It’s the 50th issue of Joshua Williamson’s Flash run, and what better way to kick things off with an annual issue!
As all things speed full steam ahead, time collapses all around both Barry and Wally as they race through the damaged speed force to stop Zoom from changing time. Zoom believes that he could restore everything, bringing Wally’s family back, and restoring his life as it once was. But at what cost? Now with the speed force damaged, and utilizing the abilities of the various forces that tie with the speed force, how can both scarlet speedsters Barry Allen and Wally stop Zoom?! Will Wally finally claim back the life which was lost? And who will finally be deemed: The Fastest Man Alive!?
This was a great issue that is jam-packed with a ton of stuff that I had to re-read the book and digest some of the visual references a couple of times. And reading the story hand and hand with the artwork made this an enjoyable read. Joshua Williamson has managed to wrap up the Flash War arc in a way that will leave readers talking (and given that this isn’t the New York Times, I myself along with all of Fanboy Factor will not spoil it for you as they did for Batman issue 50). It’s fascinating how Williamson pulls a plot device that has occurred within the book in regards to Wally West and utilizes it in a way that actually works with the plot (and given that this is comics, it actually works aside from suspension of belief). And that’s credit due to Williamson doing a good job at displaying the relationships, comparisons, and contrasts between Barry and Wally as both bearers of the Flash title.
Now I admit, it is a little repetitive whenever Barry and Wally would fight over who is and who isn’t the flash, and Williamson has played with that trope a bit. But I think for this issue, he finally settles that, at least for now. Zoom as a villain, utilizing the different forces is great to see, although admittedly, I’m interested to see what Williamson will do down the line in regards to the various other forces, speed force aside, and the possible direction that Zoom as a villain will go next.
In regards to the artwork, it didn’t occur to me and it made me smile… Howard Porter has been illustrating the entire Flash War arc! No, fill-in artist, no in-between artist, just one artist for the entirety of the arc! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a lot of the roundtable of artists that work with Williamson on this title, but It’s awesome to see Porter draw an entire arc, which helped to keep the visual narrative and visual continuity intact. Some readers are usually not fond of the Marvel method of artists switching in between issues during an arc at times.
Regardless, Porter’s art is just awesome, giving the final issue of this arc a beautiful conclusion. The art is as cinematic and as energetic as Porter could make it. The art accompanied by Hi-Fi’s colors really compliments the overall atmosphere and narrative that Williamson’s writing delivers.
Williamson definitely delivers some surprises that by the time you get to the end of this issue, it’ll make a lot of people smiling impulsively from ear to ear. In light of everything, I feel that Williamson’s Flash title is one of the few DC books that is really exploring some of the mysteries that were presented during DC Rebirth (Doomsday Clock aside). I definitely recommend this book and I continue to recommend this title to old school and new Flash fans alike. It’s a fun title and truly displays an appreciation for the character and the mythos, and it would be a shame for anyone to miss what is one of the most fun titles out there currently. Definitely add this to your pull list!
Newsdesk