Comic Review: The Flash #755

The Flash #755

DC Comics

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artists: Rafa Sandoval, Jordi Tarragona, Arif Prianto

I’ve dipped in and out of Williamson’s Flash run a few times now, unsure of my feelings on it. Recently, I picked it back in the midst of the Flash Age arc and have been thoroughly impressed. It’s the perfect mixture of Silver Age zaniness and Modern Age storytelling in combination with many elements that specifically make The Flash so compelling. It has time travel and high stakes that are all held together with human connection and relatability. The Flash #755 manages to achieve this same level of quality but takes things to new heights by way of a genuinely shocking conclusion.

While the plot revolves around the villain, Paradox, he’s honestly the least important part of this story. He’s big, bad, and powerful enough to warrant flashy action sequences. However, Paradox is merely a catalyst for the interplay between Barry, August, and Thawne. The circumstances that lead the three of these opposing forces to work together is interesting enough on its own, but the ways in which they work together despite these differences is the meat of the story.

Williamson manages to take Thawne and nearly convince the reader that he’s able to turn over a new leaf. This plays into Barry’s idealism, or naïveté depending on your outlook, and presents a scenario in which his hopefulness feels justifiable. He doesn’t want to rely on Thawne, but given the immediate threat of Paradox, he has no choice. It ends up making the underwhelming villain feel more compelling due to how it feeds into this Barry/Thawne story.

As much as I found myself enjoying the story and characters in their own right, I was still hesitant about the seemingly cliche and safe conclusion it was racing towards. It seemed as if everything would be tied with a bow, with the status quo painfully intact. However, the ending of this story comes as an actual surprise. It’s a strong twist that I don’t want to spoil, but it’s a choice that can’t be easy for Williamson.

When a writer introduces their own elements or characters into a preexisting property, it’s natural to try to prop those things up and make them seem important to a degree that the readership doesn’t feel is earned. Williamson makes the tough choice of sacrificing one of those elements for the sake of the larger tapestry. I wasn’t previously fond of said element, but I’ve come to respect it after seeing it in this new light. The ending left me with an intense longing for the next chapter, which doesn’t often happen in ongoing superhero comics.

Rafa Sandoval handles the art duties for this arc and he’s consistently rock-solid. His style resembles a few different artists I tend to enjoy, but it’s not at all derivative. It’s fairly safe and teeters along the House Style line, but there’s enough flair that it doesn’t feel boring. His action and facial acting are cohesive, and there’s never an out of place panel to compromises the pace. He’s an artist who’s able to handle any task thrown his way, with no idea being too large or complex. He, along with inker Jordi Tarragona and colorist Arif Prianto, manage to cohesively convey what the story demands and create a completely immersive experience.

The Flash #755 is a fantastic conclusion. It’s character work blends with the story so well that it masks it’s less interesting aspects. Sandoval’s art is strong, and it meshes incredibly well with Williamson’s bold script, delivering what is one of the strongest issues of this run.