Smallville: Season Eleven #35

Haunted Part Nine

Writer Bryan Q. Miller
Art Jorge Jimenez
Colors Carrie Strachan
Lettering Saida Temofonte
Cover Art Cat Staggs
Assistant Editor Sarah Gaydos
Editor Kristy Quinn
Superman created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster

Superman's fight against the Black Flash in Las Vegas doesn't exactly go well for the Man of Steel. True, Clark's new containment suit does allow him to somehow absorb excess speed from individuals caught in the speed storm. But far too many people are still dying. Eventually, the Black Flash does confront Superman, noting again that Clark is not "of speed," but decides to consume him anyway.

Bart, meanwhile, is still hanging out at Jay's house on the edge of the Salt Flats. Somehow, Bart can see a huge flash of light caused by Superman clashing with the Black Flash. (Note: You cannot see Las Vegas from the Salt Flats, so this is either some Speed Force thing, or a geography error.) Bart finally decides enough is enough, and tells Jay he can't let someone else fight his battles for him.

Before Impulse takes off, Jay tells him he had heard his name before. The first time he woke up with super speed, he heard the names of Max Mercury, Barry Allen, Wally West, Bart's and his own. He says they're all part of something bigger, bound by the Speed Force. But Bart insists that he's always been alone, and now the only kind of family he has needs his help. Bart takes off with his customary "smell ya later," to which Jay responds, "Godspeed, son."

Oh, man! This comic series did not just tease me with Max Mercury's name! You can't do that! Not without intending to follow up on it. What happened to the Flash family? Where are all these speedsters? And no, we're never going to find out. I would say that this series ran out of time before being able to answer those questions, but I don't think that's the case. Smallville: Season Eleven lasted for a surprisingly long time. If Bryan Q. Miller and company really wanted to explore the Flash family, they had plenty of opportunities to do so.

Next time, we'll return to Young Justice: Invasion.