The Flash has found the Strength Force in one entertaining story.
The aftermath of The Flash War has sent ripples across the DC Universe. During their final confrontation with Hunter Zolomon, The Flash Family inadvertently opened a barrier, releasing new forces of power. When the dust settled, Barry began searching for any information on the Strength and Sage forces. After the search turns up nothing, he heads back to Central City as a court case is being built around corrupt prison warden Wolfe. The Trickster agrees to testify against him; assassins try to take the Rogue out, only to be stopped by The Flash and his time-displaced partner, Commander Cold. During the battle, Trickster runs for it, only to be taken and empowered by the Strength Force. With a hulking monster Rogue now on the loose, how will The Flash contain him?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
While the story mostly focuses on the hunt for the Trickster, we also get some background on Commander Cold. In the future, he was a cop who took the life of a murderous psychopath. He soon took up the name of Cold and uses his new status to put down evil. This attitude is seen prominently in the present as he and The Flash try and defeat the Trickster. When Barry destabilizes the Strength Force within the Rogue, Cold is ready to kill him, despite the pleas for help. The Flash stops Cold and gets him to agree to take the Trickster to a lab to better understand this power. It’s clear, however, only one place can hold the Rogue: Warden Wolfe’s Iron Heights Penitentiary.
There is a ton to love about this issue. The present story is very interesting, especially with the exploration of the new force. The explanation behind where it comes from kept me invested and makes me ask more questions about it. It’s also nice to see the writer flesh out this world post Flash War. Not just with the new Forces, but with Cold’s backstory. We didn’t need to learn the history of the Renegade from the future, but we did, and it makes the world feel more alive. There are even some fantastic action sequences with Flash and Cold taking on the hulking Trickster. All of these factors come together to form an entertaining, epic comic story.
Art:
When it comes to the art, Christian Duce does a fantastic job as Illustrator. His style changes tones to fit each scene masterfully, considering the stories presented. I love the designs of the Strength Force and the Trickster’s empowered state. It’s something you would expect from just the name of the powers, and it’s terrifying at times. The colorwork of Luis Guerrero also does an excellent job of fitting the tone of each scene, especially during the dark origin of Cold. While the art is great, however, there are a few hiccups scattered throughout. Hiccups such as strange faces, disappearing and reappearing pupils, and so on. While the small details were missed, the art is still fantastic.
Conclusion:
The pursuit for the Strength Force has reached epic new heights. The world of The Flash has never felt more alive and badass as the new force finally gets revealed. The art has its bumps but manages to capture the tones that encompass this story extremely well. Overall, it’s a great time, and I can’t wait to see where this story goes.
