Writer: Jeremy Adams
Art: Fernando Pasarin, Matt Ryan, Jeromy Cox, Peter Pantazis, Rob Leigh, Brandon Peterson, and Michael Atiyeh
Publisher: DC Comics
Price:$4.99
Release Date: April 19th, 2022
The War with Eclipso stopped Wally West dead in his tracks causing our hero to pump the breaks on all the happenings in his life right now. From his kids to his new job, and now Linda, Wally almost finds himself drowning and in need of some help. Let’s race into this excitingly new tale as THE FLASH #781 by Jeremy Adams takes off with a brand-new villain waiting in the wings.
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THE DISPATCH
Readers, Adams is making this book fun. He’s making the O.G. Wally a joy as well as likable again. And the beginning of THE FLASH #781 showcases the cute, fun, entertainment that has been in this book since Jeremy Adams has taken the reins and corrected the trajectory of Wally West. Furthermore, Adams takes a lighthearted stab at the Wally-Wallace conundrum that the New 52 created and ushers it in with humor and grace with such angles as the revisiting of Flush-Man from the 90s Argentina translations.
However, just as Adams continues to lay out some subtle witty humor, he pumps the brakes and displays a warm heart to heart with Kid Flash using a story from Wally’s days as the Kid Flash. Plus, Adams finds a way to inject the premise of HEROES IN CRISIS and mental health slyly back into the character’s past without really mentioning HEROES IN CRISIS. Now, as much as I absolutely hated what King did, it’s still technically in canon and should still be referenced periodically. You know… the Sanctuary. The thing that was going to be injected into stories to relate heroes and mental health that was never talked about again. Well, Adams was able to reference mental health without going there which was a perfect balance.
Nevertheless, Adams finds that perfect blend of explaining the mental health issue that took place in a respectful, almost classy way. Readers, that part of Wally West is never going away. Sure, Adams has appeared to right the ship but unless time travel happens again wildly undoing those events, it’s not disappearing. My point is that Adam’s uses THE FLASH #781 as a canvas to connect the pieces by showing readers it’s still there, he can never forget about it, but he’s better and back to his normal self.
Furthermore, after the heart-to-heart, THE FLASH #781 continues with some more sly zingers directed toward Dick Grayson, some Hall of Doom humor, and a run-in with a classic Geoff Johns villain from the early 2000s wrapping up another spectacular issue that’s “All pedal and no breaks”.
ART
Fernando Pasarin draws characters with tons of definition and distinction. However, he shines with his zoom-in panels of the main characters’ faces. Moreover, it’s the expressions on Wally’s face that make the issue so much more lighthearted and fun. Sure, the story and dialogue add those layers too but it’s the visual display of emotions from both Wally and Wallace that fortify the tone in THE FLASH #781. Additionally, the coloring was sharp, the lightning bolts were vibrant, and the drastic color change in each scene between the reds and deep blues and purples helped make this issue pop.
FINAL THOUGHT
THE FLASH #781 displays the time and effort Adams has poured into the comic and the character of Wally West. From humorous language translations to subtle bonding moments with Wallace, Adams has not only fixed the many recent wrongs of Wally West but he’s made THE FLASH fun again. There isn’t a comic like this on the market at any company right now. THE FLASH by Adams has this lighthearted vibe that’s fun for all ages with an almost Saturday Morning Cartoon feeling from the 80s and 90s.
Additionally, it’s reminiscent of how I remember classic comics from the same era. The stories aren’t heavy and complicated with every issue trying to epically outdo the next. Adams keeps it simple and fun which is something we all need right now. This is a great time to jump into THE FLASH, All Pedal, and no breaks! Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!