The Flash #753
DC Comics
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Howard Porter and Brandon Peterson
Colors by HI-FI
Letters by Steve Wands
To discover the means to defeat Paradox, Barry Allen will have to revisit the defining moment of his life.
There is only one person who has ever defeated Paradox in battle and that person is the man who dedicated his life to making Barry Allen suffer. In order for Flash to locate Eobard Thawne, he will have to run faster than he ever has to break the time barrier and his first trip will have unexpected consequences.
At the same time, Iris tells the other speedsters to stay away from the city as Paradox puts his plan into action using Godspeed to move them back in time. If Barry has any chance of stopping Paradox, he will have to make a Devil’s bargain with his greatest enemy.
We’ve had a lot of stories that bring Barry Allen back to the moment his life changed and those stories can tend to feel a little cliché at this point. Williamson does a great job of not focusing on the event itself and, while not injecting anything new into the moment itself, he keeps both the character and the audience outside of it which works. The story has a lot of action and momentum to it which makes it interesting and I found myself engaged enough to want to see where the story goes next. At the same time, I want to see the character move beyond time travel stories and deliver some fresh tales that engage the reader.
Porter and Peterson do some amazing work with the art throughout the issue and there is a palpable sense of energy throughout the pages. Both artists really know how to bring the visuals a sense of movement and power.