DC KO’s All Fight Month brings us Green Lantern Guy Gardner vs Golden Age Flash Jay Garrick, seasoned hero vs the ultimate veteran. Mind, this being an issue of The Flash rather than a standalone tie-in, it’s not actually fighty fight throughout.
Nope, we begin with the consequences of the past two issues.
Surmising that Darkseid’s Legion will try to stop Barry Allen from being hit by the lightning bolt that sparked the Flash Family’s connection to the Speed Force, Wally takes Bart to Central City, moments before the event.
Attention shifts to the ever-changing arena where heroes and villains are fighting to become the DC Universe’s representative in the final battle against Darkseid, the King Omega. The rules of the cosmic tournament say the victor is the person who take two bouts out of three by killing their opponent twice. A certain reluctance to fight colleagues, even friends, might be expected, but not when it’s Guy, the GL whose ego is even stronger than his ring.
Jay’s plan? A game of draughts, or as it’s called the US, checkers. Guy reluctantly agrees, but as with many games at Christmastime, an argument breaks out.
It’s on! And one hero slices the other in two. The rules say that after the first round, the revived participants can choose their own form and weapons.
When Round 3 arrives, Jay goes back to basics as a very World War Two Flash, while Guy returns to his Nineties Vuldarian form, allowing him to turn his body parts into weapons.
Writers Mark Waid and Christopher Cantwell’s cracking story keeps the action coming but never skimps on characterisation. Guy calls the JSA the ‘Jurassic Society’, Jay looks on Guy’s horrible behaviour with the kindliest of eyes, and away from the bout, Wally shows his experience in tackling his own problems.
The art from Vasco Georgiev keeps up with the script, with panel after panel of hi-octane violence; I particularly like Jay’s speed spear, he should bring it out on special occasions. Guy’s Warrior look is as hideous as I remember, but Jay looks fabulous in more martial mode. The storytelling is clear, whether we’re in the fight realm with Guy and Jay or in the past of Barry’s origin story
The colours of Matt Herms bring extra sizzle, while the letters of Buddy Beaudoin add their own colour.
Dan Mora’s nicely composed cover is striking, no pun intended, though the big white lightning bolt down the middle is one element too many.
Skilled creators ensure this is more than a fun fight, showing two heroes who haven’t had much interaction down the decades up close and personal. Is this book an early Christmas gift? Yes indeedy, give it a go.
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 
Got me intrigued, Martin. May give it a try. And Merry Christmas from the U.S.! Wishing you and yours a wonderful 2026, too. Always enjoy reading your blog. – Brian
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And I always enjoy your company, have a great Christmas, Brian
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It’s a fun installment! I honestly got a little nostalgic for Guy’s non-GL days, even though I wasn’t reading his book at the time.
And thanks for letting me know what draughts was; I always assumed it had something to do with cards. I hadn’t realized until you mentioned it, but I’d been wondering all my life.
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I read just the odd issue of Guy’s non-GL book, it was very Nineties, but fun – Zinda Blake was in there.
Also, Merry Christmas!
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I only read the Wally parts. He’ll never be my Flash but he’s being written by one of the top writers in the industry here so I’ll deal. The pages I clicked through very quickly confirm it was the right decision for me to skip all things KO. I mean, Snyder’s on my No Read List for a reason. One thing that caught my eye was that this issue’s artist is incapable of is drawing someone older than thirty (I’m being very generous). The only sign I saw of Jay’s age as I clicked was by the colorist who gave Jay gray hair.
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Barry will always be my Flash due to his sunny Seventies suburban stories having imprinted in me, but I’ve loved watching Wally mature.
I read a Scott Snyder book today, well, one co-written with Joshua Williamson, and despite it starring Red Hood it’s pretty decent. Mind, there is a new example of Gotham’s Secret History, which always gets on my tits… I may have to write it up.
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Snyder’s Court Of Owls working in the background Bruce’s whole life just made Batman less than he had been before it.
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I agree, Steve… but it occurs to me that I *want* a less capable Batman. I miss the days of the 70s when a crook could knock him out with a lucky shot. So a secret society getting one past him? I bristled at the idea initially…but on second thought, I’m kind of fine with it. Anything to take him down a notch or two.
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I’m not a fan of an all-knowing Batman, but a century-old society, with deep claws into both high society – Bruce’s world – and the Underworld – Matches Malone – should have blipped on his batty radar.
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Especially since there were nursery rhymes about it!
I think a good way of handling it might have been for the Court of Owls to have a public front of some sort — something that seemed largely innocent, so that Bruce knew about the group’s existence, but not its secrets or its true mission.
But honestly? Coming up for new challenges for an 80-year-old property is hard, and making one stick is even harder. For any challenge that’s not brand-new, it’s going to demand the suspension of disbelief. But if it’s a good idea (and I think the Court is), it’s probably best to just roll with it.
Ultimately, which is more awkward, the Court of Owls, or Hush? A secret society that Bruce never heard about, or an old best friend of Bruce’s that the reader never heard about?
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Am I an outlier for accepting Hush right off? It’s not like it isn’t an overused trope…
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What Rob says!
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I’d say the Court of Owls. They’re presented as a constant presence, whereas Bruce hasn’t seen Tommy for a couple of decades. But I get your point.
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Given the way that book sold, I doubt you’re an outlier. But I know he’s also been a character people have rolled their eyes at online.
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Doesn’t help that he was basically a one story character and they went back to the (very dry) well…
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Sounds about right. I’ve just been looking back at the first few chapters and if it wasn’t obvious enough that Tommy E was bad, Jim Lee gave him Eeeeeeevil eyebrows.
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I don’t think I ever made it to the end of Hush.
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I did. I like Loeb and Lee’s art might be on the sterile side but it looks good. I was sorry it wasn’t Jason (yet) though.
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Very fair!
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