About eighty-five percent of the issue is spent on flashbacks. Apparently Barry is in a mental institution, covered in bandages, and he’s been imagining the Flash side of his life for years. As he remembers things to keep himself sane, Bates and Infantino visualize them. These little stories tend to be short, sometimes just a few panels.
Infantino does it successfully but also pointlessly. Who cares about all these villain origin recaps? They actually make the comic less accessible.
Because there’s no character development, Bates instead goes for a couple surprises for the finish. The big one is drawn out and talky, the second but not bigger one is too short and too breezy. Bates just doesn’t seem to know what he wants to do.
A lot of the art is fine, but even Infantino can’t make the exasperatingly boring entertaining.
Worst is how abruptly Bates end the story.
C
CREDITS
1981 — A Flash Odyssey; writer, Cary Bates; penciller, Carmine Infantino; inker, Bob Smith; colorist, Carl Gafford; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Len Wein; publisher, DC Comics.
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