WRITER: JEREMY ADAMS
ARTISTS: FERNANDO PASARIN AND BRANDON PETERSON
PUBLISHER: DC COMICS
PRICE: $5.99
RELEASE DATE: JULY 13, 2021
REVIEWER: ROLLO TOMASSI
The Flash 2021 Annual ties up the current storyline from the ongoing series by daring to look back at one of the most controversial periods of Wally West’s history. That being said, The Flash 2021 Annual is the conclusion of the ‘Blink of the Eye” storyline that was started in the Flash ongoing series. An old Flash villain returns while Wally must face the demons of his past. Let’s race into this issue and take a look!
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STORY
Previously, this storyline had Wally trapped by the Speed force and bouncing to different periods of time while inhabiting the body of different speedsters. When in the future, he was in Bart “Impulse” Allen’s body. He went to the past and jumped into the body of the original Flash Jay Garrick. One amusing part had him jump into the body of the Reverse Flash in a world based on the old Super Friends cartoon. Now with the concluding issue, we go to a recent, and controversial, period in Flash history.
Launching from the end of the last issue, Wally has arrived in his own body. But that body is at the Sanctuary compound from the Heroes in Crisis mini-series. Some slight spoilers if you haven’t read that story. The short version is Sanctuary is a place Super Heroes can go to recover from trauma such as PTSD that may happen when someone is continuously fighting a never-ending battle with villains. In that story, a group of heroes is suddenly murdered. And by the end, it’s revealed Wally West did it while going through a mental breakdown. Now, it appears this annual would attempt to deal with those demons and try to move on.
TOMASSI’S TAKES
Returning to such a controversial story such as Heroes in Crisis is a risky move. One wonders if this whole story was an attempt to redeem Wally from his actions in that story. The wound is still fresh as that story was only a couple of years ago. There is a bit of retconning here to make it seem like Wally wasn’t the culprit in Heroes in Crisis. I’m not sure if they totally pulled that off but if the point is to just move away from Heroes in Crisis I’m fine with that.
In the present Green Arrow, Barry Allen, and Mr. Terrific can still communicate with Wally. They can see whatever Wally sees. In a truly heartbreaking scene, Green Arrow is able to see his old sidekick Roy who was one of the victims in the Sanctuary massacre. There is a lot, and I mean A LOT, of exposition of what is happening with the timeline and what Wally needs to do.
It comes close to the 1980’s level dialogue. So, your enjoyment of the dialogue may vary. To summarize, there’s a time bubble that must be burst. However, doing so will doom Roy and the other Sanctuary victims to their fate. Green Arrow is trying to find a way to save Roy. In the end, Roy decides to be the one to burst the time bubble in order for things to return to normal. He at least is able to have a nice final goodbye with Green Arrow before dying again.
While all this is going on, the old Wally West Flash Villain Savitar returns. If you are not a long-time Flash follower, this might not have the impact it should have. Despite acting like he can take on all the Justice League, Wally really does takes Savitar down relatively easy. In a nice moment, we see a more confident Wally return that has some fun showing Savitar who is the much more powerful speedster.
ART
In regards to the art, it’s gorgeous. There is often a tendency in these annual issues to not have an A-Team on the book. Yet, here the art team does a great job. It is very detailed and eye-catching. A close comparison would be former Flash and Green Lantern Rebirth artist Ethan Van Sciver. Which considering Savitar last appeared in the Flash Rebirth story is a nice connection. Moreover, the opening page has a nice 9-panel grid which is clearly a nod to Heroes in Crisis.
WRAP-UP
As a wrap-up to the overall story, The Flash 2021 Annual is fine. There were a lot of over-the-top discussions that go over my old comic fan brain. Mostly how Wally is able to get control of his powers and return to the present. That being said, the premise and discussions were kind of fun in a retro way.
There is however one sore spot that almost ruins the conclusion of the story. And, it’s not even in the story itself. SPOILER FOR UPCOMING DC UNIVERSE STORIES!!!!….. As stated earlier, Roy sacrifices himself so Wally can harness the power from the time bubble (I warned you about the exposition!). But in the ad that follows the story is a list of questions about the state of the DC Universe. One of those questions is “why is Roy Harper alive?”. So basically, the ad ruined the consequences of Roy’s actions in this story. I know heroes or villains never really die. But to throw that ad in right after this particular story seems like poor planning from the marketing department.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Flash 2021 Annual brings a satisfying conclusion and a new starting point for Wally West as the Flash. Plus, it’s nice to have a great art team on an annual. The final pages feel like we as the readers are expected to move on from the baggage of recent years and just once again embrace Wally West as the Flash.
It’s been established for a couple months now that Roy is alive, the question of “why” is the big question because how he he came back and what he is now. You need to read the Infinite Frontier Event book going on now,
Thanks. I wish DC would do more like Marvel with the Editor’s notes in an issue.
If I had known going into this issue Roy was back in Infinite Frontier, then everything with him in this annual would have been even less interesting. As it’s not important
What are you talking about? Everything with Roy is huge, taking the guilt off of Wally. letting Roy talk to Oliver and I didn’t want to spoil it but since you are going to make assupmptions, Roy comes back as a Black Lantern because he is dead. Plus, nobody knows he is back. You really need to read some more of the DC books before jumping to conclusions like that!
The moment between Roy and Ollie is nice. But for me knowing Roy is around in some fashion in the DCU currently then makes Roy’s sacrifice here less meaningful.
As for needing to read more DC books, this annual reads better if you don’t know what’s going on in other DC books. Because you’re not spoiled as to what’s going to happen to Roy. Except for needing to have read Heroes in Crisis, which the annual does name check. Really the point of the story was more about wiping the slate clean for Wally and moving him past What was done to him in Heroes in Crisis. Which I agree with because I’m not a fan of of what was done to him in that story.
That makes no sense! He is still dead!!! He came back in Death Metal as a Black Lantern 8 months ago!!! What is happening to him is the biggest thing in the DCU and you have no idea and mentioned in your review that the ad spoiled it for you. You don’t even know what the ad means and the huge thing it is asking.