The Flash #22 The Button CONCLUSION

So after a week's delay we have the conclusion to The Button. So how did it end up in the Batcave? Why was it there? What does it mean?

Well the short answer is, we still don't know... 

This event frustratingly left a lot of things unanswered. The visuals were cool and each issue was a lot of fun but when you take a step back and look at the event as a whole, nothing really happened. We are basically in the same place that we started from. The only difference is that Batman is now having a crisis of faith. Which inevitably won't last too long. (However the War of Jokes and Riddles, the next Batman arc, is set to largely take place in the past... So perhaps this will come into play!)

We had been teased throughout that our heroes  might encounter Doctor Manhattan of the Watchmen, and spoiler: they don't. This was the reason I bought into this event. I love Watchmen and I love Batman and the Flash. A crossover would be incredible! And it still could be, but this event just seemed to be a reminder that something weird is going on in the DC universe and a very powerful individual is pulling the strings.

There was very little substance to the issue, it was just a mad chase scene. We have pretty much come full circle, in that my problems with the first issue arise here again. It could be cool as another part of the story but this took up a full quarter of the arc. I could have done with another few issues to wrap things up appropriately. It was supposed to be a conclusion but very little was concluded here.

We get an exciting cameo from Jay Garrick, the original Flash but even that is all too brief to be very effective. He does look great though! I can't wait to see him return to action. The whole arc has been a sneak preview of what's to come and this is no exception.

Unfortunately this last issue left things to be continued in the next DC Event, which Geoff Johns conveniently announced recently: Doomsday Clock. Which is admittedly exciting but I wanted certain things to occur in this arc that will inevitably end up happening in that arc.

I enjoyed the journey but at the end I'm left feeling disappointed.

I'm giving The Flash #22 a C for the story.

Art is still top notch and gets an A but its not enough to make it a satisfying issue. There was too much build up and not enough pay-off.