Wally West fans rejoice – DC’s upcoming SPEED METAL one-shot is set to be a must-read for the speedster’s fans. Wally has recently returned to DC Comics at the beginning of Rebirth and has undergone some serious changes, through hardships, adventures, and has gained the powers of Dr.Manhattan, giving him new power and abilities.
Joshua Williamson, the current Flash writer has slowly been piecing back together the Flash Family since the beginning of Rebirth. The core members of the Flash Family have returned such as Wally West, Bart Allen, Jay Garrick, and the recent reveal of 2 lost speedsters in The Flash #759. Since Flash War, things have specifically been picking up in Barry Allen and Wally West’s stories.
According to an interview from GamesRadar, Joshua Williamson commented on the end of his Flash run and on the upcoming Speed Metal story.
Finish Line’ wraps up, to me, what I have to say about Barry and the Barry Allen story that I’ve been building since Rebirth. Speed Metal wraps up a lot of the stuff with Wally and really ties things up on an emotional level between Wally and Barry, things from Rebirth. When you read it, you’ll see we’re connecting all these things going back as far as Rebirth then resolving things from Flash Forward.
It was important to me that I put certain things into motion starting with my issues of Rebirth and ‘The Flash War.’ It was really important to me that I also tied those things up and finished some of those stories, and that’s what Speed Metal does. The last issue of my Flash run – they both come out the same day, and they connect… I really think that if you’re reading The Flash since the beginning, and particularly if you had read ‘Flash War,’ you’re going to want to read Speed Metal. It’s an important piece of the story we’re telling.
In a lot of ways, it’s the real last issue because you have to read ‘Finish Line’ then you can read Speed Metal. You have to read it in that order. Then once you do – it ties all of this stuff. Again, I don’t want to get too deep into spoilers, but it definitely wraps up a lot of things. It definitely ties together some really big moments for Wally, Barry, and the Flash Family”
Finish Line, the beginning of Williamson’s last Flash story, starts with Flash #759, which is in stores now. Eobard Thawne, the Reverse-Flash, has taken over Barry Allen’s body, and has trapped Allen within the confines of the Speed Force. Flash #759 also reintroduces three characters who have not been seen in The Flash since Flashpoint in 2012. Flash #759 focuses on another character who has not been seen in the Flash since the end of Flash War: Bart Allen. The upcoming Flash #760 promises the return of Jay Garrick to The Flash, this being his first appearance since before the New 52.
Barry and Wally reconnected towards the end of Flash War, and then Wally went to the superhero retreat Sanctuary, which did not turn out well. Wally has been on his own journey and has since regained his position as a hero during Flash Foward. Wally is now the bearer of the Mobius Chair, which has granted him the power of Dr.Manhattan. Since the ending of Flash Forward, excluding Death Metal, not much has been seen of Wally. Barry has not seen Wally since Heroes in Crisis.
The end of Joshua Williamson’s Flash run will reward Wally West fans for the long wait and has the promise of finally reuniting the Flash Family. For the loyal Flash fans who have stuck around since the beginning of Williamson’s arc in 2016 and all Wally West fans, Speed Metal promises to be a must-read comic. The book hits comic shelves on September 22, 2020.
