By Justin McCarty

When I saw this was the start of a new story arc, I really thought this would be a good jumping on point, but it looks like I missed the big Flash moments. This issue has the Flash going up against a new villain called Bloodwork. This issue had potential, but there’s not much that stands out. The overall arc may be worth sticking with if you’re a longtime Flash fan. However, I didn’t find this issue a satisfying place to start on the Rebirth Flash.

There are some great character moments at the start of the issue. They did make me want to go back and read some earlier issues. I also want to know how Barry is going to handle these problems going forward. I really enjoyed Barry's internal struggle. That internal struggle is completely dropped in favor of introducing the new villain, though. This is where I began to lose interest. I just couldn’t get invested in the relationship between the villain and Flash. The story had a great start but ended up feeling very standard.

Googe’s artwork is fun. This feels like a superhero book. He makes Flash feel like a light and fast character. Plascencia also does a great job with the colors. The reds really pop and your eye doesn’t get lost. The palette does a great job of setting the tone and sets apart the red of Flash and the red of Bloodwork. The art makes this book a real pleasure to read. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to fix the story problems.

Barry is feeling isolated and alone. He can’t tell his coworkers what is going on with him, and it’s putting him at odds with them. Matters are complicated when evidence goes missing. The book looks good. The first half of the book has some great story beats. Too bad the second half of the story is not very interesting. The second issue in the arc could really pick up and make this villain feel like a real threat to Barry. If I do pick up the next issue it will be to see how Barry handles his personal life, not to see what Bloodwork might do next.

Score: 2/5

Flash #30
Publisher: DC Comics