The Flash #781 – Jeremy Adams, Writer; Fernando Pasarin/Matt Ryan, Artists; Jeromy Cox, Peter Pantazis, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: One of the most surprising things about Jeremy Adams’ run on The Flash is how, despite being a book about a speedster, he doesn’t seem to be in a hurry! The dangling plot thread about Linda’s speed is still dangling, and this issue is a one-off adventure focusing on a character he hasn’t worked with much—the current Kid Flash, Wallace West. Wally’s cousin and successor in the Kid Flash role is busy with school (at what looks like a warehouse holding the remnants of Teen Titans Academy) when Wally shows up to basically bug him to cut class. The two cousins take a road trip on foot to Argentina, where Wally insists that there’s an emergency. The emergency seems to be that his favorite ice pop store is closing forever, and he wants his little cousin to get a chance to eat it before it’s gone. It’s a funny development, but Wallace doesn’t seem to think so and it’s clear there are some issues between the cousins.
But then, the issue takes a fascinating turn that calls back to the earliest days of Wally’s time as Kid Flash. His relationship with Barry wasn’t always smooth, and with the original Flash now missing in the multiverse, his legacies are trying to find their way on their own. Wally, with a family and lots on his plate, needs more backup—so he takes Wallace on a tour of his daily superhero routine so he can rely on him for backup. This is one of the best scenes in the run so far, a timeless example of how a good writer depicts a unique superpower. The Flashes have so much more time than any other hero and how they use it is a great depiction of each one’s personality. This is also the best use of Wallace in a long time, as he’s been in some iffy runs for a while. I’m hoping this isn’t the last we see of the two Kid Flashes teaming up—their family connection is really unexplored, and this issue shows there’s a lot of potential there.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
