Written by: Jeff Lemire
Art by: Nick Robles, A.L. Kaplan
Colors by: Adriano Lucas
Letters by: Tom Napolitano
Cover art by: Nick Robles (cover A)
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: March 4, 2026
Absolute Flash #12 (DC Comics, 3/4/26): Writer Jeff Lemire and artist Nick Robles deliver a blistering confrontation between Wally West and Thawne's monstrous form amid Fort Fox's ruins. Kinetic execution marks this War of the Flashes climax, but unresolved threads blunt the payoff. Verdict: Worth reading for Flash fans.
First Impressions
Wally's raw charge into Thawne's nightmare form hits like a gut punch, raw speed clashing against hulking dread in panels that pulse with desperate energy. The family reunion amid rubble carries aching authenticity, Rudy's sacrifice landing with quiet devastation that lingers beyond the chaos. Yet the epilogues introduce loose threads, Grodd's whisper and Rogues' freedom feeling like setups that dilute the central catharsis just achieved.
Robles' lightning-smeared action sequences grip immediately, red and yellow energies twisting into visceral fury that sells every brutal impact. Lucas' colors shift from fiery destruction to somber isolation seamlessly, mirroring Wally's emotional arc without a word. Still, the monster's grotesque form occasionally overwhelms clarity, turning triumph into a haze of unresolved motion.
Recap
Picking up from Absolute Flash #11, Wally emerges from the Still Point portal to confront Thawne's rampaging manifestation as Lisa Snart and Jesse Quick stabilize the gateway amid Fort Fox's collapse. The Rogues battle the interdimensional horror while Rudy West coordinates escape, leading to a wrenching father-son moment cut short by ultimate sacrifice. Wally defeats the beast at great personal cost, only to face isolation and determination in the aftermath, with epilogues hinting at new threats from Grodd and rogue independence.
Plot Analysis (SPOILERS)
Wally bursts from the portal into Fort Fox's wreckage, immediately spotting Lisa Snart trapped in a glowing orb alongside others like Captain Cold. Rudy West reunites with his son in a tearful embrace, pride swelling as Wally recounts his feats, but joy shatters when Thawne's massive, lightning-crackling monster form looms and charges. Wally dashes forward with red energy blazing, determined to end the threat his father urges him to evade.
The speedsters collide in streaking trails of red and yellow lightning across the ruined landscape, Wally demanding Thawne halt the destruction. Thawne slams him down, roaring about divine visions naming him the sole Flash, alpha and omega. As the beast pins Wally, the Rogues intervene; Jesse Quick deploys a portal device while Digger Harkness and Trickster aid, culminating in Rudy's heartfelt farewell and self-sacrifice to seal the monster away.
Thawne's form erupts in a final throe before collapsing into the portal, defeated as Wally cries out for his vanishing father. Refusing to accept loss, Wally demands reopening the portal to Still Point, believing Rudy survives there like Barry. The Rogues deny him, citing promises and risks, while Elenore flees unscathed; Wally bolts into lonely running, anxiety crashing back despite his victory.
In epilogues, the Rogues claim freedom as free agents with salvaged gear, joking amid recovery. Young Grodd, beside his fallen protector, senses more bad men but learns from dada that all men pay, eyes glowing with nascent menace.
Writing
Lemire paces the issue with ferocious momentum, opening splash into immediate high-stakes reunion that propels straight into visceral combat without filler. Dialogue snaps authentically in crisis, Rudy's apology and Wally's defiance carrying familial weight through clipped, urgent phrasing that builds emotional peaks organically. Thematic depth shines in Wally's internal spiral, confronting fear not by outrunning it but embracing its hit, layering personal growth atop cosmic stakes seamlessly.
The structure toggles masterfully between blistering action beats and quiet heartbreak, Rudy's sacrifice punctuating the chaos with devastating precision. Yet epilogues rush new threads, Grodd's arc and Rogues' pivot introducing motifs that strain against the core climax's resolution. Pacing falters slightly in Wally's post-battle denial, repetitive pleas extending grief without fresh revelation.
Art
Robles composes dynamic layouts that flow like speed trails, horizontal panels stretching clashes across pages to immerse in kinetic frenzy. Character acting conveys raw agony through Wally's grimaces and Rudy's tear-streaked pride, expressions grounding superhuman fury in human cost. Lightning effects crackle with purposeful chaos, red hues dominating Wally's resolve against Thawne's sickly yellow.
Lucas' color theory elevates mood masterfully, fiery oranges of destruction cooling to desolate grays in Wally's isolation, tonality shifting to underscore emotional descent. Composition clarity shines in group scenes, orbs and figures positioned to guide eye through wreckage without clutter. The monster's hulking, toothy design overwhelms at peaks, jagged lines sacrificing fine anatomical detail for primal terror that borders on abstraction.
Character Development
Wally evolves from reactive survivor to resolute confronter, motivation rooted in paternal bonds driving him toward the beast despite exhaustion; his consistency holds as fear's weight returns post-victory, relatable in its unyielding grip. Rudy West gains poignant depth through sacrifice, his regret and love crystallizing flawed fatherhood into heroic finality. Lisa and Rogues show reliable agency, thermal toll and tactical aids reinforcing ensemble grit without overshadowing the Wests.
Originality & Concept Execution
Lemire executes the War of the Flashes premise with fresh savagery, Thawne as god-deluded behemoth twisting rivalry into body horror while Still Point's echoes linger potently. Epilogues innovate with Grodd's infant menace and Rogues' liberation, seeding grounded fallout from cosmic breach. Delivery succeeds in blending intimate loss with spectacle, though vague portal mechanics slightly undercut the premise's scientific edge.
Pros and Cons
What We Loved
- Kinetic lightning trails in clashes brilliantly heighten speedster fury.
- Rudy's tearful embrace panels deliver emotionally charged family authenticity.
- Lucas' tonal color shifts masterfully mirror Wally's grief descent.
Room for Improvement
- Monster design sacrifices anatomical clarity for chaotic abstraction.
- Epilogues rush Grodd/Rogues threads, diluting climax resonance.
- Post-sacrifice pleas repeat without advancing Wally's resolve.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
The Scorecard
Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 3/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 3/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 1/2
Final Verdict
Absolute Flash #12 catapults Wally through Thawne's horror into hard-won growth, Rudy's gut-wrenching exit etching real scars amid the chaos. Robles and Lemire synergize spectacle with soul, even as the epilogues tease distractions that test the payoff's punch. This earns a slot in any speedster stack chasing emotional miles over flawless finishes.
7/10
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