Perfect
I guess I'm on of the few DC fans who wanted Barry back as The Flash, well we got that. It's not that I don't like Wally, it's just that in comparison to Barry I don't find him all that interesting. So many wanted Wally back but I guess I don't see why. Barry just had a great run with Geoff Johns writing and this has a lot of potential to be better even if Iris and Barry aren't even dating one another. Sure, Francis Manapul may mainly be an artists but that's not to say he can't write.
Barry is now a single man, and we find him on a date with a woman named Patti Spivot at a Technology Symposium. A group of henchmen break in and gas the place, forcing him to change into The Flash. In the panel to the right, it even explains Barry's origin and details how he became The Flash. Also in the next page or two, we do see Tony and Sara's cameo in the book. I really love that Manapul drew them in there because that really is awesome.
I knew this was going to be good because despite that Manapul isn't a writer, I knew he was a big fan of Barry Allen and that this book was going to be very good as long he's on it. I guess by the fact that Barry says he's the fastest man alive means Wally West doesn't exist as The Flash anymore. We know Jay Garrick is on Earth-2 like he was in the Pre-Crisis Era.
Manapul is not generally a writer but he does a good job at being one. He understands Barry and makes him a down to Earth guy and really makes it so that Barry doesn't have an easy time juggling being The Flash and his normal life. Sure Geoff Johns was a great writer for the character but he's not writing him anymore and I think Manapul is a worthy successor.
I had high expectations for this book and they were met. I wasn't sure about having an artist do writing duties as well but Manapul does an excellent job at both. I really did want Barry back as The Flash and I'm glad he is.
