The Flash #794

The One-Minute War – Part Five: Thunder in Her Heart

Script: Jeremy Adams

Pencils: Roger Cruz

Inks: Wellington Dias & Roger Cruz

Colors: Luis Guerrero

Letters: Rob Leigh

Cover: Taurin Clarke

Variant Covers: Taurin Clarke, Marco D’Alfonso, George Kambadais, Eleonora Carlini

Shazam! Fury of the Gods Variant Cover by Jerry Ordway & Alex Sinclair

Editor: Chris Rosa

Group Editor: Paul Kaminski

Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

By special arrangement with the Jerry Siegel family.

Once again, our cover doesn’t quite fit with the story as well as it could. Yes, Irey is the main focus of this issue, and she does explore the idea of forging her own identity rather than merely being the female Impulse. But she doesn’t get this new costume here. I hope she does get this costume soon, though. I never liked the idea of her being Impulse. Mainly because Irey never really had anything to do with Bart.

For the first time in this storyline, Impulse appears on a variant cover. This rather unique image by George Kambadais does a good job of capturing the frenzy of the One-Minute War, while taking a novel approach to visualizing characters running at super speed. I don’t think I like it, but I’m happy to see someone use a variant cover to experiment.

Our story picks up with Miss Murder attacking Irey at Mr. Terrific’s lab. Unfortunately, Bart and Ace didn’t tell anybody that Miss Murder can’t track you if you clear your mind. Fortunately, Irey has the ability to sling around her super-strong and still-frozen brother, Jai, as if he were a wrecking ball attached to an invisible chain. Also, Superman manages to twitch his fingers fast enough to grab Miss Murder’s dogs. The injured villain hastily retreats, and Irey recklessly decides to leave behind all the frozen people to regroup with her family.

Irey blasts up to Jay, Max, Bart, Ace and Barry, somehow causing a large shockwave that knocked down most of the Fraction troops. She randomly announces her new hero name will now by Thunderheart, causing Bart and Ace to idiotically shout out “Coooool!” like a couple of 11-year-olds.

On the other side of the wall, Jesse and Linda are captured and loaded up into a transport, which conveniently is being driven by the young man Bart and Ace rescued. That’s right, the still-unnamed interdimensional corrections officer somehow snuck behind enemy lines, disguised himself as a Fraction soldier and commandeered a vehicle.

Anyway, Irey’s sudden arrival did help the rest of our heroes, but not enough to prevent the Fraction’s admiral from carrying away the injured Jay and sealing the wall behind him. Jesse and Linda soon arrive to drive everybody back to Barry’s lab, which is an especially odd choice, seeing as how Jesse pointed out how the Fraction now knows where Mr. Terrific’s lab is and who’s in it. But I guess everybody was too busy mourning the apparent death of Wally to think too rationally right there. Barry, however, gets a crazy idea to not only win the war, but make it so that it never happened in the first place.

Jay is tortured for a little bit and taken to an operating table to be studied before being placed in a battery. Luckily, Jay manages to break the surgeon’s Speed Force processor and engineer a violent escape.

There’s always a fine line writers have to balance when using characters as comedic relief. You want them to be funny, but not too stupid. Or immature. Adams slipped into that realm in this issue with Bart and Ace. And he’s also unfortunately fallen into the trope of having two comedic reliefs constantly speak in unison. I call it the Weasley Twins Effect. I get that Bart’s big moment is already done for this story, but I’m really sad to see him be reduced to this.

I’m also worrying that the story is starting to unravel. It made no sense for Bart and Ace to learn Miss Murder’s weakness and not tell anybody about it. They should have defeated her for good, and Adams should have sent a different villain to battle Irey — ideally someone tailored to her unique skill set and position in life. And I’m very worried about Barry’s plan to travel back in time. If that was always the end goal, then why not go a little bigger with the destruction and mayhem? Have another couple of speedsters be killed — you’ve got plenty. And don’t make Wally’s apparent death so ambiguous. Do you know how many times Wally has disappeared in a flash of light?

I don’t know. I was having a lot of fun with this story, but this issue is giving me second thoughts. We’ve got a couple of issues left of One-Minute War … hopefully Adams can stick the landing. Especially as this is literally the only Impulse content I have this year.

To be continued …

The Flash #793

The One-Minute War – Part Four: Thunder in Your Heart

Script: Jeremy Adams

Pencils: Roger Cruz

Inks: Wellington Dias

Colors: Luis Guerrero

Letters: Rob Leigh

Cover: Taurin Clarke

Variant Covers: Daniel Bayliss, Marco D’Alfonso, Scott Holins, Taurin Clarke

Editor: Chris Rosa

Group Editor: Paul Kaminski

Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

By special arrangement with the Jerry Siegel family.

For the first time in this storyline, Impulse is not on the cover. But, considering how weak these covers are, I’m not too sad by that. Jesse, Wally and Jay are examining a random hologram, and I think we’re supposed to believe Wally’s been a bit beat up. But those “holes” in his uniform look more like paint splotches — almost a hastily added effect at the last minute. The variant covers are all better than this, but once again, no Impulse.

