Rogues

It's been a long time since DC or Marvel produced a true crime heist story involving super villains. 2006's Secret Six miniseries might be the closest thing we've had and that was more about baddies acting righteous during a time when the heroes were acting criminal.

In Rogues, Leonard Snart's glory days as one of the Flash's arsh-enemies is long past. In his late 50s, balding, overweight and kept on a tight leash by a parole officer who deserves his own spot behind bars, the former Captain Cold is a broken man. 2 of the Rogues are dead. His sister, the Golden Glider has renounced her life of crime and became an inner city social worker. The Trickster has become a hack magician, performing to elderly crowds. Mirror Master lost his mind in a drug induced haze. Mick Rory, AKA Heatwave, still plays with fire. Only, he does it with an entrepreneurial flare, committing arson by torching buildings for a cut of the insurance check. 

Now is the time to bring the gang back together. For years, Smart has been planning a heist so outrageous, that it's literally a suicide mission. With Captain Cold's guidance, the Rogues are going to infiltrate Gorilla City and rob Gorilla Grodd's personal vault laden with tons and tons of gold. Good thing Smart has decided to recruit a couple of former members of the Suicide Squad to help in executing this insane plan!

Joshua Williamson penned this story which is nearly flawless. I don't even mind that there's zero appearance of any of the multitude of men to carry the moniker of the Flash in this book. My biggest issue is the addition of DEO agent Maggie Sawyer. She's a great player in Metropolis. But she really doesn't seem to have a place in Gorilla City. At least not here in this story.

Rogues was originally released as a 4-issue miniseries in 2022. The first 3 issues were by Italian artist Leomacs. Issue #4 marks the debut of artist Luca Finelli. The transition between the two was flawless. I didn't even realize about the shift change until I was reading the biographies at the end of the book. I don't know who's talent that speaks higher of. But I loved the artwork throughout this entire piece.

This is a Quentin Tarantino level story and that's not just because of the amount of violence. Tons of swears. Tons! And we're talking F-bombs. This might be a DC Comic title but it's a Black Label release. Definitely not for the kids. But a must for fans of the Scarlet Speedster and his gallery of Rogues.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Blue Devil #19

If you were a regular reader of the Blue Devil letters page, you would be aware that a Kid Devil solo story had been in the delayed works for some time. I think with the coming CRISIS storyline, lots of great ideas got pushed to the side.

Now with DC Comics having to straighten out the effects of the reality altering done by the Anti-Monitor, those wild ideas finally got a chance to shine.

In order to stay a child sidekick, Kid Devil has to work with the think tank at The Institute of Hypernormal Conflict Studies, which has signed on the newly reformed Captain Cold as a gust lecturer. This reformation hasn't say very well with The Trickster, who despite being reformed as well, is itchy for some action. 

This was one of the funniest issues in the series is quite a long time. After the Blue Devil/Trickster two-parter, Blue Devil's humor level kinda petered off. Sure, the over series has been kooky and weird. But the comedic tone had dulled somewhat. Then came the Rogues. It's what this series has needed for some serious laughs: superstar villains from another hero's title. 

This being Post-Crisis- we miss you Barry Allen!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Flashpoint: Citizen Cold #3

     It's a rematch between Citizen Cold and his Rogues Gallery. After the murder of his sister, Lisa, at their hands, Leonard Snart looks to end this blood feud once and for all.
     This book is rated Teen but some of the ways characters meet a gristly end makes me wonder if this book should've been rated Teen+. If not mature level gore but it's more than your standard comic book fare. Proof again that the Flashpoint universe is not your dad's DC.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Flashpoint: Citizen Cold #1

  How can you best define Leonard Snart? Rogue? Ruthless Killer? Hero? In the Flashpoint universe, he's all three.
   As the costumed vigilante, Citizen Cold, Leonard Snart issues a brand of justice that borders on cold-blooded murder. But armed with an agent, endorsement deals, and presumably a legion of lawyers, Citizen Cold is a media darling. He's also a marked man.
   Without the Flash and the Speed Force, Snart is the sole protector of Central City. With that massive responsibility, Citizen Cold has amassed his own Rogue's Gallery. Snart's no Barry Allen and his relationship with the Rogues is like that of a mongoose and a cobra; there's no love lost between the two parties.
    On top of the death wish Citizen Cold has with the criminal element of Central City, forces are conspiring to reveal his secret identity to the world. Superstar reporter Iris West is publicly poking around searching for clues as to just who Cold is. Now another mystery player has captured photos of the anti-hero out of costume. It looks like it might be time for Snart to make a quick getaway out of town but first, he's got to get a hold of those damning photos.
    In 2010 (when Flashpoint first came out), I thought the twist of having Leonard Snart be a 'good guy' was brilliant. But I wasn't sure how it would work out. Over the course of the past two seasons of the Flash TV series, Wentworth Miller's Captain Cold was a bad guy but he did have a sense of honor. That resulted in Cold and his partner Heatwave, becoming begrudging heroic rogues on DC's Legends of Tomorrow.
    But Citizen Cold is no Captain Cold.
    What Citizen Cold lacks from his pre-Flashpoint counterpart Captain Cold is having the Flash around to act as an incredibly fast Jiminy Cricket. This Snart has no conscience and with his ego, he's is a slimier version of Guy Gardner.
   What is Snart's motivation in becoming a 'hero?' Right now, it's implied that he's just in it for himself. But I refuse to believe that that's the only reason. I can't wait for issue #2 to get some more answers to this puzzle!

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.