The Flash: Jay Garrick #1 cover, via DC Comics
Jay Garrick: The Flash #1 — Jeremy Adams, Writer; Diego Olortegui, Artist; Luis Guerrero, Colorist
Ray — 9.5/10
Ray: This is a comic all about returns — with the most prominent one being Judy Garrick, aka The Boom. The daughter of Jay and Joan Garrick was erased from history and rediscovered in Stargirl: The Lost Children. But even more significant is the return of Jeremy Adams, the popular Flash writer who was taken off the book after One-Minute War. Unlike past cases like this, Adams and DC continue to work together and he’s now the Green Lantern writer, but many people wanted more of him on Flash — and now we’re getting it, albeit a very different Flash. This first issue shows us what happened the day Judy disappeared. Joan had been kidnapped by an unseen foe, and Judy and her father pulled off a daring rescue at an explosive-rigged dam. The two had a fun partnership, with Judy’s recklessness causing some issues. And then, Judy simply vanished into thin air — with Jay and Joan forgetting they ever had a daughter.
Running together. Via DC Comics.
Now, sixty years later, Judy has returned, and Adams does a great job of illustrating her struggle fitting in again. Her parents are elderly and overprotective, the world looks completely different, and she’s itching to get back to the one thing that makes sense to her — fighting crime. Jay and Joan want to keep her away from danger, but it’s hard to blame them after what they just discovered. The larger Flash family is off-panel here, but their presence plays a big role as Judy starts to rediscover herself. But a much bigger problem is looming — that of Doctor Elemental, the villain they were fighting on the day Judy disappeared. She wasn’t the only one forgotten that day — which means this long-lost villain may be out there as well. This issue moves fast, but it delivers some great action and powerful emotions in a hurry while hinting at a much larger story. Adams hasn’t lost a step when writing the Flash family.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
