Ryan North continues this volume of THE FLASH by exploring Wally’s new “Flashes of Insight”. This time, Wally predicts…an invasion by Grodd! How will this new ability help? How does it work in the first place? And can anything stop Grodd when he is ready to fight? Wanna know more? Follow us after the jump!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
First of all – my apologies once again for being gone for a while, and for this review being a bit late. It’s good to be back…now on to the review!
During the New 52, Barry Allen had an ability called “Speed Thinking”. Barry could calculate the various potential outcomes and predict what might happen next. But, that ability had a price. Barry became cold and distant due to his use of that ability. That’s not the case here, and while “Flashes of Insight” has some similarities, there are significant differences.
- Wally has (up to this issue) not been trying to calculate outcomes. They have just naturally come to him (we’ll learn why in this issue).
- Wally sees his “Flashes of Insight” as visions, not as mere calculated outcomes.
- Wally is definitely still Wally, even when he explores “Flashes of Insight” more – he does not turn cold and distant as a result of using this ability.
Okay, on to how this works. It’s tied to the earlier arc where Wally was all over town, all around the clock. What he (and we) did not realize was that Wally was gathering massive amounts of data while running around town at super speed. That data was stored in his mind and helping to generate these glimpses into possible futures – the “Flashes of Insight.”
Now, can Wally make this happen voluntarily? Turns out, the answer is “Yes”! And the first thing his “Flashes of Insight” create is a prediction of a gorilla invasion, led by none other than Gorilla Grodd!
This issue explores Wally’s new ability well, showing us that it doesn’t always get everything right. It depends on how much data Wally has gathered. It leads to some VERY interesting panels that show all of Wally’s attempts to dissuade Grodd from invading. You can read a number of panels in a two-page spread in just about any order (and you should), because it shows not only how “Flashes of Insight” works, but also the limitations of that ability.
Eventually, Wally does find a way to keep Grodd from invading, but another danger shows up in Central City – one that Wally could not predict. It gives us one more of the classic Rogues in a splash page that really heats things up (hint, hint). That’s where we leave it for now.
NOTES:
- I’m enjoying “Flashes of Insight”. Unlike some abilities that were explored in previous volumes of THE FLASH, this ability ties well enough into the Speed Force that it makes sense (at least in comic book physics). And, the ability is used in highly creative ways that drive the plot forward without being too gimmicky. In other words, I really like this!
- We are seeing a Wally West at his best – his personality shines in Ryan North’s run so far, and it’s a very good thing to see.
- The artwork has a sort of Indie comic vibe, and as a person who used to review a LOT of indie comics for another site (RIP to TMStash, I still miss ya), I’m enjoying this artwork a lot.
SUMMARY:
Ryan North and an excellent art team are doing an excellent job with THE FLASH, and I cannot express my thanks as a long-time Flash fan enough. I’ll give this one a 9/10 – of course, that’s just my opinion. What do YOU think? Leave your comments below!