His name is Barry Allen and he was The Fastest Man Alive.

He was The Flash. Emphasis on “was”.

Originally a part of Superman’s Regime, which insured world peace at the cost of liberty, Barry Allen saw the error of his ways. He joined with Batman’s Resistance and the Justice League of another Earth in order to liberate his own world. It was too little, too late in the eyes of many… including Barry himself.

His eleventh-hour actions earned Barry his freedom, but at a price. Fitted with a leg bracelet and monitored by Batman himself, Barry would avoid the confinement that awaited the rest of The Regime so long as he agreed not to use his powers.

For Barry, it was a far greater punishment than simple imprisonment. Nothing is worse for a speedster than being forced into the slow lane. Still he agreed to because Barry had other crimes to pay for that could not be attended to from behind prison walls.

To that end, Barry Allen has come to Australia, in search of a young man who paid the price for showing the courage that Barry lacked. Yet when a sudden accident puts people in danger, will Barry risk his parole to be a hero again?

Despite being steeped in the lore of the earlier Injustice comics, Injustice 2 #32 functions perfectly well as a stand-alone story for The Flash. Tom Taylor’s script explains all the relevant details as Barry muses upon his past while walking the longest straight paved road in the world. It’s a wonderful analysis of Barry Allen’s character and all the better for being the sort of comic that can be appreciated even by those who haven’t been reading the series to date or playing the video game.

Taylor is backed by an equally impressive art team. Tom Derenick partners his pencils with heavy inks and shading that lends an appropriate aura of gravity to this story of a man who feels weighed down by circumstance. Rex Lokus’ colors are well-chosen throughout. The lettering and balloon placement by Wes Abbott render the text well and ensure the original artwork can be viewed unfettered. All in all, this is one fine comic that can and should be appreciated by anyone who likes a good story about redemption and heroism.