COMIC REVIEW: Flash #247

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A couple of years ago, Wally West was sent into another dimension and Bart Allen stepped into the shoes of The Flash. Fans were outraged and Bart was killed off so that Wally could return to the DC Universe to reclaim the mantle of The Flash. Now Wally gets cancelled again, this time to make way for the return of Barry Allen, the Silver Age Flash that most middle aged fans grew up with. What’s it like to get cancelled a second time in 2 years?

Wally West has been on the verge of death many times, but always came back from the brink because his love for his wife, Linda Park, was too strong to allow him to pass away. Now that Linda is on the verge of dying, Wally has turned the The Spectre for help in saving her life. However, The Spectre is now joined with the soul of former Gotham City Police Detective Crispus Allen and Allen refuses to get involved with the death of The Flash’s wife. Zantanna uses her magic to remind Linda of her love for Wally, and she is able to resist the urge to go toward the light, just as Wally has many times in the past.

With Linda safe, Wally must now turn his attention to his children, Iris and Jai, who have been kidnapped by the Teen Titans’ former foe, The Queen Bee. Using the power of the Speed Force, The Queen Bee begins to brainwash the children and direct their powers towards trapping people in a speed bubble and manipulating the time stream inside of them to kill them off and turn their bodies into dust. It’s a fairly entertaining twist on what can be done with the powers of speed and time in the DC Universe, and it adds to the legitimacy of the threat The Queen Bee represents.

To make matters worse, Wally is not as fast as he used to be. At one point in time, Wally could race at near the speed of light, whereas nowadays he can barely make the sound barrier thanks to the manipulations of the speed force by The Queen Bee. Wally realizes that being a super-hero puts him and his loved ones too much in harm’s way. For the sake of his family, Wally decides to take some time off and apparently doesn’t act as The Flash again until the events of Final Crisis pull him back in.

While the story holds a decent level of sentimentality and changes the status quo of The Flash, it feels a bit too much like the story is stopping prematurely than ending to allow a new beginning. This story does take the time to remind you that Wally West was once Kid Flash, sidekick to Barry Allen and member of the Teen Titans. We’re also reminded that The Flash is a pillar of the Justice League, regardless of which incarnation of the League is in session. It’s an odd choice to single out how important your character is when you are ending his series, but DC plans to bring back Wally West in another form after the end of Final Crisis. It’s just a shame that Alan Burnett’s take on the character has to be shelved for no good reason.

The Flash 247 is available now for $2.99 at your local comic book store. To find a store near you, call 1-888-COMIC-BOOK.

Review by: Doug “DiRT” Turner