Review: Convergence- Flashpoint Book 2

Quick Summary

Pros: Most of the stories involve some strange shenanigans that make them feel unique. Most of the stories also have solid emotions that help develop the character they center around.

Cons: Some of the stories have narratives that only end up being average. The Batman and Robin story is pretty lackluster.

Overall: Though not the best Convergence tie-in book out there, this collection does contain stories that end up being more unique than the others. Some of the tales here involve strange but entertaining adventures, some are emotionally charged, and, unfortunately, some simply end up falling flat. However, the majority of them manage to be, at minimum, moderately entertaining. Fans of the Atom, Wally West, or Harley Quinn will find some entertainment in this book, as will fans simply looking for a more unique twist on the Convergence stories.

Story

Convergence: Flashpoint Book 2 doesn’t quite live up to the quality level set by some of the other Convergence tie-in books but does manage to define itself with a couple of wacky and entertaining stories. This book focuses on a hero losing his grip on reality, multiple members of the Zoo Crew, and some Harley Quinn hijinks that Buggs Bunny would approve of. Beyond this, the majority of the stories in this book are well written and have meaningful emotions woven into them. However, one of the chapters really falls flat and some of the stories are only moderately entertaining. Because of this, Flashpoint Book 2 may appeal more to readers looking for something different rather than readers simply looking for anything good.

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Though Flashpoint Book 2 consists of completely independent stories, many of them end up being stranger and more outlandish than typical comic books, giving the book a bit more of an identity. The Atom’s story involves a hero who believes he is going insane and a previously dead hero coming back to life through a disembodied hand; the Speed Force story involves a team-up with a super-fast turtle; and the Harley Quinn story has Harley win the day by actually outsmarting her opponent. Whether readers enjoy the actual storytelling or not, the unique approaches of these particular chapters help them stand out in a positive way, especially among the somewhat formulaic Convergence tie-in books.

It also helps that each of these stories are also moderately entertaining on their own. The wackier nature of their approaches helps set a tone that allows them to focus more effectively on fun, especially when compared to other Convergence tie-ins. The exploits that take place across these chapters are often enjoyable, lighthearted, and optimistic than the other battles in this book. They still maintain their own level of emotion but this never gets in the way of entertainment.

One of the only stories to break this mold is the Titans adventure. Though not as rooted in wacky fun as the rest of the book, it does manages to up the impact of the emotions. Watching Arsenal reunite with his daughter and still try to save the world makes for some compelling storytelling. It also concludes with a brave and optimistic ending that suits these particular characters well.

Unfortunately, the other story to break the mold doesn’t work out as nicely. The Batman and Robin story feels weak and pretty generic. It is entirely based on Batman arbitrarily deciding to forgive Red Hood for his past actions and Damian deciding that this threatens his position as Robin. The entire premise is hard to get behind and damages the rest of the story.

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Art

The artwork in Flashpoint Book 2 is pretty average and does an alright job in matching the specific tone of each comic. Tom Grummett’s lighthearted artwork pairs well with Rain Beredd’s brighter colors and allows the Speed Force story to shine with the optimism it centers around. Meanwhile, Denys Cowan’s harsh linework matches the grim stakes of the Batman and Robin story. However, there are also places where the level of detail drops at strange moments and where characters’ expressions look a little odd. The problems are not too significant though and do not have much of an impact on the comic’s overall appeal. All in all, this ends up being a book with decent visuals but nothing too remarkable.

Continuity

Convergence: Flashpoint Book 2 contains multiple tie-in stories that are designed to accompany the Convergence (Review) event. These tie-ins all take place around the events of Convergence #1, part of which is shown in each of these stories.

The larger narrative surrounding the stories contained here is told through the rest of the Convergence (Review) event.

This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:

• Most of this book’s protagonists are from the pre-Flashpoint DC Universe.
• Most of this book’s antagonists are from Earth-8, home of the Extremists. This world is most prominently featured in the Countdown Presents: Lord Havok and the Extremists series, currently uncollected.
  • However, one story has antagonists from the Flashpoint (Review) universe and another has antagonists from the Zoo Crew.
• Ryan Choi’s death occurred in Titans: Villains for Hire Special #1.
• The reference to “five heroes banding together to save the world from a giant starfish” is a reference to the first appearance of the Justice League in The Brave and the Bold #28, collected in Justice League: Silver Age Vol. 1.
• The Justice Riders are from the Justice Riders series, now collected in Elseworlds: Justice League Vol. 1.
• The actions of Hawkman and Hawkwoman seen here are further explained in Convergence: Flashpoint Book 1 (Review).
• The origins behind the Zoo Crew are explained in the Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew series.
• Many events from Arsenal’s past are mentioned here. These include:
  • His addiction to heroin is detailed in Green Lantern #85, collected in Green Lantern/Green Arrow: Hard Travelin’ Heroes.
  • He first met his daughter in New Teen Titans #21, currently uncollected.
  • He lost his arm and lost his daughter in the Justice League: Cry for Justice series.
• Red Hood began working with Scarlet at the beginning of the Batman and Robin series.
• Jason Todd’s death is mentioned a few times. This occurred in Batman: A Death in the Family.