The Flash #7

“What goes around comes around” by Geoff Johns and artist Scott Kolins.  This issue retells Captain Boomerang’s origin as part of Johns’ already known “Rogue Profile” stories.  Only Geoff Johns could make me care for a story in which the flagship character only appears in two panels, in a flashback, and still find it exciting.

The issue alternates between Boomerang’s past as a child in Australia and his present as he tries to break into Iron Heights penitentiary –that’s right, break into, not out of.-  As the story progresses, we learn how Digger Harkness comes to the States and eventually becomes Boomerang, while in the present, using the powers granted to him after his resurrection at the end of “Blackest Night”, he finally arrives to his objective: the cell holding Eobard Thawne a.k.a. Reverse Flash.

We learn Boomerang’s motivations to become a villain, and how important The Rogues are in his life.  The rivalry between The Rogues and The Reverse Flash is also highlighted here, which makes Boomerang’s actions even more disconcerting as he frees Thawne from his prison in exchange for a glimpse of his future.  Reverse Flash, as always, is creepy and scary, but here even more so.  The issue ends with The Rogues confronting Boomerang for the big no-no he just made and Reverse Flash –note how the name Zoom is not used- escaping Iron Heights.



Variant cover by Darwyn Cooke

Boomerang’s past, present, and future are touched on elegantly by Johns.  Scott Kolins was the perfect artist for this story, since he and Geoff Johns go a long way back, and much of his work is tied to The Flash.  This new style of his –seen also in current issues of Justice Society of America- is refreshing, and not a departure from regular artist Francis Manapul.  Coloring by Brian Buccellato shows a distinctive contrast between the almost sepia tones used for the flashback scenes, and the darker, shadowy sequences in Iron Heights.  The color effects in the scene with Reverse Flash were also impressive.

Overall, “What goes around comes around” was a great, entertaining read, and considering that The Flash does not actually appear in it, a very well done issue.  Mind you, I am not a friend of comics where the stellar character appears only in the last page or not at all, it makes me feel cheated; so my complimenting this story is a big deal.