This epilogue of the recent Flash story arc is an emotional roller coaster for the speedsters.
The Flash War has come and gone, and we’re left to pick up the pieces. Hunter Zolomon, Wally West’s Reverse Flash, summoned new forces alongside the Speed Force to try and alter time in his favor. While both Flashes ran to stop him, Barry knew the only one fast enough was Wally. Wally defeated Hunter, but at a terrible cost to his wellbeing. Not only did Zoom vanish, but he closed off Hypertime, preventing time travel for all speedsters. With no way to get to his family through those means, Wally begins running, hoping his children appeared in this world. Will the Flash Family recover from the war?
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**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
The story takes place a week after the war had finished, with Wally still running across the globe. Barry is left to try and pick up the pieces, but unfortunately isn’t doing a fantastic job with it. While Iris refuses to stop waiting for Wally, Kid Flash denounces his family ties and runs off to join the Teen Titans. Commander Cold, the leader of the Renegades of the 25th century, takes up residence at Barry’s apartment while trying to figure out how to get home. Without much choice and the fact he can’t keep up, Barry decides to wait for Wally with Iris.
This issue doubles as both an epilogue for The Flash War as well as a love letter to Wally West. Throughout this issue, we read Iris’ written history of Wally, and it reminded me of why he is so great. Every positive moment and feeling of the character is brought up here, reminding us that he was indeed The Flash for an entire generation of people. It also does a fantastic job humanizing the character, making him feel more relatable than ever.
The ending of the story is both heartbreaking and a sigh of relief. Wally has gone through more and more heartbreak over the course of the series. It’s very clear, especially by The Flash War, this is weighing down on him and is affecting him. He has been traumatized by it all, and at the end, he is getting help. This means he’ll be gone for a while, but to see him finally stopping and getting help brings a bittersweet smile to my face.
Art:
Scott Holins is the illustrator for this issue and, as it stands, its okay. It fits the story well enough, keeping it grounded, but it doesn’t do the Flash’s powers justice. It’s not terrible by any means, but when you think Flash you see some creative uses or designs for the power. I bet if there were more action scenes, Holins could flex that creative muscles in terms of powers. However, for this more emotional story, it fits just fine as it is.
Conclusion:
I enjoyed this issue. While not action packed, it’s incredibly emotional as it ties up the end of the war. While it will be a while till we see a Flash crossover of this magnitude again, I can’t wait to see where both our scarlet speedsters will go from here. I highly recommend this issue, especially if you are a fan of Wally West.
