Flashpoint: Beyond #0

One of the finest comics this year to-date. An action-packed, emotional twist on the DC Universe and an arc which is primed to explode with catastrophic consequences. Read Full Review

This opening issue is labelled as Flashpoint Beyond #0, rather than #1, marking it as a prelude to the actual story. If this is just the prelude, then the main event will surely be something amazing. But that's to be expected from a series written by Geoff Johns with the assistance of Tim Sheridan and Jeremy Adams. With talent like that, this series has a lot going for it. Read Full Review

FLASHPOINT BEYOND #0 has that special spark along with the action, suspense, and clever twists that are sure to excite the longtime fan. There is literally something for everyone. From Pre FLASHPOINT, NEW 52, DC REBIRTH, DOOMSDAY CLOCK, and BEYOND, Johns is doing his best to weave this tapestry back together. And who could think of a better writer for the job? Read Full Review

Flashpoint Beyond creates a mystery by presenting a lost world returned. Many questions will cause suspense and wonder. Absorb the art, clues, and Easter eggs as 'Beyond' can be a story link that will tighten up 'Flashpoint' and 'Doomsday Clock' by revisiting and adding depth. Read Full Review

It's an intriguing start, but the tangled web of Thomas Wayne's story means he has a lot of heavy lifting to do to make this the definitive conclusion. Read Full Review

A great kick-off to this mini-series. Reintroduces (or introduces) you to the world of Flashpoint and its characters. A very exciting, thrilling, and enjoyable issue that brings more important things into the picture than you're going to expect. Read Full Review

Whether revisiting Flashpoint was necessary, Johns and Risso make the case that this new series is at least worth checking out. Read Full Review

'Flashpoint Beyond' #0 returns us to the world of 2011's Flashpoint as if we had never left it. And only Thomas Wayne knows that this alternative timeline should not exist. But it does, and with plenty of mystery to uncover too. It's a plodding start to the latest DC Comics' event series, but this over-sized first issue does mean we get a lot more art by Eduardo Risso and Trish Mulville than a regular length issue. And that's more than enough for this comic book fan. Read Full Review

Flashpoint Beyond #0 can be a little confusing, as its a sequel story to not just Flashpoint, but Doomsday Clock as well, but if you can wrap your mind around some of the continuity here, there is an extremely solid story from Johns and Risso. Read Full Review

Final Verdict: Flashpoint Beyond #0 is gearing up to be a solid series. If you like Johns' previous DC work, check this out. Read Full Review

Flashpoint Beyond #0 isn't bad in any way. It's the first piece in a bigger puzzle. But, without the rest of the pieces, the enjoyment of it is going to be mixed. The perfect example of its issue is its ending which relies on revealing a character and unless you know who it is, it falls flat. That's the reliance on DC history that feels like it only works for some. How much the comic continues to do that will be the overall indicator of how much this series is for anyone that's not the diehard fans. Read Full Review

Some of what I had to say here has been a long time coming, and I appreciate you readers deeply for taking the time to consider it. Most of you will likely have a good time with this book, and it might even be one of Johns' better recent works he usually thrives when he decides to actively embrace the edgy side of comics he clearly loves to write. But I hope that if you read this book and others like it (Infinite Frontier,Justice League Incarnate), you can engage critically with them, and askwhy they even exist in the first place. I guess I was just hoping we'd be past this by now. Read Full Review

Despite well-approached artwork and colors, the storytelling of "Flashpoint Beyond #0 leaves much to be desired. Read Full Review

Bits and PiecesFlashpoint Beyond #0 takes a game-changing Elseworlds event and goes back to do it again. The writing execution is excellent, but the concept feels played out and boring. Coupled with bland, uninspired art, I'd be tempted to say "skip it" if not for a few hints of wow moments in the future. Read Full Review

With Dark Crisis approaching, it is hard to say what effect (if any) Flashpoint Beyond might have upon the DC Universe. The cruel irony is that for all its dependence on earlier stories, it is best considered on its own terms. Within that vacuum. it is a passable read. Time will tell if it might be something more. Read Full Review

Flashpoint Beyond #0 struggles to find its raison d'tre, hampering inspired art with joyless retread. Read Full Review

VicSav

Apr 12, 2022

The GOAT is back.

