The Flash #32

By Robert Venditti, Van Jensen, Brett Booth, Norm Rapmund & Andrew Dalhouse

While the Flash of the present is a beacon of hope that represents the goodness inside all of us, the Flash of the future brings a menacing presence in every scene he’s in, which heightens the fact that nothing is quite right in the road ahead for the Scarlet Speedster. The Flash #32 showcases more of the future, revealing the bleak fate of Captain Cold, as well as more of what the Flash will become.

Robert Venditti and Van Jensen have created a great new storyline that has added many layers to the classic mold that was the Flash. They allude to what the Flash will become in the future, and they have managed to maintain one of the Flash’s vulnerabilities: that no matter how fast he runs, he can’t save everyone. This ugly realization is something the future Flash has clearly met with multiple times, adding to the weight of the character and making every scene that features future Flash intriguing and surprising. Since taking over the series from Buccellato and Manapul, Venditti and Jensen have created the perfect voice for the Flash and his supporting characters, maintaining the high quality of the book that had been developed previously.

Brett Booth is no rookie to superhero titles, particularly with DC, having worked on such titles for the company like Batman/Superman, Nightwing, and more recently (and most predominately) Teen Titans. Booth has a unique art style that is instantly recognizable, much like his character designs, which are always filled with a lot of emotion. Booth and Rapmund go hand-in-hand as Rapmund’s inks go over Booth’s pencils perfectly as he accentuates the details and creates clean, flowing lines that fir perfectly into the constantly moving world of The Flash. Every time the Flash runs Dalhouse’s colors light up, and electrify, the page (literally with all of the lightning). His colors brighten every panel and add a lot of visual appeal to every image, especially the action scenes that call for a lot of varying colors and tones.

Barry and Wally grow closer together in the present, but it is still unclear what will happen in the many years separating the two Flash’s that would cause friction between the two. While the mysteries remain, this issue was a great stepping stone in the story of the future Flash, and proof that this story, much like the Flash, is quickly moving forward in new and entertaining directions.