Absolute Flash #13 – Jeff Lemire, Writer; Haining, Artist; Adriano Lucas, Colorist
Ray – 10/10
Ray: Jeff Lemire delivered a thrilling end to the first year of Absolute Flash, but what’s really impressive about this title is just how good it is at taking the quiet moments and making them feel as compelling. This title is probably the best DC book starring a teenage lead in ages, as we all know the universe has struggled with the Titans and others for a while. But this book feels real and honest in a way that’s hard to find, similar to the early days of Ultimate Spider-Man by Bendis and Bagley in the early 2000s. Wally has now lost his father to the Speed Force, one of the few people looking after him, and he’s headed back to the Dibney Mission. Ralph, always a kind and understanding guy, knows something is up with Wally (and name-drops another key figure in Flash mythology), but he knows when to back off. The same can’t be said for Linda Park, who knows way too much – and isn’t afraid to let Wally know.
One of my favorite parts of a book like this is watching a young hero actually get to cut loose with his powers and have fun. This version of Linda is an energetic geek who sees only potential for excitement in Wally’s powers, and she manages to get him out of his shell as they explore his abilities together. The tone shifts pretty dramatically this issue from the dark ending of last month’s installment, but it feels natural. But then we shift back again, as the two of them head back to Project Fox, where it all began – and find that not all of the Rogues are gone. We’ve been hinted that Mirror Master will be playing a key role in the Absolute Universe, with the main universe’s version seemingly interacting with the one from this universe. And in this issue, we get our first glimpse of him – and in only a few pages, Lemire manages to make his power one of the scariest things in the book so far. Phenomenal stuff.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
