Absolute Flash #14 Review

 

Absolute Flash #14 Review

Writer: Jeff Lemire

Artist: Haining

Colorist: Adriano Lucas

Letterer: Tom Napolitano

Cover Artists: Nick Robles; John Timms; Sean Izaakse & Trish Mulvihill; Stephen Segovia & Elmer Santos

Editors: Ash Padilla, Andrew Marino, Katie Kubert & Chris Conroy

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: April 22, 2026

 

Wally West used to ignore his father's phone calls. Now, Wally replays his dad’s messages, wishing he could respond. Although he’s staying at the Dibny Youth Mission, Wally doesn't want to tell Ralph Dibny what he's going through. Still, Linda Park drags it out of him. Then, she offers to help.

 

Leaving Central City behind, Wally and Linda return to Fort Fox, the base his father oversaw, and where Colonel Rudy West sacrificed himself to save his son. Can Linda help Wally rescue his father? Or will they succumb to the dangers Elenore Thawne left behind? Let’s put on our protective suits and goggles, leap into Absolute Flash #14, and see!

 

Story

Wally West traveled wherever his father’s work took him. While Rudy West oversaw Fort Fox for the military, Wally wonders if the personnel assigned there were all a cover for Project Olympus. When her operation got out of control, Elenore Thawne vanished, along with the remnants of her staff, subjects, and experimental weapons. But while Wally doubts they learn anything in the remnants Elenore left behind, Linda reminds him that it doesn’t hurt to look.

 

In Absolute Flash #14, Wally finds himself in a realm of mirrors. While some reflect their images, many glass pieces reveal other people and places. The dimension seems keyed to the entrants, as Wally and Linda make connections with the people and places they see. But they don't have time to study the mirrors. People wearing goggles are searching for someone, and they kill anyone else who gets in their way.

 

After his mother’s death, Wally pushed everyone away. While Mary West endured her own struggles, she helped Wally cope when life threatened to overwhelm him. After the accident that transformed him, Grodd helped Wally endure the stress and trauma of coping with his new abilities, the loss he suffered, and evading capture from Elenore’s people. As the fifteen-year-old struggles to navigate this strange realm, he and Linda must draw on the similar hardships they’ve endured to help each other through their discoveries and ordeals in Absolute Flash #14.

 

Art

As Wally evades his pursuers, a five-sided mirror reflects their images, while an oval reveals Ralph Dibny’s sanctuary for teens. The mirrors extend upward as they race through corridors, as if navigating a maze. Yet the mirrors angle around them, offering no means of escape. Gravity gives way to the Speed Force as Wally carries Linda across the mirrors, and they lose their sense of up and down. Then, Haining lays out the mirror-like panels across pages, as the inhabitants of this realm float through space or rise from mirrors.

 

Wally leaves afterimages and lines in his wake as he races like Alice through this realm of Looking Glasses. As red lines streak between green air and light-blue mirrors, Linda wears Wally’s red jacket. Wally’s orange hair glows yellow, linking him with their pursuers’ goggles, and evoking how he defended Linda and Ralph from another of Elenore Thawne’s test subjects. A flash of pink connects with Linda’s lavender shirt, while giving Wally hope of finding his father in Adriano Lucas’ brightly colored Absolute Flash #14.

 

Tom Napolitano fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase letters. The words grow bold for intonation, and turn upside down when Wally and Linda defy gravity. Linda's exclamations swell, distort balloons, and produce lightning bolt arrows. Sound effects accentuate a fist shattering a mirror, and a resumption of the Speed Force. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

When life threatens to overwhelm us, it's easy to feel like we're pawns in someone else's game. While Wally West and Linda Park have seen their worlds fall apart, they're also survivors who have refused to give up on life. As they search for clues to find Rudy West, Wally learns more about Elenore Thawne's operation and why Linda ended up at the Dibny Youth Mission in Absolute Flash #14.

 

Rating: 9.8/10 

 

For what happened last time, see my review of Absolute Flash #13. 

Tini Howard & Babs Tarr on Sirens: Love Hurts

 

Tini Howard & Babs Tarr spoke about their new series, Sirens: Love Hurts, during the DC Comics: What's Next panel at WonderCon 2026. Their happiness to be there, and their enthusiasm for the series, was undeniable. Here's a little of what they had to say about their latest project together:

 

 

From the moment she heard about this upcoming series, Babs Tarr wanted to draw it. Sirens: Love Hurts seemed like a dream project. Tini Howard worked hard to include bouncy dialogue that would draw in readers. She also designed the series to resonate with fans of Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Black Canary, whether they fell in love with them via comics or animated TV shows. Tini and Babs associated the ladies with the four seasons, imbuing the crime-solving quartet with a sense of completeness. 

