Jay Garrick: The Flash #5: The Fate of The Family

Jay Garrick: The Flash #5 picks up with the revelation behind who Doctor Elemental truly is, and how his origins tie so closely back to those of Jay and Judy Garrick. With the villain’s plan seemingly revealed, Jay decides to bring Judy on a trip to visit his old friend Doctor Midnight in hopes that they can end Doctor Elemental’s evil schemes once and for all. Despite their efforts, Jay’s constant worrying and lack of trust in his newly resurrected daughter leads to a nail biting setup in this penultimate issue.

The previous issue of Jay Garrick: The Flash was chock full of flashbacks and exposition, causing the series themes and character growth to take a back seat. Thankfully, this issue sees those ideas come back in full force, with writer Jeremy Adams infusing his own experience as a father into the characterization behind Jay and his relationship with Judy. The ideas of balance between love and trust are strong here, with Jay’s worries ultimately getting the better of him by the final page. There is definitely a lesson to be learned here for the longtime speedster, with the stakes now being high and personal going into the final issue. A fantastic look into the mind of a superhero turned father, Jay Garrick #5 excels in what was promised in the initial premise.

The art and colors from Diego Olortegui and Luis Guerrero provide some of the best action in comics this week, with Jay never looking better. There’s just something special about the way Olortegui draws the blur of speed behind the character while intermixing the lighting for dramatic effect. But honestly, it is Guerrero’s colors that really bring these parts to life, especially in the way that he has the red fade in and out depending on where Jay or Judy are running from or to. This duo make best of the speed based powers behind these heroes in a spectacular fashion, giving this book a definitive look that is destined to carry over into further Flash series in the future.

Rounding out the creative team is Steve Wands who provides excellent letters to tie this whole book together. The biggest compliment you can give Wands here is that his pencils truly harken back to the Golden Age, while modernizing the style as to cut out some of the less strong elements from that time. This means that each speech bubble is clearly defined and understandable, while having that flair that makes this book feel very retro.