REVIEW: ‘The Flash’ Issue 28

The Flash Issue 28 is published by DC Comics, written by Christopher Cantwell and Mark Waid, art by Vasco Georgiev, colors by Matt Herms, and letters by Buddy Beaudoin.

This is part of DC K.O. and Round Six of All Fight Month. As Wally West carries Impulse to the day Barry Allen gets his powers, Jay Garrick and Guy Gardner face each other in the tournament.

This issue has three stories running through it. Because it’s part of a title, and not a direct tie-in, The Flash Issue 28 has to continue its own storyline whilst also including the battle between Jay and Guy. But alongside these two is the battle in the Watchtower, where Darkseid is taking control. Because of these other inclusions, you don’t get as much of the combat as we could. Which means it has to be quicker, louder, and more severe.

It’s a terrific battle, invoking the classic combination of a Green Lantern and a Flash, but not the one you’d think of. At first, Cantwell and Waid subvert expectations, trying to avoid uncivilised combat, but the issue soon devolves into a brawl, and a brutal one at that.

The scenes with Wally deserve credit too, because they aren’t just throwaway moments. It’s the journey to the most important day in the history of speedsters, but also the most vulnerable. And the ending of the tournament round is very surprising, because it breaks away from a theme that had been starting to surface, and that was helping stop these fights from getting too predictable.

The characters are superb in The Flash Issue 28. There are multiple viewpoints and narrators, primarily Wally and Jay, with Guy included as well. The Speedsters are millions of miles apart, yet they remain connected. There are moments where the two highlight that they can sense each other across the universe, recognising that both are in trouble. But they can’t move, locked in their own worlds. As for the round itself, there’s a fantastic contrast. Perhaps the best Flash/Lantern combo because they are so different.

Jay Garrick is a respectful grandfather figure who has been fighting crime for decades. Guy Gardner is a rude, cocky braggart who never shows respect to anyone. He’s not a bad guy. But he’s not a particularly nice guy either. It means that he isn’t going to pay Jay any heed, even though the older man is trying to help him. This means The Flash Issue 28 unleashes an angry Jay Garrick, and that’s surprising to see. What’s disturbing is that such a calm and collected man feels the seductive pull of the Heart of Apokolips and begins to give in to it.

The art is surprisingly, breathtakingly violent. Even after multiple rounds into this tournament, seeing heroes unleash everything they have on people they call friends is still unsettling and remarkable. Georgiev illustrates beautiful art, but they can also deliver brutal, vicious work too. At first, there is a restraint to the two fighters and a little bit of comedy. Jay attempts to use a checkers board to settle the tie, rather than resorting to violence. But it doesn’t take long for bones to break, and that means all hell breaks loose.

There’s a terrific clash between the Green Lantern constructs and the Speed Force in The Flash Issue 28. But even then, the ferocity and bloodiness are entirely unexpected. The heroes go for utter devastation, ripping each other apart as their anger reaches a boiling point. What’s terrifying is seeing the heroes use their powers in these ways, inventive methods of murder. It means that they’ve thought about doing it before. But it was their restraint that had held them back.

The forms are also fascinating, because they’re not even within The Flash Issue 28. Guy changes in every round, demonstrating the character’s multiple iterations. But for most of the issue, Jay remarks unchanged, as he largely has for decades. It reminds us how iconic that costume is, especially the hat.

The colors set out to replicate a famous contrast, but that doesn’t last for long. The red and green, signifying The Flash and Green Lantern. But as The Flash Issue 28 progresses, Guy changes twice, even adopting the red himself. The lettering is color-coded to fit the character. When Guy Gardner’s form changes, so does the caption box. When it turns red, it can be difficult to discern who it’s connected to.

The Flash Issue 28 is a rapid-fire round. Hemmed in by other storylines, there is still a phenomenal fight in the middle of this issue. The calm experience of Jay battling against the raw anger of Guy generates a genuine animosity and a desire to teach the other a lesson. The other plotline, featuring Wally, isn’t inconsequential either, as it travels through time and leaves the characters in the right place to continue.

The Flash Issue 28 is available now wherever comics are sold.