Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers from Absolute Flash #1. We suggest reading it only after you’ve read the comic.
 

You’ve seen Wally West, but you’ve never seen him like this.

Absolute Flash #1 reimagines Wally’s origin for a new continuity, but this time the guardrails are off. Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles have put a new spin on Wally’s backstory, showing us just how lucky the speedster was in mainstream continuity.

To truly appreciate what Absolute Flash #1 does, let’s rewind to 1959. We first met Wally West in The Flash #110. The young boy gains his super speed due to a lab accident, but luckily, he has the Flash to help guide his way. Barry Allen would teach Wally how to use his powers and help him develop his first heroic identity—Kid Flash.

Outside of the costume, young Wally has a stable support system. His Aunt Iris is like another mother to him. Wally’s parents, who are back home in Blue Valley, offer their loving support. (Well, until the events of Millenium, but that’s a story for another time)

The point is, Wally found his way as a hero thanks to Barry, Iris and his parents.

But how would Wally’s story have played out if he had been isolated? What if Barry Allen hadn’t been there to guide him? What if Wally was all alone in the world?

That’s what makes Absolute Flash so daring. The comic challenges everything we took for granted with Wally’s backstory, breaking the character down to the bare essentials. Wally’s mother is dead, and his relationship with his father is strained. If Aunt Iris exists, there is no sign of her in the first issue.

This makes Barry Allen the only friend Wally has. The scientist sees how isolated and directionless the teenage boy is and takes an interest in him. If you’re familiar with Wally’s backstory, this might feel familiar to you and you’re probably expecting Barry to take Wally under his wing. However, this is an Absolute comic, which means Lemire and Robles have a surprise in store.

We discover near the end of the issue that the lab accident that gives Wally his powers also seems to have killed Barry. Or perhaps he was inadvertently killed by Wally, who blames himself for Barry’s death. We don’t know the exact circumstances since time keeps jumping around in this first issue. However, Barry appears to be dead, and for reasons yet to be revealed, Wally is on the run.

So, no Flash to teach him how to be a hero. No loving aunt to offer him stability. His mother is dead, and his father won’t connect with him emotionally. Wally is cut off from everything a teenage boy needs and is forced to survive on his own. To make matters worse, he’s also being hunted by a new version of the Rogues. Yes, he can run fast, but at this point, that’s all he can do. Is he just planning on running forever?

This is one of the things I love about DC’s Absolute line. It breaks down the characters by stripping away pieces of the lore that once seemed sacred. This leaves us reevaluating who the character is at their core, causing us to look at them in ways we never did before. In this case, Absolute Flash asks the question: who would Wally West be without Barry Allen?

That’s not the only question Lemire and Robles ask. Absolute Flash #1 sets up all kinds of mysteries. Why is Wally on the run? Who hired the Rogues to bring him in? Is Wally’s dad involved? How did Barry Allen die? Are these flashbacks memories, or is Wally’s super speed changing his perception of time?

And then there’s the one year later flashforward at the end. The Absolute Universe’s Mirror Master gives us a glimpse of what lies ahead for Wally, thanks to various computer images, which raise even more questions about Wally’s future. Like its hero, there are so many different directions in which the story can run from here.

And trust me, I’m hooked. Growing up in the ‘90s, I’ve always been a Wally West fan, so it makes me happy when he gets the spotlight. Lemire and Robles have put Wally and the entire Flash mythos into uncharted territory. A teenage Flash on the run, without a mentor, friends or family to guide him. I have no idea where things are going from here.

But with this creative team in charge, I have Absolute faith that it’ll be somewhere fascinating.

Absolute Flash #1 by Jeff Lemire, Nick Robles and Adriano Lucas is now available in print and as a digital comic book.

Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.