The Flash #75 Sets The Path To The Future
by Tony Thornley
Barry Allen has always been all about speed. However, this volume of The Flash has shown how the character is about so much more than running, and we learn more about that as his origin story concludes in The Flash #75.
Joshua Williamson, Howard Porter, Hi-Fi Color and Steve Wands wrap up Barry’s origin and push him into the future in back-up stories by Williamson, Scott Kolins, Christian Duce, Luis Guerrero, and Wands.
Barry has to face two Turtles- the present and future versions- in order to save Central City. How can he do it? Once he’s snapped free of his memories, what new challenge will he face? And what does Lex Luthor have to offer Captain Cold?
The main story accomplishes exactly what it set out to, providing not just an origin for Barry Allen or the Flash but also the relationships he has- with Iris, with his nephews, and with Central City as a whole. It’s a strong origin story, and it’s great to see that it’s more than just rehashing a story we’ve seen before, like we have with Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. The second of the back-ups is also welcome, throwing Leonard Snart back into the mix in an exciting way.
However, the first back-up is unfortunately a bit of a disappointment. After the past arc hinting at a larger purpose to the entire story, the answers we get are somewhat disappointing. It does provide some interesting clue for where the story might be going, but little in the way of resolution.
Porter continues his excellent work. He makes the action grand and cosmic, but he also makes the citizens of Central City feel as heroic and important to the story as Barry himself. Toward the end of the story though, his anatomy falls short, with several figures suddenly shrinking on the page. For the most part though, it’s a fantastic looking issue.
Kolins and Duce’s two stories are both strong. Kolins shows Barry’s speed in a way that visually charts a path forward alongside literal glimpses of what’s to come. Duce puts a sense of malaise on the page as Snart just goes through the motions as a member of the Suicide Squad, right up to the moment that Luthor shows up, and we actually get to see some of Snart’s spark back.
While it’s not a perfect issue, this is a great conclusion to Barry’s origin, and a crucial part of the overall DC Universe landscape. It’s exciting to think about what’s next after what we see here.
The Flash #75 is available now from DC Comics.
