Review: ‘The Flash’ #753 Goes Back To The Future
by Tony Thornley
As of this past week, comics are back, and DC Comics brought Barry Allen back with a bang. The Flash #753 puts Barry on a collision course with one of the toughest battles of his life…
The Reverse Flash has frankly become a crutch over the past twenty years, a character who’s been trotted out often enough that he’s lost his impact. However, this issue brings a twist that should have been used much sooner. Joshua Williamson, Howard Porter, Brandon Peterson, Hi-Fi, and Steve Wands bring us this unique chapter in the Flash’s adventures.
Barry Allen is in a literal race against time. Paradox has captured Godspeed and has the ability to tear apart the timestream itself to get to the Flash. His only hope? Teaming up with the one man he hates more than anything else- Eobard Thawne.
This is quickly shaping up to be one of the most interesting arcs Williamson has written since the ‘Flash War’. By subverting expectations, he’s created a great new character dynamic. I genuinely can’t think of a time that Barry and Thawne had to team up, and it’s got me excited for what’s next. Paradox creates a threat that feels genuinely challenging for Barry, while not being just another speedster, with a ticking clock that’s impossible to set aside.
Splitting this issue between Porter and Peterson is a smart choice. Peterson only does a few pages (a splash page featuring Thawne and the Paradox scenes) but the shift in style between him and Porter makes the impending threat of his actions more urgent and his violence more jarring. Meanwhile Porter is still able to convey the emotional core of the conflict tearing Barry apart, particularly in one single page scene that was absolutely heartbreaking.
On the downside, the story came and went so fast that I was surprised to see it end. It’s not totally a bad thing, but it was jarring to reach the end of the issue and realize that was the end. However, if Williamson and Porter keep up this pace the entire arc, it should be satisfying, especially to read as a whole.
The Flash #753 is available now from DC Comics.
