In INFINTE FRONTIER #0, we saw the mantle being passed from Barry Allen to Wally West. This is the first issue of THE FLASH in a long time that sets Wally as the main speedster, and for many fans this is the best news possible. How smooth will the transition be? How happy can Wally be now? Wanna know more? Follow us after the jump!

SPOILERS AHEAD!

We get Wally’s answer to Barry’s invitation to be the one true Flash of Central City…he doesn’t want it. Wally has had enough of the speedster life, and he can think of nothing better than to spend his time with his wife and children. So, there is only one solution.

Wally needs to give up his connection to the Speed Force!

Barry can do this. He’s done that to Thawne already, but he’s hesitant to do this to Wally. At Wally’s insistence they decide to go for it. That means…a race! Barry says he’s “the Fastest Man Alive”, but Wally is more than ready to challenge that one last time.

The race is on, and we get a retrospective of how both Barry and Wally feel about their time together. Just as the right speed is gained, something strange happens to the Speed Force. Barry is pulled back into the present, but Wally goes somewhere (and somewhen) far different.

Only one of them still has speed – and it’s not Barry. In fact, the Speed Force isn’t connected to Jay, Max (notice that MAX MERCURY IS IN CONTINUITY AGAIN), or Wallace. All of them have lost their powers. Why?

The theory is that the Speed Force has a special connection to Wally West. That would make sense as Wally has done things with the Speed Force that no speedster had done before. This time, though, the Speed Force may be hurting. The Speed Force may be using Wally to heal whatever is wrong with it. It’s all theory, but it’s the best comic book science we have from Barry, Green Arrow, and Mr. Terrific. Okay, Oliver is there to be the everyman who can’t keep up with the scientists, but still…

When the Speed Force took Wally, it left behind his uniform. Why? Well in true QUANTUM LEAP fashion, Wally is now jumping into the bodies of speedsters of every era. This issue, he’s in the body of a cave man who has a particular lightning bolt either painted or tattooed over his eye. And, just like in QUANTUM LEAP, when Wally looks into a pool of water for his reflection, he (and we) see the caveman’s face. Other than that, we just see Wally – but with that lightning bolt over his face.

Caveman Wally is up against a dinosaur that ALSO has superspeed. During the battle, Barry and Mr Terrific find a way to communicate with him through the Speed Force. That’s all well and good, but what’s about to happen? Well, at least it isn’t totally Wally’s fault this time.

The super-speed dinosaur starts shaking, then lets out the same burst of Speed Force energy as Wally back in HEROES IN CRISIS. Wally barely outruns it, as that burst may well be the DCU explanation for the end of the dinosaur era (instead of a meteor).  The last burst of speed Wally uses to escape sends him through time once again, into another body.

This time, Wally is in the body of…Bart Allen, Impulse! As we end this issue, Wally/Bart and Gold Beetle are up against one of the Dominators. Can’t wait to see what happens next!

NOTES:

• We are seeing what may well be the final stages of redemption for Wally as a character, as he comes back prominently into the DC Omniverse.  That’s good news for just about any FLASH fan.
• Oliver has a great relationship with Barry. But, Oliver has a real problem with Wally, based on HEROES IN CRISIS and what he believes happened to Roy. (SPOILER – Roy Harper is alive, but no one knows it just yet). It is in spite of that issue that Oliver is still willing to help Barry reach Wally.
• We get cameos from the Justice League here, though only Barry, Oliver, Clark and Bruce speak. Oliver thinks Wally still presents a danger. Clark wants to give Wally support (of course). Bruce doesn’t have an opinion on the past but he believes that someone “half in, half out, distraction leads to disaster”. The bottom line is that the League supports Wally’s decision.
• I am SO happy to see all the people that are back in continuity here. Just in this issue we have Linda Park, Jai and Irey, and Max Mercury. I’m not alone in saying that I’ve missed these guys, and it’s great to see them in a regular FLASH story once again.
• The race scene had some great laughs along the way. They took care of some bad guy situations along the way, and it’s handled wonderfully.
• The artwork was penciled/inked by three artists and three colorists. Given the dramatically different locations and scenes in this issue, it can be pulled off. Some of the figures are almost photo-realistic, though that’s not the case over the full story. Overall it works, though.

SUMMARY:

Jeremy Adams takes over writing for THE FLASH with this issue, and if this story is any indication we are in for some great stories. I’ll give this one a 9/10. Of course, that’s just my opinion – what do YOU think? Leave your comments below!

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