker touch to him. The story felt like it had a rapid finish which could have been nicer to see fleshed out a little more. We'll have to see what next issue brings along with whether or not Barry will try to do something to save the others that were lost in the Speed Force.