As one of the longest-running superhero comics (sorry), The Flash has had to grow and change with the times. From Barry Allen’s earliest days as a hero defending the world from the excesses of super-science to the gritty 90s, the Flash’s adventures have been as versatile as any superhero comic. That’s what makes the latest struggle between the Scarlet Speedster and his evil inverse work. It’s the inconsistencies within the issue that hold it back.
Written by Joshua WilliamsonCover by Carmine Di Giandomenico
Illustrated by Paul Pellitier and Howard Porter
Inked by Andrew Hennesy and Howard Porter
Colored by Hi-Fi
Lettered by Steve Wands‘RUNNING SCARED’ finale! Barry Allen and Eobard Thawne. Legendary enemies separated by centuries pulled through time itself to battle again and again. Until now. For one year THE FLASH has been building to this single epic moment: the ultimate showdown between The Flash and Reverse-Flash!
“Flash” #27 is credited to two artists: Paul Pellitier and Howard Porter. Both are seasoned comics artists with a bombastic four-color style, but it’s unclear what their collaborative process looked like. The first dozen or so pages, focusing on Barry and Thawne’s brawl through time, feature blocky figures, with square features dashing through chunky bolts of lightning. Then, as the story settles into the present-day, the art becomes pointy, busy, and covered in lines.
The two styles aren’t polar opposites, but they’re different enough to be notable, and don’t support each other well. After all, the entire issue is one big fight scene, and a brief aftermath, so the shift in style doesn’t make a lot of story sense. Similarly, the panel layouts don’t really support what’s happening on the page. The more frenetic early action takes place on big, vertical panels, and when things slow down, they’re presented on a six-panel grid. The added panels muddy the velocity of a fight between the two most powerful men in the universe.
Also dissonant is the writing. It stands on its own just fine, but it isn’t really supported by the art style. From the images, you might think you were reading a Bronze Age fight between a boy scout hero and his posturing nemesis. But Josh Williamson’s script is dark. “Shut up,” Barry fumes, “I’m going to snap your neck Thawne!” I’m not making a moral judgment as to whether or not Barry should kill his enemy, but the panel fails to sell the threat of violence. It looks too bright, too catoony, too fun, to believe that this is Barry Allen pushed beyond his moral code.
The issue also presents an important moment in the continuing adventures of the Flash: Iris confronting Barry’s constant lies and gaslighting. This is a thorny subject, as secret identities are part of the fabric of superhero stories, and while the issue is emotionally arresting, it fails to hit on the nuance. Because Iris is right, and Barry is wrong, but the big takeaway is that it’s sad that Iris is mad at Barry. I’m sure it is sad, but the most important issue at hand isn’t Barry’s guilt for messing up, it’s how he justified making the choices he made, and where he goes from here.
In that, the Flash comic reflects an unfortunate turn in the Flash television show. Barry screws up sometimes, it’s what he does, but both stories present him as increasingly self-righteous. He never tries to apologize, continues holding onto secrets (albeit enormous, cosmic, universe-shattering ones), and fails to be anything other than selfish. It’s not a good look on a hero.
When I think back to the Barry of Crisis on Infinite Earths and to Iris in Final Crisis, these kind of teenage-level shenanigans seem unthinkable. It’s a sort of nasty after-effect of DC’s blanket policy against stable romance. Their dysfunction is so egregious, it makes you question why Barry and Iris was such a good couple in the first place. The Flash is an upbeat Midwestern boy, who faces evil with compassion and treats his loved ones with kindness. This sort of drama feels generic.
Those inconsistencies are made even more unfortunate when put up against the larger plot. Since “Rebirth,” a lot of DC characters have been replaying their greatest hits, either doing new takes of classic stories or long-awaited follow-ups. This is the climax of the Flash battling the Reverse Flash. This is it, the big showdown between the fastest man alive and his arch-nemesis. Especially when put up against the competition, “Flash” #27 doesn’t feel insubstantial. The issue is heavy with consequence. Its technical shortcomings, and slight missteps are exasperated by how weighty and epic the story feels.
Comics are in a good place in terms of talent. Everyone involved with this issue has shown themselves to be capable of good work. The underlying structure of “Flash” #27 is strong, but it does not add up to the sum of its parts. If only the contemporary superhero machine would adapt the laconic attitude of Barry Allen, maybe this issue could have taken some more time to iron out the inconsistencies. Instead, it takes on the mission of Eobard Thawne, and tries to prove that it can do what everyone else is doing, but faster.
Final Verdict: 5.8 – An important showdown is undermined by many inconsistencies.
