Flash (1987 Series) #203

June 16, 2006

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Crash and Burn (Ignition Part III)

As Wally West struggles to recover his past, old enemies of the Flash prepare to stake their claim on Keystone City.

Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Alberto Dose
Colors: James Sinclair
Letters: Richard Starkings
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover Art: Alberto Dose
Publisher: DC Comics

I certainly hope this issue puts to rest the fears of some that this title was becoming Marvel-ized, with the hero hanging up his spandex and moving away from traditional superhero storytelling. Johns, since the mammoth events of issue #200, has been moving towards this moment, where a hero who has lost himself has to try to find himself again. He does a great job of showcasing Wally’s internal conflict here, trying to balance the need for a Flash with the tragedy that the hero has brought to his wife, who is unable to forgive him.

Probably the greatest strength of this issue is watching Wally trying to rediscover how to be the Flash. He behaves in much the same way that I believe any of us would if we woke up one day to discover we had super powers and somebody left us the costume of a hero who had gone missing. It’s like watching the character learn to walk all over again.

One of the hallmarks of Johns’s run on this title has been his reintroduction of old Flash Rogues in new and dangerous ways, and he continues that with this issue, bringing two of the old enemies back into the fold in a much nastier fashion than we’ve ever seen from them before.

While I really enjoyed Dose’s artwork on the first two issues of this arc, utilizing a darker tone that really fits the storyline, this issue wasn’t quite as sharp. Several scenes, especially the first few and last two pages, look rather rushed and sketchy, as though he didn’t get to spend as much time on them as he would have liked.

This has been the arc where Johns seems to be making a permanent mark on one of DC’s icons. He’s giving us all a great ride.

Rating: 8/10