Broken Frontier

Wally West returns to action as the Flash and his first order of business is to avenge the death of his successor Bart Allen.

Well, so much hoopla surrounding the Flash over the last year can now be laid to rest as this special issues wraps up previous continuity with the Bart Allen era coming to a close. Of course I get the feeling this one-shot issue somewhat misses the mark and it feels like the story was rushed into production to simply erase a dismal decision to replace Wally West during Infinite Crisis.

Perhaps it’s just my opinion, but as I was reading through this issue I wanted all of Bart’s killers brought to justice, only none of that actually happened. Instead this story sidesteps most of the issues plaguing Wally’s mysterious disappearance and haphazardly attempts to shore up the loose ends by revealing in two pages how the Rogues were all captured. So I am wondering what was the point of all this, as it seems that Bart’s tenure as a character in the DCU is quickly swept aside for Wally’s triumphant return.

My biggest complaint though certainly lies within the structure of how this story was told. Writer Mark Waid handled the tale as best he could, but if Bart’s death is to have any real meaning in the DCU then this should have been a doubled sized issue to expand upon the aftermath. Instead Mark’s script just barely scratches the surface and aims to keep readers from really understanding Wally’s decisions to retire as the Flash.

The art for this issue is actually handled by a cadre of talented artists who each illustrated a series of pages to maximum effect. My favorite of the bunch is Karl Kershcl’s opening three pages and then again on pages ten through thirteen. His highly animated style allowed for a more streamlined look which suited the most heated moments in this story. Artists like Ian Churchill and Joe Bennett added flair of realism in pages that showed Wally’s triumphant return and his poignant talk with Iris West. To round out the issue, artist Daniel Acuña completed the special with a colorful display of pages that advertise his skills since he’s been tapped to take over art chores on Wally’s flagship title returning next month.

Now as I said at the beginning of this review, I am all in favor of Wally West’s return to active duty, but it could have been handled more seamlessly. I wanted more of explanation as to where Wally went after Infinite Crisis and I felt like the tale short changed the importance of what Bart brought to the idea of heroism. Perhaps editorial muddling is at fault here for the misdirection the Flash has taken over the last year, but hopefully we will get some answers next month when Wally returns in the pages of his own title.