That Convergence is coming is perhaps the most ironic for the Flash of all DC characters.  It was after all Flashpoint, the company wide crossover, that took the old DC into the new 52.  This crossover focused somewhat on Barry Allen and his attempt to stop the effects of the Reverse-Flash on destroying the continuity of the DC Universe, which had left millions dead and Earth without its true heroes.  The move left many series somewhat hanging as the abrupt cutoff forced some stories to be condensed and versions of characters to be erased.  It is now Convergence’s turn to exact this fate on this series, even if its effects are not as drastic.

This issue picks up where the story arc had left off.  Future Barry was on the verge of becoming a homicidal maniac by killing or maiming every villain that he had ever failed to catch, while present Barry was still stuck in the land of the Speed Force.  With the end coming, at least until June, it was time to wrap up this story and to move on, and this was done in this final issue before the break, only perhaps in an overly efficient way.  As with many stories condensed into such time frames, it feels as though the series would have done better with a couple more issues to deal with the heavier issues involved, but here they were disregarded in order to wrap up the plot.  The plot serves as a way to introduce a major villain as well as to reintroduce another, and even yet another that might be back at some point (though might simply be forgotten.)  In the process the two Flashes resolve their dispute in a spectacular way, and there is even some closure for present Barry.

If that seems like a bit much for one issue, its because it kind of is.  The series is not really well done by with this wrap-up, especially as this story arc started off with such an interesting concept, even if that concept was an abandonment of the focus put on science throughout the first three years of this series.  This is a wrap up but it leaves the character a bit too contained, with no stories to directly follow.  Two months of Convergence will dominate and it is likely that the Flash will figure in prominently, but for now this is left on a bit of a mediocre low.

Story: Robert Venditti and Van Jensen Art: Brett Booth
Story: 7.7 Art: 7.7 Overall: 7.7 Recommendation: Read