Flash #36 Review

Mystery Men

Written by: Joshua Williamson
Art by: Howard Porter, Hi-Fi and Steve Wands
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: December 13, 2017


Flash has been a bit of tale of two...tales?  I have really enjoyed when Joshua Williamson lightens things up a bit, mostly with Barry and Wally.  However, when Williamson tries to turn this series into a horror book, I kind of check out.  It's a hundred percent personal taste thing, so if you are opposite with me, no problem at all.  So, what do we get this week in Flash?  Let's find out...


The issue opens with a really cool cold open that makes me want to stay and explore everything we see.  However, we move on and head towards Iron Heights and what we were lead to believe at the end of last issue would be Kristen's dead, bloody body.  Spoiler alert...it's not her.  It's Turbine and after a brief origin story, Singh shows up to be a party pooper.  Barry and Kristen are only there to preserve the crime scene...Burns and Morrow get to do the fun stuff.

If you didn't know, Turbine is a Rogue and so they question the Rogues of course.  That is until Warden Wolfe shows up to out party poop Singh!  Things fly along quickly and as Singh and Wolfe fight about Barry, the Trickster shows up to confess to Turbine's murder.  The problem is, he is lying for some reason and Barry goes off to talk to August (Godspeed) about it.  Barry doesn't get very far with August, but it's an okay scene to get people caught up in their unique relationship.

It's then off to the Central City Federal Bank for some of the fun I've been waiting for.  A couple of pretty hilarious villains robbing the same bank?  I'm in.  Plus, we get Wally and Barry teaming up which is all I ever want.  It all ties into the ongoing gang war going on in Central City.

Speaking of which, we get to see who the mysterious leader that's been giving Cooperhead all sorts of problems.  I won't spoil it, but it isn't Meena like we were lead to believe.  I wish it was, because who it is bothers me a bit.  The cliffhanger, however, is really cool...if we get an explanation of how it happened after what we saw in this issue.

I liked this issue of the Flash.  It was a good mix of fun action, story callbacks and sets up the big bads going forward.  I was expecting to see a bit more of Barry working in Iron Heights, but the balance between Barry and the Flash was pretty good here.  I am looking forward to next issue and that is not something I can say after every issue in this series.

I loved Howard Porter's art.  I think this was one of his best issues in a long while and that includes the Button.  The action scenes and character work was awesome!

Bits and Pieces:

This was a good issue of the Flash, mixing the light with the dark and setting up a good story going forward.  I loved Howard Porter's art and hope this is where I get fully behind Williamson's Flash.

8.0/10