The second wave of DC’s Absolute Universe titles begin to arrive this week, and after previously talking with Nick Dragotta, Hayden Sherman, and Rafa Sandoval about the design of Absolute Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman respectively, it felt right to keep that art-centric emphasis on the Absolute titles going. So much of the focus has been on the writing of those books, but the artists are essential to what makes them special. That’s why today, we’re going to be all about artist Nick Robles and his journey in bringing Absolute Flash to life, both in this week’s first issue and beyond. Let’s get to it.

One commonality between the artists who have headlined the Absolute titles so far is each was a fan of the character they were working on. That was true of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman alike, as the connection Nick Dragotta, Hayden Sherman, and Rafa Sandoval felt for those characters fueled their work in many ways.

That was true of them…but not of Nick Robles, the artist of Absolute Flash.

Robles didn’t “have a huge history” with the character or his titles. He was aware of The Flash in the way the average comic fan might be, but he didn’t have any great passion for Wally West, Barry Allen, or any other iteration of the Scarlet Speedster. That’s why he passed when Flash editor Andrew Marino had previously pitched him on other titles. It just didn’t feel like a fit.

“I was always like, ‘This could benefit another artist who has a deep love for the character and his history,’” Robles said. “I’m not there right now.”

Robles was definitely not there at the beginning of 2024. At that point, the artist’s goal was to write and draw his own comics, something he could develop and take in the directions that spoke to him as a creator. But then Marino reappeared with an offer in March, one with a simple and appealing hook: It was creating a new Flash in the burgeoning Absolute Universe with writer Jeff Lemire.

While Robles was initially uncertain for the same reasons as before, he realized “this was something different” than those previous pitches. In this case, his lack of familiarity with the character was what DC editorial was looking for, something that made him “feel a lot more comfortable about stepping on” to the book.

There were other appealing factors too. His brain was looking for something fresh, something original, something he could leave his mark on. Then, as the artist told me, “this kicked the door in.” And the beauty of Absolute Flash was it married a notable concept with Robles’ desire to do something new. It was giving him a chance to develop a fresh take on a DC classic. As Robles told me, “It was scratching that itch I wanted to get to.”

More than that, Lemire was a “big pull.” As Robles mentioned with a laugh, he’s “a fan of a couple of (Lemire’s) works.” More than that, Lemire loves the character, something that Robles believed could act as an intriguing creative counterweight to his position as a Flash novice.

“(Lemire) is a huge fan, so we are complementing each other in great ways,” Robles said. “I’ve found that that’s leading to a very interesting book. It’s letting me get what I need and I enjoy out of making comics, and Jeff’s writing Flash and getting to experiment and play in a toy box that he loves while not being beholden to everything (that existed) beforehand.”

Combine all that with some reconnaissance the artist did in advance — while he always sits on offers before deciding which direction to take, the significance of this book inspired him to take extra time to ask fellow creators about what it’s like to work with DC — and Robles realized that he had to say yes.

“This one felt special,” Robles said. “It just felt too big to pass up on.”

Once onboard, it was off to the races. While he may not be an established fan of the character, Robles shares some characteristics with DC’s speedsters. He’s very instinctual and enthusiastic. While there were developmental questions in advance, Robles told me he “ended up just running with my own ideas.” The artist said he always has “so many ideas just bouncing around” when a new project starts that he tries to “grab onto everything and see what sticks.” Momentum is a real thing for the artist, just like it is for everyone who has ever taken on the mantle of The Flash.

From the beginning, his focus was on the title’s lead. And it all started with him as a person rather than a hero. Robles “latched onto” this Wally West, which is a much younger take on the character than modern readers are used to. That stemmed from Lemire’s goals for the book as a whole. While each of the Absolute characters so far are younger and less established as heroes, they’re also big. This Flash is not. Robles said the writer wanted Wally “to kind of be a foil against” the other Absolute characters.

“That’s why he wanted to go younger. He wanted to just give it a whole different vibe than the other books, and I was very on board for that,” Robles said. “I love the idea of adding contrast to everything.”

Wally is both a teenager and a pretty small guy, as readers will soon discover. While the artist admits he doesn’t actually know how tall he is, he knows Wally is going to stand out amidst his Absolute peers if and when they meet. 8 But beyond that contrast Lemire was looking for, much of the design was left to Robles’ capable hands. And because they were aiming young, he favored Reels and videos about haircuts and fashion in his research over back issues.

“I wanted to make sure he fit the teenage vibe right now,” Robles said. “Every time I’m out and I see a wolf cut with a mullet, 9 I’m just so happy that I made that choice. It feels like it’s the perfect time for that look and those fashion choices.”

It’s undeniable the character looks cool, from head to toe. The haircut, the clothes, the shoes, the everything. Wally West feels like a stylish young person, and that works on the page. But the process Robles took on expanded beyond what the character wears and how he looks. Part of the initial development was exploring the space the character defines for himself.

“I drew his whole bedroom just to figure out what kind of character he was,” Robles said. “What music he liked, if was he a gamer, a musician, just trying to find his teenage persona.”

While the artist admitted that he doesn’t “normally go that deep into character creation,” he said this project “felt special” and required something a little extra from him. He wanted to better understand the character. This helped. It also paralleled his own experiences, as Robles recently moved. The artist learned a lot about himself in the process of furnishing his new apartment. That experience reaffirmed how much a person is reflected in their space, an idea that he poured into the room design. Doing that even gave Robles a head start on the comic itself, as Wally’s room appears in the first issue.

Thanks to those efforts, Robles believes he truly knows “who this Wally West is.” That makes his job easier. It also made him more confident in what he created. So, by the time he sent designs for Wally to his editors, 10 he knew he had it.

“The editors wrote me back pretty quickly, and they were like, ‘We all stood up when we saw one of your early concepts and were just like, ‘That’s Wally right there,’’” Robles said. “That made me feel so good.”