REVIEW: ‘The Flash’ Issue #7

The Flash #7 is published by DC Comics, written by Si Spurrier, art by Ramón Pérez, colors by Sofie Dodgson and letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Wally has disappeared, with only Barry appearing to care that he’s gone. Max Mercury and Impulse are literally out of time.

The framework of this issue’s plot is vastly different from the other issues. It ventures outside the Wally West saga, with the man missing after disappearing into the Speed Force. The book then finds other speedsters to follow in very separate circumstances. Barry is trying to find answers whilst everyone around him lacks intensity. Max and Bart run from significant danger before a peculiar organization rescues them. Whilst apart, they are working on opposite sides of the same mystery.

The previous issue was moving so fast that paying attention and understanding what was happening was hard. This issue explains the situation in more detail but is much more straightforward and manageable to process. Spurrier’s pace is less chaotic, allowing the comic to dwell on mistakes. The comic introduces emotion and energy later in the comic to ramp up that pace.

The change in focus alters the script. The Flash #7 only has dialogue, while the previous chapters feature captions and narration. Spurrier’s dialogue is meticulous and profound, mixing personality and colloquialisms while displaying a lecture on time and dimensional theory. For many of the characters, this method is superb. Impulse, in particular, carries some enthusiasm and youthful happiness once he is saved. However, there is also skepticism and pessimism among the youngster.

That creates a difference between himself and the much older, more holistic Max Mercury. Some of his lines are beautiful, and the relationship between the duo is fascinating. As for Barry, it is the first stint he has had within the comic titled after him. He has to carry much of the exposition and ask all the questions, so it is difficult to find his voice within that.

The change in art leads to viewing the expansion of the dimensions in a different light. Perez explores the issue’s sci-fi and domestic elements, succeeding with much of it. Barry’s facial expressions as he explores everything in the series for the first time are fantastic. It is also easier to differentiate the suits of either Flash, which is more notable within this art style. The outlandish parts of the book, such as the Uncoiled, look just as creepy. They are spikey and lumpy simultaneously, writhing across their domain.

However, some odd angles make faces look bizarre and off-putting. We also see this with Barry early in the comic and Impulse. Sometimes, the young speedster looks totally out of place in the book.

The colors are dark and muted throughout the book. The tones struggle to lift the mood outside of time or in an apartment building. The vibrancy comes from the character’s costumes, which exist in bleak atmospheres. The lettering is always changing. Otsmane-Elhaou is constantly finding new ways of placing the text on the page, and it is the most exciting letterer in the business.

The Flash #7 catches everyone up. The book has moved at such a speed lately that it has been hard to hang on to, so this issue explains those left behind. Wally’s absence from the picture allows exploration of some of the neglected figures in the series, such as Barry and the other speedsters. The art style is not particularly comforting. Every part of the run has sought to be unnerving and unstable, and not even the West’s home feels safe. With the basics of the first arc recapped, the series can progress even further into warping readers’ minds.

The Flash #7 is available where comics are sold.