Absolute Flash #11

There’s a lot riding on Absolute Flash #11 when it comes to my enthusiasm for the series. Of all of the Absolute comics, it feels like Absolute Flash is the most consistently uneventful, but with this issue, it seems like we’re finally on the edge of introducing a compelling major villain. Eobard Thawne is finally here, but though his introduction alone was enough to get me excited for Absolute Flash #11, things didn’t exactly play out as I had hoped…

Today, I’m talking all things Absolute Flash #11, and spoilers lie ahead! Consider yourself warned! Without further ado, let’s get into the review!

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Absolute Flash #11 Review

Image by DC Comics

As always, the artwork in Absolute Flash #11 is absolutely phenomenal, and this issue’s storyline actually allows for Nick Robles to go all-in and deliver some incredible visuals. Most of Absolute Flash #11 takes place in Still Point, the mysterious alternate dimension from which Wally gets his powers. So much of the series has revolved around Still Point up until this point – Wally’s powers, Thawne’s resurrection, Barry’s death – it all involves Still Point. In that sense, it was great to learn more about it, especially in such a visually stunning capacity.

With that in mind, I can see Still Point coming back into play later in this story, because if our exploration of this dimension is confined to Absolute Flash #11, I would be feeling a little let down. Considering Barry Allen and lots of other aspiring scientists are trapped here, I would love to see this dimension connect to Earth at some point. I can’t see them leaving Barry trapped here forever, but to be fair, when it comes to Absolute Flash, stranger things have happened.

One of those strange decisions comes this issue in the form of Thawne, who we learn was trapped for a torturously long time in Still Point. As such, his resurrection in Fort Fox is the revival of a man completely changed by his years in an alternate dimension. As Barry explained this, I got more and more excited for Thawne’s arrival. The idea of a scientist driven mad by his years in an alternate dimension felt like the perfect set-up for Absolute Flash‘s overarching villain. Unfortunately, that’s not at all what we got with Thawne’s debut, and instead, Absolute Flash #11 takes this storyline in a very strange direction.

Image by DC Comics

Instead of being portrayed as a mad scientist, driven to insanity by Still Point, Thawne is portrayed in Absolute Flash #11 as some sort of hellish demon, his arrival in Fort Fox characterised by the lab’s destruction as he screams words like ‘home’ and ‘one’. In fact, Thawne’s depiction is so over-the-top horrifying, that Elenore immediately wants to send him back to Still Point, recognising that she made a mistake. I really don’t know how to feel about this decision. It feels like Thawne’s potential as a villain has been wasted a little, at least for as long as he remains in this demon form. I was hoping that Thawne would be the villain that Absolute Flash has been desperately needing, but it seems I’ll be left wanting for a little while longer at least.

While Wally explores Still Point, The Rogues are left to carry the action in Fort Fox, and though I usually couldn’t care less about these characters, Absolute Flash #11 does a pretty good job of making them feel entertaining. Usually, Wally’s absence from any Absolute Flash issue is a cause for concern, given how weak the supporting cast of this comic is. However, I must tip my hat to The Rogues this time, as they did manage to keep the pace going while Wally was on his own journey.

While I enjoyed certain parts of Absolute Flash #11, I definitely had a couple of issues with this issue. Firstly, the Still Point exposition felt a little shallow, despite how much of it we got. I understand the nature of Still Point itself, but I feel like the issue didn’t do a great job of explaining why exactly Barry exists as a soul in Still Point, while Thawne retained his humanity for his years there. The answer provided seems to just be, ‘because he did’, and I would have liked a little more explanation than this. I’m not opposed to the idea of Still Point, and I actually really like its inclusion in Absolute Flash #11, but there’s no point in including it if its lore is going to be half-baked.

Image by DC Comics

Secondly, Absolute Flash #11 ends on the note of Wally promising to send Thawne back to Still Point, because he’s seen what he is. I don’t really understand this closing point. Firstly, I’m not sure what Wally means by this – when he says he’s seen what Thawne is, does he mean his demon form in Fort Fox? If so, everyone has seen it. What did Wally see in Still Point that caused him to say this, as though he’s seen more to Thawne than anyone else? Secondly, I really, really hope Thawne doesn’t go back to Still Point and get written out of Absolute Flash this quickly. We desperately need a solid antagonist in this series, and now it looks like our potential candidate is about to leave the story before he’s even properly entered it.

That’s an issue for next month though, as Absolute Flash #11 ends on this cliffhanger. I can’t say I loved this issue, mainly because I feel like this comic continues to suffer from strange writing decisions, and a lack of substance on an issue-to-issue basis. However, there’s potential in Still Point, as long as it isn’t used to write characters out of the story willy-nilly. In fact, as much potential as Still Point has to drastically improve the narrative of Absolute Flash, it feels like it has just as much potential to completely unravel it. Only time will tell which of these paths the comic walks down.

So, that’s my review of Absolute Flash #11! What did you think of Absolute Flash #11? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and thanks for reading!

See also: Absolute Green Lantern #9 Review

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