Flash #799: Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop

Flash #799 is a blast from start to finish. Jeremy Adams finishes his run by utilizing some of his creations, which sometimes come off as self-indulgent, but works here like a charm. Gold Beetle and Omega-Bam-Man are the characters Adams uses early on in the issue, and their importance to the story and Wally can only be felt by those who have been along for the whole ride. Their interactions are hilarious, especially when juxtaposed with the looks of confusion and horror from The Terrifics. The blend of humor, narrative, and callbacks sells this issue (and this whole run) in a fun and unique way. 

The most powerful part of this issue, and extension, the entirety of Adams’ run, is the characterization and growth of Wally. Fans of the character will know that he has received the short end of the stick over the last decade or so, and Adams has returned him to his former glory. This issue pits him up against Granny Goodness and gives him some excellent one-liners in the process. Wally still maintains his comedic nature, but seeing him do anything to save his son adds depth and growth to the once sidekick. Wally has never been more of a family man than he has been in this run, so it will be interesting to see what path Si Spurrier takes him after the monumental Flash #800 next month.

Adams also uses the end of this story to set up a possible miniseries featuring the missing months/years that are glossed over in the final pages. This kind of worldbuilding has made Adams’ run so enjoyable, and we can only hold out hope that this is brought up again whenever he returns to this character. 

As the penultimate chapter goes, Flash #799 helps emotionally reign in the sprawling narrative that started at the beginning of Adams’ run. There is a powerful sense of a rushed ending, with Adams’ throwbacks seemingly coming out of nowhere. But since Adams is such a great writer, this all works spectacularly. Post Flash, Adams is scheduled to work on Green Lantern and a JSA Jay Gerrick book. Many of his original characters are bound to show up there, so it’s not like we are saying bye to them forever; however, if that was the case, Adams leaves everything in an excellent position for a stunning finale.

The art here is slightly inconsistent, especially compared to the previous stellar issue. The art team of Tom Derenick, Fernando Pasarin, and Oclair Albert all have similar styles that are slightly different but enough to be jarring when shifts occur. For the most part, everything stays tonally consistent, with the similarities in their art styles and the consistent colors from Matt Herms, allowing for a more cohesive story than one would expect compared to other comics featuring multiple artists. This is also helped by Adams’ consistency in storytelling prowess, which elevates the narrative in an emotionally significant way.