Flash #83: Frozen, Too

Flash #83 may not win any Eisners, but nobody could accuse it of being a dull read, either. The action starts on page one and doesn’t let up ’til the end – but don’t let that fool you. This is no threadbare plot. Quite the opposite, in fact: there are a number of revelations and plot twists throughout that, page after page, leave readers wanting more. ASAP. Oddly, Flash seems to be the only DC book that’s actually benefiting from the editorially-mandated “Year of the Villain” tie-in shenanigans.

Plot twist number one: Golden Glider’s betrayal of her brother. Glider as yet to figure in at all in writer Josh Williamson’s run, so what her motives could be here are shrouded in mystery. She makes some allusions to saving her brother King Cold from is bad decision to take Central City over, but what exactly that means is a mystery for at least next issue.

Plot twist number two: the extent of Cold’s “Year of the Villain” -boosted power set. He is, for all intents and purposes, akin to a god now – with the technological twist normally associated with the Rogues, of course. It’s interesting to see just how easily this blue collar everyman of a supervillain has become comfortable with ruling. Williamson creates in Cold a handy metaphor for the ease with which power corrupts. Of course, he hasn’t really touched on the other Rogues all too much just yet, so expect things to get much worse before they get better.

Plot twist number three: no spoilers, but the major twist in what’s happening with the Speed Force – and of course by extension, Flash’s powers – is a huge game-changer that completely upends where readers thought the story was going.

Rafa Sandoval’s art is more than up to the challenge of rendering this big, fast-moving tale. There are definitely some echoes of peak-Howard Porter I’ve not seen in his work before. Porter, of course, is the artist to beat when it comes to the modern Flash, so any comparisons should be welcome and a sign of high quality. Combined with a thrilling, mile-a-minute story, and Williamson is really in his groove on this book right now. If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines waiting for Flash to get in the fast lane, now’s the time.