Writer: Jeremy Adams
Art: Serg Acuña, Matt Herms, AW’s Justin Birch, and Marguerite Sauvage
Publisher: DC Comics
Price:$4.99
Release Date: August 30th, 2022
It’s been a tumultuous couple of years for Wally West, Linda Park-West, and their children. From Wally scouring the cosmos for anyone to recognize him to eventually being thrust right back into the hero role jumping between realms, it’s almost as if Wally hasn’t had a break in years. However, the fun hasn’t stopped there for the West family! Wally’s kids regained their powers and now he discovered that Linda seems to have powers of her own too! Let’s dive into THE FLASH 2022 ANNUAL #1 as Jeremy Adams spends some time slowing down Wally and focusing on the family with some well-deserved quality time.
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the Flash 2022 Annual #1 Review.
THE DISPATCH
If you’re looking for a FLASH story this week, you’re sadly not going to get it. However, what you will get is a meta-story about Linda through the eyes of a book she made called “Best-Laid Plans”. Basically, the story inside a story describes Linda’s life with Wally while getting extra meta about life itself. If I’m being honest, “Best-Laid Plans” was a pretty good story. But, I’m supposed to be reviewing the FLASH. And this is where things get sticky.
Do you review what’s directly in front of you like the narrative beats, story threads, and attention-grabbing meta-commentary? Or, do you also take into account the disconnect between what you thought you’d get and what you received? Let’s say you opened up a box of FRUITY PEBBLES only to find SPECIAL K w/ STRAWBERRIES. SPECIAL K w/ STRAWBERRIES isn’t bad but it’s not what I was in the mood for. That’s kind of the feeling here. Nevertheless, SPECIAL K w/ STRAWBERRIES is sweet enough, filling, and reasonably hits the spot which is exactly how you’ll feel after THE FLASH 2022 ANNUAL #1. It’s not what you thought you’d get under the wrapper but the story was interesting and hit on some pretty big concepts while incorporating Linda more into the story with a wickedly awesome cliffhanger.
ART
Serg Acuña and Matt Herm lead the charge this week with a crazy opportunity to draw a FLASH book… without the FLASH. Now, the art itself wasn’t bad by any stretch. However, it’s not my style. The renderings were incredibly sharp with some bright and vibrant colors. Yet, the technique came across as more cartoonish in nature with some subtle hints of anime that made the characters look much younger than they actually are. That said, the flow of THE FLASH 2022 ANNUAL #1 was easy to follow with concepts that showcased an exceptionally tender nature and emotion that built off the characters. There were most certainly some positives to highlight, however, I just don’t think it fits the overall disposition of the story.
FINAL THOUGHTS
THE FLASH 2022 ANNUAL #1 is a hard comic to review. Yet I think the best summary is this: do you want to read about THE FLASH or do you want a good story? Because if you want a great story, it’s certainly there this week…. But it’s not really about the FLASH. If you’re ok with that, THE FLASH 2022 ANNUAL #1 is totally for you. And, I highly recommend giving it a shot.
Nevertheless, you won’t get your FLASH fix this week AND you can probably summarize the key, critical parts of the story in about one sentence. Meaning, that if you decided to skip the issue it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Plus, as sharp as the art was this week, Wally and Linda looked exceptionally young… almost like teenagers. And that was just weird. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!