The Battle vs Eclipso Continues – Review of THE FLASH 778

Eclipso is getting closer to gaining the ultimate in power, but there is one thing he can’t control. Make that one person he can’t control. That person is Wally West! Problem is, Eclipso is able to control everyone else, including all the members of Justice League Dark. So what’s a good speedster to do? And while that’s going on, what is happening with Irey and her new friend? Looks like they may be headed for trouble. Wanna know more? Follow us after the jump!

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Wally has to fight off the JL Dark, and in the first battle he wins fairly easily. He heads with Dark Opal to recharge the weapon that could entrap Eclipso, thinking all will be well soon. Problem is, Dark Opal is still a bad guy, and as it turns out he is more than willing to side with Eclipso. This time, Wally can’t beat the JL Dark as they enter the frey again. They leave Wally trapped and at the mercy of his now-possessed friends, while Eclipso gets closer to his ultimate goal.

Meanwhile, Irey and her new friend are drugged and kidnapped by Shimmer and Mammoth, who are working for the Calculator. The scheme? Capture metas and sell them to the highest bidders, who would mold them to do their bidding. Irey and her friend are both placed into stasis tubes, seemingly out of luck entirely.

This is where Jai saves the day. The powerless, no connection to the Speed-Force Jai? You bet! He grabbed onto the van taking his sister and her friend as they left the scene and made it to the Calculator’s hideout. Irey is still too groggy to speed them all to safety, so Jai begs his sister to reconnect him to the Speed Force. This is a huge sacrifice, but it works. Jai is able to power up and easily defeat Mammoth, Shimmer and the Calculator before the pain associated with his connection to the Speed Force comes into play.

And, somehow, Jai is able to figure out the terrible spot that their dad is in – and that’s where we leave if for this issue.

NOTES:

  • I love the pacing of this arc. This is a don’t-blink-or-you’ll-miss-it pace, packed with action. Even so, there is a solid plot line that has effectively moved forward on both fronts (Gemworld and Central City). This arc has me drawn in completely, and I’m enjoying every panel.
  • We continue to see the Wally West we know and love (at least the Wally we knew and loved before FLASHPOINT and subsequent storylines messed with him).  Jeremy Adams has the perfect handle on this beloved character.
  • The artwork is divided along the two story threads, and it works smoothly, with excellent art throughout the issue. That’s thanks to Fernando Pasarin, Matt Ryan, Brent Peeples, Jeromy Cox, Peter Pantazis, Matt Herms, Rob Leigh, Brandon Peterson, and Michael Atiyeh. Great work all around!

SUMMARY:

This issue hit on every cylinder – a great story, paced well, illustrated well, you get the idea. This is a 10/10 for this reviewer. Of course, that’s just my opinion – what do YOU think? Leave your comments below!

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