The One Minute War isn’t over yet — the Flash family still has the Speed Force on their side in the battle against the Fraction. With all other life frozen in place, the window of opportunity to beat the Fraction at their own Speed Force-siphoning game is closing. With a bereaved Barry Allen in the lead, the Flash Family, with the help of a mysterious new ally, must take a plan of action. With the Fraction anticipating their every move and Miss Murder still on the loose, the speedsters of the Justice League may not be fast enough for this battle.
Flash #793, written by Jeremy Adams, with penciling by Roger Cruz, inking by Wellington Dias, colors by Luis Guerrero and lettering by Rob Leigh, is a turning point for the Flash Family. With time running out, it’s do or die — and unfortunately, some members may have to do a little of both, sooner than expected.
The One-Minute War was never going to be lighthearted. Ironically, it’s the loss of Iris that brings the Flash family together at the most crucial moment. While previous issues didn’t necessarily sidestep Barry’s and the family’s personal and harrowing loss, much of the drama was put to the back burner due to the plot’s urgency. The actions of the Fraction, their invasion and devastating effect on Earth took center stage, appropriately so, giving each of the Flashes a chance to prove themselves, earn some time and momentum and keep the narrative moving smoothly. This has also given this otherwise dark and tense arc some necessary moments of levity and smaller victories.
Flash #793, slows this positive momentum, reintroducing the darkness and tragedy lurking throughout this arc. The more heartwarming moments are rendered as softer and more sentimental, such as the scene between the suited-up Irey and Jesse Quick. Barry Allen’s heartbreaking conversation with Wally West is a standout moment, as he finally gets a moment to verbally process his loss as well as Wally’s. Beloved characters, previously given moments of narrow victory and glory, are challenged in the most harrowing of ways.
This isn’t to say that The Flash #793 is all work and no play. This is still the Flash family, with Wally West being the driving force behind the plans and serving as the heart of the team. He supports Barry at his lowest point as an empathetic ear just as much as he cheerfully boosts the morale of the younger members, while still taking the threat of war seriously. Not to mention it’s not hard to be amused by the cast of the DC Comics canon, such as Superman, screaming in slow motion and stuck in place. Although The Flash #793 is more dramatic, and comes with plenty of truly nail-biting, harrowing moments. It’s still a balanced read, a testament to writer Jeremy Adams’ use of dramatic tension and letterer Rob Leigh’s use of script to carefully pace the comic, preventing the tonal whiplash.
The Flash #793 is a darker chapter, and the visuals subtly reflect this. Roger Cruz and Wellington Dias’s normally bold, graphic style comes across as more rendered and mature here. Even Guerrero’s bold and punchy palette of brights, dominated by the Flash family’s cheery, warm-toned cherry reds, sunny yellows and vibrant oranges, feels almost defiant against the cool, detached and stony backdrops — especially in the darker, sadder or more intense moments where the shadows, blues and grays dominate.
Although not without the warmth, heart and subtle humor the Flash is known for, The Flash #793 is a necessary step towards this arc’s climactic conclusion, and a grim reminder that war is hell, even if it lasts only a minute.
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