Review: The Flash Vol. 4- Running Scared

Quick Summary

Pros: The entire narrative is tense and exciting. The whole storyline is particularly good when it comes to depicting the Flash, the Reverse Flash, and the connections between the two. The artwork is positive throughout the book.

Cons: Readers with no knowledge of the Reverse Flash will miss out on many positives.

Overall: This is a new high for an already highly enjoyable series. This comic demands readers’ attention from the very first chapter and immediately takes them on a rollercoaster ride of action and suspense. This is accompanied by an equally compelling and emotional look at the Flash and the Reverse Flash. Any fan of either of these characters should absolutely not miss this volume.

Story

The Flash Vol. 4: Running Scared, by Joshua Williamson, is a real whirlwind of a comic that really matches the trajectory of this series. The volume capitalizes on the progress made over the past few volumes and uses it to launch a dramatic, tense, and emotionally charged storyline. It explores Barry Allen’s relationship with himself and with his most fearsome villain, the Reverse Flash. Then, the entire storyline leaves the series open to do even more in the future. All in all, this is a great read that suits this series.

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The main conflict in Running Scared comes from the showdown between the Flash and the Reverse Flash. Right off the bat, simply adding the Reverse Flash to a story ups the level of tension and drama, as Thawne essentially has the ability to kill anyone he chooses at any time he chooses. This is emphasized by his brutal beatdown of Wally in the book’s first half. This makes every scene with Thawne incredible tense and full of suspense.

However, Thawne’s actions here are more insidious than a simple fight. He emotionally abuses Barry throughout the book by revealing his secrets, torturing him with glimpses at apocalyptic futures, and constantly berating the choices he made. At some points, Barry is able to look past these taunts but, at others, they impact him and his relationship with Iris. The entire encounter serves as a cruel reminder why the Reverse Flash is the Flash’s chief antagonist.

Outside of the blistering action and incredible levels of tension, Running Scared handles character development well. Barry’s encounter with Thawne forces him to face some serious truths about the way he sacrifices himself to shelter others, instead of simply sharing the burden with the people who love him. It also drives a serious wedge between Barry and Iris, one that I am interested in seeing addressed in the next collection. Overall, this volume works as a fantastic stepping stone in the Flash’s development through the Rebirth era.

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Art

Like the storytelling, the artwork in Running Scared is consistently positive and helps make this a better book. Carmine Di Giandomenico’s creative take on the Flash is as beautiful and compelling as ever. It makes every page feel like an explosion of energy and potential, which imbues the storytelling with these same features. Meanwhile, chapters from Howard Porter double down on the action. Here, the battles between superheroes and supervillains take the front seat and lead to an even more memorable reading experience. Overall, this is a volume where the visual styles are always enjoyable.

Continuity

The Flash Vol. 4: Running Scared continues the story from Batman/The Flash: The Button (Review) (Reading Order) and continues the series from The Flash Vol. 3: Rogues Reloaded (Review).

The story here continues in The Flash Vol. 5: Negative (Review).

This volume also references other comic books, detailed below:

• The Flash’s mother was killed by Reverse Flash in The Flash: Rebirth.
• Barry mentions not seeing Hal since “Darkseid”. This is a reference to the Justice League: Darkseid War (Review) (Reading Order) event.
• The Flash tried to undo the death of his mother in the Flashpoint (Review) (Reading Order) event.
• References are made to Iris’ death at the hands of the Reverse Flash. This happened in The Flash #283.