Review: Flashpoint- The World of Flashpoint Featuring Wonder Woman

Quick Summary

Pros: The volume significantly expands this event’s universe and gives the answers to many mysteries. The majority of the storytelling is engaging and interesting. Some of the artwork looks nice.

Cons: Some of the subplots are a little boring. Some of the artwork is unappealing. 

Overall: This is a great tie-in collection for fans of the Flashpoint event. It immediately begins answering questions that the main event raised and continues to do so throughout the read. It also does this with a sense of excitement and energy that makes the reading experience enjoyable, in all but a few places. This is the volume for anyone looking to expand their knowledge of the Flashpoint event and the characters it centered around.

Story

Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring Wonder Woman is appealing for a variety of reasons. The first and perhaps most significant is the way it dramatically expands upon the Flashpoint (Review) event as a whole. Unlike other Flashpoint tie-in volumes, which focus on minor characters from the main event, this volume gives answers to some of the event’s most tantalizing questions. It immediately addresses the history between Wonder Woman and Aquaman, highlights the war between these forces, and reveals previously unrevealed details. It also helps that the vast majority of these stories are exciting and engaging. Admittedly, there are a few places where storylines or subplots get a bit less interesting but these places never have a significant impact on the read as a whole. All of this makes for a book that works as a wonderful companion to the Flashpoint event.

(spoilers start here)

A big part of the Flashpoint event is its focus on the all-out war between the world of Atlantis and the forces of the Amazons. This war serves as the existential threat facing the entire Flashpoint Universe and is a major motivating factor for the protagonists in the main event. However, only a few random details about the war and how it is currently playing out are revealed in the main event series.

This is where The World of Flashpoint Featuring Wonder Women shines. The first two story arcs immediately begin answering questions about the origins of the Atlantian/Amazonian war. It shows actions preluding the war, explains how relations between the countries began to break down, and reveals the individuals responsible for inciting violence. The next story arc then goes behind the scenes during the war, to show the Resistance’s fight against the Amazons and to also detail some of their wartime tactics. Then, the book closes with an arc that explores the situation in India. By the end of the book, readers have a treasure trove of information about the Flashpoint Universe and how it came to be.

What’s more, is that these stories are all compelling as well. Wonder Woman and Aquaman’s tale has so many places where it seems like a happy ending is just within reach but is destroyed before it is obtained, turning it into a roller coaster of tragedy. Lois Lane’s story deals with betrayal and loss on a smaller scale but deals with it in a way that feels more personalized. Meanwhile, the Outsider’s story is packed with suspense and action.

The problem is that there are occasional places where the quality of the storytelling drops for a moment or two. Lois’ story spends pages explaining situations while not actually making much progress, which is sometimes a bit boring. In addition, the Outsider’s story is often exciting but falls flat when it tries to tackle emotions and meaning. These are not major problems but do have an impact on the read.

(spoilers end here)

Art

While the quality of the storytelling is consistently high throughout The World of Flashpoint Featuring Wonder Woman, the quality of the artwork fluctuates. On the positive end of the spectrum, there are chapters where the visual look good and complement the storytelling. The Aquaman arc features some great chapters where the realistic depictions help emphasize the serious nature of the story. Later on, Javi Fernandez’s work on the Outsider chapters provides a dark and gritty look at a character and story where dark and gritty works well.

However, on the negative side of the spectrum, there are chapters where the artwork is disappointing or looks downright strange. The Wonder Woman arc shifts art styles every chapter, creating a weird and disconnected reading experience. Later on, the Lois Lane arc gets off to an unfortunate start, with lighthearted artwork that does not match the depressing nature of the story. In the end, about half of this collection’s chapters are worthwhile when it comes to visuals.

Continuity

Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring Wonder Woman is a collection of separate tie-in comics relating back to the main Flashpoint (Review) event series. Our “Flashpoint Reading Order” explains how these comics relate to one another.