“Should I be concerned over the obvious delight our daughter takes in the ultra-violence?”
In “Bloodlines,” Bart Allen travels through time in order to save Central City, and apparently the entire planet from the destructive power of Neutron. Can anyone tell me how many times the words “crash” and “mode” were used in this episode? Having four generations of The Flash in one scene excited my “inner-geek,” but it overshadowed the Cheshire and Red Arrow arc. I’m interested in what happened to the original Roy Harper, but Bart Allen’s journey through time was far more enjoyable. What a touching moment it was to see Bart call Iris grandmother, only to “spoil” the surprise that she and Barry are going to have twins. Legendary comic book writer Peter David, who wrote this episode, did an excellent job showing Wally’s reluctance over having another Allen on the team. Wally has yet to master the “speed force,” and unlike Barry and Bart, he does not possess the same abilities to reach top speeds. If any of you are interested in learning more about the Speed Force and its effects on The Flash, then check out Francis Manapul’s run in DC Comics’ New 52. The Flash’s ability to vibrate through objects is just the tip of the iceberg.
I don’t want to spend too much time on Cheshire and Red Arrow, because like I said, their arc is interesting, but it felt out of place in an episode dominated by speedsters. For you parents out there, I suggest you take Roy’s advice and leave your kids at a babysitters the next time you decide to break into a secret facility in Tibet. What do you think happened to the original Roy Harper? My knowledge on Red Arrow is limited, and unless I missed something from the first season, does anyone have a guess as to what happened to his arm? I wonder if it had something to do with the cloning process? Hopefully we’ll discover these answers sooner than later.
Lastly, I’d like to discuss the reasons for Bart’s travel through time. At the end of the episode, it’s revealed that Neutron and Bart are acquaintances, yet the former villain seems surprised when only his physical body is restored. Mount Justice is still in shambles, and the world appears to be blanketed in a layer of ash. Bart said there was a lot at stake, and that there were many missions that he must complete before everything can be restored. Any thoughts on what those missions might be? Justice League: Invasion has been chaotic at times, but I think the writers are doing a good job building this new world, by slowly adding new mysteries for us to uncover. Hopefully, Bart can complete his mission before everyone ends up “moded.” Let me know what you thought of this week’s episode in the comments section below.
-Definition of “Moded” From The Urban Dictionary: “This word is most appropriately used when someone is proven wrong in an embarassing manner. It is not simply a matter of making a mistake, or being embarassed, but is most properly used when someone has vehemently defended a position and been proven wrong.”
-Interesting Facts about Neutron: His original name is Nathaniel Tryon. Neutron first appeared in Action Comics #525 in 1981, and was created by Marv Wolfman and Joe Staton. He’s usually affiliated with Superman, so it’s interesting that he would be hanging out with Bart Allen in the future. He has appeared in the Justice League: Unlimited series, and on an episode of Smallville. His abilities include super strength, nuclear blasts and radiation absorption. Maybe we’ll see more of Nathaniel as the season progresses.
-David Griffin (Follow @griffinde on Twitter)
I thought this was spectacular, both the A and B plots and I am glad to see the quest for Roy entering its next phase. One theory is that the original Roy will become Arsenal, an alias he used in the comics after losing an arm. I am also thrilled that Impulse will be sticking around for a while.
I had a nerd fit when I saw Bart Allen. I was never so excited to see a Flash character. His origin from the comic, is definately nodded here, he is from the future, and overall this episode had me bouncing up and down in my seat. Beautiful episode. And to answer your question about Roy loosing his arm, its a nod as to him loosing his arm in the comics, but instead of loosing his arm as a teenager like he apparently has in YJ, he's an adult and his it ripped off. I really want to know if Young Justice is going to explore how Roy lost his arm.
I think I had that same "nerd fit" that you're describing. This episode was full of fan severe, and I loved it
Darkside is definetly coming this season…I just know it
That would interesting, and awesome. Hope it happens, but I still want to know who The Light's new "partner" is.
Am surprised no one is talking the Meta thing , now that we no that the kidnapped children are being turned into Meta-humans there's more of a chance that Long-shadow will actually happen along with other meta-human super heroes if you ask me there might be too many characters on that show , i want a spin off so bad a teen titans one won't hurt
The meta-human story is interesting. Hopefully they'll develop that further down the road, and spin-offs are always welcomed
Mode…Meat…Crash!?
You don't want to "feel the mode" Doc, you really don't
Hahaha…
I'm not sure Darkseid is the big bad this season. In a way, I hope he's not. I'm thinking Mongul, Despero or after this episode, the Dominators.
“Big Bad”! Ha! Sorry I get Buffy/Angel Scoobies flashbacks from that! Yeah DS is overdone! That last Batman/Superman Movie was close to the last straw for me. I like that Savage and Luthor are just pawns/mid-level players. It should be fun to see what the deal is
I have booked marked your site and am about to email it to a few friends of mine that I know would enjoy reading.
Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.