The Daily Rios Digest for July 29th, 2023: Examining the Indiana Jones franchise. Reviewing Superman: Space Age. An ASMR Top 5. And more! (1:13:00)
TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Movie Monday: Indiana Jones franchise
(18:36) Top 5 Tuesday: ASMR Pet Peeves
(27:33) Wednesday Night Fever: 800th issue of Flash and Wonder Woman
(45:46) Crisis Corner: Superman: Space Age
(1:06:05) Friday Wrap-Up: recent podcast appearances
peter@thedailyrios.com
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Peter,
Dropping in to comment on Flash #800, specifically. This past year, I actually filled in all the gaps I had in my Flash reading, from when I dropped off the Wally West title to those ones that followed the end of that initial post-Crisis book, which means I have now read from issue 275 – 800, inclusive. Which, when I look at it written out, is a bit insane. Anyway.
My sentiments, for the most part, seem to follow yours. I’d actually been really enjoying the recent Jeremy Adams run and was disappointed when DC announced they would be bringing on a new creative team, especially since Adams stated online he had more stories he wanted to tell. This run, along with the short one directly prior to Adams, has been really fun, accentuating adventure and family moreso than we saw with the Joshua Williamson run that began this latest iteration of the title. And, in #800, Adams brought that same energy to his story. Similarly, I really enjoyed the Mark Waid and Joshua Williamson stories (the art from Pasarin, Nauck, and Di Giandomenico was also very good in all of these, I just tend to be a writer first fan). Those first three were really enjoyable and part of why I’d been reinvigorated to read Flash.
Then we got to Geoff Johns & Scott Kolins. The art from Kolins, just as great as I remember his art from his initial run on Flash. Great. The story: it felt, as you said, out of place here, but it also felt, to me, to miss the point as far as the tenor of the storytelling. It felt dire, grim & gritty, serious, which is a problem I’ve come to have with Johns’s initial Flash as I reassess it. This isn’t what I’m looking for in my superhero comics reading at this time (which is why I’m enjoying the Mark Waid “World’s Finest” titles so much).
And then there was the preview/prologue for the new creative team: Si Spurrier & Mike Deodato. First, I’m not a Deodato fan, so strike one. It did not help that the story was set at night and the scenes were dark–the Flash’s costume is bright crimson & gold; I want some light in my Flash comics! So, strike two. And the characterization of Wally in this short story just turned me off. From my point of view, we have Wally lying to Linda and trying to get away with keeping the secret of all the superheroing he is doing, when he’s promised to be present as they enjoy a night out. It goes against everything that Wally has learned and stunts any evolution of character he’s had. It felt like Spurrier either didn’t understand the character or didn’t care because this was the cool story he wanted to tell, showing how fast Flash is, saving people and solving crimes in the moments between breaths (which gets to another pet peeve of mine, the overmatched speed that Wally apparently has now, so that nothing could be impossible for him; I long for the days of Legends when people were asking why the Flash seemed shorter and wondered why he was worn out or not as fast as he used to be).
Anway, this grumpy old man who hates anyone to be on his lawn may not be continuing with the new Flash series. Every new creative team may be a great jumping on point, but, as I believe was said many times on CGS, it can also lead to a great jumping off point.
Thanks, as always, for the podcast, Peter. I love it when a new TDR pops into my feed. Hope all is well.
-chris