Absolute Flash (2025-) #5

Absolute Flash (2025-) #5

by Jeff Lemire, Nick Robles (Artist), A.L. Kaplan (Artist)

Wally’s going to need to learn to handle the heat as he faces down themonstrous Heat Wave! Can he evade his fiery grasp, or will the youngspeedster be burned to a crisp?!

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Comic Book, Graphic Novels, Fantasy

Kindle Edition

Published July 16, 2025

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.

Reviews

[hater ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i assure you we don’t need a love interest 🙏

the story is interesting tho!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a Heatwave in Central City.



The newly minted Flash confronts Mick Rory at the urging of Grodd, who seems to know more about the damaged man underneath Project Heatwave than he can explain with his mental connection to Wally.



Meanwhile, Elenore Thawne sets her Rogues back on their trail, and Wally's father makes a shocking discovery about what the people he works for are up to.



Getting better with each issue.
Recommended.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still very enjoyable but this issue felt it went TOO quick, and even though it's a Flash comic, that's not a good thing. Overall though I like Wally and Grodd relationship a ton.

[Machiavelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pieces are starting to come together in this issue, and there are definitely some cool moments, but it still feels like I’m missing something. Enjoyable in parts, yet the series hasn’t fully clicked for me so far. Glad I’m doing this in digital. Would be frustrated had I paid for this individually

[Zoey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Project Olympus is finally exposing its intentions, and Colonel West is about to uncover something he shouldn’t.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not into this series. I was starting to get into it, but this issue threw me off again. I probably won’t read #6.

[James B · Rating 3 out of 5]

erm, nothing really happened, it felt really short.

[Roland Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best they are doing, it’s great Lemire is back at DC

[GB · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Luca Mendes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun

[Nick Colen · Rating 1 out of 5]

the art has fallen off a cliff

What started as a great book with great writing and art has become a meandoring slog mostly because of a sharp decline in the books art and visual pacing. A disappointing turn.

[Cybernex007 · Rating 4 out of 5]

ALRIGHT, WHOA! First off that art…chefs kiss. But things are moving so fast! I know it’s a flash comic, but still! We pick up immediately from the last issue as Wally is led by Grodd to come face to face with Mick Rory aka Heatwave in a seemingly uncontrollable lava state in the sewers beneath the Dibney shelter Wally was staying at. If heatwave of all creatures was drawn to Wally, I am going to hate to see the other creatures that broke free. But there is something odd about this encounter, as Wally wants to run away from it…but then he looks in its eyes and feels a connection. As Wally reaches out he feels himself unraveling again and neither of them can take it, suddenly heatwave dashes away and comes shooting out of the sewers right in front of the Dibney mission, crowed with people, all while Wally is left spiraling unsure of what to do! I do have to admit, I’m surprised Dibney doesn’t have his powers based on how he is acting. Ralph still has that natural heroic nature to himself, immediately upon seeing heatwave he doesn’t cower, but steps up and starts getting people away and to safety immediately. That’s my guy!

Back at rogue HQ, the strike team is kinda just sitting around waiting for orders. Although there is one comment that stands out to me. Lisa tells Jesse to take off their helmet, and Jesse quickly snaps back that they will take off theirs only when Lisa takes off their own. Jesse says this while looking down at Lisa’s boots. Which makes me think that Lisa is only able to walk because of those boots. That coupled with a cover I saw for an upcoming AB flash issue where Jesse was in a wheelchair. This little scuffle is broken up as Thawne walks into the room to give them an update. Since they pinged Grodd and Wally in Central City they are now deploying the Rogues to get them. But there is one small detail they should know…Grodd and Wally have also come across one of their former comrades…Mick Rory. Leonard immediately freaks out, apparently they were told Mick didn’t survive the tests. Which draws a bunch more questions about what else they were lied to about. Thawne is willing to tell them more about project Olympus in time, but right now they need Wally West.

