The latest issue of The Flash serves as a launching off point for the upcoming story arcs that we should expect to see moving forward. Dealing mainly with the aftermath of the war with Gorilla Grodd and reintroducing the original Wally West back fully into Barry and Iris’s lives, issue 45 sets out to intrigue readers as to where the popular title will go next.
Tasked with rebuilding the city and dealing with the consequences of his actions, The Flash teams with Kid Flash and China’s Flash in order to set things back to the status quo. Rebuilding the city itself is no big deal for the speedsters, however, three of Barry’s choices are tackled head on here. The first of which is how he reacts to Meena after her stint as Negative Flash. Embracing the positive side of the character, the writers here choose to keep Meena in the mix, allowing her to remain a part of the Flash world for the time being, with the signs of a reintroduction to The Flash family that she was once a focal point of.
The second of Allen’s decisions that we explore in The Flash #45 is that of the choice to release Godspeed from Iron Heights. With the aim to find his brother’s killer, a mysterious new player has appeared to aid the very lost August. Believing that he can still do some good, Barry is intent on allowing Godspeed to fulfil his mission in his own way, with the faith that he won’t uncover more in his wake.
The final decision that Barry is met with is one of expanding the Flash family to reintroduce an old friend. The original Wally West is finally revealed to Iris West after the status quo had been dramatically shifted. With Barry’s and Iris’s relationship continue to rapidly evolve, it’ll be interesting to see how bringing Wally into play will affect the duo and the team as a whole.
Overall, The Flash #45 answered very few questions but managed to create a whole set of new ones. The most intriguing points to focus on moving forward for this reader is how Meena and Wally will re-emerge into Barry’s life and, most importantly, what sub-plot is in store for Godspeed. With no immediate threat incoming, readers will have to stay tuned as to what’s next for Team Flash.
The narrative was sufficient in achieving its role of setting up a brand new set of plotlines for the title. The art was on point as always, with the frenetic pace of the speedsters being wonderfully portrayed. At the heart of this, however, was a story that slowed down for a bit, a feat rare for such a speedy title. Allowing the audience to breathe for a bit and take in what comes next is very important for the continued longevity of such an influential series.
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