Written by Mark Waid
Art by Karl Kerschl; Ian Churchill; Norm Rapmund; Manuel Garcia; Joe Bennett; Ruy Jose; Daniel Acuña; Pat Brosseau; Stephane Peru; Tanya Horie; & Richard Horie
Cover Art by Bill Sienkiewicz
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for September 2007, this 40-page transitional one-shot bridges the end of Bart Allen’s The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive series to Wally West’s canceled solo series resuming with Issue # 231. Set immediately in the aftermath of the JLA/JSA “Lightning Saga” crossover, Wally and his family have returned from a year-long hiatus. Batman soon sends word of tragedy from Los Angeles, as the Rogues have murdered a suddenly-powerless Bart Allen.
Abandoning early retirement, a vengeful Wally chases down Bart’s demented clone, Inertia, who had gleefully precipitated his counterpart’s death. Wally is further haunted that resuming his own access to the Speed Force may have doomed Bart.
REVIEW:
Revitalizing Wally West as DC’s primary Flash makes perfect storytelling sense. Clearly, the last issues of his own series had accelerated cancellation because the writers couldn’t devise something meaningful for Wally to do. Mark Waid’s story accomplishes just that, as the poignant interaction that Wally has with Aunt Iris is well worth the price of admission. The same applies to the last two pages revealing a bright new direction for Wally’s Flash.
The only logical element missing is a cameo from Jay Garrick’s Flash. Nonetheless, Waid still accomplishes plenty. Despite the potential as an artistic distraction, five different visual styles (all high-caliber in their own way) further enhance Waid’s classy storytelling. Running on all cylinders, All-Flash # 1 offers a well-played tale for long-time fans.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
DC’s Director for Digital Workflow, Nick Napolitano, pens the single-page “DC Nation” column. It includes thumbnail covers for Amazons Attack # 4; Countdown # 41; and a variant cover by Josh Middleton for All-Flash # 1.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8½ Stars
