Warning! Spoilers for Dark Nights Death Metal: Speed Metal by Joshua Williamson, Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, Adriano Lucas, and Steve Wands below!
Just when things seemed like they couldn't be tenser, The Batman Who Laughs shows his face, but this time, he brought an army with him. DC's latest issue of Dark Nights Death Metal: Speed Metal finds the Flash-Family in a race against the infamous villain. The Batman Who Laughs is still stirring up chaos and shows no signs of stopping. It's up to all heroes to put a stop to his reign of terror, and one Flash-Family member seems to be dead-set on doing so.
The Batman Who Laughs and his army of dark flashes are after the heroes as they attempt to distance themselves enough from the villain to find a way to defeat him. Fan-favorite speedster Wally West, clad in a new blue suit, suggests a search for the Mobius Chair. The secrets it holds may be the key to saving the Multiverse. However, there's one catch: the gang must run towards the horde of dark flashes. One by one, the Flash-Family falls behind. They may be the fastest men alive, but the Batman Who Laughs is one step ahead. Left behind is a lone Flash, Wally West, and he doesn't back down.
This supervillain may be the Multiverse's biggest threat, but of course, every villain needs a snarky hero to put them in their place. Wally turns towards him with an abrupt "Hey," before pronouncing him the "Batman who tries too hard" while sliding to a halt. He taunts, "too slow," with a cosmic level of confidence. Getting to see more of Wally's personality when isolated with a villain adds a moment of comic relief to an otherwise tense and suspenseful article.
After all, this issue is not meant to highlight The Batman Who Laughs; plenty of comics have been doing a stellar job doing so already. The storyline is that of Wally West. Inevitably, the tone is a bit more serious. Readers do get a peek into his emotional thoughts and values, but they also get some lighthearted one-liners as well.
The ego of a comic book antagonist is nothing if not consistent. Readers have seen what happens when a villain feels threatened. Is it possible that Wally's conviction and strong belief in his ability to win will antagonize his enemy? The Batman Who Laughs is a force to be reckoned with as it is. It would not be outrageous to assume this sarcastic jab would be enough to push him over the edge. Or, it could be a moment of comic relief, soon to be forgotten. Either way, Wally West will hopefully bring the sarcasm even further when he goes up against the villain again.