The Flash #7: Time To Slow Down

The Flash #7 picks up with the aftermath of Thawne’s master plan raining down onto the speedsters of the DC Universe. The issue primarily focuses on Impulse’s journey to find Max Mercury and Barry attempting to figure out what happened to Wally. This is probably the first time that this series has slowed down enough to answer some questions without opening the door for a million more. Characters are finally acknowledging that the world is all topsy turvy and for once, this isn’t a problem that can be solved by finding that hidden power and running ever so slightly faster.

Si Spurrier has been cooking with this series and The Flash #7 allows the curtain to slowly peel itself back. Having an issue away from Wally and his twisted new powers allows the reader to see all the craziness through the lens of other characters who are even more confused than the readers themselves. Spurrier does an excellent job portraying a more mature version of Impulse, as he investigates Max’s disappearance. It’s nice to see these side characters get some spotlight, with this issue almost acting as a palate cleanser for the more over the top storytelling that’s existed in all the preceding issues.

Ramon Perez takes over the art duties from Mike Deodato Jr. in what feels like a smart move for the series. Deodato had done a great job in capturing the intensity and off-the-wall insanity that was the first arc while Perez eases the reader back into some semblance of reality. Perez also does a fantastic job in his own right, drawing a very beautiful Flash issue that is full of action and high speed heroics.

The secondary story in this issue revolves around Barry, who has been mostly absent throughout the run. Barry gets to experience the craziness first hand as he tries to talk to Linda about the whole ordeal as she responds in the most unusual and frustrating manner imaginable. For those who jumped off this run because of how different and confusing it was, Barry is your guy: he feels you, he sympathizes with you, and he will voice all your frustration. But for real, his story seemed like the response to the naysayers, with a touch of “You want Barry??? Well here he is!”

Now this issue is positively baffling in the way that it never fully credits the colorist, only providing the last name: Dodgson, and NEVER mentions the name of the letterer, even though it is clearly Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Regardless, these creators do a  fantastic job with this issue, with Otsmane-Elhaou bringing something fantastic to the letters, just like with the first arc of the series.