Flash #20 Review

Black Hole Stun

Written by: Joshua Williamson
Art by: Neil Googe, Ivan Plascencia and Steve Wands
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: April 12, 2017

Iris West: Agent of Black Hole?  Really???  That sounds cool and all, but I can't be the only one going into this with one eye (or both) looking at the Button story right around the corner.  I know I shouldn't even say that, but it's true!  However, I always give each and every book a fair shake and Joshua Williamson has been kicking ass lately so he deserves the benefit of the doubt as well.  So, is this a place holder one-shot before the big story or is this a fun, kick ass story featuring a gal I always like to see more of?  Let's find out...


The issue starts with Iris investigating a grave robbery and it ties into the Speed Force Storm and Godspeed and I don't know what happened to me, but I was instantly drawn into the story.  I wasn't the biggest fan of the Godspeed story, but seeing Iris involved in this investigation felt new and fresh.

We find out quickly all the bodies of Godspeed's victims have gone missing except one...Meena Dhawan.  So, Iris goes to Barry for help and it is as awkward as it sounds.  New girlfriend investigating the missing ex-girlfriend and all.  Barry actually lies to Iris about what happened, but that isn't going to stop her from trying to find out the truth.

Unfortunately, her snooping leads her right into the hands of Black Hole.  You remember them, right? Well, it looks like they are the ones body snatching and if it wasn't for Iris doing a quick body switching herself, she would have been a goner.  As it stands, though, she is now Iris West: Agent of Black Hole!

We get some back and forth with Iris and Dr. Huskk that gives us some minor information of what Black Hole is up to and then Flash shows up.  This part really threw me off because he just shows up and gets taken down by Black Hole almost by accident.  That's when Iris shows her cards and saves Flash who then saves Iris in return.  There really isn't much more to it.

The CCPD arrives to clean up and Iris tells Singh that the story isn't always the most important thing worth chasing.  That's when Barry "arrives" and we see why he showed up earlier as the Flash, but Iris also gets a hint that he hasn't been telling her everything.

The issue ends with Iris and Barry ordering a pizza and a crazy cliffhanger that will certainly lead to a cool story in the future, but still can't fully save this issue from being just the diversion I was afraid it was going to be.

Yea, this is an issue that sets up a crazy storyline down the road, but it was so rushed and forced that it felt a bit silly.  Everything adds up, but I can only think it would have been better to wait until after the Button to give it a bit more breathing room.  As it stands, the end result is the return of a character and not much else.

I really liked Neil Googe's art here.  His character designs are great and while I don't want to spoil anything, the cliffhanger page looked awesome!  I'm hoping some cosplayers get inspiration from it!

Bits and Pieces:

This issue is a little more than a placeholder until the big Button story and I mean a little more.  We get a forced story with Iris West investigating Black Hole, but it's all to set up the cliffhanger.  It's an awesome cliffhanger, but even that and Neil Googe's art can't save this from being just a minor bump in the road before the story everyone is waiting for.

6.8/10