The universe and all that is in it is precisely calibrated by four fundamental forces. Electromagnetism, gravity, the strong force and the weak force. This is basic theoretical physics. Nothing in the universe is unaffected by these four forces. Including time. Einstein postulated that Time “bends” when subjected to gravity and thus is not the constant Newton and subsequent ilk figured it to be. Einstein also theorized that Time slows as the velocity of a given body increases. His Time dilation theory eventually became measurable and proven as fact.
(   http://everything2.com/title/time%2520dilation   )

In Flash: Rebirth #2 Christina Alexandrova earnestly prays in proxy of “those who seek baptism by the fifth force… beyond strong and weak… electromagnetic and gravity… all of us, we sacrifice blood for speed.” She implores the return of the “high priest. The true master of the Speed force.” Wally explains that the science behind the Speed force is still an unknown. Barry describes his experience in the Speed force as “not anywhere. I was a part of something.”

Clocks. There are many clocks in this story, a few watches even. A flashback in issue one inconspicuously includes a wristwatch similar to one seen 16 pages earlier. The very first scene of issue one prominently features a clock. Tik. Tik. A flashback in issue two makes similar use of a timepiece. A flashback of a machine that measures Time. Tik. Barry is constantly speaking of time. “[I’ve waited] an eternity”, “One day, time will run out on me again. It’ll run out on all of us. Every second does matter”, “I can’t be late”. The author is talking to us about Time through other characters as well. “You’re in the present pal, you’re now.” “Bart’s back from the future but focused on the past”.

Barry experiences two flashbacks in this story, one in each issue. Both happen while he is moving at an astounding velocity, tapping into the fifth force. So when his “life flashes before his eyes” is he merely remembering those events? Or is he experiencing a dilation of time? Or even still, is Barry Allen The Flash effectively capable of viewing relativistic temporal slices from heretofore inhuman angles thus calling into question the basic reality of his existence let alone the events he recollects?
(  http://books.google.ca/books?id=od68ge7aF6wC&pg=PA829&lpg=PA829&dq=time+slice+relativity&source=bl&ots=_FYmg0kTcq&sig=58YDAv2OYVFm9578fhl4StxFyYc&hl=en&ei=YjENSrC1PJDg8wSkn_3PDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1  )

What is fastest thing in the universe? Death. You can’t outrace death. We spend our entire life running from Death. But it catches up to all of us, except Barry Allen it seems. He “outran death”. What does it mean to exceed the speed of Death? Does it make you the “Messiah” capable of defeating Death? Do you replace Death in the manner a second place runner overtakes the leader in a race? You and I know, roughly, what Death means for us. But what is Death or Time when considered through the lens of a force beyond that of the four fundamental forces governing reality?