Impulse #24 pg 19

What a pleasure to add this page to the collection.

Bart’s relationship with Max was the heart and soul of Mark Waid’s Impulse run, and I always enjoyed the idea that Max was tasked with slowing down the most impulsive speedster of them all.

Here, Waid and Ramos literally slow down the moment by giving us seven panels on the page, including three silent beats. After 24 issues together, Bart and Max are preparing to part ways, and the creators deftly show us how hard it is for these two to admit how much they will miss one another.

First off, kudos to Waid and Ramos for putting distance between Max and Bart in each panel. At no point do they even look at each other.

The dialogue is also fantastic. Not only does it snap, crackle and pop with the interplay we’ve seen between this master and apprentice for two years, but it also deftly beats around the bush of their true feelings.

But my favorite thing about this one is Bart’s expressions and body language in the last two panels. Humberto does phenomenal work here, and I’m especially fond of how the gold tones bring the eye to the most important moment on the page… Max’s reassuring hand finally reaching out to Bart.