Our story picks up with our heroes bringing Superman, Captain Atom and Gorilla Grodd into Mr. Terrific’s lab. Superman, the fastest non-speedster on the world, can almost keep up with the Flash family. But, as Impulse notes, it’s going to take him a whole day to say anything.

So they decide to leave Superman where he is and interrogate the young man Impulse and Kid Flash rescued. The boy — who’s never given a name in this issue — explains that he was an interdimensional corrections officer who was captured by the Fraction. They dubbed him an “organic conduit” and used him as an engine to propel their ship through the Speed Force. The boy explains that all the Fraction soldiers wear glowing discs on their chest that allow them to artificially process the Speed Force. He says that since the Fraction is pulling so much Speed Force into one location at a time that it saturates the planet, causing all speedsters to go from “zero to super-fast,” unable to slow down until the Fraction leaves.

Jay and Barry note that they’re still a little faster than the Fraction because they conduct the Speed Force organically. The young man warns them that he can calculate probabilities faster than anyone, and their only option is to leave the world now before the Fraction captures them and becomes even more powerful. But everybody insists on staying and fighting for their home. They speculate that the Spire may be acting as an antenna that sends the Speed Force to all the Fraction’s forces.

So they all go to what I assume was once Barry’s lab but has now been turned into Wally’s garage, where he’s been working on a car described by Bart as a “hunk of junk.” Wally plans to place a Fraction engine inside his car, which he’ll use to drive straight into the Spire like a bomb. Ace thinks this is suicide, but Wally believes he’ll be protected by the same friction barrier that protects speedsters from being killed by bugs while running. Bart says he’s accidentally swallowed a bug once while running, but Ace claims that’s impossible. Bart replies that it’s merely impossible for Ace, so he says he could swallow a bug if he really wanted to. Bart urges him to prove it, but Barry gets them back on topic.

Ace warns Barry and Wally about how heavily guarded the Spire is, and Bart mentions Miss Murder. Both Bart and Ace shudder at the name, but neither of them provide the helpful information of how to defeat her. Wally insists he’ll be fine because he’ll be the only one driving to the Spire. Barry warns him to phase out of the car before he hits or, as Bart and Ace add, he’ll go “kablooey.”

Bart and Ace help Wally and Barry set up the car, while Jay and Max scout out the wall and Jesse and Irey destroy a couple of tanks. They all meet back together to plan the assault, leaving Irey behind to guard the frozen people. Barry and Wally have a quick heart-to-heart, where Barry admits he was about to marry Iris. Ace asks Bart if he knows if this mission will succeed, since he’s from the future, but Bart says he doesn’t even pay attention to the present, much less the past.

Our heroes hide out near the wall and as soon as it opens, Bart and Ace ambush the tank that comes out. Barry destroys it with a massive laser gun that I assume he took from the Fraction, while Max, Jay, Ace and Bart prop open the wall with some girders. But our heroes are quickly met by the Fraction’s forces, and Jay is electrocuted by the Fraction admiral. Luckily, this was only a diversion, as Jesse and Linda were simultaneously holding open the other side of the wall. (I guess they both have super strength now.)

Wally drives the car toward the Spire as planned, but the admiral orders the emitter to overpower him. Wally tries to phase out of the car, but can’t, and seems to disappear in a flash of pink light. Meanwhile, Miss Murder has broken into Mr. Terrific’s lab, and Jay is down for the count, while Bart, Max and Ace are surrounded.

So that’s a nice cliffhanger to what has still been a really nice Flash family story. Yeah, the pacing is a bit rough in places, most likely due to the large number of characters involved. And I still think it’s ridiculous that we’re supposed to believe that Iris is dead when time is still essentially frozen. But I’m loving every little bit of Bart I get here. I hope Jeremy Adams doesn’t forget him after all this is over.

Before I leave, here’s a funny little thing that showed up on my app. I guess DC is experimenting with “instant” trade paperbacks that are only three issues long. Here’s the cover of their collection of The Flash #790-#792.

The image is from an inside page by Roger Cruz, which is significantly better than anything Taurin Clarke has done. I don’t know why DC didn’t wait until the entire One-Minute War was done. Maybe this will be a good antidote for the people who are loathe to buy two smaller comics each month. But that means nothing to people like me who have the Infinite app and get all the comics a month later. Oh well. I can’t complain about making more covers with Impulse on them.

To be continued …

The Flash #792

The One-Minute War – Part Three: Impulse Buy

Script: Jeremy Adams

Pencils: Roger Cruz

Inks: Wellington Dias

Colors: Luis Guerrero

Letters: Rob Leigh

Cover: Taurin Clarke

Variant Covers: Serg Acuña, Daniel Baylis, Scott Kolins, Taurin Clarke, Mateus Manhanini

Editor: Chris Rosa

Group Editor: Paul Kaminski

Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

By special arrangement with the Jerry Siegel family.

