With so many super-speedsters around and Godspeed seemingly defeated, Barry finally decides to take at least part of a day off. How well did that go? Take a guess…and then follow us after the jump to learn more about another great issue of THE FLASH!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Okay folks, you asked for a more new-Wally-centric article, and for much of this issue you’ve got it! While Barry and Meena enjoy a tropical sunrise, Wally is trying to decide whether he will go to S.T.A.R. Labs for training…and just when he’s ready to turn away, Meena arrives from that spectacular morning with Barry to talk to him. While Wally isn’t quite ready to take formal training, Meena’s connection to the Flash convinces him to try some informal training alongside her. We get to see young Wally at his best, demonstrating something unique to him…the ability to project speed force lightning! And, we see a great rescue as Meena teaches Wally how to run up the side of a building…and to use a vortex to cushion the way back down as they save two workers from a broken window washing platform.

Just before that, Barry returns to the Gem Cities as well to talk with Iris, where a planned discussion of cases quickly is replaced by talk about Barry’s love life. Nope, we aren’t getting Barry & Iris yet, but the basis of a close friendship is definitely in place. When Barry heads to work, he finds that August is showing him up a bit, handling the balance between super-heroics and police procedurals better (at least for now).

Now, all this action and fun was predicated on the idea that Godspeed was Dr. Carver, right? Everything is cool now, yes? Not on your life! Meena leaves her session with Wally to return to a S.T.A.R. Labs that is under attack by Godspeed! By the time Barry and August can arrive, all that is left of many of the speedsters are dead bodies…and all that is left of Meena is her uniform!

QUICK NOTE #1: Okay, it looks bad for Meena, but as we all know from the laws of dead comic book characters, an empty costume does not equal a dead person.  We’ll have to wait to see what happens next.

QUICK NOTE #2: No reason to complain about Wally not getting into action anymore. Not only do we see him running, but we see him in an actual rescue…and we see him demonstrate a special ability that surprises his mentor (in this case Meena).

SUMMARY: This arc has been simply outstanding. The pacing is excellent. The character voices are genuine. We get enough plot development to keep us coming back – not so much as to spoil everything, but more than enough to make us realize our hard-earned comics dollars were well spent. Young Wally gets some time in a very positive spotlight, something that by now this character well deserves. And, we get a build-up for the big bad that is effective without beating us over the head with exposition. What’s not to love? Joshua Williamson continues to write exceptional scripts for the series…simply outstanding! And, the artwork continues to win me over, with pencils by Felipe Watanabe, inks by Andrew Currie & Oclair Albert, and colors by Ivan Plascencia. For me, this is a 10/10

Of course, that’s just my opinion – what’s yours? Leave your comments below!

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