Joshua Williamson concludes one of the most consequential runs on this title that I’ve seen in my 50+ years of reading THE FLASH. There is an almost “Whatever Happened to the Man of Steel” feel to parts of this (think the last Silver Age Superman story by Alan Moore). And, it gives us a perfect ending…and beginning to hand off the baton to the next creative team. It’s the final battle with the Reverse-Flash. Will Barry repeat what he did just before COIE and kill his greatest enemy? Will Barry survive the fight? Or, will he be lost in the Speed Force for all time? Wanna know more? Follow us after the jump!
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD!
Just as with some recent issues, we aren’t going to spoil much here. The story is just too good, and you really should read it for yourself. We will, however, give away a key point or two, so be warned…
Despite what you see on the main cover, Barry does not kill Thawne. That’s not without a lot of baiting by Thawne, who seems to have a death wish. This battle within the Speed Force gives us a most unusual twist…
Barry forgives Thawne.
You read that right. Barry knows that the only way to move on is to let go of the hate that has been driving him. And, he’s right. Thawne attempts one last barrage, but there is a twist to what Barry does that changes everything. Thawne isn’t dead…but he is different now. And, it resets a lot of things for the better.
The issue goes on to show just what has changed for the better, even while recognizing that there are still tough times ahead for everyone. A lot of the terrible things we’ve seen in the most recent incarnation of Thawne are rectified…but not everything has changed in the long history of this battle of speedsters. You’ll have to read to see what did and did not make the cut for “making things right”.
In the end, we get one more look at what Williamson has done for The Flash – a get together of (nearly all of) the Flash family. And, we get one more heartfelt moment that explains who Barry really is and what his motivation is as a hero. It’s touching and beautiful…and I loved how this wrapped up.
One note here – Howard Porter’s art is outstanding! So glad Porter was on this last issue by Williamson.
NOTES:
We’re doing something a little different for the notes this time. Let’s talk Williamson’s time on this title. And, I may risk a little hyperbole here, but I truly believe this: What Mark Waid did for Wally, and what Geoff Johns did for Flash Rebirth, Joshua Williamson has done for the whole Flash family. We’ve seen the welcome return of long-lost characters. We’ve seen new additions to Flash lore that have been huge hits with Flash fans. We seen some things made right that Flash fans truly needed to see. And in this last arc, Williamson has written a love letter to a franchise that should warm the heart of every fan. As a fan of all things Flash for over 50 years…Thank you Joshua Williamson for what you have done for THE FLASH!
SUMMARY:
Let’s give a score that fits the entire 101 issues…10/10 with a thank-you to Williamson! Of course, that my opinion. What do YOU think? Leave your comments below!
Call me cynical but I doubt this is REALLY the final time we’ll see of Eobard Thawne.
Just as hope and love are very powerful things, hate is as powerful.
There’s always a chance that the Reverse-Flash will be back.
And I’ve seen how much he hates Barry as well as the Flash legacy.
It’s buried deep, but I know there’s a part of him that still remembers, that still hates.
This is the last time we’ll see of him during Joshua’s run, but not truly the last time.
Williamson’s run was truly spectacular, especially this last arc. The run had some ups and downs for me – not a big fan of the other forces – but for the first time, it made me like Barry Allen. And Howard Porter should go down as one of the all-time great Flash artists.
(As an aside, I’m always trying to stick up for Messner-Loebs not to be forgotten as we go through Flash writers … he’s the one who really defined Wally as Flash first (and created Linda) for 50 issues and then passed the baton to Waid.)
Also, I hope it’s the last we see of Reverse-Flash for awhile … he’s been waaaaay overused. This is a suitable ending for him; hopefully it’ll last a few years.
I think we’re done with him. Although, it’s funny. In the Pre-Flashpoint world. The Present Day Thawne (Eobard’s ancestor) was Barry’s long-lost twin Brother! We see him in the background as Heather Macy and Barry are talking and the man has Blonde hair but we never see him up close. That could be a thread to pick up on in a later story arc (perhaps revisiting the Cobalt Blue/chain Lightning arc from Wally’s run.
Keep Cobalt Blue buried. That was the Worst idea and story in flash history.
I am a long time Flash reader(1973).
I hope the next writer stays away from the forces and Zoom for a Loooooooong time.
Williamson’s run was good not spectacular.
I would probably reread the silver age stories for the 5th time before I revisit this run.
Just getting around to finishing up Williamson’s run (COVID pushed my coming reading back months). Finish Line was really a good portion of fan service, heavy continuity, and wrapping up Williamson’s run. Since I have really only been reading Flash, the appearance of Jay was a little confusing for me (I hear this was explored in one of the Justice League titles), but damn, when he popped up, was it great (I am a big Jay fan). It was also cool to see all the different Flashes appear (and even the New 52 Jay – there is a character I thought we would never see again and he even got a line). Very Avengers: Endgame like.
Before Williamson announced that he was finishing up his run, I was already deciding to stop collecting whenever he did finish. Nothing to do with the writing. More so with the price increases, my lack of overall desire to keep getting floppies, and my increased interest of older comics. I just wasn’t as into it as I once was. I started with Flash with Geoff John’s Flash: Rebirth in 2009. Finish Line really feels like it put a cap on a giant arc that has been going for the past 10 years. My decision to jump away from the book felt more appropriate as it really felt like a conclusion to my time reading the Flash.
I enjoyed his run and plan to binge-read it again over the next year to really get into everything.
Is the run really that good? Aside from Rigues Revolution and the return of James Jesse I just find the run underwhelming. Barry was constantly miserable and blamed for everything (well not everything but it felt like Barry couldn’t go 5 minutes without someone telling him off), The forces were just a rip off of the emotion spectrum and Joshua ruined Hunter Zolomon by turning him into a clone of Eobard (who was also responsible for Hunter’s tragic origin which is just stupid and unnecessary). Sorry but I just do not get the hype.