DCU Comic Book Reviews

THE FLASH #239

Fast Money, Part Two

June 2008

Written by Tom Peyer

Pencils by Freddie E. Williams II

Inks by Freddie E. Williams II

Cover by Freddie E. Williams II

Synopsis

After The Spin forced The Flash to steal money from the citizens of Keystone City, Jay Garrick appears on a news broadcast to try to deflate the situation.  During the interview, however, the Spin is able to take Jay’s anger towards Wally and amplify it.  Elsewhere, the Justice League of America debates Wally’s actions and decide not to interfere, unless Wally asks.  In Chicago, The Flash arrives for a job interview.  Meanwhile, still angry at Wally, Jay searches for him, eventually using Jai and Iris to locate him in Chicago.  Jay and Wally come to blows, but are stopped by Red Arrow.  When they realize Jay’s emotions weren’t his own, they head for the news station to investigate.  The Spin knows they are coming and is ready, by spinning anxiety to make Gorilla Grodd appear. 

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

I liked this issue; Peyer’s vision for the scarlet speedster is coming a little bit clearer.  I like the role of Jay Garrick as the elder statesman and I liked Red Arrow’s appearance as one Wally’s friends coming to the rescue.  The Spin as a villain is still more of an idea than an actual threat, but I suppose with Grodd coming back next issue the Spin’s ability to fight the Flash may be moot anyway.  Regardless, this story is fine in terms of spinning off emotions and people reacting, but ultimately Spin needs to have more to the character that what we have seen so far. 

I can’t quite put my finger on why, but Peyer’s writing has this understated way about it that makes the first reading seem odd and clumsy, but the second reading seems to put it into better context.  Take for instance the scenes with Jay Garrick.  His anger at Wally seemed out of place and didn’t make sense.  When it was revealed that Jay had been manipulated by Spin my first reaction was that the scenes were clumsily written, but in the second reading it comes across better, making more sense.  This is also true of the citizens of Keystone and their reaction. 

For all of my gripes for the past two issues about the focus on money, something I don’t think should be so central to a superhero story, I actually kinda liked Flash’s new job.  Granted, I am not exactly sure what they are looking for in the videos, but it involves the Flash’s power and seems to be helping the world, so it does make sense.  Hopefully at the end of this story the job will be the new status quo and we can get off the subject of money. 

Didn’t Grodd die in this issue of Salvation Run?  It will be curious to see how this is explained.