Comic Review: Flash Forward #5 (DC Comics)

After all of the efforts to contain the Dark Multiversal energy that threatens the entire multiverse, Wally has finally arrived to the source of the problem.

The source of the Dark Multiverse energies stems from the very world that Wally’s long lost children reside in. Time is of the essence and Wally must make a choice, will he do what needs to be done to save the multiverse? Or will his own desires to save his children Doom all existence?

It’s interesting seeing Wally nearing his goal, having found his children, but then having to decide whether or not he can give them up for the sake of the multiverse. It’s like Wally can’t win, which in that futility, Lobdell is able to display that level of desperation really well. Lobdell is able to showcase the desperation that Wally experiences that makes the reader empathize with Wally’s race for redemption and family. Here is the fastest man alive in the multiverse, capable of bending time and space with ease, and here he is unable to change the situation that all existence hinges on. Lobdell manages to write this issue with the right amount of tension needed to convey the severity of the situation, making this a nice installment to read.

In regards to the art department, Brett Booth exceeds in providing dynamic action, and dazzling layouts that make the pages match the same kind of energy that is required of the story. There is a sense of weight to Booth’s detailed style that makes everything look sleek yet dangerous with every panel that Wally steps foot in. Coupled with Rapmund’s inks and Gurrero’s colors, the book looks spectacular and fitting to the kind of dangerous adventure that Wally embarks. The lettering by Peteri is the cherry on top of the cake, making the reading experience fun, never cluttering the page, and providing room for the art to breathe in unison to the story.

For all the Wally West fans that are looking to get their itch, this is the best place to scratch it. I enjoyed the issue despite my concerns for the final issue, it holds some potential for what could be. Will Wally find everything that he’s looking for? I hope so. Is this a book I recommend picking up? Absolutely.