The Flash and Commander Cold investigate the mysteries of the strength force and where its energy flows from as The Trickster goes on a rampage through the streets of Central City!
How did The Trickster gain the powers of the Strength Force? What is Commander Cold hiding? And what kind of changes will The Flash have to adjust to that could change his perception of everything that he knows about the Speed Force?
This issue was a pretty fun issue seeing Barry having to adjust to the new changes that have happened since Flash War. Knowing that he is no longer the fastest man alive, (since he passed the title on to Wally), is nice to see here and there. But I think what makes this issue really interesting is the backstory behind Commander Cold and why he chose the kind of life that he lives. Williamson does a great job at exploring and displaying bits and pieces of Commander Cold’s life within this issue. It’s as much of a Commander Cold issue as it is a Flash issue, which isn’t bad. It’s nice to see a change of pace a bit since this series tends to go at breakneck speeds sometimes. But this issue in particular along with this arc may feel a bit like as if Williamson is running out of certain ideas. The negative speed force is one thing, but all of these other forces makes one wonder how they work entirely and how that should apply to the rest of the characters within the DC universe.
The emotional spectrum made a lot of sense for the various ring wearing Corps within the titles of Green Lantern, but the idea of the various forces such as the Strength Force, Sage Force etc makes it a little difficult to digest at times, or at least skeptical of how it meshes well. But this is fiction and this is not the kind of stuff that always requires some hugely, deep, methodical, explanation all the time. Sometimes, ya just gotta suspend belief and just roll with the story and see whether or not it’s paced well, and strong in its execution. Which I’m sure that Williamson will do when he completes the ongoing story of this arc. The story is overall good, and I feel that Commander Cold’s narrative really brought this book a bit of flair for this issue.
Duce’s artwork looks and feels a lot more dynamic and comfortable in style than in previous efforts. I really dug the way he illustrated The Strength Force version of the Trickster, making the visual appearance and power of anyone infected by strength force, feel Intimidated and look intimidating! Duce’s linework coupled with Guerrero’s colors blend well together which helps give a very distinct style and energy for this issue especially. Steve Wand’s does a great job in the lettering department, arranging the font’s styles to match the unique voices of the characters which pay off and shows in this issue. The entire art section does its job in serving Williamson’s writing some justice, delivering in power and execution.
This issue is worthwhile to pick up simply due to Commander Cold’s character as a whole. Who would have thought he’d make a decent impression with an interesting perspective on superheroes and the Flash as a whole? I suggest picking this issue up and adding to the pull list, along with Batman Beyond issue 23 (written by Dan Jurgens and illustrated by Will Conrad) which is also a great book that really captures the spirit of the classic Bruce Timm animated series of the same name.
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