Bats44121

Apr 13, 2022

Interesting MYSTERY story. If you don't like mystery and detective stories, you might not like this. But first set your expectations with understanding that this is a mystery story. It includes Flashpoint Batman Thomas Wayne, Batman (what universe?) Bruce Wayne, Sandman Wesley Dodds, Flashpoint Green Lantern Abin Sur, Flashpoint Aquaman, various time-travelers, Flashpoint Superman, and Rip Hunter Time Masters team... and yes there definitely **IS** a Flash in this story. Not clear who or what universe Flash. Sandman is part of a narrative, GL and Superman by reference. Bruce Wayne Batman begins the story with Watchman villains Mime and Marionnette leading the Bruce Wayne Batman into Time Masters redoubt to get a snowglobe that apparentl y has some type of time-travel powere. Bruce Wayne Batman's goals? Not clear. But he erases from the Time Masters blackboard of ideas that "Thomas Wayne will die." Next we jump back to Flashpoint universe, as if nothing had changed, with the intervention of the Flash Barry Allen from Earth One. Batman Thomas Wayne tries to recreate Barry Allen as the Flash, but he is apparently (we'll see) stopped by an Atlantis saboteur working for the Tyrant Aquaman. He apparently fails, and we see Barry Allen's body die. However, we then is some type of Flash in this Flashpoint universe, who is nearly invisible. Is it Reverse Flash? Flash from another universe? Or was Barry Allen's spirit merged with Speed Force although his body dies? Or is it another Flash who has been or has gone to the Flashpoint universe? (Be aware, there are gray "thought" narrative boxes with bat logo in yellow moon, but that is Thomas Wayne, not Bruce Wayne thinking. That was really odd. Sloppy?) Lots of questions. However there is killer stalking time-travelers called the Clockwork Killer. Time-travelers Jeff Smith (1st in Rip Hunter, Time Masters), Atom villain Chronos David Clinton, Waverider Matthew Ryder (Linear Men),and #Flash villain Abra Kadabra are all victimes of the killer Clockwork Killer. Meantime, Psycho Pirate Roger Hayden jailed, and he remembers a universe where the Flashpoint issues were resolved. A Batman Bruce Wayne concludes in a Batcave in some universe being taunted by Time Masters Corky Baxter for "what he has done" to the Divine Continuum, and that the Time Masters are going to get Batman Bruce Wayne, and they will "change his future" as well. A lot of people have read Flashpoint, Justice League Incarnate, which you pretty much need to know to understand the story. I would also recommend re-reading: Flashpoint: Batman - Knight of Vengeance by Brian Azzarello, as it recounts the last part of Thomas Wayne's universe... before the Aquaman/Amazon war which took over in the main Flashpoint series. As one reviewer wrote: "this feels like it could be issue #4 of Batman: Knight of Vengeance." more

Comic Dreamer

Apr 12, 2022

Interesting.....The Thing is this book is stuffed with lot of references.To fully grasp it u need to know past dc events...Anyway it's good to see johns writing again....Hope that this ends well

KFuqua

Apr 14, 2022

It's great to see Geoff Johns back writing a DC book. As usual, his story is great and I look forward to more. The art could definitely have been better, but the story is interesting and will keep me coming back.

Hydro-Man

Apr 14, 2022

In DC's darkest hour, they turn to the one man who can still save them... Geoff Johns. I enjoyed this a lot. However, it's tough to know what kind of bearing it is going to have on the larger DCU. Clearly some, because Thomas Wayne acknowledges what happened to him in Justice League Incarnate. I know the previews spoiled it but I was still surprised to see the return of the Doomsday Clock Universe. I am excited to see how it's all connected. Could we be building to Earth-Johns or Johns Multiverse? I think I'd be more interested in that than nearly all the shit DC is currently putting out.