I am so happy that Impulse remains a major presence on these covers. I think DC wisely realized the inclusion of Bart would be a major selling point of this story. Unfortunately, I just cannot stand Clarke’s style. And a few things don’t make any sense here. This is a futuristic car, which, as you can easily guess, belongs to the Fraction. So why is it full of junk food and a random Flash doll? I guess we’re just trying to be funny and not worrying about continuity. Also to my dismay, none of the variant covers include Impulse, so let’s dive into the story.

After laying the presumably dead Iris in Wally’s bed, Barry joins a strategy meeting with Wally, Linda, Jay, Jesse, Max, Wallace and Bart. Jay explains that the Fraction have set up a perimeter a mile across with an impenetrable wall that only opens to let out tanks and fliers. Jay doesn’t know what the fliers are doing, but he’s noticed the tanks are moving in an organized search pattern, which will be reaching the West home before too long. Wallace asks why they’re all stuck at top speed, and Bart asks why the Fraction is also moving so fast. Wally’s best guess is they’ve figured out a way to harness the power of the Speed Force and apply it to their vehicles. 

Barry says he’d like to study one of those vehicles, at which Bart immediately zooms away. The only person who seemed to care that Bart abruptly left is Wallace, who hastily chases after him. Bart tells Wallace not to worry about what he’s doing, but Wallace can’t help it, saying whenever Bart decides to run off, everything goes “kablooey.” Bart calls that an overstatement, but eventually agrees that Wallace is not wrong. He contends, however, that things are never boring around him, then resumes his quest to find a Fraction car for Barry. Fearing Bart will be killed on this reckless mission, Wallace decides to join him.

Bart decides to show Wallace why he’s called Impulse, by impulsively deciding to hide under one of the Fraction’s tanks. Wallace reluctantly follows, while Miss Murder surreptitiously picks up on the boys’ trail. The rest of the Flash family, meanwhile, has decided to make Mr. Terrific’s secure lab their new base of operations. It’s only after they get set up in the lab when Max realizes that Bart is missing. And Linda notes that “Ace” is gone, too. (I’ve been away too long. Everybody has new nicknames and powers.)

Conveniently, the tank Bart and Ace are hiding on returns to the Spire. Ace asks why they didn’t just take this tank back, but Bart says they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take a peek behind the wall. Once inside, Impulse and Kid Flash carefully avoid some Fraction henchmen, who are under a lot of pressure to capture Earth’s speedsters. Bart finds a secret compartment below them, which contains a strange red rectangular box. Ace observes a lot of electricity pouring from it, so Bart speculates it may be a battery and suggests they take it. Ace is horrified by this idea, but goes along with it anyway, as usual. Also as usual, Bart’s instincts prove right, as the box is apparently the energy source for the entire ship.

Unfortunately, the box proves too big and heavy for just one of our boys to carry it. So they awkwardly struggle with their burden, promptly attracting the attention of several Fraction guards. But at Impulse’s order, our heroes wield the box as a shield and ram the two guards, knocking them out cold. This attack also broke open the box, revealing a teenage boy sleeping inside it. Noting how this place keeps getting weirder and weirder, Bart and Ace help the groggy boy up, but are suddenly ambushed by Miss Murder and her two monster dogs.

The boy warns his rescuers to run, but the dogs expertly cut them off, whichever direction they move. Ace complains that it seems like the dogs can read their minds, and the boy explains that Miss Murder doesn’t hunt by sight or sound, but by thoughts. Impulse realizes this is the perfect villain for him to battle, since he’s so good at not thinking. He leads Kid Flash and the boy on a reckless charge directly at Miss Murder, but she doesn’t sense them, allowing the trio to run right past her. They encounter a few more guards, but Kid Flash perfectly follows Impulse’s lead and helps direct the guard’s gunfire right at Miss Murder and her dogs.

Our heroes quickly find a car, but Ace doubts Bart’s ability to drive it. However, the mysterious boy explains that Bart is a “conduit,” and all he has to do is grab the wheel and the vehicle will respond. Miss Murder suddenly jumps on the roof of the car, but the boy shows Ace how to man the laser guns to knock her off. The Fraction’s admiral orders his troops to follow and kill the boys, but they manage to safely deliver the vehicle to Wally and Max before they’re caught.

The boy is so shocked to see Wally, he can only stammer when asked his name. Max lectures Bart for being so foolish, but Ace comes to his defense, saying he also thought it was a good idea, adding that Bart’s “quick not-thinking” enabled them to escape. Bart gives Wallace an appreciative smile, while Wally opens up the back of the van. To everyone’s surprise, the vehicle was transporting Captain Atom, Superman and Gorilla Grodd.

Well, I think it’s safe to say that was Bart’s major contribution of this story. And it was pretty nice. He stole a vehicle and the Fraction’s power source (which turned out to be a kid) and he rescued Superman himself. Not bad for a kid that nobody pays attention to. Seriously, how did it take everyone so long to realize that not one, but two of their teammates were missing? Especially after they had all the talk about the importance of staying together during this war! And do we really need to be adding even more characters to this already bloated cast? Regardless, I did have lots of fun with Impulse and Kid Flash once again. And I thought it was neat that Bart got to fight a villain tailor-made for his personality. Yeah, I have a few minor complaints, but this is still a fun, engaging story.

To be continued …