 

 

 

 

By placing Sirens: Love Hurts under its Black Label, DC Comics gave Tini and Babs more creative freedom. Tini and Babs drew inspiration from The Long Halloween. And without having to structure it as an ongoing series, they could give the series a decisive beginning, middle, and end. As Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Black Canary have such different styles, Babs associated each character with a particular fashion house. 

 

 

 

 

Three issues in, Tini Howard and Babs Tarr are getting good feedback. Fans of the characters are telling them how much Sirens: Love Hurts means to them. That’s exciting and meaningful to Tini and Babs, as this was a very personal project for them. While Sirens: Love Hurts celebrates Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Black Canary's camaraderie, the series also celebrates Tini and Babs' friendship.

 

In case you missed it, let's take a look inside Sirens: Love Hurts #1:

 

 

Thanks to Tini Howard, Babs Tarr, DC Comics, and WonderCon 2026 for sharing this with us.

 

Justice League Intergalactic Special #1 Preview

 

Like Earnest Pye, Amanda Waller believed that Humans should run her planet. Just because someone had superpowers didn't give them the authority to make decisions for her. But in her quest for Absolute Power, she drew a lot of metahumans into her dream of an Earth without superheroes. 

Now, the Justice League is dreaming another kind of dream. They're opening their doors to antiheroes and villains who haven't always made the right choices. But how will those metahumans with checkered pasts perform in the heat of battle? And can Galaxy convince her friend to pursue her childhood dream?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Justice League Intergalactic Special #1 Preview

Writers: Jadzia Axelrod & Nicole Maines

Artist: Travis Moore

Cover Artist: Travis Moore

Variant Cover Artists: Dan Mora, Yasmine Putri & Drrick Chew

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99 (All Covers are Card Stock)

Issue Length: 48 Pages

Release Date: April 29, 2026

 

A new chapter of the All In: Act II Saga!

 

The planet Naltor and the Green Lanterns that protect it fall under the spell of the wretched Witch Queen, who harnesses the planet’s dream energy in hopes of taking over all that lies beyond. But have no fear, Star Sapphire’s assembled team of Justice Leaguers will no doubt liberate them all!

 

Except, well, Green Arrow sure does hate space. And Adam Strange’s ship comes under attack before it even enters Naltorian orbit. And Galaxy invited her best friend and one of the League’s most wanted, Dreamer, along on the mission without telling anybody. And Dreamer’s visions seem to spell doom from the very start. Just when Star Sapphire thought she was getting the hang of her powers and the whole team-leader thing…

 

Will this team of disparate dynamos figure out how to come together to win the day? Or will they, too, succumb to the Witch Queen’s all-consuming hive mind?

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Spacewoman: The Extraordinary Journey of Eileen Collins Spotlight

 

We don't know what we're capable of until we're tested. Eileen Collins endured arduous challenges to become the first woman to command the Space Shuttle. As a new era dawns for NASA, here's a chance to look back on the era when the United States space agency traded capsules for space planes, and sought international partnership with the scientific community. What issues did Eileen Collins struggle with as she refined her skills as an astronaut? And what price did her family have to pay to help her achieve her dreams?

Here's all the info from Haviland Digital and Tigerlily:

 

A Film About the Extraordinary Journey of Eileen Collins, the First Woman to Pilot and Command the Space Shuttle

SPACEWOMAN

Lands in LA Theaters May 28th &

Santa Barbara Theaters, May 29th!

 

**Official Selection – Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival 2025**

**Official Selection – DOC NYC Film Festival 2025**

**Official Selection – Athena film Festival 2025**

**Official Selection – Boulder International Film Festival 2025**

**Official Selection – Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival 2025**

Directed by Hannah Berryman

Produced by Keith Haviland and Natasha Dack Ojumu.

Written by Hannah Berryman

Featuring Colonel Eileen Collins, Bridget Youngs, Pat Youngs, Luke Youngs, Charlie Camarda, Cady Coleman, Dr. Mike Foale, Wayne Hale, Paul Hill, Marcia Dunn, and Margy Conklin

Astronaut Eileen Collins was the first woman to pilot and command an American spacecraft. Born on the other side of the tracks in upstate New York, she smashed many glass ceilings in the US Air Force and at NASA in her career, culminating in four increasingly dramatic and dangerous space shuttle missions. With an incredible set of archival materials, intimate interviews, and a moving score by Marcelo Zarvos, Hannah Berryman’s nail-biting film shares the emotional journey experienced by Eileen’s family, and explores what level of risk is acceptable in human endeavour.

RT: 95 Minutes

 

For more, see the Spacewoman trailer on Youtube.

 

If you're in the Los Angeles or Santa Barbara regions, find a theater near you. 

 

Thanks to Falco Ink for sharing this announcement with us. 

