THE FLASH #244

This Was Your Life Wally West, Part One:  Infested

November 2008

Written by Alan Burnett

Pencils by Freddie E. Williams II

Inks by Freddie E. Williams II

Cover by Freddie E. Williams II

Synopsis

Wally West (aka Flash) picks up his kids from day camp and takes them to Dinosaur Island.  However, after being there several times already, the kids are bored.  So, Wally takes them to the place where he gained his powers and became the Flash.  Then they hear an alarm.  The Flash runs into action, although the kids are not far behind to help.  Afterwards, Wally tells them that with their aging under control, he doesn’t want them to take any chances, so he asks if they stop helping, at least while they are still in school.  In Ohio, Black Canary calls in Flash to investigate the death of a bunch of scientists by a swarm of bees.  Amanda Waller thinks the killer was after a receiver being retool by alien technology.  However, it is at a different facility.  The Flash runs across the country to get it before the bad guy, but during his run, he experiences cramps.  He gets to the facility just as the bees are swarming.  He is able to save the workers, but the bad guy gets the device and gets away.  Later, it takes Flash a long time to get back to Keystone.  When he does, he tells his wife that something his wrong.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

There is not much I can recommend with this issue, which is the beginning of Burnett’s run as the writer of the title.  The good news is that Burnett manages to continue the story from the last writer rather than ignore or contradict it.  Plus, Burnett also begins his story and the problems plaguing Wally based on events from the previous issue.  So, kudos, to Burnett.  The bad news, however, is that story is based upon a nearly two decade story, so in a sense doesn’t really offer anything new to the table in terms of the Flash mythos.  Not that Burnett needs to create something earth-shattering, but at the very least something that is not a re-tread. 

To make matters word, the bad guy comes across as an afterthought, a reason to force the Flash to run at the speeds that he can no longer maintain.  Maybe this is the reason the villain falls flat.  I appreciate Burnett tying this back to an earlier issue of the Justice League of America (issue #20), but an attack of killer bees does not fill me with dread.  Granted the story is not about the battle against the Bee Man, it is the story of Flash’s battle with the Speed Force, but at the very least Burnett could’ve come up with something a little better than bees.  I am also guessing that Burnett was forced to create a new villain (or use an obscure one) because the Rogues’ are not unsuable given the Final Crisis story currently going on.  So maybe this is a sign:  there are no more good comic book characters. 

At the moment, the presence of Amanda Waller doesn’t really add much to the story.  Perhaps there will be more down the road, but right now?  That role could’ve been filled by any character.  I suppose in a way the presence of Waller offers Burnett a quick shorthand plot device, by providing some implied chicanery and suspicion to whatever it is that tech will come out to be.   

Personally, I want to see more of Shelly. 

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