There are a lot of comics out there, but some stand out head and shoulders above the pack. With “Don’t Miss This,” we want to spotlight those series we think need to be on your pull list. This week, we kick things into super-speed with “The Flash,” by Jeremy Adams, Fernando Pasarin, Matt Ryan, and more.
Who is this by?
The most recent run of “The Flash” is written by Jeremy Adams. While his portfolio outside of “The Flash” is somewhat limited, with just a few “Future State” tie-ins to his name, he’s been proving himself in every issue with a solid grasp of the characters and what makes the Wally West Flash so important.
The artists have rotated on occasion. In the most recent arc, the team of Fernando Pasarin and Matt Ryan (handling the pencils and inking, respectively) would tag out for Brent Peeples based on the scene as the comic jumped to and from Gemworld. This week’s issue, #780, brings in Will Conrad as the illustrator. While Jeromy Cox primarily handles the colors, Matt Herms and Peter Pantazis have also stepped in to contribute in recent issues.
In short, there’s a lot of talented people at work in this comic.
What’s it all about?
Wally West is back as The Flash, and he’s got a lot of catching up to do. Between finding (and keeping) a proper job, keeping up with his hero duties, and getting everything back on track with his now-reunited family, there’s no shortage of things keeping the fastest man alive busy.
Most recently, he took a trip to Gemworld alongside DC’s most powerful magic users to battle Eclipso while his kids fought off a metahuman kidnapping ring. This week, things aren’t slowing down as he’s pulled into the events of the “War for Earth-3” crossover event.
In short, it hits that sweet spot of a superhero balancing life and heroics, complete with some large-scale adventures.
What makes it so great?
For starters? It’s fun. It’s just good fun. Jeremy Adams is clearly having a good time exploring as many corners of the DC universe as the Flash can run to — his run began with Wally getting flung through time (in a story illustrated by multiple artists and colorists, one team for each era), including a trip through a classic Super Friends-style Legion of Doom and a stop to help fix at least a little of the damage that “Heroes in Crisis” did to his character.
If that’s not a strong start, I don’t know what is. In the issues since, he’s done a bit of classic acts of heroism, teamed up with his daughter, and fought alongside some of DC’s best. Jeremy has shown that he has a strong grasp of not only Wally’s character, but the entire Flash family, and understands how important the family is to Wally’s story. So if you missed seeing the West kids in action while they were temporarily removed from existence, then good news!
(A personal favorite issue is one where Wally and Doctor Fate not only break the fourth wall, they ask the reader to turn the book every which way to reach the end.)
And while the artists have changed during the comic’s run, one thing remains consistent: it’s good. I can’t think of a single issue where I went “this art isn’t doing it for me.” In fact, the opening story made sure to use different styles of art for the different eras Wally traveled to, creating a unique look for each point in time. The most recent arc did the same thing as it jumped between Earth and Gemworld, creating subtle but important visual differences.
Not to mention: the artists all know when to go big. There’s always going to be a lot of action in a “Flash” comic, which means plenty of action lines and large set pieces, and this comic provides no shortage of it. They also know when to go subtle, with little details snuck into the pages that are easier to catch on a re-read, or let you see how Wally managed to miss them in a bit of visual foreshadowing.
So really, it’s everything a good “Flash” comic ought to be.
Continued belowHow can you read it?
While the first graphic novel in the Jeremy Adams run (“The Flash” volume 16, “Wally West Returns”) will be out in stores in June, you can read all the individual issues by finding them online (either on the DC Comics website or Comixology) or at your friendly local comic shop. Jeremy’s run begins in issue #768, so that’s a great point to start, and issue #780 is in stores and online now.