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The Flash #35 Review: Present And Future Collide

By Nick Tylwalk

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Any good run on an ongoing comic book series is going to be a series of crescendos, with each one leading to a climax of sorts that also sets things in motion for the next build-up to begin.

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The Flash #35 is like that, showing that writers Robert Venditti and Ven Jensen have settled into the right kind of groove. This is the confrontation between Flash and his future self that has been simmering for a while being brought to a full boil, and it also gives artist Brett Booth a chance to just go nuts on some dynamic action sequences, which definitely play to his strengths.

It’s not ruining anything to say that Wally West also figures heavily in this showdown, so you could really say there are two Future Flashes in this issue. In the end, there’s a heroic sacrifice and a dramatic change to the status quo, one that will last for at least a few months, judging by the upcoming solicitations.

There is one question that definitely looms over this particular story that begs consideration though: would Barry Allen ever get to the point where he’d do anything, including murder villains and risking permanent damage to the timestream, to atone for his own mistakes?

If you can accept that basic premise, then you’re going to like this issue a lot. If not, all of the other great things about it aren’t going to matter.

For more, we have to go past the …

SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT!

Future Flash has completed his trip back through time, arriving in our present. The first thing he does is snatch Barry Allen (during breakfast, no less!) and explain what’s gone wrong: he and other people have damaged the Speed Force, tearing a wound in it. It’s in the shape of a big red lightning bolt, which is a bit much, but it does make for a cool visual. According to Future Flash, the only way to repair the damage is to kill Barry. Strangely, Future Flash is pretty confident this won’t make him cease to exist. Time travel always makes my head hurt.

The battle is on, and Future Flash chides Flash for never learning how to fight, whereas he’s spent time learning from Deathstroke, Lady Shiva and Batman. Things look bad for present Barry until another Flash shows up: this one is Wally West, presumably from some point in time between the good and bad Flashes.

Wally fans aren’t going to be pleased with the fact that he only fights the good fight for two pages before he has to drain the excess Speed Force out of Barry’s body.

That seals the rupture but traps Future Flash in this time, as his fancy suit says travel back to the future is impossible without a DeLorean. I made that last part up.

Barry is stuck somewhere that looks like the past, since he’s almost eaten by a dinosaur, but actually turns out to probably be the future since a killer robot shows up. Also, he doesn’t have his super-speed. That could be bad.

Favorite moment: The Wally West Flash might not stick around long, but he makes one memorable entrance: “That’s right knock-off Barry Allen — I’m the good West.”

Final thought: I’m happy that the Future Flash is sticking around even if it’s just to appreciate his cool costume. I am worried, though, that Venditti and Jensen have established him as too powerful for Flash to beat. Hopefully there are a few more twists ahead in this story.

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