In Review: Absolute Flash #18 – Target Wally West

Synopsis: Central City is thrown into chaos as DEO Agent Hunter Zolomon comes to town. Can Wally protect his new home and friends, or will the young hero finally be captured?

The Story

Having managed to rescue Grodd in the last issue, Wally and Linda have returned to Central City. Linda thinks Wally should go public, announce himself as the Flash and become Central City’s hero, but Wally is not so keen. Ralph and Sue Dibny show up to offer their support, telling Wally that he is welcome to stay with them and should take some time to decide what he really wants.

Strangely, the issue barely acknowledges the death of Grodd’s father in the previous issue. Grodd appears incredibly cheerful considering what has just happened, making the transition between issues feel a little jarring.

Elsewhere, we meet the Absolute Universe’s version of Hunter Zolomon. He is an agent of the Department of Extranormal Operations, working under Director Bones—the Absolute version of Mister Bones. Zolomon possesses a specialised form of time travel that allows him to project himself one minute into either the future or the recent past.

Elenore Thawne has considerable authority over the DEO and orders Zolomon to bring in Wally. Hunter initially suggests that he would be better used pursuing Simon Baz, but Thawne insists that Wally is his target. Parts of Zolomon’s history remain deliberately redacted, leaving the source of his abilities a mystery.

The issue also reveals that Thawne has been working with Brainiac, carrying forward the revelation from issue #17 and directly connecting Absolute Flash with events in Absolute Superman. Brainiac appears almost like a sinister adviser hovering over Elenore’s shoulder.

Before Wally can decide what he wants, Ralph transforms into a nightmarish version of the Elongated Man, while his wife Sue suffers an even worse fate. The effect spreads throughout the population, producing an army of warped human creatures.

Wally races into the city to save as many people as he can but encounters Zolomon. Although Wally possesses raw speed, Hunter’s ability to jump backwards and forwards within a one-minute window allows him to anticipate Wally’s attacks and counter them. Wally is comprehensively defeated and left unconscious.

Once Zolomon has incapacitated Wally, Thawne changes the mission and orders Hunter to kill Wally West.

Elsewhere, Linda and Grodd encounter the elderly man responsible for Central City’s transformations. The final page strongly identifies this mysterious villain as the Absolute Universe’s version of Abra Kadabra. This new take portrays him as a deeply unsettling reality-warper whose powers appear to have been enhanced through the alliance between Thawne and Brainiac.

Artwork

Nick Robles produces some solid artwork throughout the book. The panel depicting Ralph Dibny’s horrifying transformation is one of the visual highlights, as is the image of Brainiac hovering over Thawne like a sinister overseer. I also loved the final page and its unsettling introduction of Abra Kadabra.

Overall

This is a strong starting point for a new adventure and probably as good a jumping-on point as newer readers are likely to get. However, as mentioned above, the transition from the previous story arc into this one feels somewhat jarring, particularly given Grodd’s cheerfulness despite having witnessed his father’s death in the previous issue.