Written by: Alex Paknadel
Art by: Pete Woods
Colors by: Pete Woods
Letters by: Dave Sharpe
Cover art by: Pete Woods
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: August 28, 2024
Absolute Power: Task Force VII #5, by DC Comics on 8/28/24, focuses on the next Amazo robot of the team, Velocity, as he races to understand what makes Barry Allen tick.
Is Absolute Power: Task Force VII #5 Good?
In the grand scheme of things, Absolute Power: Task Force VII #5 isn't important at all to the Absolute Power event, but it is a pretty good issue if you're a Flash fan and would be interested in an Amazo robot's perspective on learning what makes Barry Allen tick. In short, it's good-ish but important. Absolute Power: Task Force VII #5 begins with new reports coming in of a superspeed force racing across the globe, turning deserts to glass and puncturing the stony caps of magma fields. What's happening? The Amazo robot known as Velocity relentlessly chases the last speedster whose power it hasn't absorbed - Barry Allen, aka The Flash. Writer Alex Paknadel wastes no time jumping straight into the action by following the speedsters on their chase. So many heroes are moving around, sometimes inconsistently, so it's hard to know if Barry truly is or isn't the last speedster left, but it suits the story here. Barry makes it to the Flash Museum to reach an artifact he thinks will help, but Velocity destroys the "feather" before Barry can reach it. Velocity taps into Jai West's superstrength to get a hold of Barry, but Barry escapes by phasing through the grip and the floor, which puzzles Velocity since it has no memory of "how" to phase through objects. Here, we get to the crux of the issue. Phasing is more about feeling and wanting than a simple mechanical act, so Velocity's task of capturing Barry takes on a second objective when it tries to learn what Barry instinctively knows, which is a cool concept. Barry is out of options, so he runs fast enough to enter the Speed Force. Velocity manages to follow without realizing that leaving the Speed Force is just as complex as phasing. To solve the problem, Velocity visits echoes of Barry's memories where he learned phasing and taught phasing to a young Wally West. Eventually, Velocity "wants' his way out of the Speed Force and continues to chase Barry, but he lets up on the gas just enough to see what else he can learn from Barry. Overall, the issue will be interesting for Flash fans as a novelty issue that delves into the methods and mechanics of phasing. That said, readers who picked up this issue for its relevance to the Absolute Power event won't find anything of note. However, the issue continues with a tacked-on continuation of Steve Trevor's adventure at Gamorra Island prison with a big reveal. We catch up with Steve as he sneaks around the prison in a stolen stormtrooper uniform. At last check, he witnessed captured villains building a large Stragate-ish portal for Amanda Waller. Now, we see Waller turning on the device. Who should come through the portal? Why, it's exactly who you might expect when you consider Amanda Waller was stuck on Earth-3 very recently. (*hint, hint*) How's the Art? Excellent. Pete Woods pretty much handles all aspects except lettering, but this issue looks like it was produced by a top-tier team. The speedster action looks great, the character designs and quiet moments are all on point, and the net quality of the visuals in this issue is high. Woods did a fantastic job in this issue.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Absolute Power: Task Force VII #5 is a fun, Flash-centered issue that teaches Velocity a thing or two about what it really means to be a Speedster. Flash fans will get a kick out of the story, but its contribution to Absolute Power is negligible. That said, the tacked-on scenes starring Steve Trevor on Gamorra Island finally lead to a big reveal about Amanda Waller's allies in this event, which makes this issue a big deal.
8/10
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