Flashpoint: Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager #1
Writer:Jimmy Palmiotti
Artists: Joe Bennett (pencils, inks), John Dell (inks), The Hories (colorists)

Deathstroke, one “of the most feared and powerful pirates in all the seas”, is on a hunt to find his missing daughter Rose with a rag-tag group of pirates that pick up a few extra meta-humans along the way to fill out his crew. His quest eventually takes him into “marked waters” where he comes face-to-trident with an angry king. Do dead men tell no tales?

The story was okay, I guess. I did like how this fills in the events from the opening of Flashpoint #2 so if you’re at all curious about what’s driving Deathstroke and (for the most part) why he’s a marauder on the sea over Europe then you could do worse. And, of course, if you like violent death and blood splatter well . . . there’s plenty of that, too.

Flashpoint: Legion of Doom #1
Writer: Adam Glass
Artists: Rodney Buchemi (pencils), Jose Marzan Jr. (inks), Artur Fujita (colorist)

Obsessed with fire, Heatwave ambushes and murders one half of a metahuman “duo” in hopes to take the place of his victim. Arriving on the scene too late, Cyborg attempts to save civilians and capture Heatwave. The villain is eventually undone by his own devices. Captured and imprisoned (in the greatest mobile prison ever!), life behind bars suits Heatwave just fine it seems. Will the over-confident criminal hatch a plan and fly the coop?

Heatwave is vicious! From the opening pages to the brutal, bloody final scene this firebug is very singular in his determination. Whether the goal is to satisfy his lust for the flame, set his place in the prison hierarchy or in his “burning” desire to punish Cyborg for his role in sending him to prison. Speaking of the prison, fans of the classic Superfriends cartoon should delight in the appearance of the familar dome rising out of the swamp. This Flashpoint comic might have the highest level of violence, or at least the grimmest depictions of violence. Only Deathstroke gives it a run for the money in that category. Sticking around (not for the violence) but to see how the reveal on the final page carries to the next issue.

Flashpoint: The Outsider #1
Writer: James Robinson
Artists: Javi Fernandez (pencils, inks), The Hories (colorists)

Who is the Outsider? Potentially responsible for a catastrophic geological event at the time of his birth in 1960, Michael Desai (name given to him at a Punjabi orphange) elevates himself into one of the world’s leading, albeit ruthless, businessmen over the course of the next 50 years. Simultaneously hunter and hunted, The Outsider never ceases in his callous approach to remain on top regardless of the cost, whether that’s human or monetary.

After a brief origin, the story picks up during the events on the rooftop in Flashpoint #1 told entirely from The Outsiders control room. The dialogue, in switching between his holograhic image and his real-world self, was only slightly jarring but after a careful second glance made more sense to me. The Outsider is a pompous, self-assured and fine-tailored maniac who likely would react as swift and merciless to his assassination attempt as he would a hostile corporate takeover attempt. One of the comics I had the least interest in picking up has me wishing to see the next issue soon. “Now. Fresh tea, I think.”

Flashpoint: World of Flashpoint #1
Writer: Rex Ogle
Artists: Eduardo Francisco (pencils, inks), Paulo Siqueira (pencils), Roland Paris (inks), Stefani Renee (colorist)

Father and daughter. The only two survivors from their family after the fateful attack on Paris. It leaves their relationship with each other strained, at best. Traci 13 takes haven in an underground bunker with her father, one member in a council of other leaders, The H.I.V.E. The group has been discussing how to “fix” things after the Amazon and Atlantean attacks. Unlike the others, Traci is free to move about the planet and often visits a particular tarot card reader for friendly advice. Wanting to patch things up with her father, Traci returns to the bunker only to discover the “end game” the council has in mind for the rest of the planet.

So, this comic isn’t anything I was expecting based on the title. I thought this was going to be more of a handbook-style comic. It was the first of the Flashpoint mini-series #1 issues I read (and the last as it so happens). I’m glad I went back and gave this another read. Things that weren’t apparent to me as a “history” of this universe make a lot more sense when placed against a few of the other mini-series and the backstories of which I’m now aware. I’ll be looking more closely at issue #2 and try to pick out the intracacies of backstory and how they apply to the rest of the comics. If you sloughed this one off, it’s worth a second look.