Wally West’s erratic odyssey through time continues, swapping out the souls of history’s greatest speedsters with Wally’s own confused consciousness. This time, he’s taken to World War II, to help Jay Garrick and the Ray stop Hitler from obtaining the Spear of Destiny – and more pressingly, stopping him from taking out an entire hemisphere in a Speed Force explosion. Flash #770 is written by Jeremy Adams, with art by Jack Herbert, Brandon Peterson, Kevin MaGuire, colors by Michael Atiyeh and lettering by Steve Wands.
I may have felt tremendously let down by the first issue of this run, but this series is really hitting its stride. I feel part of the reason for that is that every issue sees less and less Barry Allen – a character who I’m generally fine with but who has really been a drain on the energy of this series. More importantly, though, the series is getting a lot better at delivering what it was clearly meant to be – a whirlwind odyssey made possible through the kinds of Speed Force shenanigans only The Flash comic can bring.
While most of Wally’s jumps have seen him thrown headfirst (no pun intended) into the mind of a new speedster with no concept of what’s happening or why, this time we get a little setup, spending a little time with the first Flash, Jay Garrick and Happy Terrill, the Ray. I have no complaints about this, having always enjoyed the old-fashioned upbeatness of Jay Garrick. The two are sent by Franklin D. Roosevelt to keep the Spear of Destiny from falling into Hitler’s hands.
There’s a slightly odd dissonance in tone in this issue – nothing jarring, but not entirely smooth either, as the first half of the issue becomes a story of faith in the face of hopelessness, slightly out of place in what has largely been a madcap series of chaotic events. Jay Garrick is in awe of the idea of procuring the Spear that pierced Jesus’ side, putting him at odds with the atheistic Ray, who believes the Spear’s just a pointy stick but is more than happy to ruin Hitler’s day.
The two of them are captured by a power neutralizing Nazi and tortured over the next few days, as Jay’s hopefulness starts to dwindle after weeks of torture. It’s got the glimmerings of a poignant, grounded story, something that’s been supported by a more grounded, dramatic art team portraying the past. While I enjoy the slower, more dramatic look, it’s a little at odds with the brighter colors of Michael Atiyeh, better suited for conventional superheroes…and right at home with Wally’s disruptive entrance into this issue.
The grounded storytelling style is thrown right out the window when Wally’s thrust into Jay Garrick’s body, restoring his powers to him and kicking the pace of this issue up a few notches. The Ray is rightly confused by all this, especially since Wally keeps talking to people the Ray can’t see. The choice not to show Barry’s side of the conversation as Wally talks to him through time is a fun gag, giving us more time to enjoy Wally’s adventures while also letting him look just crazed enough to get why the more stoic Ray is apprehensive about the issue’s turn of events.
The day is saved, Hitler and his Nazis are punched, and another Speed Force explosion is averted. While there’s a stark tonal shift, it’s more of a stumble than something that takes away from how fun this story is. I had a great time with this issue, but man, oh man, that last page reveal for what’s coming next has got me beaming. Suffice to say, it promises to be silly in the best kind of way – which is where this run seems to be at its strongest.
I’m glad to see The Flash get over its initial stumbles, hit its stride, and break into a more steady run for what it was meant to be all along. I’m out of running metaphors, so I will stop here, satisfied and eager for what’s to come.
