The Flash #793 – Jeremy Adams, Writer; Roger Cruz, Penciller; Wellington Dias, Inker; Luis Guerrero, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: The One-Minute War has been one of the most intense arcs of The Flash to date, opening with an alien invasion that froze the entire world—leaving only the Flash family awake to fight back. Not only that, but it seemingly killed off Iris West in the first chapter, leaving the entire future of the Flash family in flux. Last issue ended with the motley crew of Kid Flash and Impulse pulling off a rescue behind enemy lines and coming back with the frozen heroes including Superman—and an unknown young man who had faced the Fraction before and been captured by them. I suspect he might be a known figure in Flash history, but we’ll see if that comes to pass. What is clear is that he has a clearer vision of the Fraction’s threat than anyone else—and he believes Earth is doomed just like all the other worlds they visit. And he wants them to evacuate rather than taking the fight back to the villains.
One of the best things this series has done is make this the only event I can remember where the emotional stakes actually feel real. By focusing it on this one extended family, we can get some great beats like Jesse Quick and Irey West talking out Irey’s anxieties, or Barry confessing his pain and anger to Wally, or even a pregnant Linda talking to the newest arrival about what makes her keep fighting. And then, it’s time for the big move, an epic Flash Family assault on Fraction headquarters. It’s one of the best depictions of the powers of speedsters and how they can be used in different ways that I’ve seen. If I have one complaint about this issue, it’s that the story doesn’t quite give itself enough room to breather—there is so much going on here that it can feel like whiplash at times. But it’s more like riding a thrilling, mile-a-minute roller coaster that always delivers in terms of suspense and excitement.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
