One-shot Fun with The Flash
Background
I have been reading The Flash regularly since Barry Allen returned pre-new52. I have followed every other iteration (Bart, Wally, Jay) off and on and through trades. My favorite superheroes are The Flash (particularly Barry Allen), Daredevil, and Batman. And on with the review!
The Good
Although I loved the Manapaul/Buccellato run as a whole, this issue felt like a change in pace that the series needed. The villain was new, the threats were just as dire as in previous arcs, and the characterization of Barry Allen was spot on. The difference was the amount of ground covered to set up, present, and resolve the conflict occurred in one issue as opposed to two or more issues. For new readers or regular readers, this was just a fun issue challenging The Flash in a way that I haven't really seen before.
The Bad
The issue will not change the status quo of Barry Allen or The Flash and did not move along a bigger story or plot from previous arcs. That being said, the issue for me was just pure one-and-done fun!
The Verdict
In a comic book climate where every issue of most series have to leave a plot thread hanging, uproot the main character, or end in a cliffhanger to keep readers coming back next month (or next next week), it's nice to have a fun story that doesn't require you reading any previous issues or an entire story arc (including said issue) to fully understand or appreciate what's going on. In the future, I do want a connected story where Barry and other characters (such as Patty Spivot) are progressing. But I enjoyed this issue quite a bit.