Fuerza and The Flash team up to defeat a Sage Force threat!
The Flash has followed the trail of a Force user to the nation of Corto Maltese. There he finds the avatar of the Strength Force, Fuerza, fighting the corrupt police force, led by a man named Cauldron. After the Force users flee, Barry learns the story of Fuerza and how she wants to free her people of corruption. The pair learns from each other, but are soon found by Cauldron. Before they have a chance to fight, he reveals a new weapon, powered by the Sage Force that creates monsters. Can the avatars of Strength and Speed defeat the corrupt captain?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
The Flash and Fuerza have a tough time with Cauldron’s weapon as Sage Force goblins attack. The problem is that, despite punching them, they continuously regenerate. Barry soon formulates an idea to take them all out at once. By using Fuerza’s power over gravity, the pair is able to bundle them up for one powerful blast. The Force users are able to take out the threat after Fuerza breaks the Sage Force weapon as well as Cauldron’s arm. Before she can go one step farther and kill the corrupt captain, Flash intervenes and tells her it’s wrong to stoop that low. This causes her to turn on the Flash, which leads to a throwdown.
This issue was a great, albeit predictable conclusion to this part of the Force Quest. We had fantastic action and character moments across the board. Fuerza continues to intrigue me, and I hope to see more of her as the series goes on. However, she is also the source of the predictability in the issue. We’ve seen this story before in several comics. The corrupt official tries to kill heroes and the younger less experienced one feels killing them is the right call. The more experienced hero disagrees with them, which leads to a fight between the heroes. Batman and the Red Hood is a prime example of that story, and this one followed the same beats. The only difference is that Fuerza’s mother is able to talk her down. Despite this familiar story trope, it’s still fun enough to enjoy this issue.
Art:
The art of the issue gives us an imaginative feast for the eyes. The designs of the characters are fantastic thanks to Christian Duce’s art. The battle between the Flash and Fuerza against Cauldron’s goblins is particularly well-done. This is mostly in part to the masterful level of details that went into all the Force powers used, both in the avatars and the gun. The only complaint I have comes in the middle of the fight between Flash and Fuerza. When Barry stops her, Fuerza grows in size like Trickster in the original Strength Force arc. While it worked for him, there’s something off about Fuerza’s transformation. It’s as if Duce decided to go only detail a handful of the parts of the character. Despite that small hiccup, the comic still looks excellent.
Conclusion:
Overall, this is a fun ending to the Strength Force part of the Force Quest. We have action, character moments, and build up towards the next arc. This story might have a few familiar beats but has plenty to enjoy. If you are looking for an action-packed comic with your favorite Scarlet Speedster, this issue might be for you!
