Written by Jeff Lemire

Art by Nick Robles

Colours by Adriano Lucas

Letters by Tom Napolitano

DC, out now

Two days ago Wally West, a lonely teenager on a military base was shown Project Olympus by scientist Barry Allen.

One day ago, Wally ran from an argument from his father.

Today, Wally is being hunted and Barry Allen is dead.

The latest addition to DC’s excellent Absolute line comes to us from a typically impressive creative team. Lemire excels at slightly decompressed storytelling like this and uses it to dive into the sort of emotional precision that stories like this need. Wally and Rudy, his dad, are both hurting, both making bad choices and both doing their best. The fact it isn’t good enough isn’t their fault. But it is their problem. Lemire writes a fascinating Barry Allen too, a man who is cheerful and friendly and just a little… off. His actions are odd but not without context, and Lemire trusts us enough to figure out what’s going on slightly ahead of Wally.

Robles’ precise, open art style is a perfect fit for a book like this and his characters are especially nicely put together. Again, Barry’s the standout here, a goshdarn all-American who is clearly hiding something but may or may not be a villain himself. I love his take on Rudy West and the Flash’s Rogues’ Gallery too. the former is a big, precise, awkward man whose physicality tells us a lot about him before he even speaks. The latter are a lovely collection of familiar names and new design. Captain Cold reimagined as a hyper suave, hyper competent hunter is especially good fun.

Lucas’ colours excel too, giving the wide open desert spaces the room and stark variation they need. Napolitano too does great work, showing the complex, spiky emotions of the characters in their speech patterns.

Verdict: The single problem here is this is a definitive part one in a series that’s previously been best known for its economy of storytelling. All three initial first issues gave us the premise in a nutshell and then told a story spinning from that. Here the premise is the story. That’s going to bother some people. For others, it will be just their speed. Or Wally’s. 9/10

Alasdair Stuart