The Flash #759 // Review
After a surprisingly slow "Legion of Zoom" story arc, the plot finally starts to pick up pace in The Flash #759, written by Joshua Williamson, with art by Rafa Sandoval and Scott Kolins, inks by Jordi Tarragona, and colors by Arif Prianto and Hi-Fi. Previously, the Reverse-Flash (aka Eobard Thawne) came back with a vengeance when he snapped the neck of Barry Allen's enemy/friend Godspeed. After he made his murderous intentions known, Thawne disappeared, only to pop back up again with a team of Flash rogues the likes of which no one had ever assembled before. Barry forced his loved ones into hiding to take on Thawne himself but ended up being pushed out of his body, and into the Speed Force by Eobard, leaving his oldest enemy in possession of his physical form. How can the Flash possibly save the day when it seems like he's all but lost already? To paraphrase The Beatles, he'll have to "get by with a little help from his friends."
The drive of Williamson's swansong arc, "Finish Line," is the showdown between Flash and Reverse-Flash. Barry has suffered tragic defeat after tragic defeat from Eobard over the years, but now he has even lost his body (and life) to his old enemy. Essentially, the Flash has been "Single White Femaled," and it's honestly such a weird move, even Thawne's allies are asking, "wait, this is what we've been trying to do this whole time." Fortunately, Williamson pulls the creepiness of it all off without a hitch, and the readers are presented with an interesting look at a villain who really only ever wanted to be his enemy. Hopefully, the rest of the story will allow Williamson time to dig a little deeper into Reverse Flash's psyche. Still, so far, Thawne's actions seem like a natural (and downright bonkers) extension of his modus operandi to date.
If you came to this story for the Flash-on-Reverse Flash action, you'll be sticking around for all the guest stars. To reveal all of who shows up in this issue would be a spoiler, but given the conclusion to the previous chapter, one could guess where the story is heading. Williamson is doing his best to take the readers on a nostalgia ride back to the '90s, when Mark Waid wrote the book, in all the best ways possible. It's only a shame he wasn't allowed to do this kind of story sooner, but it's better late than never.
Sandoval delivers, as usual, in this book, and he seems to be having a ton of fun with the guest stars. He even provides an especially memorable image on the final page, which will have longtime Flash fans demanding the next issue be released ASAP. Kolins also turns in exceptional work on his brief "Speed Force pages." Given his history with the character of Flash, and his beloved standing with the fans, he was probably the only choice to draw those sequences and welcome addition to the story. Tarragona, Prianto, and Hi-Fi all step up in a significant way, as well, lending that electric, vibrant feel to the pencils that any Flash book needs.
Williamson has been coasting for months now, not exactly bringing his A-game. Still, the idea of writing one last Flash story as he prepares to leave must have reinvigorated him, because this single issue gives you everything you could possibly want. It's like he finally realized he had access to one of the coolest cast of characters in all of comicdom, and said, "oh yeah, this was what I should have been doing all along." Surely, his hands have been somewhat tied by editorial, due to long term effects from the New 52 era, but it's so nice to see his Flash book live up to its true potential, even if it's right at the end of his run. If you've been looking for this title to recapture some of its old magic, this is the issue you've been waiting for.
