DC Just Failed An Iconic Villain (But There’s Still Hope)

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The Absolute Universe offers a fresh, dark reimagining of the DC Universe. Unlike typical stories of heroes and hope, this world is dominated by its most dangerous villains, where evil prevails and heroic acts are rare moments of defiance. The characters – both heroes and villains – have been completely reinvented, and the result has been incredibly popular. The Absolute Trinity consistently ranks among the top-selling comics, proving that these new takes on familiar faces have revitalized the franchise and left fans eager for more.

While most of the Absolute series have been groundbreaking, Absolute Flash is generally considered the weakest. This is largely due to its inconsistent and rushed storytelling. Despite this, it’s still a source of innovative concepts and fresh perspectives on familiar characters, which keeps it engaging. The initial twelve issues focused on building towards a confrontation with Reverse-Flash, who was cleverly reimagined as a creature fueled by the Still Point’s energy. The execution wasn’t perfect, but there’s still potential for improvement.

Great Plot, Terrible Pacing

The first year of Absolute Flash concludes with a showdown between Wally and his enemies, the Rogues, against the Reverse-Flash. Initially, Wally struggles against Thawne, who is determined to eliminate him, believing only one speedster should exist. Despite Wally’s best efforts, Thawne, empowered by Darkseid, overwhelms him with superior strength. Luckily, the Rogues intervene, utilizing Barry’s technology to create a portal back to the Still Point. Wally’s father bravely sacrifices himself, tackling Thawne into the portal, and destroying the technology in the process, ensuring the portal can’t be reopened and trapping the Reverse-Flash.

Devastated by his father’s disappearance and feeling abandoned even by the Rogues, who presumed him dead, Wally sought refuge at Ralph Dibney’s shelter for homeless children, determined to find a way to rescue his dad. At the same time, the Rogues prepared to hunt down Elenore Thawne, who had managed to escape during the chaos. Although Project Olympus was officially closed, they anticipated she would rebuild it elsewhere, and with the project finished, they were now operating independently.

Unbeknownst to everyone, Grodd had discovered his father, a fellow psychic primate. They arrived in town, but instead of relief, Grodd’s father declared all humans were evil and deserved punishment. While the central plot of this issue felt hurried and didn’t quite deliver on its emotional promise, the ending and subsequent scenes powerfully set the stage for what’s to come. Although Reverse-Flash’s debut wasn’t his strongest showing, the future storylines look very promising.

Infinite Potential From an Unsteady Start

The first twelve issues of Absolute Flash aimed to show Wally West’s origin story, charting his development from an insecure youth into the hero he was meant to be. However, the writers tried to fit too much into those issues, which unfortunately hurt the flow of the plot. While Wally’s journey felt a bit uneven at times, the core story ideas were strong. Now that the initial setup is complete, the future storylines look incredibly promising. Everything has changed, and Wally is now completely independent. Returning to Dibney’s Mission with greater control over his abilities, it’s clear that Linda Park-West will play a significant role moving forward.

With the Rogues operating independently, they have the freedom to show up anywhere, and they might even start acting like villains with a code, mirroring their original versions. Meanwhile, the story with Grodd is heading towards a huge conflict between The Flash and an army of psychic monkeys – it promises to be epic, and could even bring Beast Boy into the mix. We can also expect to see Reverse-Flash reappear eventually. While the first year of Absolute Flash didn’t quite live up to expectations, the upcoming year looks much more promising and focused. Now that the initial setup is complete, the story’s pacing should improve significantly.

Absolute Flash #12 is on sale now!

What are your thoughts on the future of Absolute Flash? Share your opinion in the comments below and discuss it with other fans in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-03-07 20:14