Ajax

Apr 14, 2022

John's sets up a lot of interesting ideas. Excited to see where he goes Risso art was solid. John plays with expectations let's see if he can stick the landing.

REYNARD

Apr 12, 2022

Some Thoughts: -Seems like Thomas got zapped by Darkseid back to the Flashpoint Earth preserved in Hypertime. -The concept of the Divine Continuum presents some interesting ideas and I think you could find a way to fold it into Morrison's Cosmology as well. -Set up for World of Flashpoint plots: Per Degaton in SA, project Superman, Wesley Dodd, and even a possible Prime Earth Psycho Pirate? He's being used in the Detective Crossover right now if I'm not wrong, but then that would mean that this is the Flashpoint version with memories/visions of prime earth. -Most intrigued by the Doomsday Clock mentions; Slater's watch, Mime & Marionette, and the Dreiberg kids mentioned on the chalkboard. -More Zoom fuckery is on the way! And the Flash point Barry Allen stuff was a lot of fun. -The Clockwork Killer mystery is pretty cool, someone is killing time traveler counterparts and stuffing them with gears and shit. The Scavenger stuff was a little out of place, but I wonder if he was really just working for Aquaman and ended up killing Barry and the Dents just because. -I'm praying that Johns follows up on the Stargirl Spring Break plot threads. more

daspidaboy

Apr 12, 2022

I really liked the issue so far and I'm pretty interested in it. Geoff Johns is one of the best writers in my opinion and his writing carries this issue, however the art brings the score down a bit. Let's hope its not as dissapointing as Three Jokers.

Afre

Apr 12, 2022

It's pretty good. I'm not completely hooked, but I'm not disappointed. However, Risso's art isn't that great in my opinion. It feels... unfinished.

Nihilist

Apr 12, 2022

Truth is, hardly anything matters in comics. Every now and then publishers reset continuities either because they became convoluted, messy and often self contradictory, or sales dropped alongside readers' interest. DC'a last big official reboot was Flashpoint, which sadly opened a new universe of grimness, boredom, poor writing, edginess and straight up butchery of beloved characters (Lobo, Harley, Wonder Woman and Mr. Freeze all send their regards!). Flashpoint itself, though, was pretty fun and I still like it all these years later. Sure, it may not be the best event of all time, and its collected edition consisting only of the main 5 issues, ignoring all the tie-ins may be a straight up insult, but I can't deny that its dark and hopeless universe and characters had potential. Seems DC's editorial had the same thought, because they brought back Thomas Wayne's Flashpoint Batman in Tom King's oh-so-awful Batman series and now he landed his own series. Good for him, I guess, but is the comic any good? First two thing that striked me after opening it, was how much baggage its story carries, forcing you to read Flashpoint (preferably with at least Batman's tie-ins), King's Rebirth Batman series (including The Button event, which sucks no less), Doomsday Clock and Justice League Incarnate to actually understand everything. I get it, Geoff Johns likes to use references, easter eggs and throwbacks, but hot damn does it make it hard for you to get into this particular plot itself. Plot that isn't even particularly compelling, if I have to be brutally honest. Granted, mystery is there, as well as some weird omniversal shenanigans (because multiverse is not enough for DC these days), but I can't say I'm hooked. Maybe next issue, the actual #1 will be better, but for now I... yeah, I'm not excited about this project. Art-wise the comic is below mediocre. Eduardo Risso illustrated Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance miniseries back in the day, so on paper he was a good pick to do this one as well, but his panels lack details, dynamism and often look just empty. It could be passable if only it had some unique quality to it, artistic identity, but nope, it's pretty generic and uninspired. Best panels here look okay, worst like they were drawn by a 16 year old in their bedroom. Maybe it's a matter of taste, like with Tim Sale whose art I'm not very fond of personally. Or maybe it's a relatively low effort book made this way to avoid delays that plagued Doomsday Clock's run, and ultimately the end result didn't feel worth it to a solid portion of the fanbase? Don't look at me - I liked it a lot, actually, but can't deny that it was a pretty irrelevant event in the large scale of things. more

