Flash #758: Double Your Pleasure

Flash #758 is a bit of a weird animal. It’s completely reliant on the return of the Tornado Twins, two characters who haven’t been seen much since pre-Crisis continuity, and thus modern readers won’t have any real connection to. Writer Josh Williamson may have overplayed his hand here with their inclusion, as it asks readers to invest in a plot twist with no tangible stakes for them.

In terms of execution, “Legion of Zoom” has technically been fine. There’s an appropriate sense of drama and dread, as yet again, the Flash is facing a seemingly-insurmountable crisis (pardon the wordplay). But it’s the plot itself that’s the problem. As I mentioned in last issue’s review, there’s not much original in the hero’s arch-foes teaming up to pummel him/her. And in and of itself, that doesn’t have to be a negative. But it does require some truly stellar plotting to rise the trope above itself. And so far, “Legion of Zoom” is lacking in that regard. It’s ho-hum at best, and not even the “shocking” addition of the Flash’s mostly-forgotten future kids turned bad can get past it.

Art-wise, Christian Duce does a capable job, but even his competent art can’t elevate this subpar story. And it isn’t his fault – he’s clearly relishing the opportunity to draw the Flash’s greatest foes. Why wouldn’t he? Who wouldn’t, honestly? But at the end of the day, he’s left with a stale plot that he has to rise above. He’s better for accomplishing it, but readers might have a difficult time caring.