Review by Frank Plowright

There’s no gentle introduction here, just straight from Rogues Revolution into Central City being invaded by an army of intelligent, and very brutal, gorillas. Luckily, although not by their choice, Flash has a whole bunch of Rogues on hand to help protect the city.

The manner in which writers Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato have connected Flash with the gorilla community is a novel twist, but one that doesn’t really bear great scrutiny. That, though, is only a point occurring after the story, as it clips along at a fair pace to an interesting conclusion. The Rogues play a big part, with a cameo for one of them having surprising consequences.

Patty Spivot was instrumental in the events of Flashpoint, which preceded this re-launch of The Flash, and she’s been well used, if relatively sparingly, to this point. Although Barry Allen’s girlfriend, she’s unaware that he’s also the Flash, about whom she’s conflicted. As she’s not a long-defined member of the supporting cast and Iris West is a continuing presence, there’s the temptation to view her participation as being fleeting. Manapul and Buccellato have already toyed with this perception, and that undercurrent persists here to good effect.

Once the gorillas have been dealt with there’s a story written by Buccellato alone in which the knowledge and ingenuity of Barry Allen makes a difference. What initially appears as a plot inconsistency is actually pivotal to a well-plotted mystery dropped into the story, which also introduces some new super-powered heroes.

The experiments Manapul takes with his art continue to impress. As well as imaginative ways of incorporating story titles, here he illustrates a section of infinite futures playing out in comprehensible and intriguing fashion. Marcio Takara and Marcus To also contribute, but their styles are more straightforward, lacking Manapul’s dynamism.

This is another well-plotted volume of page-turning super-speed trickery, and the fun continues in Reverse.