Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Onomatopoeia: FWAM


FWAM: Another attack delivered at astonishing super-speed, this particular blow carries added weight for we are witnessing the one and only Jay Garrick assault his esteemed successor! Given the great energy of Greg LaRocque's artwork, given the shocking display involving two such classic characters, a single four-letter onomatopoeia, artfully placed, is all that's required to leave the reader reeling. This may be our most powerful instance of onomatopoeia yet. Of course, as this panel is taken from the climax of Mark Waid's mind-bending "The Return of Barry Allen" storyline, there's more to this scene than meets the eye...

Issue: The Flash (v.2) #78 (July 1993)

4 comments:

Scott Bryan said...

Why did he hit him? Spoilers please!

Dixon said...

Briefly: Following Barry Allen's unexpected reappearance in "The Return of Barry Allen" story arc, the hero begins a bizarre descent into erratic, outright rebellious behavior. Jay Garrick delivers this particular punch just as the scarlet speedster is seemingly establishing himself as a true supervillain--and, naturally enough, it is very shortly thereafter revealed that it isn't Barry Allen behind the crimson cowel at all but Eobard Thawne, the Reverse Flash! Thus, despite deceptive appearances, Jay isn't really slugging poor Barry after all.

KentButabi said...

Dixon, I would have asked for Mr. Robert's to RUN to his comic shop and pick up the paperback. No FLASH fan should miss this mini-series.

Dixon said...

Well put, Kent. Do yourself a favor, Jack! Pick up the trade paperback collection of Mark Waid and Greg LaRocque's "The Return of Barry Allen." It's one of the best remembered storylines of the Wally West era, as our Quick Quiz on that subject last April seems to have proven.