Review – Absolute Flash #4: Safe Haven
Absolute Flash #4 cover, via DC Comics.
Ray: This series has done some incredible things with Wally's character so far, but it's also had the smallest scope of any of the Absolute books. We've been following Wally as he's pursued by the Rogues, trying to get control of his speed powers and grieving the loss of his mentor. But this issue takes a big step up in terms of intensity and the size of the cast, as several major Flash players and several surprising figures make their debuts. With guest art by AL Kaplan, we follow the newly bonded duo of Wally and Grodd as they try to survive on the streets. They eventually make their way to Iron Heights park for some free breakfast – and walk away with an invitation to a mission for homeless kids run by Ralph and Sue Dibny, here seemingly a normal non-stretchy couple. And while Wally is initially suspicious, he agrees to give it a chance – especially once he meets one of the residents, a teenager named Linda Park. Loss. Via DC Comics.
It seems like things might be looking up for Wally, but there are some quick stumbling blocks – starting with the fact that Grodd doesn't seem to trust the place. Is it just a traumatized creature acting out, or something much more sinister? It's hard to say, but we get a much bigger clue when we follow Rudy West as he seeks out answers about what's happened to his son. He meets up with the weapons project manager, the one who knows the most about what Barry was working on – and she has a last name that will raise a lot of red flags among Flash fans. It turns out that what we saw of the Rogues so far was just the start – and there are some far more dangerous creatures out there looking for Wally. Amazing issue, with some great moments and a last-page jump scare that sets the stakes high. Another month in, the Absolute line absolutely does not miss a step.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
44 minutes ago
- CTV News
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs trial takes a day off due a juror's illness
Sean "Diddy" Combs is seen May 30, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) NEW YORK — A juror's vertigo on Wednesday ended another day of the sex trafficking trial for music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs before it began. Prosecutors had expected to rest their case by Friday after presenting evidence for the last six weeks, but the delay means they are unlikely to finish until Monday. Judge Arun Subramanian announced in the morning that a juror reported symptoms of vertigo on his way to the courthouse. The judge said it was possibly a 'momentary issue' and cancellation of the trial for a day may enable the juror to return Friday after the trial pauses for the Juneteenth holiday on Thursday. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges. Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said the defense presentation could last up to five days, although it could be finished in less than two days. Prosecutors say Combs used his fame and power in the music industry, along with violence and money, to coerce girlfriends for nearly two decades to submit to sexual performances involving male sex workers, sometimes on a weekly basis. The sex marathons, called 'freak-offs' and 'hotel nights,' sometimes lasted several days as Combs watched, directed and sometimes filmed his girlfriends having sex with other men, according to testimony. Two former girlfriends testified that they relied on drugs supplied by Combs to stay awake — and numb — throughout the events. They both said they endured the sexual marathons because they were in love with Combs and it enabled them to spend more time with him. Defense lawyers say prosecutors are trying to criminalize sexual activity between consenting adults. They say their client was involved in domestic abuse, but had not committed the federal crimes of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Combs has remained jailed without bail since his September arrest. Michael R. Sisak And Larry Neumeister, The Associated Press
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Ozzy Osbourne's DNA sold in empty iced tea cans for US$450
Empty iced tea cans said to contain the DNA of Ozzy Osbourne are shown in an image from company Liquid Death. Empty cans containing the DNA of an aging rockstar were so popular, despite their US$450 price tag, they appear to be sold out. Ten cans containing genetic material from Ozzy Osbourne were sold as part of a promotion by American canned water company Liquid Death. 'Ozzy Osbourne is 1 of 1,' the company wrote in an online advertisement. 'But we're selling his actual DNA so you can recycle him forever.' A cheeky ad said Osbourne drank from the cans of low-calorie iced tea, leaving behind trace DNA from his saliva. His signature was used for a sticker placed on a clear container holding each can, which reads 'Official DNA sample,' along with a number and date of collection. It appears the unusual product was popular with fans of the 73-year-old frontman for heavy metal band Black Sabbath. For those less familiar with his music, Osbourne is also known for his appearances on reality TV shows featuring his family members, and for biting the head off a live bat on stage. Ozzy Osbourne Singer Ozzy Osbourne performs during halftime of an NFL football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills in Inglewood, Calif., on Sept. