The Flash #11 Review – Who’s Afraid of the Dark?
You gotta love it when sidekicks think they’re all grown up, don’t you? They stomp their feet when told otherwise and then scamper off headfirst into a steaming pile of trouble. That’ll show you! I am grown up, thank you very much! See, I can take on this villain by myself!
Maybe. Wait.
Ah crap. HELLLLLP!
And thus we find Kid Flash, who while determined to make the Flash proud of him, runs after this villain who is reportedly scaring people. In the process, he’s been sucked into a world of darkness, fighting shadow minions. He has no idea where he is, how he got there, but boy howdy does he wish Flash was there to help.
He does get his wish, of course, and Flash does rush to his aid. However, he does so with the help of an old nemesis of the Flash, the Shade. The Shade was reportedly reformed, but he let his self-doubt take over his life and as such, his shadow minions have gone rather evil. He was trying to get the Flash to come to him and wound up nabbing Kid Flash instead.
We laugh a lot of some of the ridiculousness of comic plots at the surface. The concepts of demon bankers and shadows kidnapping the Flashes appear silly. It’s hard to discuss either one without breaking into a smile or making your fellow conversationalist giggle. But comics have this lovely method of using incredible ridiculosity to dive into some deep themes. Case in point, look at Supergirl.
With this issue of The Flash, the shadows of the Shade represent the self-doubt and uncertainty most of us carry about ourselves on a daily basis. As a reformed person, no longer the Shade, he constantly feared screwing up his new life. This fear and self-doubt has manifested as his shadow minions that he used to be able to control. Now, though, he’s a victim of his own fears. It may seem silly on the outside, but it’s what is underneath that makes us love these silly comics so.
On the other hand, this panel below is another reason why I love reading comics.
Our Rating: YUS
Author: Joshua Williamson
Artists: David Gianfelice, Ivan Plascencia, and Carmine Di Giandomenico
Publisher: DC Comics
Publish Date: 11/23/2016
Acquired via Purchase
