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 …