Flash #50

The last issue of the Flash War arc.

SPOILERS AHEAD

A lot of times comic companies, mainly the big two, take away what we love simply to reset a story. Sometimes it's personal to make it about what they want (the end of the spider marriage) or because they believe simplifying canon by rebooting is better for sales (New 52.) Many fans, myself included, missed what was lost. The families, the legacy, the heart that we care about. That's why I think a lot of fans, whether they like Irey and Jai or not wanted Wally to get them back. I didn't think it'd be done and it wasn't. Still, that doesn't mean the story had nothing to offer.

I wasn't pleasantly surprised that Wally wasn't sidelined in favor of Barry. Both have their faults addressed and have consequences for their actions. But much to my surprise Wally is confirmed has the fastest speedster. One that's not only learned from Barry but also his kids. As for Barry, it's nice to see he isn't perfect and have them address it. Wally may be faster but he isn't replacing Barry in his own book. Barry DID replace Wally as the lead Flash so I don't really see this story undoing that. It's still nice to have Wally acknowledged instead of pretending he was never the hero he was/is.

Flash Kid saves Iris and Renegade Cold from being erased (although the timeline resets) and brings them to the past. He's more than a little mad at being left behind all the time and probably more so since they almost got erased.

Hunter got the power he wanted and made it impossible to time travel using the Speed Force. I'm not sure if he intended that. He claims a bigger threat is coming he just won't say what it is or where Wally's kids are. Hunter does hint that Wally should know. I don't really understand the new Forces or care about them at this stage. I understand this is a plot from another series it just didn't have much of an impact on me.

Technically it wasn't a total loss even if Wally doesn't realize it yet. His actions did make it possible to free Bart Allen/Impulse. Bart looks younger than normal but we'll see how that goes. For now it's good to have him back.

The outcome of this story is already setting things in motion for the future. I'm a little confused since the TT Special said it took place before this arc. Kid Flash's anger and disappointment in Barry/Wally has led to him being more active with Damian' s group. Barry isn't thrilled about this and thinks Damian is a bad influence. Honestly I'm half hoping for this to make Barry and Bruce have a talk about parenting.

I'm still getting into Flash lore which means I might not have the full scope on everything like Hunter. I did catch a lot of references though and I think this was a good story arc and I'm pleased that it ended up being more hopeful than I suspected. Wally isn't giving up on his kids, Bart is back and even if things look bad their still a family. It wasn't perfect, other heroes were taken out too easily last issue and some bit might feel too much like fan service. I don't think it's too bad in that regard and definitely not in a bad way.




Say What?: Renegade Cold thinks that his time must be back to normal if he's still alive. He's right in this case but sometimes that happens because the character has become a paradox. Chronos 2 is an example of this.



Questions Asked?: Did the 25th century change before Wally broke the Force Barrier? If not I'm not sure why it did. Cold discovers time travel is impossible via the Speed Force after they break it.

Didn't Wally claim he raced Barry after he got his powers when he was with his kids? He's wearing a different costume in Barry's flashback not the mini me Flash costume. Also I'm reading the Waid TPBs and Wally wasn't faster than Barry at that point. Max figured out that Wally had mentally held himself back for years in fear of taking Barry's place. Yeah I'm probably over thinking this but it's my nature and curse.