+ Like • Comments (12)

• Likes (7)

• SenpaifenixJäger
• Hex
• packtsardines
• Mingthemerciless
• TheKing
• Afre
• myconius

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SenpaifenixJäger - Apr 12, 2022

Thank you very much for the review, objective people like you save me a lot of money, especially now that I am completing my Bersek Delux

Batman Jones - Apr 12, 2022

Going by your user name, wouldn't it be more accurate to say that hardly anything matters period? (I'm a nihilist too.)

Batman Jones - Apr 12, 2022 (edited)

@SenpaifenixJäger, this isn't a reaction to the review itself but there is no such thing as an objective person when it comes to a review for the simple fact that every response to any form of art is inherently subjective.

Nihilist - Apr 12, 2022

Thanks, SenpaifenixJäger! I'm trying to do my best. As for your nihilism question, Batman Jones, I suppose you're right. Though I'd say everything depends on context and scale. We, personally, can (and should) find some purpose and meaning where's none, but in the grand scale it's not going to matter. That's at least what I believe in.

Bats44121 - Apr 13, 2022 (edited)

I agree, this comic is a lot of work. I used my comment to help inform, as I am sure a lot of casual readers won't get it. I am biased because I love a mystery. The fact that it involved a Bruce Wayne Batman (from some universe, I am not assuming which just yet). And I feel pity for Thomas Wayne, which the character would hate. Tragedy does weird stuff . One thing I especially disliked was grey narrative box with yellow moon and bat symbol, when it is Thomas Wayne, (not Bruce Wayne) thinking.

Mingthemerciless - Apr 13, 2022

The teference to 5G on the chalkboard. Is it of any significance?

SenpaifenixJäger - Apr 14, 2022

@Mingthemerciless Maybe they are rethinking whether or not to continue with their 5G? LOL

SenpaifenixJäger - Apr 14, 2022

@Bats20832 I've read few of your reviews due to the coincidence on the site since I enter check and leave (I'm usually somewhat busy during the week) but you are also one of the few partial in your reviews. And I tell you I couldn't help but take a look at the comics store, the price is very high, if everything goes well until next month I could buy it or wait for the TP

Mingthemerciless - Apr 14, 2022

Lol wistfull thinking fenix. Still Ram V is taking over Tec in June so there may be hope. I'm still very cautious about Zdarsky on Batman though. Williamson started great but fizzled out and I have zero interest in Dark Crisis which has an odor of 5G to it.

SenpaifenixJäger - Apr 20, 2022

Hello Mingthemerciless , it is good to read you, I have seen the advances of July and I am excited by the comics that Ram V has, who I consider the best writer that DC has so far.

SenpaifenixJäger - Apr 20, 2022

Dark Crisis is completely 5G, they insist something is not working, but for the first time I think there is a little bit of light at the end of some series like Detective Comics, White Knight, and I just got Batman/Superman this issue was nice. I don't trust in Chip either, he's not a bad writer but I'm very disappointed in BUL, so I don't expect much from him.

myconius - May 12, 2022

@Nihilist - it's refreshing to read your take on this comic. and i agree with you on so many points that you've made! ... i feel that liking your review is not nearly enough!! this review deserves a damn award!!!

WhistleBlower

Apr 12, 2022

It's little wonder why pre-order sales are so bad for this.

+ Like • Comments (2)

VicSav - May 3, 2022

It's now the highest selling comic thanks for your dumb takes 😂

WhistleBlower - May 8, 2022

It's being outsold by a mediocre Josh Williamson book. Holy shit you're entire history is simping.