Dark Knights: Death Metal – Speed Metal #1
Publisher: DC
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Art: Eddy Barrows
Inks: Eber Ferreira
Colors: Adriano Lucas
Letters: Steve Wands
Cover: Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, & Adriano Lucas
Wally West is front and center as this tie-in focuses on the Flash Family attempting to stay a step ahead of the Batman Who Laughs, grab the Mobius Chair, and not get themselves killed. An adventure that Williamson complicates even more as Wally and Barry have some unresolved personal issues to get over. It’s this personal touch that gives the story some extra weight especially when it comes to Wally. No spoilers but he really does get the ending he deserves here after struggling to find his place after his return. Barrows, Ferreira, and Lucas gives us strong designs and a solid looking issue. From the metal designs of Jay, Kid Flash, and Barry to the horde of Dark Flashes chasing them we get some nice eye candy. The double page recaps are some of the other visual standouts here that move a lot of information at a great pace. A personal favorite is Wally stopping time mainly due to Lucas’ colors and light effects that make that entire page pop.
Overall, Speed Metal is a solid tie-in especially for fans of the the Flash legacy! 3/5
Suicide Squad #9
Publisher: DC
Writer: Tom Taylor
Art: Bruno Redondo
Colors: Adriano Lucas
Letters: Wes Abbott
Cover: Bruno Redondo
DC wanted to make no allusions and let us know that this cover was not your classic comic book misdirection. So they went and spoiled the fact that Deadshot does indeed die in this issue months ago. However, that doesn’t stop this from being another great read from Tom Taylor and the rest of the creative team. There’s a lot of great moments here as the team is on the heels of Ted Kord, the man responsible for their recent troubles. Taylor really has Deadshot shine here with a heartfelt moment between him and his daughter along with a hilarious (at least to me) conversation with Wink. The Harley sequence is a short one that wraps things up between them almost perfectly. The art has been on point from Redondo and Lucas since the beginning and nothing has changed here. From the action sequences to the smaller moments they never slack on the visuals. For example, the small panel where Osita is staring down Superman just shows how much of an imposing figure she his.
As great as this issue is, the spoiler months in advance really does steal some of the thunder from the work the creative team put into this. However, the quality of the issue helps to balance it out and we still get several surprises along the way. 4.5/5
The Flash #762
Publisher: DC
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Art: Howard Porter
Colors: Hi-Fi
Letters: Steve Wands
Cover: Howard Porter & Hi-Fi
Josh Williamson’s run comes to an end with the aptly named Finish Line arc. It’s Barry Allen vs Reverse Flash as they battle in the Speed Force one last time. Williamson has Reverse Flash delivering some of the most disrespectful truths to Barry as he reminds him that he’s the one who killed Barry’s mom along with a recap of some newer reveals from this arc. However, Barry hits Eobard with something new that changes his life and the dynamic of their rivalry. And as much as it didn’t sit well with me at first, it’s a twist that works because it’s Barry. Williamson’s conclusion also has some ramifications for the timeline and wraps up with an appearance from the extended Flash Family as well as some old favorites. Porter and Hi-Fi’s visuals deliver a fantastic fight in the speed force and the effects of how Flash stops Reverse Flash is one dynamic looking panel.
Williamson does go out with something of a cliffhanger that hopefully we’ll revisit in several years but this was a nice wrap-up to his run on the Flash. The tidy ending might not sit well with some but if it puts this rivalry to bed for a while then I’m all for it. 3.5/5
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