The world/universe/dimension is a mess right now. There are time quakes and dimensional tears, and our speedsters are struggling to keep up even at near-light speed. If you’re looking for the danger to be over…watch out, it’s really just beginning. There are multiple, serious threats coming to a critical mass, and it’s looking really bad for our Flash Family. Even “corn-belt Lois Lane” has a run-in in this issue. Wanna know more? Follow us after the jump!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
This issues has at least two purposes – move the present arc forward and establish a tie-in for the Flash Family to the upcoming “Absolute Power” storyline in the DCU. And I have to say, this creative team has done that quite well.
Nothing – and I mean absolutely NOTHING – is going right. Barry is pushing himself to his limits and still finding himself unable to fully address the threat. He isn’t alone – Kid Flash, Jesse Quick, Avery Ho, and Circuit Breaker are all adding to the fight. But, they are all facing an uphill battle.
Meanwhile, Inspector Pilgrim is paying a visit to Wally and Linda’s house – and Inspector Pilgrim is fanboying as he meets Hartley Rathaway. This may be the strangest scene in a book filled with strangeness, if only because Pilgrim is acting so…normal…when we know he has significant ulterior motives.
Barry ends up against the Rogues that have been given power and tech upgrades, and he may well be out of action for now. But, that may not matter soon, as Amanda Waller has entered the picture!
At the beginning of the episode, Iris West is being interviewed on a local radio show. She jokingly refers to herself as “Corn Belt Lois Lane” and discusses heroes with the host. It’s all going well until “Mandy” calls into the show.
“Mandy” of course turns out to be Amanda Waller. Her forces have invaded TerrificTech, and are preparing to use the data and devices there to push her anti-hero agenda forward. As they break into the studio where Iris is being interviewed, Waller hijacks the show to tell listeners her twisted version of the story. It’s all the speedsters’ fault! Will Amanda Waller ever stop? Can she BE stopped? That’s for a future issue (and the “Absolute Power” storyline across DC). For now…
NOTES:
- This issue beats the odds as we get ready to tie-in to “Abolute Power”. In some cases, an “event” storyline creates some odd wrinkles in the usual story arc of individual books. Here, Si Spurrier does an effective job of adding Waller in without disrupting the present story arc. If anything Waller’s presence adds a welcome additional element. It’s not enough that our Flash Family is fighting a reality-breaking menace. Their efforts may be shut down even as reality breaks because of Amanda Waller. That’s well done.
- Excellent artwork once again by Ramon Perez, Vasco Georgiev, Sofie Dodgson, Matt Herms and Hassan Otsmane-ElHaou.
- This is still the trippiest story arc to ever hit the pages of THE FLASH – but I’m in for the long run and I’m looking forward to whatever comes next.
SUMMARY:
This issue moves the story arc forward while effectively blending in the “event” storyline for the overall DC lineup. I’ll give this issue an 8/10 – of course, that’s just my opinion. What do YOU think? Leave your comments below!