The Flash: One-Minute War Special # 1 2023 NM

The Flash: One-Minute War Special #1 (2023) is a tie-in comic that provides backstory on the alien invaders known as the Fraction and features supplemental stories about other speedsters, including Avery Ho, Godspeed, and future versions of the Flash Family. 

Synopsis

The special is an anthology issue, broken into four chapters, all written by Jeremy Adams. 

• "Chapter One: Past": This segment reveals the origin of the Fraction, an alien race that discovered a way to artificially tap into the Speed Force using technology. To sustain their rapidly growing and resource-depleted civilization, their leader, the Empress, ordered her Admiral, Vel Anthro, to conquer new worlds. They use "organic conduits" (natural speedsters) as batteries to travel the Multiverse and plunder resources.
• "Chapter Two: Present": This story features Avery Ho, the Flash of China, as she deals with a local villain, Dark Wu. The Fraction's arrival freezes everything around them, and Avery, still able to move, must contend with their soldiers and save Dark Wu (whose soul is trapped in a gem that could destroy the world if activated in space).
• "Chapter Two: Present, Part Two": In a horror-themed vignette, a squad of Fraction soldiers investigating a frozen mansion party are brutally murdered one by one, revealing the killer to be the returning Flash villain, Godspeed.
• "Chapter Four: Future": This story jumps into the future to focus on an adult Jai West (now the hero "Surge") and the Gold Beetle. They team up to fight the Fraction and rescue Jai's kidnapped brother, the as-yet-unborn third child of Wally and Linda West in the main timeline. 

Key Details and Reviews

• Release Date: The comic was first published on January 31, 2023.
• Purpose: Reviewers suggest the issue is a great accompaniment to the main One-Minute War storyline in the ongoing The Flash series, providing rich backstory and context that enhances the main narrative without being strictly essential for following the core plot.
• Creative Team: The issue was written by Jeremy Adams, with art from various artists including Fernando Pasarin, Serg Acuna, Lisandro Estherren, and George Kambadais.
• Reception: The special was generally well-received by fans for adding depth to the Fraction and for its fun character moments, particularly the future-set story with Jai West and Gold Beetle.