Wally West is revelling in the new super-power he gained after the DC KO event. The Flash gets glimpses of the future and has been tapping into them to tackle crimes, accidents and disasters before they happen. After having success in his hometown of Central City he’s extended his efforts to Metropolis and Star City. An initially reluctant Superman Jr has come around, but Green Arrow wants Flash to stay out of his city.
The visions have been showing things further and further ahead, and today Wally sees simultaneous events in all three cities, one week hence.
He’s able to freeze the vision, enter it, have a poke around and determine that the explosions aren’t the work of supervillains or aliens, but embittered regular people.
And back in the regular world, Wally acts.
From Strangers on a Train to Minority Report.
As Wally wallows in the aftermath of his work, some of the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes are talking about him. Some positively…
… and one negatively.
And Wally shows up, a Flash of Insight having told him the meeting was coming.
The smugness doesn’t last long – the bridges in all three cities are blown to smithereens… and any chance Green Arrow and Jon Kent might have had of saving the day are gone, because they’re on Mount Bleeding Everest.
Oops.
Will people die? We’ll find out next issue, which will be part eight of ‘The Speed Was Power, and the Speed Was Joy’ (a Jonathan Livingston Seagull reference, this month I finally looked it up). Writer Ryan North has made a splash with dozens of mainly single-issue science-heavy tales in current Fantastic Four issues. Here, in his first DC series, he’s going in the opposite direction, dragging out what would be a comfortable three-issue story to trade paperback length. This issue, for example, having seen the bridge explosions previewed, when they happen for real they’re given a full, dull page each. We only get 20 story pages, a single page triptych would have done the job perfectly well, leaving room for more than the two-thirds of a page given over to Wally, wife Linda and their kids.
I was really hoping to see the West family’s reactions to Wally’s obvious overreaching. Having been with Wally for years, having seen the madness of his superhero life from both the sidelines and the thick of it, Linda should be giving him a reality check. That’s her personality – Wally’s a bit of a dreamer, she’s a tad harder. Linda should be pointing out that if he keeps aiming bigger and bigger, there’ll be no family life.
And never mind Linda, Wally should see this himself, he’s been in the hero game almost as long as the older heroes, longer than many. He’s seen it all. Twice, probably. Superman, Batman, Green Lantern Hal Jordan… in differing ways they’ve all gone too far in interfering with world events, and they’ve all been humbled. The Flash needs to stay in his lane.
North is writing Wally too young – were this story set in his first year of trying to fill Uncle Barry’s boots, it may make sense for him to try too hard. But it’s not, Wally is a long way from a young seagull discovering the bliss and freedom of high-speed flight. And I honestly can’t see him locking people up before any crime has been committed, police scientist Barry would surely have knocked into him the need for evidence. ‘Vibes from the future’ would not cut it. The Wally I know would sit the three suspects down and try some group therapy.
The art by illustrator Gavin Guidry and colourist Adriano Lucas is attractive – there’s a classic Flash in motion on page 1 – but an inker would make things 100 per cent better, sharpening up the linework. Guidry puts a lot of work into the storytelling and backgrounds, which is appreciated, and when not nailing the action he’s selling the comedy beats North drops in.
The colours of Lucas ensure we can easily see when we’re in the real world – naturalism rules – and when we’re in vision – intense, hot tones, with regular Wally in the middle of things.
Lucas again impresses with the snow tones on Guidry’s cover illo; heroes from behind, though, are never exciting.
Buddy Beadoin’s lettering is lovely, super friendly.
This issue isn’t a bad read, but I’m more than ready for the story to wrap up. Just me?
Thanks for reading this so I don’t have to. I’m a diehard Barry guy but I generally give a new writer a shot. Not this time after North managed to turn me off o the Fantastic Four.
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I really am miffed that DC are keeping Barry off the table, for no story-generating reasons. What’s with constantly swapping spotlit Flashes back and forth? Give them both a series.
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One titled ‘Barry Allen: Flash’ and the other ‘Wally West: Flash’ would be a great way to go.
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Exactly.
