And Then I Read: THE FLASH #11

Image © DC Comics.

Wally West, Kid Flash, has been sucked into a dark realm where he’s being constantly attacked by menacing shadow creatures. He can’t find a way out. Meanwhile, Barry Allen visits Wally’s Aunt Iris to have a talk with Wally. They both discover he’s missing, and Iris contacts The Flash about it (not knowing Barry’s other identity). An oddly grotesque figure in Victorian garb appears, who Barry recognizes as The Shade–sort of. The Shade tells Barry and Iris that Wally is trapped in the The Shadowlands, a dimension that is the source of his power, and Iris and Flash rush into it to help Wally. Once there, Wally and Barry meet the more normal version of The Shade, who tells them his story of reform, a new life with Hope O’Dare, and the destruction of that life by forces from The Shadowland. Meanwhile, there’s no sign of Iris, but plenty of shadow creatures to fight.

This story interests me because I lettered a 2012 mini-series about The Shade that this story draws on, and I always found him a great character in STARMAN, too. So far his use here isn’t as interesting, but the book does have its moments, kind of heading into dark steampunk territory of sorts. It’s a nice break from the constant Speed Force thread of recent books. I like the art on this issue by Davide Gianfelice, though his name is not on the cover. He does a nice job similar to  the stylized approach of previous artist Carmine Di Giandomenico.

Recommended.