The Flash #800 – Jeremy Adams, Mark Waid, Joshua Williamson, Geoff Johns, Si Spurrier, Writers; Fernando Pasarin/Oclair Albert, Todd Nauck, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Scott Kolins, Mike Deodato Jr, Artists; Matt Herms, Ivan Plascencia, Luis Guerrero, Trish Mulvihill, Colorists
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Jeremy Adams is bringing down the curtain on his Flash run this issue—but he has some impressive company. Not only do the three most significant Flash writers of the modern era return for short stories, but the upcoming creative team delivers a short intro. That’s a murderer’s row of talent—but how do the stories shake out?
Jeremy Adams and Fernando Pasarin kick us off with “Don’t Come to Central City,” and this epilogue to his excellent Flash run focuses on a group of Z-list villains discussing which city they should hit next. One suggest Central City, and this launches into a series of tales of just why you never go to the Flash’s turf. Some of these stories demonstrate just how hard Flash is to beat when you get him motivated. Others are particularly funny, as one unfortunate villain goes up against the Flash Kids. It all builds to a funny conclusion as Wally gets to make one last bust. I kind of wish the story tied up more of Adams’ subplots after last issue, but this is a great evergreen tale that sums up why Adams was so great on the title.
“The Max in the Mirror” by Mark Waid and Todd Nauck follows up on Waid’s extended Impulse run, back when the YJ solo members could have titles that ran for five years or more. Set between issues in the early days of the title, it finds Max Mercury and Wally trapped in a mirror dimension by Mirror Master, and Bart having to navigate his ADHD long enough to get them out. A frustrated Wally and a surprisingly patient Max try to talk him through it with… mixed results. It’s short and funny, but a bit of a pall is cast over it because Bart and Max are MIA.
“Flash Family,” by Rebirth creative team Williamson and Di Giandomenico is narrated by Wally, but stars Barry and Iris—not a huge surprise, given that Williamson wrote by far the best Barry Allen stories of the modern age. It takes place on Barry and Iris’ date night, as they go on a mysterious errand with a surprising emotional punch that pulls in some surprising characters from continuity, while Wally explains how the two of them changed his life. This story really plays to Williamson’s strengths.
“Blitz Back” by Johns and Kolins focuses on Wally’s most personal arch-nemesis—Hunter Zolomon. This mad speedster was probably Johns’ crowning creation in his Flash run, and this story finds him trapped within his own mind, reliving his trauma as he strives to break free. The character is so compelling because of how committed he is to his slightly insane narrative, and the ending indicates that he’s not only coming back, but we’ll be delving more into his backstory. Does Johns have a surprise Flash-adjacent project coming?
Finally, “Between Love and You” by Spurrier and Deodato gives us our first look at the upcoming run. I thought this was an odd fit from the start—between Spurrier’s usually dark, cosmic-horror inspired writing, and Deodato’s photorealistic art. While both are very talented creators, this preview still leaves me feeling unsure. Spurrier seems to be hinting at fractures in Linda and Wally’s surprisingly healthy marriage—with Linda wanting a night without superpowers, and Wally taking advantage of his super-speed to resolve things in milliseconds. The plot finds Wally targeted by an assassin in the timestream, and both him and the villain haunted by strange visuals and surreal cosmic entities. It does some interesting stuff with the science-heavy nature of the Flash property, and on its own it’s a well-written and drawn comic, but I’m not sure the tone is right for The Flash.
Still, this is overall a fantastic anthology issue and a great tribute to the character.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
