Final Crisis Rogues Revenge #3 (OF 3)

I wait excitedly for the trade.

When you were typing this out Ron, were you upset that the current Flash issues arent on par to the classic Johns run? I feel your pain brother.

Good pick though, I definitely should've given this a shot in issues but foolishly I am waiting for the trade. Still it sounds like you love the Flash so much that anything Johns write for him must be perfect....Damn me and my lack of money!!!

Oh and my pick was Punisher MAX btw.

Yes. It was really quite good.

Nice review, Ron.

 A little obtuse but very good none the less 

I am really glad to see Scott Kolins getting praise. I've always appreciated what he brings to the work he does; Marvel never seemed to use him in an especially high-profile way, but I thought he always elevated the book he was on.

Kick ass issue.  I salivate at the thought of Flash: Rebirth as well.

i think that when Final Crisis and all of it's tie-ins are completed and collected it's going to be like an even more awesome version of 52 or something or something like this. All of these are kicking so much ass.

Cool review, Ron, and great story about Geoff Johns.

I've never been a Flash reader (though I'm getting an education from Tom's podcast), but your love for the character really shines through this review, and it's awesome that a new book can bring back that old love. 

Great pick!  I had so much for with this mini-series, that DC will getting my money no questions asked when Flash: Rebirth comes out.

Great article Ron!  It is about time that people acknowledge that in addition to being a great writer, that Geoff Johns is one of the nicer people in this industry/hobby.  I have had the opportunity to visit with him at several cons before and after his rise in popularity and he is still a person that I look forward to seeing when I go to a larger con.  More professionals should be as courteous as he is, and there are a large number that are, Erik Larsen, Jim Balent and J. Scott Campbell leap to mind, but unfortunately there is a small number of professionals that really believe their own press and are quite rude and dismissive.  Geoff Johns is definitely not in that group.

YES!! This book and the mini series was awesome. I didn't read John's flash run, so speaking as a noob to the Flash, I thought this mini was an excellent primer

While this was probably my least favorite issue of the mini, I loved Rogues' Revenge as a whole and am very excited to see it get any kind of praise.  I enjoyed the living daylights out of it.  Wish it could have gone 4 issues. 

The last three pages of this issue are (in my opinion) the best three pages in the entire final crisis story, to this point.  This three issue arc was very good, but that finish was astounding.

@Ron - I am right there with you on the Geoff Johns's Flash bandwagon.

It's Geoff Johns' world. We're all just living in it.

Damn, I only picked up the first issue of this.  I loved it but the other issues have come out on huge weeks for me.  Guess I'll have to go back and grab em. I cannot wait for Flash: REbirth.  When I saw that cover i almost fell outta my chair.

ok so this, coupled with the fact that ethan van sciver is one of my favorite artists working today, leaves me very, very excited for flash rebirth.

I've just read all three issues of this series in one go and it was all kinds of awesome. That last splash page totally gave me goosebumps and I can't freakin' wait for Flash: Rebirth. Easily POW for me too, great stuff.

oh good! I am glad that this book came out, it's one of the FC tie-ins that I have really been enjoying. Maybe I can sneak a trip to the store early..

Enjoyed that Ron, thanks. But what are you referring to when you say: 'Almost in one panel, one word balloon, he was able to erase the past 2 years of wrongness within the Rogues and bring them back to where they should be'

I can't hold things in my memory the way I could . . .

Anyway, I've rambled on about this in the review section - great series, but I had the odd problem.

All I can say is bring on Flash: Rebirth

I started reading The Flash with Johns and Kolins and the art was my favorite thing about it. For me, the Flash just doesn't look quite right when he isn't drawn by Scott Kolins. This was a nice treat and hopefully not the last time they match up.

Great pick, Ron. My pick too.

This mini has been incredible. In all honesty, I've never read Flash before, and picked this series because it was a FC tie-in (plus, you know, it's Geoff Johns), but what he's done has got me so excited for Rebirth.

Is Johns human? A robot? I don't know how he does it but he is simply; A. Really. Good. Writer. Probably the best working today.

BTW: Talksplode... Geoff Johns... Needs to happen!

started reading the flash in the middle of johns run and it was awesome, with those cool stand alone rogue centered issues. when he left i dropped that book like a ton of bricks, god did it suck....

Is there a reason the Rogues haven't been killed for their cold-blooded murder of Bart Allen?

I have to say, that while this is a nice love letter to Johns and the Flash, as someone who isn't very familiar with either, it's not really a useful review regarding this comic.

