The Flash #781
- Writer
- Jeremy Adams
- Artist
- Fernando Pasarin, Matt Ryan
- Publisher
- DC Comics
- Price
- 4.99
- Release Date
- 2022-04-19
- Colorist
- Jeromy Cox, Peter Pantazis
After fighting in the war for Earth-3 in Jeremy Adams and Will Conrad's The Flash #780 -- Wally West is understandably exhausted. So it's no wonder that the series' new arc begins with Flash reaching out to his young friend Kid Flash for some help. Adams is joined by penciller Fernando Pasarin and inker Matt Ryan for The Flash #781, the beginning of a fun new adventure featuring not one, but two of DC's speedy heroes.
The Flash #781 begins when the Flash pulls his sidekick Wallace out of a math test at Teen Titans Academy so that the two speedsters can go on what Wally calls an urgently important mission to eat ice cream in Argentina. At first, Kid Flash is disappointed when he discovers that he's missing a math test just so that he and the Flash can catch up, but as the two of them talk -- Wally asks his young compatriot to take on a huge responsibility that could represent a big change in young Wallace's life.
Throughout his time writing The Flash, Jeremy Adams has done an excellent job capturing the scarlet speedster's voice. The Flash #781 gives readers a glimpse into just how worn out Wally is, but even at his most exhausted, the Flash is still a charming, playful character who seems determined to enjoy his life in spite of the chaos that surrounds him. Adams compares this approach to Wallace's more serious attitude. But instead of using their different worldviews to drive a wedge between the two characters -- Adams reminds the audience that both of them are just trying to find their way in the world as heroes and individuals. This issue gives Flash and Kid Flash a chance to catch up to remind readers of just how charming they both are.
Given the fact that the climax of The Flash #781 is a conversation between two characters, Pasarin and Ryan's ability to add a sense of excitement and motion to every moment is particularly impressive. Whether Wally and Wallace are sprinting across the globe or sitting and talking, Pasarin and Ryan use dynamic angles and thoughtful compositions to create fast-paced, fun pages. When Ryan and Pasarin do have the opportunity to illustrate some action, the two artists work together to create captivating scenes that communicate the immediacy and brutality of the violence perfectly.
The Flash #781 ends with the reintroduction of a villain who is sure to give Wally and Wallace both a run for their money and sets the stage for a new arc that might give Kid Flash a chance to step into the spotlight. Adams, Pasarin and Ryan do an excellent job working together to tell an entertaining story that functions as a palette cleanser after the war for Earth-3, while still pushing the plot forward. Flash fans will find a lot to love and even more to look forward to in this new issue.
