Review: THE FLASH #755
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artists: Rafa Sandoval, Jordi Tarragona
Colours: Arif Prianto
Letters; Steve Wands
Reviewed By: Derek McNeil
Summary
The Flash #755: “The Flash Age” races to its stunning conclusion! Flash is forced to work side-by-side with his greatest foe as he teams up with the Reverse-Flash against his new foe, Paradox! But the damage Paradox did to the Flash legacy might be too much to undo!
Positives
Barry quickly came to regret teaming up with his archenemy, Eobard Thawne, the Reverse-Flash. Thawne did have a plan for defeating Paradox, but that plan was to go back in time and kill Paradox before he became a threat.
So, Joshua Williamson gives us quite a surprise by having Thawne to be the one who actually ends the threat of Paradox. And ironically, Thawne does this by saving Paradox from the tragedy that made him into a threat, rather than killing him. Thawne saves the day by following Barry’s example. He asks himself, “What would Flash do?”, and then he saves a life rather than taking one.
Does this mean that Thawne has set himself on a path of redemption? Oh no, no, no. Thawne. After he, the Flash, and Godspeed have returned to the present, he immediately demonstrates that he’s as evil as ever. He admits that he is the one who killed August Heart’s brother, and then kills Godspeed in front of Barry.
It’s interesting that Williamson brought August’s story to an end as we approach the end of his tenure as writer of the title. He introduced us to Godspeed right near the beginning of his run. While Thawne remains as evil as ever, we saw a true story of redemption in August.
Positives Cont.
With Paradox erased from history, we see Barry’s timeline being restored. Thawne explains, “But now he’s gone, your history is being corrected”. The use of the word “corrected” make me wonder. Is his timeline now restored to how it was before Paradox started changing it? Or is it correcting other manipulations to his timeline? I can think of some continuity adjustments that I would like to see.
As Thawne departs, he gives an ominous warning about what is planning next. He says , “I’m going to get my own family. A Reverse-Flash Family”. Add to this, the blurb stating “Next: The Legion of Zoom!”, it seems that we won’t have to wait to see who will be in that family. Also, I like that play on “Legion of Doom”.
And Rafa Sandoval and Jordi Tarragona have once again done a beautiful job on the art. Drawing three speedsters fighting a cosmic powerhouse while time collapses about them isn’t an easy task, but they did an amazing job of it. Well done!
Negatives
No complaints from me. The Flash #755 was a solid ending to the Flash Age storyline and sets up the next threat admirably. There was nothing I would identify as a misstep in this issue.
Verdict
Williamson’s run on The Flash has been one of DC’s top successes of the Rebirth era. I will be sad to see him moving on from the title, but I am eager to see what he has planned for the next few months as we approach his departure.
