Wally West was a hero defined by his connections, including his mentor, Barry Allen, the larger Flash Family, and the Speed Force itself. But in the Absolute Flash, Jeff Remia and Nick Robless stripped those familiar touchstones, creating stories of self-discovery, isolation and power.
Standing up to the comic shop on March 19th (until retailers pre-order until February 24th), the fourth Absolute Space Series has one of the boldest reinventions of DC’s stable heroes There may be.
I spoke with the creative team behind the book to discuss their approach, inspiration and what this new flash means to the character’s legacy.
Flash without a safety net
Unlike previous versions of Wally West, Lemire’s Take places him in a lonely, unfamiliar world without mentors, family, or even speed forces, to explain his abilities. This decision was extremely important to Lemia’s vision of the character’s journey.
“For me, one of the things I really wanted to be engrossed was the feeling of having Wally as a teenager again,” explained Lemia. “We use his power as a roughly comparative phor for everything we experience at that age. We guide who we are, what the world is, and our place within it If he has a mentor, if there is another flash in front of him, it will cover it up.”
Without the teaching numbers, Wally is left to experience his powers in real time with readers. “He doesn’t know what’s going on. It’s scary. It’s the first time we can see him learning his powers,” continued Lemia. “Even Barry Allen had Jay Garrick’s comic book as a framework of reference. But our Wally has zero references and what’s actually happening in his body and mind. It’s very scary.”
This unrelated feeling extends beyond Wally to the wider absolute universe where heroes exist in relatively isolated circumstances. “The absolute universe kind separates these characters and makes them the underdog,” Lemia said. “It’s built towards something bigger.”
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The emotional core of absolute flash
Lemire is known for his deep, personal, introspective storytelling, from Essex County to sweet teeth. He brings the same sensibility to the absolute flash, balancing the action of high energy with emotional depth.
“For me, all the action and superhero elements come from Wally’s emotional state,” Lemia said. “It’s very easy to balance introspective drama and spectacle when everything is playing with each other. And you get an artist like Nick. Nick’s strength is deep character. That’s why you want to fulfill those strengths.”
Lemire estimates that the series will tilt around 70/30 in favor of character-driven storytelling over traditional superhero action. “Taking straight superhero action isn’t always the most persuasive in itself,” he pointed out. “Balancing that with the character’s work is something I want to do.”
A complicated father-son relationship
A key element of Absolute Flash is Wally’s relationship with his father Rudy West. While initially appearing as a tough military figure in one dimension, Lemia promises that deeper layers will unfold over time.
“In the first few issues, there is definitely a lot of uncertainty about Wally and Rudy’s relationship,” teased Lemia. “But like many things in this series, things evolve as the first year progresses. Rudy may seem like a tough father at first, but there’s more to it. It’s happening.”
The father-son dynamics serve as Wally’s ground force, even if his world is turned upside down. “That relationship is the tether Wally has in his humanity and his past,” Lemia said. “It keeps him grounded.”
Courtesy DC Comics
Nick Robless’ unique visual approach
Visually, Absolute Flash presented the challenge. How to draw super speed without the usual Speed Force aesthetic? Nick Robless embraced the opportunity to do something new.
“I love the chance to come to it from the original angle,” Robles said. “I was drawn to the strong and bold shapes, which led to the rectangular velocity effect I saw in the preview.”
Robles also wanted to incorporate classic elements and make them feel fresh. “Obviously you have to leave lightning in one form or another,” he said. “I didn’t want to go far from the iconic visuals, but I definitely wanted to bring my style.”
One of the most exciting aspects of Robles was the freedom to experiment. “Wally’s powers are unstable right now, and he’s thinking things. As I explain them, I think it really complements each other.”
Flash’s Rogues: A familiar face, a new twist
Rogues have always been a critical element of the Flash world, and Absolute Flash presents reimagined versions of these classic villains. Lemire and Robles promise fresh take on familiar enemies while still remaining true to their core essence.
“Rogue is a big part of the series,” Lemia said. “Like Wally, we take those archetypes and twist them. They’re not just villains. They have their own journeys and arcs in the book.”
Among the outstanding redesigns is the trickster who plays a key role in the first year of the story. “I love our tricksters,” Lemia was enthralled. “And our Captain Cold is pretty cool too.” Simply put, they feel new, but they’re still recognizable.
Designing these new iterations, Robles spoke about how visual updates affected his personality. “It’s fun to fall in love with a character that wasn’t well known before,” he said. “When I start creating new versions, I want to dig into their history.
Lemire noted that Rogues’ designs often influenced the character’s arc in unexpected ways. “Nick’s designs reframe the way I see them. I had ambiguous ideas about where these characters go, but when I saw Nick’s art, I said, “Oh, that’s the thing I thought, “I’ll change it.” Such a creative return trip makes the book exciting. ”
Courtesy DC Comics
Absolute freedom of the universe
The absolute line is to give creators the opportunity to tell the story of a bold, self-contained superhero. For Lemire and Robles, that freedom was exhilarating.
“One of the things that freed me was knowing that this wasn’t going to replace the normal DC universe,” Lemire said. “Fans still have Wally West, which we know and love at DCU, and that allowed us to do something different.”
Robles reflected the excitement. “The fact that DC was doing a new line that was fresh, completely new, open to different interpretations was a huge pull for me. It really made us hurt that creative itch.”
Absolute Flash Legacy
Lemire doesn’t aim to redefine Wally West’s legacy, but he hopes the series will resonate with readers and highlight what the comics do.
“I’m just trying to make a great comic celebrating cartoons,” Lemia said. “Superhero characters are everywhere now – film, television, games – but we need to go back to what makes comics unique. We want to guide the energy of the silver age, but the modern era is the It comes with sensitivity.”
For Robles, it’s all about immersing readers in Wally’s journey. “We love walking with Wally and understanding things with him. We love it as readers and as creators.”
With that fresh approach, the Absolute Flash is becoming a thrilling, character-driven reinvention of Scarlet Speedster. Unlike before, Lemire and Robles are creating flash stories. Push Wally west to his limits and redefines what it means to be the fastest man alive.
