“Perfect Storm” concludes here – and it is packed with important moments throughout! This is more than a great wrap-up to the battle with Grodd…this one confirms some important Flash history as canon, it brings [REDACTED] face to face with [REDACTED], and it sets us up effectively for some HUGE events later this year. Want to know more (including who “redacted” and “redacted” are)? Follow us after the jump!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
While older Wally looks for Iris and Team Flash tries to save everyone in Central City, Barry is in the middle of a brutal battle with Grodd. We get a narration throughout the story from a letter Barry wrote to Iris, professing his love…with the horrific nature of the battle serving as counterpoint. But, this battle isn’t all it seems.
Barry has finally figured out how to use Grodd’s mental link with him to his own advantage. He has been projected back to Grodd a fake result…one in which Barry is beaten to a pulp. Instead, Barry has been sneaking up and preparing an onslaught that stops Grodd.
Just then, guards from Gorilla City come to take Grodd away for trial. Hooray for Team Flash, right? Not yet…the Negative Speed Force is still out of control, and if it is not stopped it won’t be just Central City that is destroyed. This could affect the entire world!
Only one way to stop it – using Speed Force energy by running around the storm to counteract the Negative Speed Force energy. It’s a risky move – one that could take away power entirely…even kill. Barry once again wants to run headlong into the fray by himself…and older Wally shows him the error of his ways here. The whole team of speedsters joins him, taking the risk with him.
One speedster does appear to pay the price – Godspeed! He disappears into the storm and is unaccounted for afterward. The rest are okay, and Barry runs off to find Iris – they are finally together again.
After this, we find who has been narrating the issue – it’s Hunter Zolomon! Zoom has been reading this letter, a letter that somehow survived all those years. He is ready to use all he has learned about all the speedsters against Barry and Wally and all the Flash family…and that will lead us into future stories. But, for now…
NOTES: We see some important plot points in this book beyond the main storyline:
- Iris briefly sees older Wally face to face after he saves her, and appears to recognize him. We only get one word (“You?”) but next issue should go farther into this revelation.
- Barry’s death (presumably his death in Crisis On Infinite Earths) is confirmed here, as older Wally references Barry dying before.
- We get a splash page of the REBIRTH version of the “Flash Family” – though one member (Godspeed) is gone soon after, bringing us to…
- …Godspeed is gone, at least for now. This creation by Josh Williamson has been loved by some, hated by others…but for me Godspeed was an excellent character. He provided a look into what Barry could have been with different choices in life. Putting the two together gave us a better look into Barry’s psyche, and I will miss Godspeed for however long he stays on the shelf.
- And of course, Zoom is getting ready to start a “Flash War” – this one should be interesting.
I’ll give this one a 9/10 – but that’ just my opinion. What do YOU think? Leave your comments below!
I didn’t think Iris recognized Wally as Wally Per se, but more that she saw she was being rescued by the mysterious Flash that has been appearing regularly alongside Barry, NuWally and the Titans.
That being said, I’m really digging this whole storyline. It reminds me of the god old days when I’d read Wally’s run as soon as I was out the door of my comic shop and would be running my own ideas of what’s next for the next month!
It’s funny, When the TV series started I was way more into that than I was the comic. I still read it every month but I just didn’t FEEL the excitement. Now, It’s the opposite. Although the art sometimes leaves me cold, I’m really enjoying the comic way more than the TV show. It’s not that I hate the show. I do still enjoy it for the most part, but the comic has definitely taken a huge lead over the show in the anticipation factor.