Diablo: Dawn of Hatred #1 Review

 

Diablo: Dawn of Hatred #1 Review

Writer: Cullen Bunn

Penciller: Daniele Serra

Inker: Giusi Lo Piccolo

Colorist: Jovanna Plata

Letterer: AndWorld Design’s JAME

Cover Artists: Adam Gorham, Nick Marinknovich, Dev Pramanik, Andrea Olimpieri

Also Available: Blank Sketch Cover

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: April 22, 2026

 

When the tribe gathers before Akarat, he teaches them about the light inside them. The prophet urges them to care for their neighbors and leave this world better than they found it. But Derris frowns as he stands among the others. What troubles the young warrior? And is he right to doubt the man who inspires his people? Let's leap into Diablo: Dawn of Hatred #1 and see!

 

Story

Akarat addresses his followers in the dirt paths between their tents. As he contrasts two types of virtuous behavior, Akarat points out that the people we often admire accomplish less than those whose contributions go unnoticed. Instead of urging them to be loyal servants to a leader, Akarat challenges them to believe in themselves and their capabilities.

 

Cullen Bunn contrasts Arakat’s teachings with Derris's viewpoint. After listening to the prophet's teachings and confering with his chief, Derris seeks solitude. As the battle rages in Derris' heart, unexpected violence also strikes his village in Diablo: Dawn of Hatred #1. Selviar, his leader, has placed her faith in Akarat. She believes he will help them embrace a brighter future. But as Derris acts to resolve the conflict in his village, he must choose between following his heart and the preachings of a man he distrusts.

 

For Derris, religious teachings are all well and good. But they don't protect the tribe as effectively as swords or his axe. Nor does Arakat seem to think highly of the tribe. He compares them with a well-meaning woman who is crude, unserious, and not dedicated to her cause. Unlike Arakat, Derris is proud of his people. The young man doesn't think they need a guru to uplift them. And his tribal leader only chose to follow Arakat after he healed her, and because Selviar felt ashamed of her tribe's failure in Diablo: Dawn of Hatred #1.

 

Art

Tents rise in the desert, defying the surrounding sandstone cliffs. The tribe gathers around Arakat, wearing an array of pants, tunics, dresses, and layered garments. His features carved in stone, Derris stands resolute in a short skirt. A gold amulet rests on his tanned chest. Unlike the other men of the tribe, Arakat wears his hair long like Derris. No one sports a fuller beard. The fur adorning Arakat's shoulders, and decorated with gold symbols, is larger than the one Selviar wears.

 

As Daniele Serra and Giusi Lo Piccolo show the tribe’s fascination with the prophet, Jovanna Plata lavishes a palette of warm colors in keeping with the desert environment. When the moon rises, blue overtakes the orange and yellow sky. Blue tinges the people working on their tents and pots or talking with each other. The black void creeps into the edge of a half-page vertical panel, and stars shine in the blue night, as a young woman in a blue dress approaches Derris. Neither smiles as she sits on the green land outside the camp, and inquires about his thoughts in Diablo: Dawn of Hatred #1.

 

AndWorld Design’s JAME fills white balloons and boxes with black uppercase letters. The letters grow bold for intonation. Intense emotions transform balloons into stars, and shouts swell letters. As the night sky changes color again, sound effects accompany turmoil and death. The yellow-orange embers from the campfire fly before a face, and red silhouettes fight across an eye as giant letters burst a white balloon. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

His enemies once followed Akarat. Now, Derris watches his people embrace the prophet's teachings. As Derris contemplates his future, the warrior wonders if he is right to doubt the prophet his leader endorses. But while his people hope to escape an endless cycle of violence, Derris fears that’s just wishful thinking in Diablo: Dawn of Hatred #1.

 

Rating 8.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Diablo: Dawn of Hatred #1.

 

For concept art see my Diablo 2025 FCBD Announcement. 

 

 

The Marvel Creator Collection No.1: Back to the Savage Land Preview

 

In his afterward to The Chronicles of Conan Volume One: Tower of the Elephant and Other Stories from Dark Horse Books, Roy Thomas mentions that Barry Windsor-Smith wasn't his or Stan Lee's first choice for the penciling duties on Conan The Barbarian. Still, Roy had teamed with Barry on several titles when the UK artist briefly worked in the United States. 

"In fact," Roy confides, "Barry and I had done one story starring a Conan prototype we called Starr the Slayer in one of Marvel's 'mystery' titles, and it hadn't gone badly." Even though Barry had since returned to England, Roy decided to entrust the British artist with his new Sword and Sorcery series. 

What series did Barry Windsor-Smith draw before he teamed up with Roy Thomas to bring Conan the Cimmerian to comics? And what heroes and villains did Barry help create? 

