The Flash #82 // The Flash
The Flash #82, written by Joshua Williamson, with pencils by Rafa Sandoval, inks by Jordi Tarragona and Sandoval (page 18), and colors by Arif Prianto, starts the Rogues’ Reign arc and raises more questions than could possibly be answered in a single issue. Previously, Lex Luthor gave a bunch of the worst supervillains in the DC Universe power beyond their wildest imaginations and told them to have faith that the bad guys were going to win for once. Then, it actually happened. Now, Captain Cold and the rest of the Rogues have carved up Central City, and rule it with an iron fist. Leonard Snart, having promoted himself to “King Cold,” claims that the Flash is dead, leaving no one to stop him...except for his opposite number, the law officer from the future, Commander Cold.
Even though the Rogues have divided up Central City, Williamson chose to spotlight Captain Cold this issue, showing the readers what becomes of the man who finally gets everything he wanted in life. With no opposition, Cold abandons much of what made him who he was, leaving a cruel husk, willing to do anything to keep the power he has taken for himself. Williamson shows, through Snart abandoning his precious rules and codes, that he knows this character well.
This issue also gives the readers a showdown that’s been months in the making: Captain Cold vs. Commander Cold. The confrontation is brief but highly impactful, and it leaves the character of Leonard Snart, perhaps, forever changed afterward. With Flash out of the way momentarily, it might have been nice to see these two have a little bit more of a drawn-out conflict, but the small battle Williamson does give doesn’t disappoint.
The downside to this arc is that it is a forced tie in with DC’s Year of the Villain crossover, and if you haven’t been following Scott Snyder’s Justice League book, you might be a little lost. The Rogues are, once more, saddled with a more impressive power set, no longer dependent on their guns. This is something that’s been done a couple times before with these characters, to varying degrees of success, so it feels entirely unnecessary to have a whole arc devoted to it. Fortunately, Williamson is making the best of a rehashed story and trying to get some real character work out of it.
Sandoval’s pencils, impressive as ever, especially shine with the reinvention of Central City at the hands of King Cold. Combined with the inks and colors of Tarragona and Prianto, the Flash’s home becomes a cold, dark, winter hellscape that no one would feel welcome in. Cold, himself, looks especially evil, too, with his new costume and ice beard. This art team has taken full advantage of focusing on their temporary, new main character, and it’s obvious they’re having a lot of fun with him.
In the end, the creative team is doing the best they can with a forced tie-in, and they are to be commended for their work. This may not be a story anybody was dying to see again, but everyone on board is trying to take it in as compelling a direction as possible. If you’re patient enough to give it a chance, it’s probably going to be one of the better of the mandatory tie-ins for the Year of the Villain crossover.
