Reception
The first printing of The Flash: Rebirth issue 1 sold out completely at Diamond Comic Distributors on the first day of its release. A second printing with a variant cover was immediately commissioned to be released on April 29, 2009. Third and fourth printings were later announced, followed by a fifth printing. The second issue has also had a second printing commissioned.
The first issue, and the whole series, have received positive reviews. Newsarama said that Johns' take on Barry Allen as particularly interesting; "Johns' main strength in Flash is the same he had with Green Lantern: he knows what makes Barry Allen tick. While Hal is a study in recklessness and charismatic defiance, Barry is a little more down to earth. 'This man refused to believe the line between good and evil blurred like the scarlet and gold he wore.' Methinks this might be a theme, one that may even be as resonant as overcoming fear." The series has been controversial within its fandom. Some fans feel that the return of Barry Allen threatens the status of the current Flash—Wally West—who has a dedicated following, and do not want him to be displaced by Barry. Some fans complained that they believe the return of Barry Allen negates the significance of his death during Crisis on Infinite Earths. In a partial acknowledgment of this common sentiment, Zoom openly claims that his actions are intended to cheapen the martyr qualities the denizens of Earth have given to "their" hero in time.
The series has also been subject to criticism due to several delays in release. While issues 1, 2 and 3 all came out as scheduled, issue 4 was subject to nearly a month of delays and was released about 12 weeks after issue 3. The fifth issue experienced similar delays, and was released in late November 2009. The final issue was then re-scheduled for release in late December 2009, then was delayed until late January 2010, and again delayed until March 24, 2010. It was rescheduled with a release date of February 24, 2010.
Read more about this topic: The Flash: Rebirth
Famous quotes containing the word reception:
“But in the reception of metaphysical formula, all depends, as regards their actual and ulterior result, on the pre-existent qualities of that soil of human nature into which they fall—the company they find already present there, on their admission into the house of thought.”
—Walter Pater (1839–1894)
“Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own; which is the chief reason for that kind of reception it meets in the world, and that so very few are offended with it.”
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)
“He’s leaving Germany by special request of the Nazi government. First he sends a dispatch about Danzig and how 10,000 German tourists are pouring into the city every day with butterfly nets in their hands and submachine guns in their knapsacks. They warn him right then. What does he do next? Goes to a reception at von Ribbentropf’s and keeps yelling for gefilte fish!”
—Billy Wilder (b. 1906)