Here's all the info from Fantagraphics:

 

Rediscover Legendary Artist Barry Windsor-Smith’s Early Masterworks with The Marvel Creator Collection No. 1: "Back to the Savage Land" Barry Windsor-Smith at Marvel Vol. 1 

Fantagraphics and Marvel Join Forces to Collect Windsor-Smith’s Long Out of Print Comics

A master of sword and sorcery, science fiction, psychedelia, super heroics, and comedic parody — Barry Windsor-Smith has done it all. Between his groundbreaking, character-defining work on Marvel’s Conan The Barbarian and Weapon-X and his critically acclaimed 2021 graphic novel Monsters, the artist has earned his reputation as an adventurous, boundary-pushing creator. Now, Fantagraphics is partnering with Marvel to release The Marvel Creator Collection: Barry Windsor-Smith at Marvel, a three-volume series collecting the artist’s trailblazing Marvel comics. Due out on April 29, 2026, The Marvel Creator Collection No. 1: “Back to the Savage Land” will feature early pre-Conan work on X-Men, The Avengers, Doctor Strange, and Iron Man, as well as his amazing run on “Ka-Zar” in Astonishing Tales, and much more! 

“I have literally been following Barry Windsor-Smith’s career since 1969 when he debuted at Marvel Comics and immediately became my 2nd favorite artist (after Jack Kirby),” says Fantagraphics Publisher and Co-Founder Gary Groth. “So, it is a distinct pleasure to have the privilege of finally presenting all the work he did for Marvel (with the exception of Conan) in a gorgeously produced 3-volume hardcover series.”

From the moment Marvel brought him to the U.S. in 1969, Windsor-Smith was a creative force to be reckoned with. A passionate devotee of Jack Kirby, Windsor-Smith’s earliest drawing at Marvel reflected that influence, but he quickly developed his own unique, eye-opening style,combining intricately detailed realism with the dreamlike lushness of art nouveau to the classicism of the Pre-Raphaelites.

This volume focuses on the earliest of his work, including memorable storylines on The Avengers, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and individual stories for Chamber of Darkness, Tower of Shadows, and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. All new benchmarks of comics art, culminating in what may be the highlight of this period: Windsor-Smith’s creatively fecund, Conan-esque epic tale of civil war in Ka-Zar’s Savage Land.. Future volumes will trace Windsor-Smith’s career through such milestones as Machine Man and Weapon X.

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Marvel Creator Collection No. 1: "Back to the Savage Land" is due out on April 29, 2026 from Fantagraphics. For updates Fans can follow Fantagraphics on X, Instagram, Facebook, Blue Sky, and YouTube.

 

Thanks to Fantagraphics and Superfan Promotions for sharing this preview with us.

 

About Fantagraphics:

For over 45 years, Fantagraphics has published the very best comics and graphic novels that the medium has to offer. Our mission is to celebrate great cartooning in all of its incarnations, from the form’s early luminaries to contemporary artists currently forging the future of visual storytelling. Not content to rest on our laurels and extensive roster of talented artists, we constantly seek out fresh voices from across the globe. Thus, we honor the rich history of comics while providing a platform for bold new stories, styles, and perspectives that push the boundaries of the medium. Fantagraphics remains peerless in our commitment to be the publisher of the world's greatest cartoonists.

 

The Savage Sword of Conan Reforged #4 Cover Preview

 

COVER A: ROBERTO DE LA TORRE

 

A mighty city defies the surrounding wastes. The merchant caravans may no longer visit Kuthchemes. Yet the city's broken monuments and crumbling temples bespeak its former greatness. As the wind whistles through buildings and down the debris-filled streets, one man dares enter the abandoned city. Why has Shevatas traveled hundreds of miles to reach Kuthchemes? And what does the thief hope to find in a majestic dome among the ruins?

Here's all the info from Titan Comics:

 

THE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN REFORGED #4

Format: Comic book

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: John Buscema

Publisher: Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures

FC, 48pp, $9.99, On sale: April 22 2026

 

When a princess who enlisted Conan's help to save her kingdom is kidnapped by a mad sorcerer, Conan must track her to a cursed city that has been sealed for thousands of years before the dark gods who reside there can claim her! Reprinting the adaptation of the original Robert E. Howard story from Savage Sword of Conan #2, presented here for the first time in stunning color.

 

 

Here are more cover options:

 

 

COVER B: NEAL ADAMS

 

 

COVER C: ROBERTO DE LA TORRE VIRGIN VARIANT

COVER D: NEAL ADAMS FOIL VARIANT ($19.99)

 

For more info from Titan Comics: 

https://titan-comics.com/c/2421-the-savage-sword-of-conan-reforged/

  

For what happened last time, see my preview of The Savage Sword of Conan Reforged #3. 

 

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this cover preview with us.