Barry continues to discover the extent of his powers. Iris and Barry continue to discover…each other. The Turtle continues to rant while in Iron Heights. And, oh yeah, what about that bullet that hit Barry last issue? YEAR ONE continues to be a story for the ages, and that’s just where we pick up for issue # 73 of THE FLASH! Wanna know more? Follow us after the jump!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
As we’ve noted before, THE FLASH: YEAR ONE gives us a fresh take on the Flash mythos while still staying true to the core of the character and his history. That’s a big job to take on, but Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter continue to be more than up to the task.
Barry is still in his proto-uniform, a mixture of elements from both the Golden and Silver Ages with a little modern twist to go along with it. He actually WAS hit by that bullet last issue while trying to save Iris and the others. And, that bullet is moving ever-closer to his heart. So, what’s a speedster to do?
Keep in mind that Barry hasn’t been able to phase through things without blowing them up so far (a concept we saw a long time ago with Wally West). But, he manages to make it work this time, literally pulling the bullet out of his own chest!
While he is accomplishing the impossible, Iris West shows up at his door. Barry has no idea how to survive this…and if he survives how to meet Iris before she leaves. That’s when Barry discovers his rapid healing abilities…and revisits his ability to rapidly clean up his apartment.
Barry and Iris are falling in love, but not without some strain on the relationship due to his hiding his biggest secret. We’ll see that continue to play out, and it makes sense for a Year One story. Not everything can be easy…in fact, few things are truly easy for Barry in this first year of discovering his tremendous abilities.
This issue also revisits the Turtle…who figures out Barry’s identity due to that connection to the Speed Force (and possibly the Still Force for Turtle?). The issue brings that battle back to the forefront with a character we thought we’d seen the last of…or at least a version of a character we thought was long gone.
SUMMARY: THE FLASH: YEAR ONE is already a classic. I truly don’t know how Williamson and Porter keep each chapter up to such an incredibly high standard…but that’s exactly what they are doing. We see just enough of Barry’s power set developing each issue to keep things fresh, and just enough relationship development to keep emotions high. Can’t say much more than that…except this is another 10/10. Of course, that’s just my opinion – what do YOU think? Leave your comments below!
I hope one day you guys bring in a better commenting system because I love this site but the commenting is ancient. Anyway great review as always.
I really love the basis of the story, with Barry giving his first steps on super-heroism and getting to date Iris as everybody has been expecting. All that happens in the past works fine. But that time travel thing does not fit so well. I wanted a simple story of Barry’s first months as the Flash, not a convoluted story with Future Barry meeting Past Barry and them both trying to prevent future Turtle to rule past Central City.