@Diabhol: It seems that people have been trying to kill these guys for months. It's just that they get lucky and run out before the *you know what* hits the fan. Trickster/Pied Piper in Countdown comes to mind when it comes to almost getting killed.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

OK, so I just read this issue this afternoon.  This series has left me more than a little confused.  The Rogues beat Bart Allen to death, in cold blood, with their bare hands.  They murdered him.  Yet, in this series, they act like it was all Inertia's doing, and they wind up murdering HIM, as well.  Then, at the end they leave Inertia's body for the police with a "Tell the Flash We're Even" note.  

Wha---?  How are they now "even" with Wally and/or Barry?  THEY murdered Bart.  What did I miss...?

@Jim - DC's been trying to retcon Bart's death to say that it wasn't really the Rogues' fault.  I think they think they made a mistake having these particular villains become cold-blooded murderers.

Okay this is going to sound stupid but: Is this a new Trickster?

Cause I havent read this yet (waiting for trade) and I know that he did die in Countdown. So did they recon all of that out or just plain ignore it? *The latter being the Grant Morrison approach to writing :)*

Itr's a new Trickster.  He references being new a few times in the book.

@conor: It's so bizarre though, he's so no but....he looks exactely the same! Did the Rouges just pick a guy out who looks like him or something? Too funny.

While the first Trickster was working for the FBI, teenager Axel Walker stole all of Jesse's gadgets and shoes and became the new Trickster. He joined Blacksmith's Network and destroyed files from Goldface and Hunter Zolomon for her. He was also given new "toys" in addition to Jesse's originals. After the defeat of Blacksmith, he was invited to join the new Rogues led by Captain Cold, and accepted. He remained with the new Rogues until the "reformed" Rogues attempted to stop Cold. While the two Tricksters were fighting, the Top gave Jesse's memory back. The original Trickster then defeated his successor and told him never to become the Trickster again.

After some time, Axel escaped from prison and returned to Keystone City. However, he was quickly defeated by the Flash.

Axel's next appearance since then was in Helmet of Fate: Detective Chimp, where he answered an ad from four college students asking for an experienced superhero to train them. He had dinner with them and then killed all four of them. His crime was discovered when Detective Chimp used his remarkable deductive powers to help deduce who the murderer was. Axel was then arrested.

With the "reformed" Trickster dead, Axel returned as The Trickster in "Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge" mini-seires.

The new Trickster is just a punk kid who found Trickster's gear.  The Rogues reluctantly accept him.  They just want to keep him out of trouble. 

I agree that DC made a mistake having the Rogues kill Bart, it was out of character(s). That doesn't mean they can now pretend they didn't do it.

@Mart   Of course they can.  Readers aren't require to like it but 'they' do stuff like that all the time.

@ohcaroline: fair enough.  But, as a reader I'd just like them to offer some sort of retcon in the comics themselves.  Something, anything in the story to blunt the impact of what the Rogues' did: mind control, whatever.  Because, as long as they haven't done that, it just takes me out of every story-- like this issue #3-- where the characters in the story are acting like it didn't happen. 

DC did the same thing with Countdown/Final Crisis.  There's no way to read Final Crisis #1-3 as occuring in the same universe, and with the same characters, as Countdown.  Somehow, though, that doesn't bother me nearly as much.  I guess that's because Countdown was so awful, especially compared to Final Crisis, that I'm happy to pretend it didn't exist.

I could be mistaken, but it was my understanding that the Rogues werent aware that a) Bart was The Flash nor B) he'd lost his powers.

Inertia tricked the Rogues into building that machine that took away Bart's speed (I believe it disrupted his access to the Speed Force or somthing like that...). So, when they attacked him, they were just trying to slow him up, thinking he'd just run away from their blasts, or at least heal quickly from them, just like he always did. They assumed he was Wally (and so experienced), as well as at full strength speed-wise. I don't think their attack would have killed Bart had he had access to the speed force.

As soon as they realized what had happened, and when Inertia caused them to do, the Rogues were furious. Hence, "Rogues' Revenge". I don't think they're acting like it didn't happen at all. They know it happened, they just didn't mean for it to. And while they know that they'll never be able to fully make up for their part in Bart's death, killing who they feel is most responsible was their way of dealing with it. Easing their conscience just a little.

 At least that's how I read it... *shrug*

All of that makes it all make a bit more sense. Thanks, iFanbase!

@conor: Thank you, would never have figured this back story out if you didnt help.

Although he got outed by Detective Chimp? Wuss.

