The Flash Family is falling apart.
The Flash Annual #1 is a real case of good news, bad news for readers. The good news is that it expertly sets the stage for "Flash War," one of Joshua Williamson's most promising Flash storylines to date. The bad news is that readers will have to wait months to see that story resume in the pages of the monthly series. Regardless, there's never been a better time to be reading this series.
Even if this weren't the start of a major Flash epic, the fact that this annual puts the spotlight on the original Wally West would be reason enough to give it a look. We've seen too little of Wally 1.0 in this book since he was first pulled out of the Speed Force by Barry. But at long last, Williamson delves headlong into Wally's dilemma as a refugee of the pre-Flashpoint DCU. Apart from Barry and the Titans, no one remembers this Wally or the relationships they once shared. Within a handful of pages, Williamson had me wondering why DC hasn't bothered to give Wally his own book yet. There's clearly more than enough meat there.
Regardless, this issue makes up for lost time as it explores Wally's predicament and the increasingly dire effect it's having on his relationships with Barry and Wally 2.0. It's impossible not to feel for this character as he finds himself more lost and alone than ever, while at the same time dread what seems to be the imminent collapse of the Flash family dynamic. Williamson juggles a great deal of Flash continuity as he brings Wally's ex Magenta into the picture, but the story never gets so bogged down in details that it loses sight of the emotions fueling this conflict. Meanwhile, the futuristic bookend segments do a great job of hinting at the true nature of "Flash War" and adding further wait to this brewing war.
Flash veterans Howard Porter and Christian Duce share art duties on this issue, with Porter tackling the future sequences and Duce the present-day material. That gulf in setting and time period is more than enough to make up for any inconsistencies in art style between the two, as is the steadying presence of colorist Hi-Fi. Duce's work doesn't benefit quite as much from Hi-Fi's colors as it does Ivan Plascencia's, but he brings a clean, orderly quality to his pages. Porter, meanwhile, crafts a stunning rendition of the 25th Century and a Flash Museum in ruins. Between this issue and Justice League 3000, it often seems like Porter is at his best when exploring the future of the DCU.
The Verdict
If you're not currently reading the ongoing Flash comic, this annual issue is as get a jumping-on point as any. It finally touches base with the original Wally West and makes the most of his lonely, unhappy status quo. At the same time, it also sets the stage for what promises to be an epic conflict in "Flash War." If only the wait for the rest of this storyline weren't so long...
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