Review: Convergence- Flashpoint Book 1

Quick Summary

Pros: Most of the stories here are entertaining and have some meaning to them. Some continue pre-Flashpoint era stories in a way that gives specific characters some long-overdue resolution.

Cons: Two of the stories are just average and do not offer much on their own.

Overall: This is a book with a few alright stories and plenty of great ones. The great stories manage to hook the reader in with a combination between captivating storytelling and a meaningful message. These stories, and one of the alright ones, also continue aspects of the pre-Flashpoint universe in a way that leads to some great story conclusions. This collection will appeal to most readers but will be particularly worthwhile to readers who truly enjoyed the pre-Flashpoint characters featured in this book.

Story

Convergence: Flashpoint Book 1 contains a mix of stories that has a lot to offer. The majority of them are entertaining on their own and detail either thrilling battles or emotional character development. Some of them go beyond this and manage to give worthwhile resolutions to story arcs that were left unfinished years ago. Even the chapters here that aren’t “great” are still alright and manage to bring something to the collection on their own. Overall, this is a good book and a wonderful glimpse into the pre-Flashpoint world of DC Comics.

(spoilers start here)

Flashpoint Book 1 contains three very entertaining and meaningful stories from the pre-Flashpoint world of DC Comics. The first is a heartwarming story about a pregnant Lois Lane and a depowered Clark Kent’s attempt to make a difference in a world without Superman. Their story of perseverance and the birth of their child are both wholesome tales and show their ability to bring hope to the world. Juxtaposing these stories against the extremely dark world of Flashpoint (Review) also helps in making them feel more significant and relevant.

The second story is somewhat of a redemption story that centers around Renee Montoya, the Question, and Harvey Dent, Two-Face. On its own, this story focuses on how people can redeem their past mistakes by changing who they are in the present. It also emphasizes how important it is to believe in others and help them in their darker moments. When viewed in the context of these characters’ pasts, the story also helps present a more “complete” picture of their lives by giving some resolution to their life story, especially in the case of Renee’s father.

The third story focuses on the charming romance between Nightwing and Oracle. It has the two in a happy and healthy relationship where they constantly have the opportunity to support one another. Even when Barbara is forced to lie to Dick in order to overcome their enemies, he understands and the two are able to move on. Like “The Question” story, this one also gives some very satisfactory closure to characters who never ended their stories.

The only things preventing Flashpoint Book 1 from being an all-around fantastic book are the “Batgirl” and “Justice League” stories. These quick tales aren’t exactly bad, as the “Justice League” one offers some fun action and the “Batgirl” one offers a unique look at a classic character. However, they don’t carry the same weight as the other stories, nor do they manage to be nearly as meaningful. Overall, these stories are passable but they do not enhance the volume like the rest of the stories do.

(spoilers end here)

Art

The quality of the artwork in Flashpoint Book 1 is rather varied but tends to trend on the positive end of the spectrum. Lee Weeks’s work on the first “Superman” issue is gorgeous and contains a variety of beautiful moments and well-structured pages. Meanwhile, Cully Hamner’s energetic work on “The Question” issues helps convey the action and drama contained within these stories. Other issues contain some great visual moments as well but these are definitely the highpoints of the book’s art.

However, there are a few places where the quality of the art dips slightly. The “Batgirl” issues lack detail and feature random fluctuations in costume design, such as Batgirl’s cowl ears constantly shifting length. Meanwhile, the “Nightwing/Oracle” issues have some static looking pages and the “Justice League” issues are strangely sexualized. None of these problems are significant enough to distract from the overall appeal of the visuals in this collection, but they are significant enough to be noticed in even a cursory read.

Continuity

Convergence: Flashpoint Book 1 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 the Flashpoint (Review) DC Universe.
• Renee Montoya became the question at the conclusion of the 52 event.
• The No Mans Land situation is mentioned by the Question. This situation began in Batman: No Man’s Land Vol. 1.
• The relationship between the Question and Batwoman is mostly explained in Detective Comics #859, collected in Batwoman by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III.
• The strange relationship between Renee Montoya and Two-Face is mostly explained in the last few issues of Gotham Central Book 1: In the Line of Duty.
• Renee Montoya’s last encounter with her father is mentioned here. This took place in Gotham Central #10, collected in Gotham Central Book 1: In the Line of Duty.
• Jesse Quick’s pregnancy was a plot point from the conclusion of Justice League of America: The Rise of Eclipso.
• Stephanie Brown’s pregnancy and the adoption of her child happened in Robin #65.
• The first world shown in the Nightwing/Oracle chapter is from the Justice Riders series, now collected in Elseworlds: Justice League Vol. 1.