The Flash #35 – Ryan North, Artist; Gavin Guidry, Artist; Adrano Lucas, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Ryan North has done the best job of any writer I can remember of capturing the vibe of the Flash that most people are nostalgic for. It feels like every acclaimed writer on Wally West in recent memory has gotten something right. Geoff Johns nailed the Rogues, Jeremy Adams perfected the family vibe, and Simon Spurrier delved deep into the mythology of the speed force. But North has packed them all together into a perfect package that captures the beloved vibe of the animated version from JLI. This is clear in a segment where he’s fighting Heat Wave – only to discover that Heat Wave is tryin gto go straight by getting rich by salvaging an ancient shipwreck. After a battle where Heat Wave loses his temper and starts blasting, Wally is able to find a good solution. It’s all part of his latest efforts to take advantage of his “Flash Forwards” – and create a perfect city.
With the help of Mr. Terrific, Wally has figured out how to time his visions by a few seconds, letting him see what’s about to happen in the city – and then, since seconds are days to someone moving at super-speed, he can simply adjust things like a Rube Goldberg machine to eliminate dangers, trip up bad guys, and make the city a safer place for civilians. He shows Linda how he operates in a dazzling series of double-paged spreads, but he also makes clear he’s not done – and he wants to head on to a bigger city next. This is a fascinating story, because it shows a hero figuring out a better way to operate and change the world – but how long can Wally keep this up? He’s a human being with a human mind, and he’s trying to become a one-man utopia-maker. We’ve seen this story before, and it rarely ends well – and that’s what makes this story so good.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
