Whatever happened to Barry Allen? Well, he’s dead. Toast. Sleeping with the fish. Adios. Goodbye. Or maybe not? Well, that’s neither here nor there. But what does matter is what happened to him before he kicked rocks. In Absolute Flash #8, we learn about the life of Barry Allen. After all, he is one of the most prominent speedsters in the mainline DCU, so it’s only natural he has a role to play aside from kickstarting Wally’s career as the Absolute Flash. So, with that, how interesting is his story, and does it matter to the greater series? Well, yes and no. But maybe I’m just a hard sell when it comes to Barry Allen. So, I’m going to shove my mainline bias aside and we can dig into this issue together.
DC
Something I’ve truly loved about this series is how incredible a pick Jeff Lemire is as writer for the Absolute Flash series. I think this issue is a perfect example of this because Lemire is the second writer, after Joshua Williamson, to make Barry Allen even remotely interesting to me. While this issue is far from action heavy, its focus on suspense and buildup towards Wally’s becoming of the Flash is what makes the issue interesting. Frankly, if we even were to see Barry gain powers, it would feel inconsequential given his timely fate. But, his understanding of this universe’s access to speeds (dare I say the Absolute Speed Force?) is quite captivating given how important the repercussions are likely to be. Not to mention, if this is the Absolute Speed Force, one could begin to wonder if Barry really is gone. Moreover, the layers of intrigue in this issue works very well to deliver an engaging story that, despite its anticlimactic ending, remains a worthwhile story that readers should pick up.
DC
Given this is a slower issue, Travis Moore’s artwork fits the situation quite well. And while I’ve recently noted how significantly his artwork has improved, I’ve often struggled with his slightly less dynamic line work. However, the tone this issue takes allows his art style to thrive a bit more as the story’s emphasis on intrigue, emotion, and pure science-fiction fun allow Moore to add more depth to moments that benefit from full spread pages or creative paneling. And this is only elevated by Adriano Lucas’s bright line work. That pull towards science fiction allows Lucas to add more bright and vibrant colors to make certain moments feel more mystical. While this is a slower issue, its pacing allows there to be more detail added to the pages. Altogether, I think this is a well-drawn story that’s full of creativity.
Absolute Flash #8 provides an opportunity to make Barry Allen interesting, despite being dead. By reflecting on his life and the events leading up to his death, Jeff Lemire is able to use Barry as a compelling plot device that actually winds up making Eleanore Thawne into a more layered and intriguing reimagining of one of Flash’s greatest Rogues. Travis Moore and Adriano Lucas similarly add brighter colors and more defined line work to the story to reinforce how bright things in the past seemed they were meant to be, thus making for a well depicted story. In whole, this marks the beginning of an interesting story that is sure to have ripple effects readers won’t want to miss out on.
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