Wednesday, 19 April 2023

The Flash #797 - Comic Review

 


For those who loved 'One Minute War' and were eager to see what comes next, you're going to have to wait another issue I'm afraid, as this time we get treated to a story set during the events of The Flash annual, that focus on Ace looking after Irey, Jai, and Maxine; and the adventure that they get dragged into.

Picking the kids up after school after agreeing to watch them for Wally, Ace watches on helplessly as the three of them are pulled out of reality. The kids are dragged to another time and place, where a group of villains from their futures have gathered together to eliminate them thanks to the power of a magical stone that makes peoples wishes into reality. There's an odd mix of villains here, some that we'll probably never actually see in regular continuity, which is a shame as I'd absolutely love to see more of Reverse Grodd.

The three of them have some help, however, as an alternate universe version of Jon Kent and Damian Wayne, the Super Sons, arrive to bail them out. The five kids are able to get away from the villains, and come up with a plan to try and take them down and return home. Meanwhile, Wallace goes to Mr Terrific for some help in tracking the missing children down and bringing them back.

This is a bit of an odd issue in the sense that it's a lot of fun, but there isn't much here in regards for stakes. This is set during the events of another story, we know what comes after it, so we know that there's not going to be anything earth shattering or status quo changing; however, it is a lot of fun so you do have a good time with it. The inclusion of the Super Sons makes this very enjoyable too. 

The Super Sons are a popular duo, and the choice to age Jon up has upset a lot of fans over the years as people feel like the dynamic has been changed a lot. Even Damian has grown up a lot since those days and matured. But here we get to turn back the clock a bit and enjoy the two of them being fun kids again. And whilst these two might not be our version of Damian and Jon, it does showcase their relationship and friendship in a wonderful way. Damian is being a bit of a dick, as he does, and Irey doesn't like him. But, she gets a bit of a talking to from Jon, who explains the life Damian has had, growing up trained to kill, choosing to turn his back on that and to be a hero instead, and describes Damian as 'the strongest person I know'. The strongest he knows. His dad is Superman! Stuff like this is why I adore Jon and Damian.

The book also looks fantastic thanks to art from Serg Acuña and Tom Derenick. The two styles don't really mesh, and are quite different from each other; but they're both enjoyable and bring something different to the table. Out of the two I prefer the art from Acuña, and love the sharp lines and flair that he brings to the characters, and it's lovely to see characters like Damian and Jon drawn in that style.

Overall, this felt like a bit of a throwaway adventure, and in most series an issue that didn't really do much or have much impact on the world would feel like an issue wasted; but this is Jeremy Adams' run on The Flash, where every issue, even those that feel like one-off's are an absolute joy to read.




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