Absolute Flash #12: Year One Done

As the first year closes on Absolute Flash, the twelfth issue brings together all the story threads up until now and ties them together in a nice bow for readers. Those who have spent the past twelve months with Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles’ depiction of Wally West know that the titular character of Absolute Flash is more than just another superhero.

“This is what I’m here for.” This line spoken by Wally in one of the first few pages is the tipping point of his arc. Up until now, Absolute Wally West has not felt very heroic. More like a kid running away from his problems rather than a hero running towards someone else’s. And that’s exactly what Jeff Lemire was going for, developing this version of Wally slowly over the course of an entire year to reach the point when he finally becomes a hero.

Nick Robles’ art is a flash of lightning across the page, super-speed rushes back and forth create an intense battle on the page. As Wally bolts back and forth with agility, Thawne is more like a steam train. He crashes through the rubble of Fort Fox and shatters bits and pieces of the ground as he moves. Wally navigates the debris, trying to keep up with him. Robles’ choice of panel layout is also worth highlighting, single-page spreads are decorated with small box panels to give the reader flashes of other characters and how they fit into the mosaic the artwork creates.

Adriano Lucas’ colors have been a highlight of nearly every issue of Absolute Flash so far, and they don’t disappoint here either. Absolute Flash, like all titles in the Absolute Universe, has a very unique aesthetic. It’s more HBO drama meets weird science fiction serial than the usual comic art, and the pinnacle of that aesthetic hinges on the color work, which provides both texture and temperature to Robles’ panels. Absolute Flash #12 is full of heat and pressure. Fires break out and blanket the crumbling structure of Fort Fox. And the destruction is made worse every time Thawne moves, and the texture of that movement exerts pressure on the page layout.

Tom Napolitano’s letters provide issue #12 of Absolute Flash with more gravitas. Even in scenes happening away from their fight, the battle of the speedsters can be heard like thunder in the distance by characters like Grodd. No words or page space goes to waste, especially in an issue focused on the climactic battle that readers have been waiting for. Grodd’s telepathy has been an interesting part of the series, and the bubbles around his telepathic text allow the reader to keep up without slowing down the pace.