Wally West seems to have landed on his feet after an unfortunate run of Crises – he’s got a great new job that caters to both his skills and needs, he’s got his family back, and he’s once again taken up the mantle of the Fastest Man Alive. His life is just the way it used to be – and that includes his old villains up to their old tricks. But there’s more to Heat Wave’s latest arson spree than meets the eye…The Flash #773 is written by Jeremy Adams, drawn by Will Conrad, colored by Alex Sinclair, and lettered by Steve Wands.
Sometimes, you need your superhero comic to be comfort food. I think that’s especially true for Wally West fans right now, and bless the current creative team for giving us exactly that. In this issue, Wally does a little job juggling, saves a few people, takes down his villain with creativity, quips and compassion, and it’s all just a very satisfying meal of a story.
I’m glad this comic knows when to slow down.
A Taste of the Familiar
I’m really enjoying seeing Wally in the classic Flash costume, and the art team gets to really show off that classic red as the floor falls out from under the Flash – literally. Trapped in a burning building that’s the site of Heat Wave’s latest attack, it’s all Wally can do just to get out okay. He pulls out all the classic superhero tricks – making mini-tornadoes with his forearms to slow his descent, zipping through falling rubble, and of course, letting the villain somehow escape despite being fast enough to comb through the city in minutes.
The difference between him and Barry is stark. Both speedster do-gooders look good in red, but Wally does it with a lot more absent-mindedness, urgency and youthful charm. He’s having fun with it, and I’m having a lot of fun right along with him.
Of course, it’s not all fun and games with the Flash – he can tell that there’s something off about Heat Wave’s return to crime. There’s little time to investigate, though, ‘cause Wally’s got a day job to get back to.
Best Job Ever
I liked how well suited Wally was to his job when it was introduced last issue, but it looks like this job is even better than anyone could have hoped. Wally speeds back in after his run-in with Heat Wave, only no one seems to have noticed he’s gone. The lab’s experts are more engrossed with figuring out a conductivity problem for their interdimensional machines – something Wally’s very familiar with. He’s able to point out just what they’re missing, and while they’re surprised to hear it from the New Guy, after a little deliberation they take his advice, call for lunch, and leave Wally to wait for supplies.
Wally couldn’t have asked for a better gig. Zoom in, throw some advice around, zoom back out, all with free lunches and dental thrown in. I like these scientists, too – at the moment, there’s nothing that really sets them much apart from each other, but they share a cheeriness and willingness to listen and adapt that makes even the sciency talk have a lightness and fun to it. I get the feeling that they might be fleshed out as the series goes on, but there’s no rush to get to really know who they are right now – which I appreciate. There’s always that danger of too much, too soon whenever a new run brings in new supporting characters, but this issue keeps the spotlight on the Flash exploits we know and love.
With one important detour: the mysterious cosmic force flying through space on a collision course with Earth, a tease for a bigger story to come down the line. As a minor note, this cutaway shows us Jessica Cruz as a Yellow Lantern, something that – bafflingly – is not yet revealed in the main Green Lantern series.
Back on Earth, though….
Heat Wave Heartache
There’s another great action sequence, as Heat Wave begins an attack at the pier. Once again, the art team gets to flex, as Flash zooms innocents out of the way and summons up a lightning filled whirlpool to take Heat Wave out. As I’ve noted before, Will Condrad’s human faces tend to be a little hit or miss, but with Sinclair’s bright, beautiful and deep colors the superhero parts of this comic are a visual treat.
Despite declaring that Heat Wave’s lost the benefit of the doubt for having attacked a child, Wally’s still willing to hear Mick out. I like the way Wally talks to his more familiar villains…there’s almost a friendliness there, an underlying “I know you’re better than this.” It helps that he knows he outclasses his villain – this is not a story about if Wally can save the day, but how. Heat Wave finally cracks, breaking down and admitting to the Flash that his asbesto suit’s given him cancer, and that he doesn’t have long to live.
I may have faulted Conrad’s expressive work when it comes to non-masked characters, but he absolutely nails the scene here. Heat Wave’s never been the most sympathetic of villains, but I feel the pain in these pages here. Wally gives him the space he needs to talk about it, and my heart goes out to Mick. Which makes the ending of this comic a bit of a sour note – he’s now a part of the Suicide Squad, catching us up to his appearances there and in Swamp Thing. From what I’ve seen so far, he’s given little depth to work with. To be fair, there’s a lot going on in those comics, but I do feel a little sadder to have been made to feel for the character before having it quickly undone in his other appearances.
Still, all in all, I’m really happy with this series. There are some characters I follow no matter how badly they’re written, or what crossover they’re unceremoniously shoved into. Wally West is one of those, and I’m glad to be able to enjoy reading him in a comic that knows what makes The Flash such a great read in the first place. Things are looking up for the Flash right now – and heaven knows he’s earned it.
Armaan is obsessed with the way stories are told. From video games to theater, TTRPGs to comics, he has written for, and about, them all. He will not stop, actually; believe us, we've tried.
