[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Howard Porter
Reviewed By: Derek McNeil
Summary
“FLASH WAR” part one! Barry Allen and Wally West…at war?! The long-rising tension between mentor and former sidekick is brought to a head when the Renegades of the 25th century come to claim Iris West for the murder of Eobard Thawne…but that’s only the beginning of a plot that will change the future of The Flash forever! By the end, it will be Flash versus Flash in a mythology-shaking event!
Positives
The story starts with a Flash-Forward showing Barry and Wally arguing. Barry is trying to talk Wally out of an unspecified course of action, but Wally threatens Barry, “If you don’t run with me now… I will make sure you never run again!”
Although this seems extremely out of character for Wally, Williamson establishes believable motivation for Wally’s behaviour.
The Renegades, a 25th Century group based on Flash’s Rogues Gallery, arrives in the present to arrest Iris for the murder of the Reverse-Flash Eobard Thawne. Although Wally tries to prevent this, Iris and Barry decide that the best course is for the Flash Family to travel to the future for Iris to face the charges against her.
As if this wasn’t enough, Zoom confronts Wally, claiming that he can restore a vital part of Wally’s pre-Flashpoint life: family. Since Wally’s return, we have seen that Wally remembers his relationship with Linda, but there has notably been no indication of whether he remembers Jai and Irey or not. Now, it looks like this will be addressed.
Hopefully, we will see a return of Jai and Irey to the DCU. I was somewhat disappointed to see Irey wiped out by the Flashpoint almost immediately after she took on the role of Impulse from Bart Allen. Perhaps she finally will get a chance to pick up where she left off.
Once again, I loved the references to the pre-Flashpoint continuity shown in Wally’s visions. This time, we get a glimpse of Wally’s time in Morrison’s “Big Seven” JLA. And I got chills seeing a vital scene from Mark Waid’s “The Return of Barry Allen” storyline – a pivotal point in Wally’s career as the Flash.
Negatives
However, it still feels wrong to see Wally and Barry at loggerheads. But Williamson has done as much as anyone could to make it believable. But having two sets of competing memories must be taking a tremendous toll on Wally’s psyche. Adding Iris being turned over to 25th Century justice and Zoom’s offer to help save his children, it’s enough to make anyone crack.
Verdict
With all the various DC events taking place, “The Flash War” is proving to be one of the most exciting so far. It appears that much of what was teased in the DC Universe: Rebirth special is finally going to coming to fruition. This is the event to watch this summer!
