If you’ve developed a new super power but can’t understand it, who you gonna call? Mr Terrific, the smartest man in the world his opinion. That’s Flash Wally West’s answer, it helps that he works for him… well, takes a salary, he’s rarely at the TerrificTech complex. There’s a lot of superheroing to be done.
Wally decides to attempt to hone the ability by gathering more and more information, flexing and seeing what he can see.
Oh dear. But he’s the fastest man alive, surely he has a good chance of stopping the gorilla invasion before it starts. Off he goes to Africa, and Gorilla City, where he tells the locals he just wants to talk.
Scratch that. And Wally’s ‘flashes of insight’ show only that whatever he tries, he gets thumped. So back to the US he pops, to do a little research.
And when he gets back to Africa, Wally tries something different.
That’s around a quarter of a two-page spread, and it’s clever stuff from writer Ryan North and artist Gavin Guidry.
I do appreciate it when creative teams give us something a little different from the norm, and this ‘choose your own adventure’ affair certainly qualifies. And it arises from a story beat we’ve had for the last few issues.
I did not enjoy it.
Maybe it’s because I never got into the ‘choose…’ books. I don’t remember exactly why, but it’s probably because, as here, they are incredibly tedious. The idea is that you get extra value for the material because the options lead to different mini-stories.
They just did my head in. Here I tried six times to get something out of the sequence but it felt like banging my head against a brick wall.
I expect that’s just me and everyone else loved it.
This wasn’t my favourite issue of the new creative team’s run. Mr Terrific’s theory about the ‘flashes of insight’ is as good as any, but it doesn’t half remind me of that weird ‘seeing around corners’ ability Barry Allen had in the early days of the New 52.
After a while, it stopped being a thing, being a bit of a story killer, and hopefully Wally’s new gimmick, a result of the DC KO event, will be gone soon too – super-speed is impressive enough, we don’t need ‘future vision’.
The Grodd business isn’t the whole issue, there also Mr Terrific testing Wally’s new trick by… weather forecasting. It’s not compelling, but does lead to a last-page encounter with a classic Rogue which will blossom next month.
This is another good-looking, well-written issue. Wally is on fine form and Mr Terrific is, as ever, benignly smug. Grodd, though, is out of character, coming across less as a brutal human hater than a rival down the local pub. It’s no wonder Wally treats the whole adventure not as a threat but a diversion from the day job.
I did enjoy the gorilla books. I’d buy them.
Guidry really does deserve huge credit for the work he puts into the ‘Choose…’ sequence, and colourist Adriano Lucas does a flipping great job bringing a board game energy to proceedings. The whole issue is toned nicely, with the ‘flashes of insight’ effects doing the job nicely.
As for letterer Buddy Beaudoin, a strangely soppy Gorilla Grodd logo apart, the font work is precise and perfect.
The cover illo by Guidry and Lucas is striking, it should bring in a few sales.
I’d be fascinated to hear what you thought of this issue if you’ve read it. And if not, does it sound your cup of tea?
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 
You have to follow the yellow lightning bolts/arrows in order to read the panels in the correct order. Took me a minute to figure it out.
I’m liking North’s run but not loving it. It still hasn’t wow-ed me the way Waid or Johns did from the start but hopefully it will grow on me like Adams did.
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Thanks, that reads better, but seems to make everything else redundant. I think Ryan North may worry too much about impressing the reader with gimmicks.
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This does feel like the sort of situation where the extra power will eventually be revealed to be the result of element X or some supervillain plan or will evolve into something else usually a problem for the hero, and I’d be grateful to North if he got to that sooner than later (because otherwise it will be whoever comes next), because it’s one of those powers that does not feel like it’s going to open up a lot of storytelling options. I think North has done these choose your own stories in other titles in the past so he clearly enjoys it and it’s the sort of thing that wins awards, and I like the notion that he’s thinking about the form, but yeah I think these are probably more satisfying for the writer than readers.
I liked the first few issues well enough, but could do with an extra kick.
Stu
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Hopefully next issue will give us a traditional, but strong battle with a Rogue. I’d love to see original variety Lisa Snart return rather than the whirlwind warrior we got with the New 52. Oh how about Al Desmond, he was always fun.
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I had fun with this issue. I grew up on “Choose Your Own Adventures.” But I understand it not being for everyone.
I agree that the Flashes of Insight are story-driven and will disappear. They are too much to give an already incredibly powerful character.
I’m struggling to remember exactly when Gorilla City came fully under Grodd’s control. I guess Solovar and his son are both out of the picture? I thought the other citizens of that country were peaceful and wanted to be left alone. They didn’t like Grodd, let alone want him as their king. Is Grodd using low-level telepethy to make all of them ok with it?
I’m happy if Wally never does another pec flex again.
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It really is difficult to think about when Gross took over Gorilla City most recently, I’m sure it’s not the first time – I just hope Solovar isn’t dead. You’re right about most of Gorilla City traditionally wanting to enjoy a banana at the art gallery. If Solovar is dead, he needs to be resurrected, and quick.
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I’ve enjoyed all of the North/Guidry run, and this is no exception. I liked the stunt of the branching possibilities — it made for a really attractive spread, and I loved the hand puppet! — but I’m also glad it didn’t go on for too long. So far this has seemed like a quieter, low-key book, and I’m absolutely fine with that.
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Hand puppets are always good. Steve got me one for my birthday.
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