The Flash #25: What’s Up Dog?

The Flash #25 concludes not only this major story arc but also Si Spurrier’s tenure on the title. Throughout this run, Spurrier has taken the character of Wally West into a much more esoteric, science-fiction space than ever before, often using high concepts to frame smaller moments that teach Wally important lessons about himself. The Flash #25 encapsulates all of that while also tying up many of the lingering plot threads, making this twenty-five-issue run feel like a strong chapter in the character’s history.

The issue begins with Eclipso having won and Wally’s final plan failing the world. An odd aspect of this series is how high the stakes are compared to the minimal connectivity to the greater DC Universe. Spurrier essentially wrote Wally and his supporting cast into a war for the fate of the universe that remains hidden from DC’s heaviest hitters, allowing it to be solely a Flash tale. This plot contrivance has worked well and gets the full-circle treatment here, but for readers following other titles in the DC All-In publishing initiative, it makes everything else going on feel like small potatoes. This ultimately works well for those invested in this series but may have served as a detriment to the plots and stakes in other books.

One of the strongest aspects of this run has been the way Spurrier navigated through the various story arcs, giving them firm conclusions and tying them together in mostly thematic ways. For example, one of the big elements in a previous arc was that Wally had split himself in half so that he could spend time with his family while also meeting his commitments as a member of the Justice League. This resulted in the same kind of shenanigans you’d expect from a sitcom where a character tries to take two girls to prom at the same time without them finding out. While it was initially played for laughs, that plot takes on more weight here when Wally reveals that he split himself up because he believed only parts of him could be successful in certain areas of his life, an insecurity rooted in his role as both a legacy hero and a father. The way that earlier comedic setup foreshadows the deeper meaning revealed in this finale is a stroke of brilliance that makes the story come together as strongly as it does.

Another plot element introduced at the beginning of the series and paid off here is the child spawned from the Speed Force. To recap, the first arc of this run saw Wally’s powers going haywire and elemental forces coming after him for unknown reasons. Things became more complex when a future version of his infant son, Waid, arrived to shut down the Speed Force. This was all revealed to be caused by the Speed Force somehow becoming pregnant. With Wally’s assistance, the Speed Force gave birth to a new cosmic power that was then trapped within the West family dog. Fast forward to The Flash #25: the dog, Foxy, becomes a key player in Eclipso’s defeat. This provides a fun and unique way to bookend a very complex story and ensures these new elements remain available for future creative teams, if they choose to explore them.