Them Reviews - The Flash #240

Yeah, probably the biggest shame of the DC Comics right after Countdown. How could this title...THIS title...of all titles, suck as bad as it does. I just don't know where to begin. Gorilla Grodd comes out and starts kicking Spin's ass. Flash and the kids are at KN News bitching to one of the talking heads about the bad coverage he's been getting. The fight between Grodd and Spin causes Spin's little psychic slave, the dude causing people to become afraid from all the shit they see in the news, to lose control. So everyone in Keystone city is going batshit crazy, crashing semi-trucks and the like while Grodd and Spin knock each other around while Jay and Wally go around cleaning up after them. Wally finally gets in on the fight before getting knocked the fuck out and the kids are abducted by some guys. The issue ends with a cliffhanger of Iris, the daughter, suddenly rapidly aging. This title kills me. Last issue was showing a touch more promise but this comes crashing back down in the shitter. Now the idea that a villain would use the media as his weapon is an interesting one. The media really do blow the smallest things out of proportion, for example the sudden wave of "rationing" by places like Sam's Clubs because recent Chinese and Indian immigrants freak out at a slight price spike and start hoarding rice. Big fucking deal, right? And you see this in the issue, people tripping out over basically nothing but talking in news speak. The concept is interesting, but the Peyer just isn't capable of using the idea to its fullest. The character work is weak overall. I'm just not buying any of it. The situation with the kids, that they're aging at a rapid rate because of their connection to the Speed Force, isn't particularly interesting. This has been the case from the get go since they brought back Wally West, but they never fleshed the kids out enough to really make you care one way or the other. In fact, the kids spoil the book so much at this point I can't wait for them to disappear. Age! Age and die! FUUUUUUUUUUCCCCKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe a good poignant death would be a decent grounding force for the title, I don't know. All I know is this book needs to have Wally back at the center and not sharing the spotlight with his kids.