Warning: Potential Spoilers for The Flash #4Doctor Who’s most iconic cosmic horror takes a detour into DC, manifesting within the pages of The Flash and injecting a much-welcome touch of sci-fi horror into Si Spurrier’s fantastically mind-bending series. Both fans of the Scarlet Speedster and Whovians are sure to appreciate this Doctor Who tribute, whether it was intentional or not.
Si Spurrier and Mike Deodato Jr.’s The Flash #4 continues to delve into Wally West’s struggle with “Spooky Speed Force stuff,” involving him becoming “unstuck from reality” and slipping through different planes of existence. One particular enigma in this cosmic conundrum is the ominous and mysterious Gallery, a place of pure serenity transcending the bounds of space and time.
Within its confines, the layers of movement, memory, and measurement are peeled back, allowing an unadulterated form of the present to unfold. However, the Gallery is more than it appears to be; it harbors moving statues reminiscent of Doctor Who’s fearsome Weeping Angels.
The Gallery’s Statues Mirror Doctor Who’s Weeping Angels
Explored in The Flash #3 and #4, the mysterious Gallery proves to be an extraordinary place, adopting the form of a garden adorned with statues depicting Wally’s loved ones. The statues, however, hold a peculiar characteristic that becomes apparent when Wally questions an unnamed entity within the Garden, asking, “Why do the statues change when I look away?” This uncanny ability for the statues to alter their positions in the absence of observation bears a striking resemblance to the unsettling nature of the Weeping Angels from the Doctor Who series, adding an exceptionally creepy element to The Flash storyline.
The Weeping Angels made their debut in the 2007 episode “Blink,” part of Doctor Who’s third series. As quantum-locking beings, they morph into solid stone statues when under observation and boast remarkable transportation abilities. This characteristic finds an intriguing parallel in the statues within the Gallery, as the entity within the garden discloses that these sculptures also serve as a “labyrinth of doorways.” Consequently, when Wally touches the statue resembling his daughter, he is transported to her location, echoing the transportation abilities of the Weeping Angels. While these unmistakable similarities unfold, it would be intriguing to hear directly from Spurrier whether these parallels with the Weeping Angels were intentional or not.
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Are the Gallery’s Moving Statues a Threat to Flash?
A notable distinction between the Weeping Angels and the statues in the Gallery lies in their nature: the Weeping Angels are a malevolent alien species, whereas the statues in the Gallery appear to be neutral and non-sentient. However, this doesn’t necessarily guarantee the benign nature of the statues. Given the intentional infusion of sci-fi and horror vibes in this comic run, there remains the intriguing possibility that the statues might unveil a sinister side during one of Wally’s future visits to the Gallery. As The Flash storyline unfolds, the evolving nature of these Doctor Who-esque statues and their potential transformation into a threat adds an element of suspense.
The Flash #4 is available now from DC Comics.
The Flash #4 (2023) | |
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