Absolute Power: Task Force VII #5 – Alex Paknadel, Writer; Pete Woods, Artist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: One by one, the Amazos have been pursuing the heroes of the Justice League, some in drawn-out slow-burn hunts – and then there’s Velocity, the speedster, who has been taking the powers of the Flash family one by one – save for one who has eluded him. That’s Barry Allen, and in an interesting meta touch, this issue addresses the fact that Barry is neither the first nor the fastest speedster. But he seems to have some x-factor that gives him extra determination that allows him to keep running – and that’s exactly what he does, staying one step ahead of Velocity and luring the battle to the Flash museum. As the fight goes on, Barry flashes back to some key moments in the character’s history that motivate him. They include teaching Wally how to master a key skill, and the first time he learned to vibrate things out of him to survive a bullet wound. He might not be the fastest, but he might have the best understanding of speed.
There are a few other plots going on in this issue as well, including Iris West battling against the tide of propaganda that has been fed into the media by Waller’s team. This leads to a (very) brief encounter between her and Barry that reminds us of why they’re one of the best superhero couples. Steve Trevor, meanwhile, is still stuck in Waller’s base and is able to get into a secret meeting that exposes the hidden powers behind Waller’s plot – as she cuts a deal with what might be her biggest devil yet. Overall, the story here by Alex Paknadel is strong and delivers a tense adventure that lives up to its hero’s name. The art by Pete Woods is fluid and captures speed effects well. It might not quite have the emotional intensity of the last two issues, but it’s probably the purest match between hero and villain that we’ve seen in this series, and it drives home the stakes of this whole event pretty well.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
