The Flash #65 Review and *SPOILERS*

Rough Times at the O.K. Corral

Written By: Joshua Williamson
Art By: Rafa Sandoval, Jordi Tarragona, Tomeu Morey
Letters By: Steve Wands
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 27, 2019

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

*As this issue is part of a crossover, there are SPOILERS for the Batman series*

We are back with the finale of The Price crossover and while I was very critical of this crossover when it began, it has made a turn. Granted, it’s still not the amazing and interesting crossover that I was hoping for but it has at least become entertaining. The first couple issues dragged a lot and I don’t feel like that added a whole lot. However, in the last issue, I finally found myself interested in what was happening to these characters. Now, we are at the finale and I’m actually excited to see how this crossover ends. So let’s just jump into it and see where this issue takes us.

We pick up with Barry having a flashback to Heroes in Crisis when he finds Wally’s body. Just as he is about to open the door, we cut to the present where Gotham Girl is wrecking havoc on Central City. While Batman is attempting to connect to her and get her to stop, Barry is running around and making sure that civilians are unharmed. When Gotham Girl attempts to use her powers on Batman, Flash is able to save him. She is using her powers at an unprecedented rate, and we see a kind of black substance forming around her mouth. She is convinced that she is nothing without her powers and that she is going to use them even if it kills her. She is suddenly stopped when she suddenly vomits.

Claire plummets to the ground as Batman and Flash rush to her. We see Iris pulling herself from the debris just as this is happening. Batman begins administering CPR to Claire as Flash checks her vitals. She isn’t breathing and her powers are stopping Batman from properly giving medical care. Barry takes over compressions as visions of Wally come to his mind. He uses his powers to give better CPR before ultimately using his lightning to administer a shock to Claire. Claire coughs up more vomit but she is alive. She also doesn’t seem to understand what is happening. The two collect her and prepare a way to help her before they are interrupted by Iris. Iris confronts the two about how they are allowing others to join this dangerous life and accuses them of throwing these people to the wolves. Claire needs medical attention so the two must leave before things are settled with Iris.

In the Batcave, Batman has put Claire in a tube in order to help her detox from the Super Venom. Batman has decided that he will help Claire become the hero she wants to be after this is done. Barry questions this decision. This leads to a whole argument about their lives as heroes and the price that they pay. Batman says that they pay the price so that their loved ones don’t have to but Barry says that even though they try to do that, their loved ones still end up paying the price. As he walks away, he makes a comment about dead Robins. This sets off Batman and he takes a jab at Barry for forgetting about Wally when the universe changed. This sets off Barry and he runs at Batman, dodging the Batcave’s automatic defenses. He stops just short of punching Batman in the face, reminding him that he could punch him a hundred times before Batman could throw a single punch. He runs home and finds a letter from Iris. The letter talks about the life of a superhero. It talks about Wally and Barry but it ends with Iris revealing that she is leaving Barry. In the epilogue, Batman talks with Superman about how their enemy could have gotten to anyone and they need to investigate and find if any of their superhero colleagues have begun to act differently. Superman suggests that they can trust The Flash but Batman only answers him with silence. This is where the issue leaves us.

The Price has come to an end and it was actually pretty good. This final issue really comes into it’s own. The crossover stumbled at the starting line but really made a great push to finish the race. We get great action scenes to start this off and see it followed by some emotionally charged moments. The conversation with Iris, the argument in the Batcave, and the end reveal are all moments that hit home very effectively. Earlier in the crossover, we had similar serious conversations but they felt unearned. Like the writer wanted them to have a serious talk so he just made them instead of setting it up properly. However, as we come to an end of this crossover, these conversations actually carry weight because of what is happening around them. Because we see how this whole thing has affected their lives, the weight behind their words is actually there. This issue was far from perfect but it was a nice (albeit sad) ending to this crossover.

Bits and Pieces

The Price finale finally brings some weight to the issues that our heroes have been dealing with recently and that is exactly what has been missing from this crossover from the beginning. It’s a shame it took so long to get here but thankfully, we did get here. This issue is emotionally charged with enough action to entertain the casual fan as well.

7.0/10