This is (Almost) War
Written by: Joshua Williamson
Art by: Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ivan Plascencia, and Steve Wands
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: April 11, 2018
The Flash War is still a couple issues away, but at least Gorilla Grodd's in the house, right? I know that this arc has had less Grodd than most expected, but like my dead grandmother used to say, "A little Grodd goes a long way". She was a crazy woman, my grandmother, but that's not important here. Was this ending to the Grodd story good of did Joshua Williamson leave us all looking like a monkey's uncle? Let's find out...
The issue opens with a letter Barry wrote for Iris telling her everything. How much he loves her, how much he loves Central City and even about Wally West...the older Wally West! That's big for this book and while the letter isn't in Iris hands yet, the Speedsters are all looking for her while Grodd beats the snot out of Barry. Until he isn't.
Yea, Barry suddenly turns the tables on Grodd...somehow and Gorilla City guards show up to arrest Grodd...because and I was kind of left just staring at the issue wondering what happened.
Most of the heavy lifting is done off panel and just explained here, but the end result is big...the Negative Speed Force is destroying Central City and will continue spreading until a bunch of other cities are consumed. Barry does have a plan, though...run around it and steal its power. Really? That's what we've done with almost every problem in this entire run by Williamson. It's bad enough that the same solution is constantly used, but worse when Barry brings it up like he's never tried such a thing.
Barry makes the hero's choice to try it alone, but Wally runs after him. Soon, all the Speedsters join in and we get a cool Flash spread page. Of course, they save the day, but when it's over, August has gone missing, but Barry speeds off to see Iris. The issue ends with Barry and Iris together and Hunter Zolomon getting us closer to the Flash War.
After six issues, this was such a letdown. Grodd was just pushed aside and taken away with little to no fanfare, the day was saved in such a usual way that it made the whole arc seem like it was just wasting time to get to the big event. I did like the art, but this was a big, giant missed opportunity.
Bits and Pieces:
The Perfect Storm story ended in a not so perfect way. After issue and issue of setup, Joshua Williamson rushes the reader to a quick and forced ending that left a bad taste in my mouth. The art was good (it usually is in this book), but this ending made the whole arc feel like meaningless filler.
5.2/10
This issue was confusing as hell.
ReplyDeleteMeena is technically fueled by the Negative Speedforce,yes?
She should have been able to stop the whole storm alone.
Having so many speedsters is pointless. Wally and Barry are enough, although I can make room for Avery cause she slays. The delay of passing the torch again to Wally West is ruining this comic. Williamson doesn't grasp the physics of speed force quite well but he understands who is Wally and has given us Avery. If she becomes Wally's sidekick the better.
DeleteWhat the hell is the Negative Speed Force anyway??? When we had our main character have it a still Williamson didn't want to explain it, I figured I'd just give up trying as well.
DeleteAlso, please explain the wand and the rod?????
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DeleteThat's a question for Geoff Johns he wrote Thawne creating it but I don't remember it being what it is in this book (whatever the hell it is in the first place lol).
Deleteyea, this seems like something different, but yet never explained!
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