Warning: contains spoilers for The Flash #10!

The Flash just roasted a Justice League “ally” with the perfect, two-word insult. Absolute Power is almost upon the DC Universe, which sees Amanda Waller unleash her endgame on the heroes. Alignments and loyalties have now come into question, as a Justice League stalwart has seemingly defected to Waller’s side, and this “hero” gets a highly appropriate insult courtesy of Barry Allen in The Flash #10.

The Flash #10 is written by Si Spurrier and drawn by Ramon Perez and Vasco Georgiev. Green Arrow has seemingly turned his back on his friends, throwing his lot in with Amanda Waller. Waller has given Green Arrow a suit of armor, designed by Batman, to help capture the Flash. Barry manages to stay one step ahead of Green Arrow, but the battle is taking a toll on him. At one point, near the climax, Barry calls Green Arrow “Bat-Fraud.”

The suit then attacks the Flash and incapacitates him, much to Green Arrow’s dismay.

Absolute Power Has Already Seen Some Shocking Defections

Green Arrow Has Seemingly Gone Over to the Bad Guys

Absolute Power, DC’s big summer event of 2024, has been over a year in the making, and promises to be one of the publisher’s biggest crossovers ever. Working with a new version of the Council of Light, Amanda Waller has begun crafting her ultimate plan to bring Earth’s superpowered population under her control, reasoning they are too dangerous to be left to their own devices. Various other story threads weave through DC’s titles, such as House of Brainiac currently running through the Superman family of titles. Finally, in Green Arrow #13, Ollie Queen seemingly sides with Waller.

Barry Allen’s insult in The Flash #10 hits directly at a long-standing point of contention between two of DC’s biggest street-level vigilantes: Batman and Green Arrow. Over the years, fans and critics have pointed to the (mostly surface level) similarities between the two. Green Arrow and Batman are both wealthy, and leverage their privilege into helping others. Both heroes are gimmick-based, and use extensive arsenals of weapons in their fight against evil. Batman came first, and Green Arrow has dodged criticisms of being a copy-cat. The two heroes also have something of a friendly rivalry between them.

The Flash Just Sent Green Arrow to the Burn Ward

Green Arrow Had it Coming

Yet now, with Amanda Waller running roughshod over the DC Universe, Green Arrow’s days as a hero have seemingly come to an end. Ollie has turned his back on his former allies in the Justice League. Clearly, Green Arrow has a reason for allying himself with Waller, and indeed, he seems hesitant to use lethal force against the Flash. Yet Barry Allen does not know this, and throws everything he has at Green Arrow, including a devastating insult that cuts deep into Ollie’s character.

The Flash #10 is on sale now from DC Comics!