The Flash #54 Review and *SPOILERS*

The Strength of Sacrifice

Written By: Joshua Williamson

Art By: Christian Duce, Luis Guerrero
Letters By: Steve Wands
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 12, 2018

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

Say what you will about The Flash but I’ve really been enjoying these last couple issues. I really like the new forces that we are dealing with. I like how we are getting to know Trickster better. I like that The Flash is working with Commander Cold and that their relationship is in constant turmoil. I’m really invested in this story so far and I cannot wait to see where it ends up. Where we left, the Strength Force had affected Barry and turned him into a hulk of a man. Commander Cold has just turned on him seeing no other option but to stop both him and Trickster permanently. Lets jump right into our newest issue and see how things turn out.

We pick up right were we left off with Flash just dodging out of the way of Cold’s weapon. The blast rips through the front of his chest, leaving a large gash. Imbued with the Strength Force, Flash is able to handle it but it still hurts him greatly. Cold keeps on the attack as Flash tries to reason with him. He defends Trickster saying that he is just a kid and Trickster just goes off. Trickster yells that he isn’t a kid and shoves Barry out of the way before charging toward the Warden and Commander Cold. Cold is about to pull the trigger when Barry uses his new powers to strike the ground, keeping Cold from killing Trickster. Then in the middle of the intense situation Barry begins to experiment with his new powers. In doing so he learns that he is able to control the gravity surrounding him and in doing so he becomes smaller. He realizes that he needs to use the Strength Force to get rid of it and they can do the same thing for Trickster.

Meanwhile, Warden Wolfe is still recovering from the quake caused by Barry. Trickster walks up on him and confronts him. Wolfe stands firm in his conviction that he was doing what Trickster deserved as punishment. Trickster loses it and begins to squeeze down on Wolfe. The Flash tackles Trickster out of the building, saving Wolfe. Wolfe commands his guards to kill both of them when they are suddenly frozen by Cold. Trickster and Barry trade punches for a while until Barry is knocked back into the prison to where the Rogues are being held. Barry uses the situation to finally use his new powers. After doing so, Barry locks hands with Trickster and the two use their full strength to push against each other. The result is a explosion of some kind and Barry lifts himself from the ground to find that he is normal sized again.

He looks up to find that Trickster is holding the prison ward above them from crashing down on the Rogues who have been knocked unconscious by the blast. He begs Flash to save the Rogues as they are the only family he has. Flash begins running around picking up Rogues as Trickster begins to shrink. Just as the Flash is running back to save Trickster, the rubble falls on top of him. Flash tries to uncover the wreckage and save him but finds the stone arm that Trickster had. Barry meets up with Cold again and the two argue about methods. Barry thinks Cold is too reckless but Cold shoves it back to him saying that he wouldn’t be stranded if not for Barry’s own recklessness. The argument ends as Cold leaves, still heated. Turns out that Iris is there and she asks Barry about why he isn’t working with Cold. Barry tries to blow it off but Iris insists that he tell her as they are in a relationship and they have to work together. Barry argues back saying that he knows Iris is keeping secrets from him too. Iris backs off and Barry walks away with a fire inside of him. Meanwhile we find Trickster once again. He is alive and back to normal. He was saved from the wreckage somehow. Turns out he was saved by none other than James Jesse. This is where the issue leaves us.

This is easily the best issue of The Flash that I’ve read since taking over reviews for it. So many storylines that we’ve been building up come to a head and they end nicely. Granted, it’s not perfect by any means. We don’t really know why Cold decides not to keep attacking Barry and let him experiment with his powers. In addition, it’s kind of weird that Barry uses the gravity power on Trickster and then they end up just locking hands anyway. However, the action in this issue was great and we got moments that really emphasized Trickster’s role. The scene with him and Wolfe is powerful. In addition, the art in this book is phenomenal. Some of the faces are a little odd when looked at up close but for the most part, the art is incredible. We got a sacrifice that I found to be convenient but still impactful. The end with the conversations with Cold and Iris really show that Barry is dealing with things in an unhealthy way. The fire as he walks away from Iris is a strong image that I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops. The end with that cliffhanger was also great. I can’t wait for more. This book was incredible.

Bits and Pieces

This latest issue of the Flash is the best in this new storyline and gives us some great development for our main characters as well as some amazing action that is accented with phenomenal art. There are a couple things that are a bit convenient but I don’t think they harm the story in the end. I am confident in recommending this book to new readers now because this latest storyline is pretty great.

9.0/10