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) On Wednesday morning, Liquid Death's website showed the product was listed for US$450 (about C$615) but is sold out. Liquid Death offered potential uses for the DNA in the ad. 'Now, once technology and federal law permit, you can replicate Ozzy and enjoy him for hundreds of years into the future,' the ad voiceover says over photos of smiling seniors and children. 'Just imagine if you could bring back early '80s Ozzy.' The company suggests, for example, performing at kids' birthday parties, showing an actor dressed as Osbourne putting the head of a plastic bat in his mouth as children scream. The ad then assures viewers that 'this is not a joke.' Nicknamed the 'Prince of Darkness' in the 1970s, John Michael Osbourne was ranked by Rolling Stone as among the '200 Greatest Singers of All Time.' Earlier this month, Black Sabbath announced Osbourne's final gig as the band's lead singer will be streamed worldwide on July 5, after the show sold out in about 15 minutes. Osbourne announced in 2020 that he has Parkinson's, which led to a pause in touring with the band that has sold more than 75 million albums. The singer has made headlines since he announced he was leaving the U.S. due to gun violence and when a spinal injury led to the cancellation of his 2023 tour dates. With files from AFP, CNN and The Associated Press
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Tyler Perry accused of sexual assault, harassment by actor who worked on his TV series The Oval
An actor who worked on the Tyler Perry-created TV drama The Oval has filed a lawsuit alleging Perry leveraged his industry power to repeatedly sexually assault and harass him while keeping him quiet. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by actor Derek Dixon, who appeared on 85 episodes of the BET series, seeks at least $260 million US in damages. "Mr. Perry took his success and power and used his considerable influence in the entertainment industry to create a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic with Mr. Dixon — initially promising him career advancement and creative opportunities, such as producing his pilot and casting him in his show, only to subject him to escalating sexual harassment, assault and battery, and professional retaliation," the lawsuit says. The lawsuit was filed Friday and first reported Tuesday by TMZ. Perry's attorney, Matthew Boyd, said its allegations are false. "This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam," Boyd said in a statement Tuesday. "But Tyler will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail." The lawsuit says that Perry first noticed Dixon in 2019, when Dixon was part of the event staff at a Perry party, and later offered him an audition. Dixon would first appear in a small role on the Perry series Ruthless before getting the bigger role on the political drama The Oval. Perry soon began sending unwanted sexual text messages to Dixon, according to the lawsuit, which includes screenshots of several of them. "What's it going to take for you to have guiltless sex?" one of the messages says. The lawsuit says Perry offered Dixon an increasingly prominent role on the show as his sexual advances became more aggressive. The actor says he tried to remain friendly while maintaining boundaries. "Dixon did his best to tiptoe around Mr. Perry's sexual aggression while keeping on Mr. Perry's good side," the lawsuit says. "Mr. Perry made it clear to Dixon that if Dixon ignored Perry or failed to engage with the sexual innuendoes, Dixon's character would 'die.'" The lawsuit says Perry eventually sexually assaulted Dixon on "multiple occasions," including an instance where he "forcibly pulled off Mr. Dixon's clothing, groped his buttocks, and attempted to force himself on Dixon." Dixon clearly told Perry "No," but was initially ignored until he was able to de-escalate the situation and change the subject, according to the lawsuit. The following day, Perry apologized, and told Dixon he would work with Dixon on a TV pilot Dixon was seeking to produce. Dixon later received a raise that the lawsuit suggests was part of an attempt to keep him quiet. He said the fear of his character dying kept him quiet as intended. Perry also produced and bought the rights to the pilot, called Losing It, but the lawsuit alleges Perry had no intention of selling the show and was using it only for leverage over Dixon. The lawsuit describes several other assaults, including one where Dixon was staying in a guest room of Perry's house when Perry climbed into bed with him uninvited and began groping him, the lawsuit alleges. Dixon would eventually move from Atlanta, home to Perry's production studio, to Los Angeles to put distance between the two of them. Dixon in 2024 filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency meant to enforce discrimination and harassment law in the workplace. When that didn't result in any action from the show's producers, he quit. The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly as Dixon has. The Oval is one of many television series executive produced by, written by and directed by the 55-year-old Perry, who first became known as creator and star of the Madea films and has since built a major production empire in TV and movies. As an actor, he has also appeared in the films Gone Girl and Don't Look Up.
