As always, I will be discussing specifics of this issue of the comic so if you do not want to spoil the issue before reading it stop reading right here. If you want to get caught up with a physical copy of this or any other issues, head right to mycomicshop.com and get caught up. If a physical copy is not your thing, you can sign up at comiXology.com where you can get caught up on a ton of titles with digital issues. Their unlimited subscription lets you read many back issues for a monthly fee.
This issue has Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter again for the story and artwork. It is chapter 2 of the Year One story, and like I said before, I can’t help but wonder if this is leading back to the speed force quest and previous story of issue #69. But anyway, we pick up back where we left Barry as he has run himself into the future and met up with a future Flash. I had wondered if this was an alternate Flash or if it truly was this current Barry Allen’s future self. According to old man Flash, this is a true older Barry. It turns out that older Barry returned to this spot at this time because this all happened to him. They are caught in a time loop.
Now this is very interesting to me. I love this idea in the story. It also points back to the cover of issue 70 with the mountain of warn shoes Barry say on while lacing up his own. As older Barry says, they’ve done this many times before. How will they ever break the time loop? Or, if they do try, will they set off a time paradox that will destroy the universe as old man Flash suggests.
Anyway, the main action in this issue is the Barrys trying to escape the Turtles troopers. They do end up having to fight their way past a group with young Barry reluctant to fight but ending up giving one enemy an arm tornado. Older Barry is looking for something that we find out is the cosmic treadmill to send young Barry back to his time. They quickly get the time machine into operation and older Barry sends young Barry back just in time. But it looks as if older Barry has been captured by the Turtles men. His last advice for young Barry was remember what his Mom always said and say yes to Iris.
Barry returns to his time literally shaken from the whole ordeal. He starts to ponder what he should do next. Should he build a cosmic treadmill and go back to the future to break the loop? That could be disastrous. The only thing that stops his shaking is seeing Iris as he approaches for their coffee date. But just as he’s about to walk up to her, he hears a familiar voice from the future, the Turtle! We end with Barry racing up to the Turtle to try and stop him.
At first I was wondering if future Turtle had traveled back with him, but it looks like this is a younger Turtle. I know they were in a bit of a rush but you would think a heads up from future Barry would have been nice. But then again, does that break the time loop and destroy the universe? Porter does a great job again with the look of the characters and capturing the Flash’s speed. One of my favorites is the scene of young Barry freaking out wondering if his still in a coma or maybe even dead from the lightening. For the next issue, how will Barry survive this encounter with the Turtle with so little training and preparation?
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