ABSOLUTE FLASH #14 (DC COMICS)
Wally West doesn’t like what he sees.
While recovering form the events at Fort Fox, West is not handling the loss of his father to Thawne well. His arrival at the Dinby Youth Mission leads to a mental break with Linda Park. Their escape from the city have led them into an unlikely place.
A dimension based with mirrors is not their ideal destination. The person behind it proves not to be a friend either.
ABSOLUTE FLASH #14 by Jeff Lemire, Haining, Adriano Lucas & Tom Napolitano (DC COMICS) welcomes Mirror Master into the Absolute Universe!
Let’s take a deeper dive into recent events.
ABSOLUTE FLASH #14 by Jeff Lemire, Haining, Adriano Lucas & Tom Napolitano (DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Lemire starts off events with a very puzzling beginning. Wally and Linda’s understanding of this new landscape proves complex. The addition of “Murder Clones” in pursuit adds more weight to an already heavy plate. There’s a few different looks with emotional pulls on the young hero. None greater than the possibility of reuniting with his lost father. All are dashed fairly quickly as the ringmaster of this odd circus steps forward.
Mirror Master’s explanation of events feel telegraphed in certain areas. The banter with Linda falls on deaf ears as he tries breaking events down. Once talk swings towards a more clear picture, the story picks up speed. It leaves a few events up in the air as far as greater impact. For now, the story has some direction which is a needed plus. The final pages tease more of what’s on the horizon. It fits the classic Flash rogue well as the chapter slows down. There’s much room to still expand from here.
Haining and Lucas open with a distinct look for the mirror dimension. Panels carry a certain uneasiness as West and Park try escaping. Once this element takes place, a polarizing series of pages will debut. The two page splashes present the pages upside down. It will make sense for the story but expect to hear some complain about this technique. I’m definitely not in that party. The images reflect (no pun) the ever changing landscape before concluding on the sixth spread pages. It’s ambitions but may have gone too long in this method.
Once events straighten themselves out, Mirror Master confronts the pair. Panels don’t shy away from West’s growing frustration. It’s balanced out by Scudder (Mirror Master)’s frustration of his personal dilemma. His reactions to West’s responses lead to some building rage. Readers watch as he leaves an ultimatum in his wake. This leads to a series of conversation images with Park and West. These are more lighter in nature before events race to close. The final panel tease more hijinx to come but for now end on stable ground.
FINAL POINT: 8
Mirror Master’s schemes push Wally West into uncomfortable places in this latest chapter. Lemire plays into smoke and mirrors with the plot of this issue. Haining and Lucas take a gamble with their two page spreads. Blink and you’ll miss what trouble Wally West is finding in this latest arc.
Let me know your thoughts on ABSOLUTE FLASH #14 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
