Aquaman/The Flash: Voidsong #2 – Jackson Lanzing/Collin Kelly, Writers; Vasco Georgiev, Artist; Rain Beredo, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: While this is a stand-alone series that seems to take place on the fringes of continuity, the creative team does a great job of making it feel like an event. From the start, the alien invasion that froze the entire population of the world in place has felt unknowable and haunting, as if they exist on a totally different plane of existence. The only people still moving are Aquaman and Flash, both of whom were out of reach of the aliens when they arrived. Now, they have to combine their skills to try to neutralize the aliens before they can accomplish whatever their master plan is. Between their indescribable language and their impenetrable armor, they remind me a lot of the aliens from Independence Day. They don’t want to invade earth due to some grudge, they want to use it for their own purposes and dispose of the inhabitants—and that gives the story a massive scale and a great sense of terror.
But while the action and suspense are top-notch, my main issue with the series continues this month—this version of Aquaman and Flash seem oddly unlikable. From the start, Flash seems much more like Impulse than the calm, professional Barry Allen. He’s rarely been this jokey or impulsive. At the same time, Arthur seems more cranky and easily angered. There are some great moments such as when Arthur discovers what’s become of Atlantis that packs some real emotion, but it feels like the two leads can’t spend more than two pages without bickering. That escalates after a major victory, when it’s revealed exactly why the aliens may have arrived on Earth. This story has some shades of stories like Tower of Babel and Identity Crisis, but it lacks the setup and is hanging it on a hero bond we’ve seen very little of until now. It’s hard to get involved in a strong and tense story when the leads aren’t easy to root for.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
