The Flash #796 Review: The One-Minute War Ends in a Snap

Jeremy Adams as the writer of DC Comics' Flash has had a solid run following Wally West and his duties as the DCU's Scarlet Speedster and the patriarch of a suburban household. Of course, things changed when an alien race of speedsters descended on the world and the Flash Family was put front and center. Now, the "One-Minute War" has come to an end, but does the last issue of the massive storyline end with a blaze of glory, or is Wally West able to reach the finish line?

To give you a brief rundown of the "One-Minute War," the storyline sees an alien race known as The Fraction wage war on planet Earth. The twist with these aliens is they employ technology that allows them to move at lightspeed, meaning that a good number of the DCU's heroes are frozen in time. While there are some exceptions, such as the Man of Steel who can move in the briefest of moments, it comes down to those connected to the Speed Force to save the world from this unique threat. 

One of the biggest strengths in this arc is how Adams is able to effectively use all the members of the Flash Family in unison with one another. Everyone has a role to play, including Wally West, Barry Allen, Jay Garrick, Bart Allen, and etc., and it's clear the writer has an exceptional grasp on what makes the speedsters work interacting with one another or fighting crime. Everyone receives their moment to shine in this fight for the future of Earth and the ingeniousness of this premise has to be highlighted. Creating a threat that only Wally and the Flash Family can tackle is a masterstroke.

For the artistic choices in this issue, there are three different pencilers who are handling the heavy lifting in Roger Cruz, George Kambadals, and Fernando Pasarin. While the three are distinguished in a unique way, with each being delegated different characters and/or aspects of the story. The clash in the styles comes across as jarring sometimes, especially when you flip a page and the story changes from a more realistic style to one that focuses on exaggerated features and kinetic energy.

On the story front, I would also like to nitpick some major elements of this final outing for the "One-Minute War." The first is that a big part is the inclusion of heroes that died in Heroes in Crisis, the controversial series that saw Wally West inadvertently killing a good handful of lesser-known characters. I personally love seeing them make a return from the grave, but many readers might be confused when it comes to the idea of how these heroes have been able to come back thanks to "Planet Flash" and the circumstances behind their deaths in the first place. 

The Fraction themselves have a deliciously clever modus operandi, though their individual parts are not nearly as flashy as their whole concept. Admiral Vel and the hilariously named "Miss Murder" simply don't have much in the way of layers as characters; they feel exceptionally clean-cut when it comes to being villains. Finally, the "One-Minute War"'s ending, like many other Flash tales, dives into a bit of time travel, making it ultimately seem less effective than it could have been by hand-waving some of the potential lasting implications for the future of the Flash.

This isn't to say that this finale, or "One-Minute War" as a whole, isn't solid as it remains a quality entry in not only Adams' run with the Scarlet Speedster but the entirety of Flash's stories in DC Comics. Everything related to the Flash characters themselves and their interactions is pitch-perfect, as the creative team is able to weave some great story beats throughout. While the final moments might not have as many long-lasting implications as readers might hope, there's simply too much heart here to ignore. "The One-Minute War" isn't a perfect story, but it's an incredibly good one all the same. 

Published by DC Comics

On April 4, 2023

Written by Jeremy Adams

Pencils by Roger Cruz, George Kambadais, and Fernando Pasarin

Inks by Wellington Dias, George Kambadais, and Oclair Albert

Colors by Luis Guerrero, Matt Herms, and Pete Pantazis

Letters by Rob Leigh

Cover by Taurin Clarke