There are so many questions in the Flash mythos that are being answered in fresh, new ways…while staying true to the core elements of the first hero of the Silver Age. Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter are giving us a FLASH story for the ages. Grab your copies, bag and board ’em, because these are going to be true collector’s items in the future. Chapter Three of FLASH: YEAR ONE is no exception – a fantastic story that furthers Barry Allen’s journey into the hero we know today. Wanna know more? Follow us after the jump!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
Without spoiling too much, let’s look at some of the answers to FLASH history in this REBIRTH era that we learned in THE FLASH #72, Chapter Three of FLASH: YEAR ONE:
- How does Barry design his costume? At first, Barry relies on raw speed to hide his secret identity. As this issue progresses, however, he starts to add pieces to his costume that hides part of his face. His costume is gradually moving toward a more familiar design.
- Why the lightning bolt symbol? Barry uses it in graffiti left at the scene of his heroics, sort of a “Z for Zorro” signature. It’s an homage to the lightning that created his powers. Of course, being Barry Allen, he always returns shortly later to clean it up. (That was perfectly in character for Barry, and it still made me chuckle).
- Why does Captain Cold wear those odd blue glasses? In the 1960’s the answer would have been simple – just a design choice. Back before polarized lenses, those were the kind of “glasses” one would wear to avoid the glare of sunshine off the snow on a ski run. That obviously would be outdated now, so we have a different response. These glasses are now high-tech devices that help bad guys avoid alarms and listen in on police communications.
- Is Snart already Captain Cold? Not yet. He’s in a group of crooks that includes Clive Yorkin, who in one reality was found over the dead body of Iris West after she was killed by the Reverse Flash. No word on what will happen to him in the REBIRTH era, but we get a first look here.
- Could there be other future Rogues in this band of bad guys? Yep…but I’ll leave that to your comments. I look forward to your theories.
- Has Barry met Wally…or Wallace yet? Not yet…he hears that Iris has nephews, but nothing more quite yet.
- But most important…and this is a question this old Silver Age fan never had adequately answered even in the Silver Age…WHY would Iris West be attracted to Barry Allen? You’ll see a side of Iris’ personality that makes perfect sense as to why she would like this somewhat nerdy CSI guy…and I love it! The basis for this relationship is clearly laid out here, and as a very long time Flash fan, I’m SO glad to see it.
Yes, Barry does defeat the Turtle, avoiding that horrific future we saw last issue. We get an inkling as to what may be behind Turtle’s powers, which ties into more recent story lines. And, we see Barry learning more about his powers (at least the phasing part, though it’s still not perfect yet). And, the ending gives us enough of a shocker to have you coming back. That is, unless you are already completely captivated by this Year One saga. I certainly am.
SUMMARY: I’m running out of words to describe how impressed I am with FLASH: YEAR ONE Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter are simply giving us a masterwork. 10/10 for me – but that’s only my opinion. What do YOU think? Leave your comments below!