Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Absolute Flash #1
It’s no secret that Joker and the rest of Batman’s rogues gallery are often cited as some of DC’s best and coolest supervillains. That said, DC’s newAbsolute Flashseries has just debuted a new villain team that certainly looks ready to give Gotham’s worst a run for their money. Offering a revamped version of The Rogues, this new crew just made an incredibly cool debut in the series' very first issue.
InAbsolute Flash #1by Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles, 15-year-old Wally West inadvertently becomes a speedster in this dark new reality where heroes are underdogs. He’s also the first and only speedster in the Absolute Universe,even though the Absolute version of Barry Allen is also introduced, albeit as a military scientist who is killed after Wally accidentally gains his volatile powers.While there are plenty of mysteries yet to be uncovered, the end of the issue does confirm that Absolute Flash is already being hunted by an elite team of specialists: The Rogues.
The Absolute Rogues Have Arrived
Debuting Right Alongside Absolute Flash
There’s certainly a lot of jumping between the past, present, and future in this first issue.This looks to be part of Wally’s new powers that are unconnected to the Speed Force, which I’m very excited to learn more about and what the actual source of his power actually is.However, it’s confirmed that the recently powered Absolute Flash is currently on the run, racing through the desert while being hunted by a brand-new version of the Rogues. The roster is pretty classic, paralleling the original DC Universe team with Captain Cold, Golden Glider, Trickster, and Captain Boomerang.
However, this new team of Absolute Rogues looks incredibly different compared to the Rogues we’re used to. On the whole, these guys definitely appear to be capable of a lot more than mere heists and bank robberies. Potentially having been hired by Wally’s father Colonel Rudy West to track down and bring his son home before he hurts anyone else, it’s going to be fascinating to see this new Absolute Flash already having to take on this entire stream of operatives at once, especially given his clear inexperience as a speedster and struggle to control his new powers.
The New Rogues Are Much More Modern
Overall, I’m absolutely loving the look and vibes of the Absolute Rogues. Appearing to be a squad of hired mercenaries as opposed to being more traditional costumed supervillains, each of the Rogues is sporting an all-new look that’s a lot more modern/militarized, complete with camo fatigues, tactical gear, and an impressive combat tank. They’re an elite unit that appears to be highly trained and determined to secure their target alive…for now.
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Rather than her traditional powers, Golden Glider looks to be using rocket boots and gadgets, while Digger Harkness' new drone is shaped like a giant boomerang, hence its name (which sort of mirrors the MCU’s Sam Wilson and his drone Redwing). Likewise, Trickster looks the most unique by far compared to his main DC Universe counterpart, and if I had to guess, he’s probably the squad’s demolition expert. Last but not least,the Rogue’s leader Leonard Snart aka Captain Cold has never looked betteror more impressive than he has in the Absolute Universe.
Captain Cold’s Name Has Never Been More Fitting
He’s Appears To Be An Actual Captain Now
Appearing to be an actual captain leading this new squad of Rogues, Snart’s traditional codename now makes more sense in the Absolute Universe. That said, it does seem like codenames in general might not be used, as the team simply refers to each other by their first names and Snart’s rank in this first issue. At any rate, it’s going to be very exciting to learn why The Rogues are hunting Wally West, if his father did indeed hire them to track him down, and what’s going to happen once they finally do catch up with the young speedster asAbsolute Flashcontinues.
