THE FLASH #36 (DC COMICS)

Wally West’s “Flashes Of Insight” have causes quite a debate.

The ethics behind pre-attacking crime before it happens isn’t sitting well with some. After test runs in Central and Keystone City, West looks to aim higher on his tests.

Metropolis is the next stop on his latest experiment!

THE FLASH #36 by Ryan North, Gavin Guidry, Adriano Lucas & Buddy Beaudoin sees Wally head into Superman’s home turf!

Let’s see how this all plays out.

THE FLASH #36 by Ryan North, Gavin Guidry, Adriano Lucas & Buddy Beaudoin (DC Comics)

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

North takes this story into a safe zone with Wally working with the much younger and naive Jon Kent. The peaceful intro shows Wally enjoying the quirky moments the city has to offer. It doesn’t take long before he meets the young Superman. Their crimefighting skills mesh well to provide a bridge to explore Wally’s new abilities. The results are very different.

Readers watch as the pair clean up the city with relative ease. Wally’s dialogue makes a convincing point to the young hero. It almost feels like Wally is overselling with his verbiage. This allows for others to weigh in. The conversation with Linda is more grounded in reality as Wally shoots for the moon. Where the real friction comes in is with Oliver Queen. Their talk does not go as planned. There’s even a section where Queen arguably went too far. This leads into a drastic finish with a sense of dire circumstance attached. The last page adds to the weight of the situation (but why is one character there again unless they’re pleading a case)? There’s a few questions left over to ponder for next round.

READ LAST ISSUE’S REVIEW HERE!

Guidry and Lucas open with a full page shot of Wally in Metropolis. The carefree attitude remains as he runs through the city. The brief “encounter” with Lex Luthor works to tease some interactions down the road. Once Jon Kent becomes involved, the panel catch the enjoyment of Wally’s powers being put to good use. Even a great full page of the pair racing is classic in presentation.

After more crime-fighting, the full shot of them on top of the gold Daily Planet fixture is a timeless shot. It ends their time of bonding for more reality based conversations. Family time with the Wests covers many emotional ranges. It does not upstage one more guest. The scenes with Oliver Queen indicate the problem of Wally’s ambitions. Panels show Queen’s anger rising, much to Wally’s dismay. It leads to a steady finish and one last full shot to take readers home with. There’s much to be anxious about with how the next issue will play out.

FINAL GRADE: 8

Wally West takes his bold gamble to Metropolis but another hero is not on board with his actions. North takes a traditional approach to superhero team-ups with the script. Guidry and Lucas showcase the more light-hearted aspects of a friendly pairing with solid art. With every action, there is a great reaction. What that will be for this story remains to be seen.

Let me know your thoughts on The Flash #36 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!