Things are not looking good with heatwave attacking the mission, Ralph can’t protect everyone. Grodd approaches Wally in the sewers to help calm him down, assuring him that it is okay to be scared but other people are scared and need their help…specially heatwave. They need to work together to stop and help him. With this assurance Wally gets up and dawns his suit. Next thing we see Wally is running into battle, knocking heatwave away from hurting anyone else! Slightly unfortunately it seems that Ralph immediately recognized him, but historically has Wally really ever cared about a secret identity anyway? As Wally continues to try and stop heatwave, Grodd reminds him that they shouldn’t be trying to stop him…but help him. Grodd guides him towards taking the heat off of heatwave. As Wally reaches out, the two becoming intertwined in the lightning coming from Wally. Suddenly the entire world shifts around Wally as he finds himself floating in space! WHAT IN THE WHAT?! Suddenly he hears a voice calling out as a giant cosmic hand reaches down to grab him…before disappearing as Wally wakes back up in the real world. No one is sure what just happened, but what is clear is that Wally was able to drag the heat off of Rory and help him! As Ralph and Linda try and reach out and help Wally…suddenly my run helicopters from the rogues begin to close in and Wally and Grodd once again run off. As the issue comes to an end, we jump back to rogue HQ as Thawne emphasizes how important it is they get Wally. Mick Rory’s containment is currently being handled by Colonel West…wait…where is Colonel West? We jump over to find West going full loose cannon! Taking Barry Allen’s keycard and sneaking into some areas he isn’t supposed to go…only to find a full blown alien ship?! Have them been stripping the tech from this to outfit the rogues and create project Olympus? Suddenly as West gets closer to the ship another door opens, and West steps in to find full blown alien specimens in stasis chambers!! WHAT?! I don’t recognize these aliens at all, my first thought is dominators but they don’t have that signature red dot. I’m so curious to find out what these are!

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a great previous issue, we've gone back to the usual - not enough plot and artwork that doesn't really justify the large panels.

Of what very little plot there was, it ended up being confusing. So how did Wally manage to stop Heatwave? Who knows. There was very little of the side cast that was established in the last issue this time, but at least Grodd and Wally's relationship had some attention.

[Alexis Moreno · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t really like this issue as much. Not enough development of grodd and wally and the development of the overall world and other characters felt hallow and unsatisfying. I think the writer is more talented when it comes to just writing and his interactions with others vs how he’s writing everyone and the larger story.

[Raymond Paquette · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have Wally saving the life of Mick Rory, all the while he’s losing himself. He’s running scared, but there’s no way he’ll completely escape the Rouges. The mysteries behind how he gained his powers are growing and I’m excited to see what the ending will be.

[Siegfried · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five issues so far and... to me this is the weakest. And I hate SuperEmo.
There's the first full reference (Lazarus), it always feel short.
This... so many misteries, so little payoff.
Let's hope that it gets better...

[Paxton Holley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enter: Heatwave!

Cool interpretation of Heatwave. Wally is getting a little annoying. I get it, he’s a scared kid who doesn’t know what’s going on but, come on, he needs to start getting in front of this. Stop cowering and yelling for people not to touch him or to get away from him.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

DC is so back.

[Colin Post · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kaplan’s art has a magical storybook quality to it that I adore. The story here is really pretty slight, though.

[Craig Schorling · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was difficult to follow for me and I wasn't too big on the art. I hope with a couple issues it starts to make more sense to me.

[Ushnav Shroff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably the weakest of all the Absolutes.

[Jedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

he suited up!!

[Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️. Don’t love Kaplan’s art compared to Robles’.

[Powerman61 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful issue of Absolute Flash.
Great artwork and storyline.
Wally and Grodd against the world.

[Alex Fyffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[jiji · Rating 3 out of 5]

grodd ti amo

[Richard A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This "Elseworlds" book is interesting but not fresh and exciting as most of the other "Absolute" Titles. Still I am enjoying it.

[alejandro galvez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its ok

The story is really slow. The art was awful. Lets get on with the plot. Its so damn slow. What is happening ?!

[Frodo · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh

[Chris Loan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story! What the hell was that at the end?!?