The Flash #761: Flash (Family) Facts

Flash #761 brings writer Josh Williamson’s historic 100-issue run to its penultimate issue, and boy, is it what we old farts call a “hum-dinger.” Every single speedster in DC’s illustrious history shows up, because what better way to celebrate the Flash’s enduring legacy by showing off a little bit…? Heck, even John Fox from the 853rd century and hallowed grounds of DC One Million shows up for the framing sequence, with his own protege in tow.

And lest they be forgotten, bring on the bad guys, too! Everyone from Grodd to the Top to Bloodwork is here, even if they’re just in the background getting their noggin bopped. Faced with such overwhelming numbers, Kid Flash (Wallace West) realizes that they’ll need science to win the day, not just brute force – another Flash hallmark. The resulting victory may be seem a little too easy, but it sure fits in well with Flash lore.

The real bugaboo here is the Reverse-Flash’s little secret, which can’t necessarily be revealed without major spoilers. Suffice to say, it suspends disbelief a bit, and requires the reader to believe that Williamson had some very, very specific plot points planned out for payoff at exactly this moment. It certainly bends credibility, but isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker. Maybe Williamson did have things plotted out this intricately, or at least had this particular story beat in mind. I suspect an individual reader’s level of cynicism will be the arbiter of truth here.

But let’s not get too down, because this really and truly is a wonderful celebration of all things Flash: the powers, the character, the legacy, the villains… all of it. And the fact that it’s so handsomely rendered by all-time great Flash artist Howard Porter is the cherry on top. Porter stuns here, dropping pages like they were mics. Everything is so fluid, the action so manic, yet never overly-busy. Even with such a large cast of characters, nobody is lost in the mix, and everyone gets a chance to shine. And with a celebration this big, that absolutely matters!