Hey Detective Chimp is badass!

@CAM: In theory yes he is, I mean who doesnt loves a monkey who solves crime?

But if you got arrested and put in jail in real life by a monkey....You'd look pretty weak to all the other bad guys in jail.

This was an awesome boo, written by an awesome writer with awesome pencils. Awesome.

@Doctor2Geeks- what are you, Geoff Johns in disguise?  Anyway, thanks for the explanation!

@Doctor2Geeks- ... although, I just pulled Flash #13, where Bart's murdered, and re-read it, and your explanation doesn't hold up.  When the Rogues killed Bart, they had already figured out that he was NOT the Flash they were used to dealing with (Wally), and they knew that he had lost his speed powers.

The Rogues have captured Bart after de-powering him.  Kadabra notes that the Flash in front of them is "a boy," and deduces in fact that Bart is "somehow related" to Inertia (he then refers to Bart as Inertia's "twin"). The Rogues figure out that Inertia had tricked them into building the machine to permanently take Bart's speed from him. Inertia admits he had tricked the Rogues, but explains the Rogues now had the chance to kill the Flash. Flash breaks away, runs toward the machine to try and get his speed back. The Rogues are terrified that Flash will get his powers back and then beat their asses and send them to prison.  So, they unload on him with their weapons, then beat him to death with their fists and feet.  

So, when they killed him they were quite aware that he didn't have his speed-- that's in fact WHY they killed him-- to stop him from getting to the machine and getting it back.

In Rogues' Reveng #1, Johns (whom I love dearly!) retcons all of that in three panels.  The Rogues noting that Flash (when they unloaded on him with their weapons) "ran right through" their fire, and "a lightning bolt never hurt a Flash like that."  Then Mirror Master chimes in: "not until Inertia stole his speed away."  To which the new Trickster responds: "you mean... it was an accident?"  And the retcon is complete.  

Now, I can certainly see a group of homicidal criminals like this convincing themselves that it was "somebody else's" fault-- in this case Inertia's-- to remove the blame from themselves.  And then, even, going and killing that "someone else" and leaving his body for the police, with a note saying "Tell the Flash We're Even."  Which is what they did. But, if that's what the Rogues are doing here, to me it doesn't make them "less bad," it makes them more.  They're not just homicidal, they're (self) delusional.  They blame their actions on someone else, then kill a 2nd person to make up for killing the 1st.

@Doctor2Geeks- ... although, I just pulled Flash #13, where Bart's murdered, and re-read it, and your explanation doesn't hold up.  When the Rogues killed Bart, they had already figured out that he was NOT the Flash they were used to dealing with (Wally), and they knew that he had lost his speed powers.

The Rogues have captured Bart after de-powering him.  Kadabra notes that the Flash in front of them is "a boy," and deduces in fact that Bart is "somehow related" to Inertia (he then refers to Bart as Inertia's "twin"). The Rogues figure out that Inertia had tricked them into building the machine to permanently take Bart's speed from him. Inertia admits he had tricked the Rogues, but explains the Rogues now had the chance to kill the Flash. Flash breaks away, runs toward the machine to try and get his speed back. The Rogues are terrified that Flash will get his powers back and then beat their asses and send them to prison.  So, they unload on him with their weapons, then beat him to death with their fists and feet.  

So, when they killed him they were quite aware that he didn't have his speed-- that's in fact WHY they killed him-- to stop him from getting to the machine and getting it back.

In Rogues' Reveng #1, Johns (whom I love dearly!) retcons all of that in three panels.  The Rogues noting that Flash (when they unloaded on him with their weapons) "ran right through" their fire, and "a lightning bolt never hurt a Flash like that."  Then Mirror Master chimes in: "not until Inertia stole his speed away."  To which the new Trickster responds: "you mean... it was an accident?"  And the retcon is complete.  

Now, I can certainly see a group of homicidal criminals like this convincing themselves that it was "somebody else's" fault-- in this case Inertia's-- to remove the blame from themselves.  And then, even, going and killing that "someone else" and leaving his body for the police, with a note saying "Tell the Flash We're Even."  Which is what they did. But, if that's what the Rogues are doing here, to me it doesn't make them "less bad," it makes them more.  They're not just homicidal, they're (self) delusional.  They blame their actions on someone else, then kill a 2nd person to make up for killing the 1st.

what is the DC equivalent to the No-Prize?

@Jim - thanks for taking the trouble to remind us of the details. Totally agree about the self-delusion of the Rogues.

Wow. I gotta pick this up.