REVIEW: ‘Absolute Flash’ Issue 1

Absolute Flash Issue 1 is published by DC Comics, written by Jeff Lemire, art by Nick Robles, colors by Adriano Lucas, and letters by Tom Napolitano.

This issue is part of the Absolute Universe. After an accident, Wally West finds himself on the run from everyone, including his father.

Absolute Flash Issue 1 has the initial sparks of The Flash holding him back from breaking into a full sprint. The comic allows for a lengthy origin story that is both different and fascinating. It sees a young Wally, the son of an unattentive colonel father, living on a military base and getting involved in a secret project buried in a mountain. The first part of Absolute Flash Issue 1 has the air of an 80’s sci-fi movie, with clandestine military operations and high-tech experiments.

Periodically, Absolute Flash Issue 1 jumps to what is believed to be the present, with Wally on the run in the desert. This turns the book into a hunt, pitting a country against just one man. The pace is stuttering, but that can also be a positive. The sparks of speed and energy that are created that initiate bursts of intensity are clear signs of what is to come. The Flash hasn’t existed yet, and he is where the speed emanates from. The last part of the issue breaks the conception of time, turning the whole chapter into a neat origin story.

It’s fascinating to see a young Wally West again, one that has been reimagined. Absolute Flash Issue 1 has basics that already carry depth. The troubled relationship with his father generates friction and an antsy tone. There is little light in the young boy’s life, crushed with sadness and isolation. This is worse after the event that changes his life, pushing him further into solitude and fear. Barry Allen is the one person who alleviates that stress and treats Wally with respect.

It’s satisfying and exciting to see Barry in this alternate universe, especially in the role that he serves. He’s an early mentor and friend for Wally and the key scientist who created the project within the mountain. The contrast between Wally’s father and Barry is a significant factor in dragging Wally towards a situation he ultimately had little control over. There are already glimpses of the villains Wally will face in this early stage of the run, all showing complete subversions to their main counterparts on the Prime Earth.

The art is captivating in Absolute Flash Issue 1. Robles plunges a regular kid into a bizarre, complicated world. Wally looks young, and his frustration and boredom are plain to see. The comic compresses the youngster as much as possible, trying to confine him to smaller spaces. But in those time jumps, Wally gets to experience more of the world. The villains have been reinterpreted, each one with an entirely new design. Like with Wally, there are only brief hints at what they can do, but that temptation is enthralling.

Occasionally, there are these explosions of energy and speed. The relative calm of Absolute Flash Issue 1 is hit with a shot of adrenaline and goes into overdrive. It’s more than lightning. There are images and faces in the lightning, haunting and screaming. That explosion is even greater and more intense when a life-changing event happens. It shows how bewildering and different the Flash’s powers will look in the Absolute Universe.

The colors are phenomenal in Absolute Flash Issue 1. There is a vibrancy to the book that grows with each page. It starts dark and gloomy, but those influxes of powers intensify it further. The flashes have an entirely separate tone and technique for applying them to the page, making them stand out even further. The landscapes and characters have blended shades that create dimensions and texture. But those flashes are solid, rich cacophonies of yellow and red that envelop everything around them.

Interestingly, this energy’s color scheme seems to be red against a yellow background, whereas the Speed Force in the main Flash comics is yellow against red. The lettering is bold and easy to read, with some huge and mesmerizing captions placed in the world around them. They provide a timestamp that is especially handy considering the structure of Absolute Flash Issue 1.

Absolute Flash Issue 1 shows the starting sparks of a Flash. What makes this opening issue is the fact that the foundations are now in place. The key elements are in place before we even see Wally run. Everything that happens forces him forward, preventing him from ever returning to not much of a home in the first place. The pacing fluctuates, but it seems intentional. Everything is raw and unplanned and based on panic. What is certain is that when we see this Flash, he will be like nothing we’ve ever seen before.

Absolute Flash Issue 1 is available now wherever comics are sold.