His name is Wally West. So is his…and his…and his… Okay, not quite, one of them is named F8-3-1459, and they are all fighting a war for the moon! It’s not been going well, and it likely won’t get much better soon, as we are now in the first “Event” of this volume of THE FLASH. It’s called “Bad Moon Rising”. Wanna know more? Follow us after the jump!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
This volume of THE FLASH is completely different from anything we’ve read before that starred a Scarlet Speedster. If you are looking for anything that reminds you of past iterations of THE FLASH, I’m not sure what to tell you. The power set is very different, and the results are, so far, horrific for the good guys.
Wally has created multiples of himself on a scale not seen before. Thousands (and thousands) of Flashes are being sent into battle, most of them turning into nothing more than cannon fodder. And why is that?
It’s Eclipso.
Eclipso has taken on a new form, and he has somehow devoured our favorite speed force baby pup, Foxy – and that has significantly added to Eclipso’s power set. Add to that the likely assistance of Godspeed, and it seems like nothing can get through enemy lines. The battle has been going on in speed time – not very long for people on Earth, but possibly years for Wally and company.
Wally does have some help – Pilgrim/Wade is giving advice, some of Mister Terrific’s tech is involved, Judy Garrick (aka The Boom) is an acting General for this Flash army, and Wallace and Avery are creating some diversions to help the multiple Wallys get closer to enemy lines.
All that so far is for naught. Copy after copy of the Flash goes down in defeat, injured or even unalived. It’s not getting easier – in fact, it may be getting worse as at least one Rogue joins Eclipso’s cause. That’s where we leave things for now…
NOTES:
- I’m going to review these issues of THE FLASH with my old indie reviewer’s lens (from back in the day when I reviewed indies for another site). Why is that?
- I no longer recognize this character. The uniform is cool, and the name Wally West is there. But his powers are radically different, and it’s hard to reconcile any former continuity with the present storyline.
- I’ll still say this is a good story – and it truly is. The storyline is powerful, and the threat is certainly magnified if literally thousands of Wallys are no match for it. It may yet turn out to be an excellent arc when judged solely on its own terms. It’s just not The Flash…
- And all that said, I could just be the curmudgeonly old Silver-Aged reviewer and I need to get with a more modern take, so let’s review this for what it is right now. I just miss reading THE FLASH, but I’ll readily admit this is a good story if taken out of my long-term fan’s frame of mind.
SUMMARY:
I’ll still give this an 8/10 if viewed solely without any prior continuity for this character. The story by Si Spurrier is powerful, and the threat is worthy of an Event arc. The artwork by Vasco Georgiev, Matt Herms, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou is excellent. That’s just my opinion – what do YOU think? Leave your comments below!