DC’s Absolute Universe of titles is easily the hottest line in comics, with Absolute Batman writer Scott Snyder revealing that every issue so far has sold in the six figure range on Bluesky. After the whirlwind successes of Absolute Batman, Absolute Superman, and Absolute Wonder Woman, the next phase of the Absolute Universe is kicking off with Absolute Flash, by the team of Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles. Fans have been excited for Absolute Flash since details about the comic dropped, and Absolute Flash #1 has a lot riding on it. Luckily, this first issue of the series is an intriguing and exciting beginning, one that will hook readers from the word go.
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The issue begins set in the present, with teenager Wally West coming to a stop in the desert, wondering what he’s done, the events of the last few days and the mysterious energy emanating from his body filling him with fear and despair. The story then shifts to two days ago, and sets up the status quo of the young West. Wally lives on a military base with his father, who is working on a mysterious project. He returns to the base after curfew, the loneliness of his life wearing on him, and is met at the gate by Dr. Barry Allen. Allen wants to show him something and takes him to the lab he’s working in with West’s father, asking him if he wants to help part time with Project: Olympus. Before he can answer, Wally’s father shows up, yelling at Wally for being out after curfew and Barry for allowing Wally in the lab.
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The story shifts back to the present, where Wally realizes he’s being hunted, introducing readers to the Absolute Universe versions of Flash’s Rogues — Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang, Golden Glider, and a mysterious girl named Jesse. They’ve been sent to bring him, causing him to run into a cave, triggering the energies from before, and leading to the next flashback, one that sees Wally and his father argue over the events of the day before. Wally leaves him and returns to the lab, the test monkeys screaming, where he discovers Barry in some kind of machine. Barry tells him to leave, but then an explosion rocks the lab, sending Wally back to the present day, where the Rogues are in hot pursuit of him. A final flashback takes readers back to the lab and the body of Barry Allen, killed in the explosion. The issue ends with a flash forward, as in one year, Absolute Mirror Master begins downloading the files from the Project: Olympus lab, which shows pictures of Wally as the new Flash and working with test animals.
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Absolute Flash #1 grabs readers by the neck from the start and never lets go. Lemire does an amazing job of capturing the panic of Wally in the opening panels of the book, which leads to the gorgeous opening double page splash of Wally surrounded by energy taking the form of his memories. The book’s first three pages are magnetic, and set the pace for the story going on. Lemire does a great job of foreshadowing in these opening pages, giving readers hints to who Wally is in the Absolute Universe, and then paying off them later as the issue goes on. Lemire also establishes a vibe right from the first page, an unsettling horror vibe that runs through the issue. The mysterious energies — which have been confirmed to not be the Speed Force in interviews, the test monkeys in the lab, and Wally’s unhappy life all blend together to tell the reader that something is deeply wrong here, and hooks readers into wanting to find out what it could be.
There’s a pretty smart subversion of the classic Flash tropes in the issue, as well. Readers are immediately given the idea that there will be some kind of mentor relationship with Barry Allen; Wally and Barry get along well and Barry wants Wally to work with him. Lemire easily could have done a buddy book, with young Wally gaining powers and working with Barry, but that’s taken off the table. The Absolute Universe robs all of its characters of something and Wally, in order to get his powers, loses Barry, the one rock that the book set up for Wally’s life. This is a huge change and it pays off the panic that Wally was feeling at the beginning of the issue. The new versions of the Rogues are all intriguing, seemingly working for the military, but also ready to go off-script in order to get Wally back. On top of that, there’s the question of exactly what Wally’s powers are. Wally doesn’t know and neither do readers, with every flashback coming from the explosions of red energy, and the book keeps the whole thing opaque. Are his powers temporal? Can he actually run fast? This is primo superhero horror territory, all rendered beautifully by Robles’ pencils. Robles’ character acting is on point, really bringing each caption to life, and working into the vibe that Lemire has infused this issue with. There’s a detail and fluidity to Robles’ art that any Flash comic needs, and the fact that the first issue looks this good bodes well for the future of this book.
Absolute Flash #1 is an absolute blast from start to finish. Lemire has always done a great job with teenage characters — one needs look no further than his Royal City to see this — and he gives readers a very different and realistic depiction of teen Wally. There’s so much happening under the surface in this book, with Lemire laying out the breadcrumbs on a journey of discovery. Not a single page or panel is wasted; this is a book that packs a lot onto every page, but it never feels like it’s overstuffed. The issue is supremely well-paced, its break neck speed zipping readers through the timeline like they were moving at superspeed. The art is fantastic; shoutout to colorist Adriano Lucas, whose use of yellows and reds throughout the issue is outstanding. This doesn’t feel like any Flash book that came before it, and it’s full of the little hooks that have allowed the Absolute books to snare readers. Absolute Flash #1 is a flawless first issue, giving readers a treat for the eyes that will definitely keep them coming back for more.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Published by DC Comics
On March 19, 2025
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Nick Robles
Colors by Adriano Lucas
Letters by Tom Napolitano
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Image Credit: Paramount Network Television
