Absolute Flash #10

Last issue, Absolute Flash #9 slowly began to hammer the final nail into the coffin of my enthusiasm for this series. In a world where great comics are available everywhere you look, there’s practically nothing keeping me hanging on to Absolute Flash, outside of its existence in the Absolute Universe, an initiative that has been extremely successful when it comes to other DC heroes. If you read my last review of this series, you’ll know that I named this issue, Absolute Flash #10, as essential to keeping any hope for this comic alive. So, did it succeed?

Today, I’m talking all things Absolute Flash #10, and spoilers lie ahead! Consider yourself warned! Without further ado, let’s get into the review!

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Absolute Flash #10 Review

Image by DC Comics

Ultimately, I’m happy to report that Absolute Flash #10 is one of the better issues of this series, at least in a very long time. I’ve come to terms with leaving behind the charm of this comic’s initial issues, and though Absolute Flash #10 doesn’t recapture that charm, it brings a lot more to the table than practically any of this series’ recent outings. At its core, Absolute Flash #10 is essentially one big smackdown, featuring practically all of our major characters, and even some surprise returns, one of which genuinely made me laugh out loud. Unfortunately, my laughter was more so at what was happening, as opposed to with, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Let’s get the praise for Absolute Flash #10’s visuals out of the way early, as at this point, I don’t think I need to harp on about what a good job Nick Robles does with this series. The art is always a high point of Absolute Flash, regardless of what’s going on with the story of each issue. This time, however, I do need to comment on how stunning the cover art of this comic is. Absolute Flash #10’s cover is beautiful, by far my favourite cover in the series, and perhaps my favourite cover in the entire Absolute initiative. Robles also does an amazing job in the final pages of Absolute Flash #10, once Thawne gets actively involved in the story. This version of Thawne is truly hellish, feeling almost zombie-like in both his appearance and dialogue, and Robles captures that demonic vibe perfectly. His art is always amazing, but this issue feels like a step-up from a quality that was already great.

Now unfortunately, plot-wise, I don’t have a lot to say. Once again, I struggle to decide if the writing in Absolute Flash #10 is a fault perpetuated by Jeff Lemire himself, or if DC Comics have put some baffling restriction on this series in regard to its length. I find it strange to think that Lemire is behind this, because he has written some very solid comics in the past – The Nobody, Gideon Falls, and even All-New Hawkeye, a comic that made me like Hawkeye of all characters. He’s had some blunders, but his writing has never felt underwhelming on the level that Absolute Flash does. I side-eye DC in this whole thing, because every issue feels incredibly short, and constantly seem to cut off right when things are getting good, leading to a month-long wait and a complete killing of any pacing.

Image by DC Comics

Ironically, and please forgive this pun, Absolute Flash always feels over in a flash, and Absolute Flash #10 is no exception to this rule. When you sit back and look at this issue, from start to finish, what can you say actually happened? The last few pages are intense, filled with dread and terror, but then the issue abruptly concludes, and before those last few pages, the entire story of Absolute Flash #10 consists of Wally making his way to the compound. It never feels like Absolute Flash #10 gets a chance to break into a sprint, and this has become a common issue across the entire series. It feels odd to have this keep happening to one of DC’s most beloved heroes, especially when it feels like Scott Snyder writes a small novel with Absolute Batman every month.

There’s really not many stand-out moments in this issue. I continue to not care in the slightest about The Rogues, so though I’m sure someone out there will hoot and holler at the triumphs of one Captain Cold in Absolute Flash #10, my eyes are on Wally, Grodd, and the gradually-nearing arrival of Thawne. That is to say, I think that Absolute Flash #10 is actually a good issue in what it does to build-up the eleventh issue, which I think could be a really spectacular comic if done right. However, this series has let me down before, so I’m not counting on them cashing-in on Absolute Flash #11’s potential. Only time will tell if Absolute Flash #10 will be a solid prelude to greatness in hindsight.

I had mentioned that Absolute Flash #10 made me laugh out loud at one point in its story, so let’s talk about that. Absolute Flash #10 had two moments that felt like Avengers portal-style scenes, scenes where old characters returned to throw their hat in the ring that was the grand battle that took place in this issue. The first was Mick Rory, who after some tactical googling, I discovered was Heat Wave. That was fine. What really got me was the second cameo – the return of the lightning-man from Absolute Flash #7. I couldn’t contain my glee at seeing such a ridiculously mysterious and unimpactful character return. Maybe this was a big moment for Flash fans, but I have no idea what to make of this whole shenanigan. Call me a ‘comic noob’ all you want, I have no earthly idea who this man is, and Absolute Flash seems set on never putting a name to his face, so he will continue to be ‘lightning-man’ to me. If he ends up playing a major role in the story of Absolute Flash, I will both welcome his development, and constantly chuckle whenever I see him. What an unintentionally hilarious character.

Image by DC Comics

Ultimately, with Absolute Flash #10, we’re on the precipice of Thawne’s big debut, and honestly, I can’t wait until he arrives. Not because I’m particularly overjoyed to see Thawne enter the battlefield, but mostly because Absolute Flash is crying out for a real antagonist at this point. Elenore has been fine for these past few issues, but it’s becoming clear that her potential doesn’t extend beyond the walls of her lab. The Rogues also aren’t really villains anymore, so at this point, I think we need a true villainous presence for Wally to fight against. Let’s hope he doesn’t let us down.

So, overall, Absolute Flash #10 is an issue bursting with potential for the future, but ultimately held back by time constraints and consistently underwhelming writing, writing that seems to think we’ll applaud the return of an unnamed character from three months ago. I wish I could say more about Absolute Flash #10, but there’s just not enough substance here for a real, lengthy discussion. Here’s hoping Absolute Flash #11 is great though! I have had my hopes squandered by this series quite a few times, but hopefully, this is the time I get proven wrong.

So, that’s my review of Absolute Flash #10! What did you think of Absolute Flash #10? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and thanks for reading!

See also: Absolute Green Lantern #9 Review

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