After the last long arc, we get a done-in-one focusing on Flash Thompson’s military service. Comics that tell reverent stories about soldiers are risky. They can become corny, overly simplistic, or even, in the worst cases, patronizing.
This one hits the right tone. It parallels Flash’s hero worship of Spider-Man with his actual experiences in combat, serving side by side with men who took the same kinds of heroic risks but did so without powers.
The kicker of the tale is that Flash has lost his legs.
This story isn’t just good on its own, it serves as a platform to reintroduce Flash Thompson in a different way–and eventually give him his own superhero identity.
Footnote for those who care: I only tag heroes on this site, and generally avoid side characters unless there’s a good reason to include them. Therefore, I haven’t tagged Flash before. But because this is really where that superhero origin story begins, I’m starting to tag him with this post going forward.
CHARACTER: Flash Thompson
English (US) · 