Writer: Jeremy Adams
Art: Fernando Pasarin, Matt Ryan, Matt Herms, Rob Leigh, and Taurin Clarke
Publisher: DC Comics
Price:$4.99
Release Date: November 15th, 2022
When Gregory Wolfe wins the mayor ship of Central City, he implements a radical agenda to instill order…including deputizing the Rogues to enforce the law and ridding the city of its well-known vigilante—the Flash! Let’s dive into this week’s the Flash #788 by Jeremy Adams as this new arc begins to take off!
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 #788 Review.
THE DISPATCH
Normalcy. That’s exactly what Flash #788 is. And after Jeremy Adams righted the ship that was Wally West, redirected his relationship with his wife and kids, regained the proper tonal switch, and meandered through a DARK CRISIS or two, we’ve finally made it back to… The Flash! We got all the Rogues on full display in this issue for a classic showdown but with a unique twist that’s not too heavy or complicated. Sure, there are some questions to figure out, but Adams makes it pretty cut and dry providing just enough explanations to wet your whistle.
Adams revisits the baby angle, Linda’s newfound powers, the Heatwave relationship cultivated with Wally, and even slides in Jai and Irey making some wrestling references from the last incredibly fun issue of the Flash. Readers, this is strong, thoughtful storytelling at its finest. Plus, Adams proves that every story doesn’t need to be Earth-shattering, world-ending, or cluttered with death and destruction. This is a regular, run-of-the-mill, low-key story involving the Rogues and the Flash. It’s the perfect story that finally feels like things are back to normal for Wally with some updated twists that aren’t too heavy to deal with. I simply couldn’t recommend this book more to any and all Flash fans. If you haven’t been reading the Flash, now’s your chance to see what Adams’ has done.
ART
Fernando Pasarin, Matt Ryan, and Matt Herms provide fans with what looks like a bright, updated comic from the 90s with a modern twist. Fans get the muscularly defined heroes and villains of old, but with these unique and playable expressions that almost make the comic feel lighthearted and fun. I love their Flash design and I love the white eyes in the custom. This look almost reminds me exactly of Geoff Johns Flash run which was fantastic. You can get your hands on that run by clicking HERE, which as I’m saying hits the nail on the head for this very issue.
FINAL THOUGHTS
That’s exactly what this issue and recent run remind me of… Johns’ Flash run! From the art down to the story, and the feeling in between, Adams has the perfect blend of story, fun, and this almost “everyday man” attitude from Wally that mirrors what Johns did in his run. It provides this Silver Age touch that just feels right but with the Rogues instead. It’s almost like Adams was using the Rogues as this lead in like Adams did with Cicada and Brother Grimm as he kicked off his run in 2000.
The next steps for Adams if he follows the blueprint that I think he is, we will see some other familiar faces (like the cliffhanger) that we haven’t seen in quite some time while he possibly creates some new villains of his own along the way. And what would a Flash run be with Hunter Zolomon or Eobard Thawne? I think if you’re reading the tea leaves correctly, you’ll see that Adams is in for the long haul. And he deserves it. Mark Waid got about 100 issues to tell his story. Geoff Johns also got to manage around 100 issues sprinkled throughout Infinite Crisis, Final Crisis, Blackest Night, and into Flashpoint. With how well Adams has done getting Wally back to his old self, I highly recommend DC Comics just let Adams do his thing as Waid and Johns did long before him. Again, I highly recommend Flash fans hop on board now if they haven’t already. You can thank me later. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!