The Flash #761 // Review
Well, well, well, the gang’s all here for The Flash #761, written by Joshua Williamson, with art by Howard Porter, and colors by Hi-Fi, but will it be enough to defeat Reverse Flash’s Legion of Zoom? Previously, Barry Allen’s all-time worst enemy came barreling back into his life to take him down once and for all. Forming a group of likeminded villains from across time, Reverse-Flash began to dismantle Flash’s life, trapping him in the Speed Force, leaving Thawne in control of his body. Fortunately, the Flash Family came together just in time to bring Barry back, alongside the long-missing Max Mercury and Jesse Quick. Together, they had all but defeated Reverse-Flash, until he revealed the last step of his plan--bringing together a virtual army of Flash’s enemies from across time. Now, the Flash Family must pull itself together like never before and bring an end to Thawne’s maniacal run once and for all.
Longtime Flash fans who have felt a little put out since the continuity-changing New 52 hit will rejoice at the events of this issue. Without spoilers, part 3 of “Finish Line” puts a lot right that once went wrong (to borrow a phrase). Williamson seems to be saying, “I know what you wanted all along, I wanted it too, and they wouldn’t let me do it until I was on the way out the door.” It’s like he had a wish list that the powers that be wouldn’t greenlight until the very last minute, and he only had minutes to cram it into his story, in a good way.
In addition to the changes in New 52, Williamson also seems to be doing his best to fix some other more recent “mistakes” that the fans were unhappy about. Particularly, a major injustice perpetrated against a beloved Flash Family member in another book, that a lot of readers felt was character assassination. He is not as successful in this instance, with the execution resulting in a one-line, coverall type of fix, but it is undoubtedly appreciated by most that he made the effort. At the time, it seemed the damage had been done, but now everyone can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the issue has been put to bed.
Porter might possibly have been the perfect artist for this story, especially when combining his art with the high-gloss colors of Hi-Fi. Everything shines and pops off the page in each panel, which is the ideal for a Flash book. Porter also brings a certain nostalgia with him, from an era of DC Comics to which Williamson is clearly calling back. The visuals perfectly mesh with the writing here, to take you back to a time of classic storytelling for the Flash that is much missed.
This is it. Flash comics don’t get much better than this. Some might call these last few issues fan service, but that’s a bit unfair when the fans have been waiting this long for something. Williamson and DC Comics have finally heard the readers, and they are delivering pure joy in 2D. Enjoy it while you can, because it never lasts long, folks.
