This week’s digital backissues at ComiXology include Flash v.2 #40-42, featuring a two-part Dr. Alchemy story and the first part of a Kilg%re two-parter.
In “Philosopher’s Stone” and “Elemental Conflict,” Wally West consults the reformed but quirky scientist Al Desmond to help Linda with her spiritual possession (Seamus, the medieval Irish bard who showed up unwanted while they investigated the Celestial Ranch cult last time). But there are two sides to Desmond’s personality, one of which is Dr. Alchemy. This story made an interesting reveal about the nature of the two Al Desmonds, one which seems to have been forgotten or at least glossed over by later Flash writers.
In “Mechanical Failure” (though I prefer the “Night of the Mechanical Zombies” tagline from the cover), we catch up with Wally’s old flame Dr. Tina McGee, now working with her husband Jerry on an artificial intelligence project. But her colleagues don’t seem to be acting quite themselves, and no one will believe her when she tells them something seems wrong about them….
Flash #40-42 will be available on ComiXology Wednesday morning.
I remember these issues as some of my favorites from the Messner-Loebs era. And it all goes uphill from here… Gorilla Grodd, Vandal Savage, the New Costume… awesome stuff!!
now that I see this cover… I have a question. Do you know why DC started to put that small Flash waving at the reader on the cover?
Even better… do you know who drew it?
I’m not sure, but I do remember it being something they added across the line, at least in the standard-format books. The Justice League comics actually had several images with pairs of heroes from the team that they rotated through.
When they got to Flash #50 and the new costume, they switched it out for an image from one of the interior pages in that issue.
Well, it’s a very nice drawing, but it’s Barry’s suit (which Wally was using at the time). It looks like something José Luis García-López could have drawn for those art guidelines that he draws.
Pretty excited that they’re finally hitting the gap in my print collection. I’ve never read anything from 40 to 100 that wasn’t collected in TPB.
Last time I checked (a few years back, though), most of the Messner-Loebs issues (except for issue #50), are quite cheap online.
@SpeedForceOrg Aw. You had my hopes up for a sec, starting a sentence that way.
There’s some really good stuff in there. William Messner-Loebs’ run is underrated, and while the big stories of Waid’s run are in TPBs, there are some great done-in-one and two-parters.
I didn’t particularly like the 3-part arc with the Cult, but there were some truly great stories before and after those issues. The Comfort of a Stranger, The one with the sniper in the movie theather, the one with the Joker, they are all good. I really like the cover for issue #24, the beginning of the Porcupine Man story-arc.
I love the Splash Page with Wally starting to Flirt with Linda. GOD I miss those crazy kids!