What would you do if you could see the future? That’s the conundrum surrounding Wally West in The Flash #34, particularly his newfound “Flashes of Insight”. This ability grants Wally a brief glimpse into the future, and he’s been trying to figure out how it works. On the suggestion of his fellow superhero and current boss, Mister Terrific, Wally decides to take his new abilities out for a test drive. It isn’t long before he’s hit with a flash concerning an invasion of Central City, led by none other than Gorilla Grodd!
Gorilla Grodd is unironically everything I love about comics, and specifically about the Flash’s comics. He’s a giant evil gorilla who can read minds and talk; that’s the exact kind of crazy you can only find in comic books. It also presents a twofold challenge for Wally: not only does he have to avoid being pounded into a pulp by Grodd, but he also has to figure out how to stop Gorilla City’s assault in the first place. It’s in this sequence of events that Ryan North and Gavin Guidry flex their considerable creative muscles.
Guidry dedicates a two-page spread to showcasing the different outcomes that happen when Wally takes certain actions. Trying to use reverse psychology doesn’t work. Knocking out Grodd just convinces the rest of his army to go ahead and attack Central City. Time travel brings Wally face to face with a hungry Tyrannosaurus Rex, and the age old problem of what happens when a time traveler steps on a butterfly in the past. This sequence sings thanks to a clever use of arrows that Guidry inserts into the page, allowing readers to track all the different events, and Adriano Lucas’ color art making The Flash’s trademark red and yellow suit stand out like a beacon in the dark.
DC
Throughout The Flash #34, North explores how people constantly try to predict the future, whether it’s little things like making plans or trying to predict the weather. I love this approach, as it’s similar to the way North tackles science in his Fantastic Four run and adds a little bit more believability to the outlandish world of superpowered science. What makes it even better is that it’s Mister Terrific delivering the scientific exposition. After all, if you wanted a science lesson, wouldn’t you want to go to one of the smartest men in the DC Universe?
The end of the issue brings yet another major flash of insight for Wally, and the appearance of one of his iconic Rogues. Which Rogue, I won’t say, as part of the fun is reading the issue for yourself. But it shows that even with the ability to predict the future, the Flash can still be surprised — and by extension, so can the reader. It also proves that there’s no corner of the Flash mythos that North and Guidry aren’t willing to tackle, and when you consider how big that mythos is, it means they could go for years and never run out of stories.
The Flash #34 blends real-life science, superheroic adventure, and plenty of humor into a near-perfect read, capturing everything that makes the Fastest Man Alive one of DC’s greatest heroes. Whether you’re a Flash fan or not, now is the perfect time to hop on this series.
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