The Flash #33: It’s Bond, James Bond

The Flash #33 concludes the first arc of Ryan North and Gavin Guidry’s run on the series, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of Flash’s new abilities. As the previous issue ended, Wally was at his wit’s end trying to locate the nuke planted in Central City. Even after begrudgingly accepting help from one of his Rogues, Captain Cold, finding the bomb still proved impossible. As this issue opens, Wally continues the search before finally stopping to discuss the situation with Linda, who helps uncover the identity of the true villain and makes Wally realize why he has been unable to locate the bomb this entire time. As the plot comes to a close, Wally decides he needs to further explore his newfound ability to see into the future, prompting a practice run that hints at where the story is headed next.

There’s no other way to put it: this book is a delight. From the witty banter and hilarious plot contrivances to the fantastic artwork, this fresh take on The Flash feels like one of the best interpretations of the character in years. Too often, DC stories can feel like a revolving door of universe-ending events that lose their impact through diminishing returns. Thankfully, the All-In era has allowed creative teams to tell more grounded stories with these characters, and North and Guidry are no exception. Yes, the series is only three issues in, but it’s hard not to come away from it smiling at how genuine and charming they make Wally feel.

To briefly recap the arc: someone created an app that pays people to take photos with The Flash, prompting the citizens of Central City to recklessly put themselves in danger so Wally would be forced to appear. With help from Captain Cold and Linda, Wally uncovers the real purpose behind the app: it was designed as a diversion to conceal a nuclear bomb planted in the city. By the issue’s conclusion, the entire scheme is revealed to have been orchestrated by George Stebbings, a newly introduced character who wants to irradiate Central City’s gold supply in order to destabilize the global market, or, as Wally puts it, “That’s a friggin’ Bond move!”

One of the funniest aspects of this arc is the reveal that the villain is essentially just a random corporate guy with an absurdly convoluted scheme. Not only does this keep the story centered on Wally and his supporting cast, but it also keeps the stakes low enough for the book to simply be fun instead of becoming yet another world-ending crisis. The entire premise is intentionally ridiculous, and it genuinely works. In fact, the plan to destabilize the economy by irradiating gold feels reminiscent of a classic Golden Age comic plot, giving the series a sense of hokey fun that modern superhero comics rarely embrace anymore.

As the issue wraps up, Wally realizes these brief glimpses into the future are not powers he can afford to ignore and may actually prove genuinely useful. Rather than spending several issues questioning what the abilities are or how they work, he immediately begins training himself to use them over the course of just a few pages. On paper, this might sound rushed, but it instead feels like North and Guidry deliberately cutting away unnecessary filler in order to move the story toward the ideas they are most interested in exploring. A lot of comics currently on the stands could learn from that approach.