Jay Garrick: The Flash #2 – Jeremy Adams, Writer; Diego Olortegui, Artist; Luis Guerrero, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Many people consider Jeremy Adams the best Flash writer in recent memory, and while that’s elite competition, he’s certainly making a good case—because he just switched seamlessly from one Flash to another. Giving Jay Garrick his first solo spotlight in decades, as well as working Judy Garrick, aka The Boom, into present continuity, Adams and Olortegui are telling a story that works equally well as a tense superhero thriller and an intimate family drama. With Judy returning to the present, Jay is struggling to let go of his fears and overprotectiveness—as well as dealing with suddenly returning memories, hinting at the return of his forgotten arch-nemesis Doctor Elemental. He tries to cover it up, but he’s clearly troubled, and Joan is barely able to scratch the surface. Judy, however, is taking her new lease on life in stride, and Jay struggles to let go.
I was very happy to see the return of Courtney Whitmore, as Judy’s first friend in the modern era, as the two go on a shopping spree at the mall. They have such great energy together, similar to the way Courtney and Emiko did in Stargirl: The Lost Children. But their day out quickly gets interrupted—by the arrival of Ro-Bear, one of Jay and Judy’s Golden Age enemies. Yes, it’s a robot bear. Yes, it’s as delightfully ridiculous as it sounds. Olortegui’s art reminds me a lot of Scott Kolins in this book, which suits perfectly for the Flash. The Garricks are some of those characters who were beloved supporting characters, but haven’t gotten any focus in ages. In only two issues, Adams has already gotten us deeply invested in their characters and their small dramas, as well as built a fascinating larger-scale mysteries. So far, this is definitely my favorite of the three JSA series, but none of them are lacking.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