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BTW, is Iris’ birth in the far future and the years she spent there after growing up still canon? If it is, consider the little bit of tech knowhow a reporter’s untrained (scientifically) could add to her husband’s arsenal. Maybe Bart attended 31st Century school in the VR he was raised in and with some remedial help he could pass some tech on to the others as well.
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It’s a bit of a shame. I can sort of understand where he’s coming from. It’s difficult because at this point Wally should just be really competent, but from a story point of view that’s a bit awkward because where’s the peril. But that isn’t a big issue for me, I just want to read a story where there is a problem to solve. Also adding on this extra power (a bit like Aquaman having control of water) just overpowers Wally. He has an insight that allows him to move into spaces he hasn’t observed? I’m guessing it’s likely to end with his powers being stripped back a bit as these things often do and someone revealed to be behind it.
The art is lovely, the story isn’t bad, I like North’s work usually, and never as off-character as the Spurrier stuff, but not my choice. Like you, Mart, I’ll be happy when this arc finishes and hopefully we’ll get the shorter stories.
Stu
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Did you ever see New 52 Barry’s ‘looks round corners’ power? The Flashes of Insight reminds me of that.
If I were Wally or Arthur or whoever I’d be super-suspicious of Darkseid connected powers, what if they’re all part of the Anti-Life Equation and every time they’re used, Earth’s demise is coming closer?
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I’m ready for North’s run to wrap up. I’m about to drop the title. It’s just not a great take and like you said, he’s written too young. North hasn’t gotten a handle on his voice or confidence and the whole flash of insight thing is kind of boring.
Matthew Lloyd
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Exactly! And the logo remains rubbish.
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Yes! Why does a character known for speed and movement have a logo where he is standing still? It annoys me so much.
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I guess I’m in the minority, but I’m really enjoying North & Guidry’s run. I agree this story’s going on a bit long, but each issue has been fun, and most have tended to stand on their own as a unit of story while moving the larger story forward.
I do agree that Wally should be more skeptical of these “Flashes of Insight” and Linda especially should be dubious about them. But I’m willing to run with it; I just hope we move to another storyline soon. Given how this one ends, I think a conclusion (or at least a new change) is just around the corner.
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I’m not bothered by this arc because the pacing is great enough to not bore me out. Each issue has it’s own story that moves the big picture forward, there are no fillers.
You are not in the minority at all, I’m also enjoying this run a lot. It brought me back to Flash.
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Glad you’re enjoying it!
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I was fine at the beginning, Wally being an enthusiastic soul, but the longer it goes on, the higher my incredulous eyebrows get.
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Hard disagree with the comments here. This is the best Flash run we have had in ages, much better than Manapul or Williamson for sure. Guidry’s art is fantastic and I love the humorous touch North brings to the character.
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It’s definitely better than the previous run, but did you not enjoy the Jeremy Adams scripts?
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Adams’ run was the best in a looongg time, this North stuff isn’t remotely close.
-Matthew Lloyd
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Mark Waid said he took Barry off the board for a specific reason, but he wasn’t ready to say what yet. He alluded to Barry narrating the New History of the DC Universe as being a hint.
I am enjoying this run, pec flexes notwithstanding. I like the lighter feeling of the book, though I too got Minority Report vibes from this issue (and since I did not like that movie, it’s not a good thing). Yes, Wally has seen heroes go too overprotective and authoritarian in their quest to help at times. But like most of them, I’m sure he is thinking, “This time it’s different, because it’s me. And I am doing this for the right reasons.” It generally isn’t until hindsight or a reality check that they realize what lines they have crossed.
I find it interesting that Ollie – the main proponent behind the Everest meeting – isn’t on the cover. Also, since Mr. Terrific is helping Wally understand the Flashes of Insight, why wasn’t he called to the Everest Summit? (Yes, that was on purpose.) You’d think given his role in the League he would have been included. Maybe Ollie didn’t want to invite someone who could offer compelling counterpoint?
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Knowing DC, Jeff, whatever plans Mark Waid had for Barry have likely been shelved… hope not!
Your idea about Wally thinking, ‘not me, not this time’ is likely – we should be shown that, though.
Excellent point re: Mr Terrific, if anything, Wally should’ve took him along, since he knew what the meeting was about.
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