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January 21, 2006
A Pathetic Last Issue For the Flash
Flash #230, written by Joey Cavaleri, marks the last issue of the Flash's current run. Instead of wrapping up 20 years of history with a touching farewell, it is just pointless filler material. It tries to bring Wally's adventures full circle, by having him fight the same villain from Flash #1: Vandal Savage. I couldn't get into the story. Savage is so over the top, with his little space cult, and dropping names like Chairman Mao. It really has no meaning or impact on Wally's life and really suffers in comparison to Johns' last two years on the book.
Long time Flash fans will remember Flash 350, which was the final issue for the Barry Allen character. Written by Cary Bates and appropriately drawn by Carmine Infantino (the greatest silver age Flash artist), this issue wrapped up two years worth of plotlines and reunited Barry with his wife Iris--who we all thought had been killed by Professor Zoom! It gave Barry and Iris a brief bit of happiness in the future--enough time for them to conceive twins. The ominous caption in the last page read "They all lived happily ever after...for a little while."
DC should have ended the series with Geoff Johns' final issue, which had a great sendoff to Wally West. It eerily paralleled Flash V1 350, by resolving the most tragic event in Wally and Linda's marriage--losing her unborn babies. Wally undid the tragic event in a near-fatal confrontation with Zoom. He ran off down the road with memories of his past adventures, like a cowboy riding off into the sunset.
The events in Infinite Crisis #4 are really intriguing. The Wests are leaving Earth for another place, but where? A new Earth? Or perhaps the future, where Barry found refuge? I can't wait to find out. On the other hand, I'm not too excited about Bart becoming the Flash, but I'll give it a chance. Wally becoming the Flash was a big event, but it felt like he earned it with numerous Flash appearances, short stories, and as a founding member of the Teen Titans. I'm sure younger fans can say the same about Bart. Flash #1 with Bart feels weird. Nuff said.
