The Flash #800

By / / Comics

The Flash #800 offers an oversized issue with several stories all centered on Wally West (and not the Flash getting his own movie this weekend). The choice seems a bit weird, but there’s some good stuff here. And, thankfully, none of the stories feature the awkwardly redesigned costume with yellow pipping which came out of the New 52 and has making my eyes bleed for over a decade.

“Don’t Come to Central City” is a terrific little tale of D-list villains talking about the best cities to operate in and attempting to convince a relative newcomer why no one should ever operate in Central City by offering up examples of the Flash and his family over the years beating even the strongest and most fearsome villains in the DCU.

“The Max in the Mirror” offers an Impulse story with Wally and Max Mercury stuck in the Mirror Dimension by Mirror Master growing increasingly exasperated with the impulsive young hero’s attempts to rescue them before they fade out of existence.

While “Flash Family” does give us Barry, it’s a story narrated by Wally discussing his mentor and his wife and the way they changed his life. It’s an emotional look back at Barry through the eyes of his protégé, and Wally does learn Barry still has the ability to surprise him.

The comic falls off a bit with the final two tales which is a bit problematic as these are the ones that appear to be leading into future storylines for the characters. “Blitz Back” seems a bit out of place, likely setting up a future story, with a tale of the return of Hunter Zolomon to Central City. And “Between Love and You” is a clever idea about a dinner interrupted by the Mirror Master (and various other threats) which has the unfortunate problem of not being as good as the other Mirror Master story in the same issue (you couldn’t have chose different Rogues?).

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