Absolute Flash #4 Review- Running From the Past Into a Bold Future

From DC Comics

Written by Jeff Lemire

Art by A.L Kaplan

It has been eight months since the release of DC Comics new slate of alternate universe narratives under the “Absolute Universe” designation, which has now stretched to six titles: Absolute Batman, Absolute Wonder Woman, Absolute Superman, Absolute Martian Manhunter, Absolute Green Lantern, and Absolute Flash. If you haven’t kept up with any of these series, then I have to highly encourage you to seek them out and enjoy what is certainly a new renaissance in storytelling from DC Comics, or at the very least, read some of my reviews to get a better familiarity with what the “Absolute Universe” is all about.

Having offered commentary on nearly all of the “Absolute” books at this point, I have to finally express my intrigue in Absolute Flash from legendary, award winning, innovative, writer Jeff Lemire, who has managed to secure my emotional investment into the world of The Flash for the first time in my life.

As a self admitted and demonstrably practicing comic book nerd, it may sound hypocritical or annoyingly elitist to judge any long standing legacy title like The Flash, but preference is a fickle beast, and one that has encouraged debate and community discussion since the creation of the medium. All I can really say is that historically- I have found the saga of the Flash to be confusing and boring.

“Confusing,” in reference to the narrowly ironic, not quite self-aware, comedic tone that the series is largely painted with, creating a kind of self-serious melodramatic spectacle with a central protagonist who is only ever capable of confronting his villains in a handful of repetitive ways.

That being said, the whole driving force behind the “Absolute Universe” was to tell ingenuitive stories featuring legacy characters in new context as a way of reintroducing and refamiliarizing a whole new generation of readers to some of the most iconic names in comics, so I thought I should give The Flash a chance for once.

First of all, it is a testament to Jeff Lemire’s keen, sharpened perspective as a veteran writer to alter the traditional framing of The Flash origin story in this series, centering on a teenage Wally West who is accidentally imbued with his iconic super speed powers in an accident involving military scientist Barry Allen. This simple narrative change immediately alters both the tone of the story and the expectations of seasoned fans, allowing for Absolute Flash to truly explore the essence of what makes The Flash an iconic superhero in true slow paced, thematic, horror-tinged Jeff Lemire fashion.

This spirit of reinvention is also expertly applied to the series villains which are notoriously some of the most outlandish and bizarre figures in any mainstream superheroes rogues gallery, with some impressive, equally iconic redesigns from Nick Robles who is yet another example of a well deserved indie comic artist getting their time to shine at DC with the “Absolute” titles.

All of these unique factors conspire into making Absolute Flash feel like a much needed introspective and earnest approach to the character from two incredibly discerning and talented artists that have effectively reinvented Wally West and The Flash mantle in only a few short issues.

If you are like me, and have never delved into the solo series speedster antics of DC’s fastest man, then I highly recommend trying out Absolute Flash as a starting point to acquaint you with the characters major themes. More broadly, if you are a fan of stories exploring trauma, the tragedies of youth, repressed memories, interwoven past and future plot lines, or dystopian sociological commentary- then Absolute Flash is a well written, patiently paced, and breathtaking story well worth your read.

But let’s talk more specifically about issue #4 this week, which means,

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Issue #4 begins in a similar fashion to all issues prior, with a dive into the mind of Wally West as he races away from his own past and, lest I forget, the futuristic, superpower enhanced soldiers that hunt him. In this instance, we see Wally continuing to wrestle with his anxiety, attempting to ground himself with an exercise as he opens his eyes and discovers the harrowing memory of his mother’s funeral. However, before Wally can truly give into the hopelessness of that precious moment, he awakes further, to find himself standing in the empty graveyard. But instead of his mother’s open grave, Wally discovers the skeletal ghost of Barry Allen calling out to him for help. A sight which lurches Wally back to his actual reality, sleeping on the ground on the outskirts of the town of Iron Heights with his fellow fugitive experiment companion, Gorilla Grodd (Though he’s more like a tiny, big brained, green alien chimp in this incarnation).

