The future-Flash finds Overload…and the kind of trouble from which he can’t run away, while present Barry finds a surprising source of danger while trapped in the Speed Force. The twin storylines are moving forward in significant ways in one of the stronger issues in the Venditti-Jensen-Booth era of THE FLASH.
MILD SPOILERS AHEAD
This issue starts off with a flashback (no pun intended) to the events of “Forever Evil” and the origin story of Overload, a powerful new villain who had managed to elude future-Flash in his timeline. As Iris and Patty meet secretly to talk about the very different way Flash has been acting, future-Barry is tracking down this new villain and finds a clue that may make all the difference in his search.
Speaking of searches, Patty has managed to trick Barry into making himself traceable by GPS. This is quite shocking, that Patty would lose so much faith in Barry…but there’s more in this issue that makes her new lack of faith justified. Future-Flash finds Overload and is ready to kill him in full view of the city, when Patty and Iris step in. The reaction of the future-Flash places his reputation…and his relationship with Patty…in serious danger.
Meanwhile, present-Barry and Selkirk make their way to a Speed Force Temple that was hidden inside the Speed Force itself! But, there is a surprising danger in that temple – and from a somewhat unexpected source! Both timelines are moving to a conclusion, and both Flashes are in serious danger as this issue comes to a close.
This issue picks up the pace of the twin storylines, and drives a serious wedge between future-Barry and Patty. The interesting thing is which relationship improves – nope, not Barry and Iris, but actually it is the level of trust between Iris and Patty that is growing here. Both storylines – both future- and present-Barry tales – are moving much faster toward their conclusions, and that’s a very good thing. The artwork was excellent once again this issue – the page layouts were inventive throughout (I loved the sort of camera angle we found on entering the Speed Force Temple). Brett Booth (pencils), Norm Rapmund (inks) and Andrew Dalhouse (colors) deliver an excellent issue once again.
SUMMARY: As we move closer to the end game of this story arc, Robert Venditti and Van Jensen have written one of the stronger issues in their run so far. The art continues to excel as well, making for an excellent issue of THE FLASH.
Is ‘Wally West’ absent from this story arc? ((I would consider that a requirement for any possible future purchase of the trade seeing as I can’t stand NU-Wally.))
Wally is barely given a mention in this arc.
It’s all about Future Barry screwing everything for present Barry when he finally manages to escape the Speed Force.
I didn’t like the characterisation of Iris, she was more interested in getting the front page than concerned about a hero who has been a friend to her. The friendship with Patty, though, was a lovely surprise, I’m all for it.
The betrayal in the Speed Force storyline wasn’t a huge surprise, I never trusted that person, he was almost moustache twirling. I cannot wait for this sequence to be over, I hate the New 52 Speed-Force-as-Place angle. And evil alternate Flashes have been done to death.
I would love to see them just sever Flash’s connection to the speed force or abolish it entirely. Flash was around for 30-some years before the speed force came along and he’d be just fine without it. At this point though it’s obvious that DC has no clue what to do with it (so why not give Brett Booth another chance to draw dinosaurs, right?)