The Flash: One Minute War Special is published by DC Comics and features four stories written by Jeremy Adams. Artists involved with the collection include Fernando Pasarin, Matt Ryan, Jason Pas, Serg Acuna, Lisandro Estherren and George Kambadais. Colourists are Matt Herms, Rebecca Nalty and Patricio Delpeche. Rob Leigh letters each of the four stories. Main cover art (left) is by Serge Acuna.
The Flash: One Minute War Special is available now in print and on digital where all good comics book are sold.
Synopsis
A lot can happen in 60 seconds… as the Flash event One-Minute War rages on, writer Jeremy Adams gives you further insights into the alien speedster race that has invaded Central City, and how the Flash Family fights back!
Review
We’re just two chapters in to “The One Minute War” but is has already proven to be a heartbreaking story of epic proportions. Now Jeremy Adams and a huge roster of artists are fleshing out the story with a one-shot special featuring four short stories, all presenting the story from a new angle.
But The Flash: One Minute War Special isn’t exploiting the opportunity to string out the event. Each of these four stories adds another piece to overall puzzle. Some of the viewpoints might even surprise you, especially in “Chapter One: Past” which focusses on The Fraction. I much prefer a villain who has some weight behind their dastardly acts and, as is the case, we get that in spades with this issue.
In fact, The Fraction’s reasons for spreading across the galaxy conquering everything in their path are fascinating. It poses an interesting moral dilemma that we could debate until the end of time. They’re simply trying to secure their own future but doing so at the cost of countless lives. Should one civilisation prioritise their own survival over that of others? What about those they conquer? That aspect alone could have filled the entire book.
The remaining three chapters each focus on the advancing Fraction army and their interactions with members of the Flash Family. Adams sidesteps some of the more obvious choices to shine the spotlight on lesser known characters.
You might have guessed with the first chapter being called Past that the other three chapters will be called Present (there’s two of them) and Future. The two Present chapters focus on Avery Ho and Godspeed. The final chapter? Well that’s a surprise which I’m going to let you discover on your own.
Each of the stories picks up with its central character during an interaction with The Fraction. Each has a completely different approach and serves a different purpose in exposing more of their actions, defences and potential weaknesses. It also provides us an insight in to the mindset of each Flash Family member as the crisis ensues.
Each of the four stories also has its own art style thanks to the mix of creators working on the book. The first chapter, being called Past, has a grainy texture which makes it feel like an unearthed relic of history. Whilst the second and third chapters feel more contemporary. The final chapter is the most striking, with George Kambadais’ elongated and angular artwork creating something really unique for the reader to experience.
Verdict
The Flash: One Minute War Special adds new layers to an already blockbuster story. Inspired character choices from the Flash Family sit alongside an intriguing chapter adding context to the motivations of The Fraction
⭐⭐⭐⭐