First of all, this layered, reality warping, nightmarish opening is a really memorable and poignant hook that once more speaks to the heart of Wally West as a character. As I mentioned, Lemire has made a great effort throughout these first few issues of Absolute Flash to explore the literal and psychological struggles affecting Wally West in this universe, which are quaint thematica reflections of what makes The Flash a beloved hero. Wally is not perfect, in fact he is much more familiar- a child of a single, grieving, and work obsessed parent, a rebellious teenager with a curious imagination, but above all- a kid with a good heart and moral conscience.

Second of all, this opening is made effectively emotionally chilling and visually haunting by the talents of guest artist A. L. Kaplan, who proves themselves to be a seamless and capable addition to the Absolute Flash team. One of the aspects I love most about the art of this series thus far, which is evident in this issue by Kaplan as well, is the intimate perspective we the reader share with Wally West as he encounters the shocking circumstances of his new life. Consistently we are sharing Wally’s POV, or are focused on his facial expressions or physical movements, or see panels artfully framed by his emotional response. It is this subtle, yet gradually building, sense of attachment that deepens the connection we have for this new iteration of Wally who feels as if he is just as lost in this new world as we are.

From here we follow Wally and Grodd as they attempt to find food and shelter in an unfamiliar world, inevitably running into Ralph Dibny, a kind hearted man who runs a local youth shelter. Fans in the know will recognize that name (I had to google it) as the civilian moniker of the hero Elongated Man, who creator John Broome added to The Flash series in 1960’s because he forgot Plastic Man existed. However, it is too early to tell from the contents of this issue if Dibny will share the powers of his mainline universe self. Though, an accidental transformation would certainly fit into one of the mounting themes of this series, made even more clear by this issue, that perhaps The Flash is destined to be chased by governmental authorities, time and chaos itself, and genetically manipulated individuals wherever he runs.

Cutting back to our ragtag team of rogues in the desert previously attempting to catch Wally, we find Trickster interfering with the temporal energy that Wally left in his wake, which explodes and disappears. Before they can investigate further however, Commander Rudy West, Wally’s father, orders the team to disembark. Captain Cold protests, but Rudy reminds them that they couldn’t even catch a 15 year old, and they lost a valuable government asset in Grodd. Rudy then leaves to return to Fort Fox to finally get some damn answers as to what happened to his son.

Back at the destroyed Fort Fox, Rudy speaks to Director Thawne who reveals that what happened to Wally was only one of the many experimental projects funded by the Lazarus Corporation (a neat tie in to recent events played out in Absolute Superman). Furthermore, Thawne reveals that Grodd may not be as innocent as he appears, seemingly intent on leading Wally to other escaped experiments for assured confrontation. Which just goes to show you that the early 20th century entertainment industry principle of “put a monkey in it and people will watch it,” still rings true.

This series of events is characteristic of Lemire’s tried and true approach to storytelling, which feels even more aptly applied in this series, dropping us into a world in progress that slowly unfolds with detail via the choices of the characters therein. Much like the other “Absolute” titles, Absolute Flash allows the legacy of the titular character and all of the characters and circumstances accumulated over decades of publication, to speak for themselves, rather than inundate readers with obvious exposition.

In our final pages, we see Wally connect with Linda, another refugee at Dibny’s home, which feels like the first real connection and moment of pause Wally has been allowed since the series inception which feels like a necessary beat. Next, Wally returns to his room to discover Grodd escaping into the night repeating his previous complaints about “it being hot.” Wally gives chase, reassuring Grodd that they should go back to the shelter and stay out of the heat, until Grodd leads Wally down a steaming sewer tunnel and points at a living pile of lava proclaiming, “Wally and Grodd find Hot.” Which in this context is the “Absolute” version of The Flash comics villain, Heatwave.

Though this installment may not be the flashiest (nice), the summation of all of the excellent narrative choices going into this series are more apparent now as the story begins to hit its stride and deserve to be celebrated. By the ending of issue #4, I can attest as a relatively new reader of The Flash, that I found myself surprised and excited by my genuine connection to this series and the unique characters therein that I want to research the history of.

Please support your local comic book stores and the new creative vision within Absolute Flash #4 on shelves now!

-Nicholas Aaron Hodge