The Flash #47 Review

Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Howard Porter
Colourist: Hi-Fi 
Letterer: Steve Wands 

The much-anticipated Flash War arc has finally begun after months of hype. I personally have been ambivalent since I didn’t really know what the story was about aside from the conflict between Wally West and Barry Allen. However, judging from this issue, the conflict looks to be a genuinely interesting one that feels like a true extension of Wally’s reintroduction to the DCU two years ago. 

A major factor in this issue’s tone of legacy is that Howard Porter drew this. It seems that he’s drawing the entire arc, and that excites me greatly. I love Porter’s art, and he’s the perfect fit for this kind of story. His action is really energetic and he’s able to inject a lot of emotion into his characters. There are some downsides, however. Some pages feel a bit rushed, including instances where Wally and Barry don’t look like they have the right body sizes. Minor quibbles in a beautiful issue. 

While this issue excited me for the rest of the story, it took a good long while to get started. The first few scenes between Wally, Iris, and Barry felt really awkward in their execution. It seems like Joshua Williamson is trying to capture their relationship as succinctly as possible in order to welcome any potential new readers, of which I’m certain there are many given the marketing. 

If the first and last pages of this story are any indication, we’re going to get the most interesting Flash story in years. This feels like another piece of the Rebirth puzzle, and the art is fantastic to boot. I’d recommend this to new readers with access to the last few issues, however. The exposition can be a bit much.