Clarion Reviews: ‘Absolute Flash’ may be smaller in scale but still delivers strong emotion

DC’s “Absolute” universe is marked by tragedy, and the stories are much rougher and fraught with struggle for the heroes. This universe’s Flash takes the form not of monsters or villains, but of a child struggling to connect with his father.

Yes, this time the Flash is Wally West. Wally may have been the Flash quite commonly before; some might even call him the greatest Flash, but the backstory has been modified quite significantly.

Here Wally is a military child living with his father on an army site whose mother had died at a young age. Combined with constant movement due to his father’s job, Wally is left struggling to connect to those around him. This forms the emotional core of the book.

On the base Wally is currently living at, he met a man by the name of Barry Allen. This name should stand out to any readers who know the comics because this is the other fastest man alive in the main comics. 

Indeed, Barry is researching some form of energy, but when Wally gets into an argument with his father, he goes to talk to Barry at the wrong time.

He approaches Dr. Allen in the middle of an experiment and ends up being struck with the energy Allen was trying to understand. In true comics fashion, this accident does not kill the young army brat but instead grants him incredible power. 

Unfortunately, it also linked Allen and West physically. This means when Wally panics and runs away, he drags Barry across countless miles at supersonic speed, tearing the flesh from Allen’s bones.

From here Wally goes on the run, literally and figuratively. While on his travels he meets people such as a military unit sent from his father to bring him back and a homeless youth living in a shelter. Also among his acquaintances is Gorilla Grodd, the brain-eating psychic gorilla that usually terrorizes the Crimson Comet.

This relationship is a high point of the book. Instead of being a giant threat (physically and figuratively), this time Grodd is a small monkey that bonds with Wally. These two are a duo that will go down in comics history. 

The care these two have for each other, even after only knowing each other for a matter of days, leaps off the page at the reader. Grodd using both his psychic abilities and simple words to calm Wally’s anxiety is beautiful to witness.

The story of “Absolute Flash” is not one of good triumphing over evil or even the Flash facing down great odds, although it is present. Rather, it is the story of a troubled child learning to move beyond the past and make connections with the people in his present. 

Any readers who are even somewhat interested should do themselves a favor and begin reading. No massive development has happened yet, but once it does, it will most likely be heart-touching and remembered for years to come.

Andrew Barnes, staff writer

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