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The Flash #20 Review

Comic Books

The Flash #20 Review

Given the cover, it looks like Barry Allen is going to get his ass beat by his girlfriend. Say what?! Flash’s life has been crazier, but not by much, we review.

Flash #20 (DC Comics)

The Flash #20 Review

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So what’s it about? The official summary reads:

The dangerous scientists of Black Hole have been stealing the bodies of dead speedsters, prompting Iris West and The Flash to go deep undercover among them! And in doing so, they discover a shocking secret: a traitor within The Flash’s inner circle!

Why does this book matter?

This is Iris West’s story more than Flash’s, which is a good opportunity to flesh out Flash’s supporting cast. Given how this story is written however, you’d think Iris was the lead, which isn’t a bad thing and a testament to how well Joshua Williamson writes her.

Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?

The Flash #20 Review
Wipes!

Boy, do I love Neil Googe’s art on this issue. His style is somewhat cartoony, yet not. I can’t pinpoint it, but he’s quite good at capturing costumes and tech and draws very animated faces. When Flash pops up, he has a slightly thinner build and a larger head, which again, gives it a cartoonish look. By no means is it Saturday morning cartoons though as the muscles and environments are all very detailed. Much of this book doesn’t use costumes at all and instead focuses on Iris doing her job as a reporter. These scenes are anything but boring in part due to the very strong facial expressions. Call me crazy, but street clothed characters remind me of Mark Bagley’s work.

The story is strong too largely because of Williamson’s captions which are made to look like sheets of paper torn from a notebook. We’re hearing Iris’ thoughts, but also hearing her notes on a case. The case involves Godspeed killing kids who had Speed Force powers and Iris attempting to figure out why. The sick part is, someone is digging up the the bodies of these kids. Her detective work is strong and she naturally gets lead down a path that’s fun to read. Her character is quite well written too and Williamson does a good job sprinkling details throughout the issue. Iris is fully formed and an incredibly likeable character you’ll want to see more of.

There’s also a cliffhanger you won’t see coming, as well as a hunch Irish discovers in regards to Flash that’s quite compelling. You might just look at Flash in a whole new way.

The Flash #20 Review
Man,
is he chipper or what?

It can’t be perfect can it?

Is it bad Flash isn’t in this much? Aside from a brief convo with Iris, Flash shows up in costume for four pages. His appearance is more a way to show how competent Iris is (she saves his butt!) and serves its purpose.

Is It Good?

An excellent issue due to the strong character writing of Flash’s girlfriend, as well as some top notch detective work. Flash’s world is fleshed out in all the right ways due to strong character writing all around.

The Flash #20 Review
The Flash #20
Is It Good?
A strong issue as Iris takes over and steals the show. It's also very pretty with great art.
Iris is well written and compelling
Strong detective work in a well paced issue
Great art, especially costumes and tech
Hard to shake the fact Flash isn't in it all that much
9.5
Great
Buy Now

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