Okay. I’ll admit it. THE FLASH #7 was a pleasant surprise.

The plot is moving at a good pace. The implications of Barry’s time-shattering powers are becoming clearer…and, maybe, they will be good storytelling. The immediate plot with Captain Cold is given the amount of time it deserves – which is to say, frankly, not a lot. And Patty Spivot, Barry’s current flame, gets to be center stage for a little while.

I do still have issues with the way this title handles characters. Most of the supporting cast seem to exist around the Flash, not with him, since they don’t cross paths much in or out of costume. Heck, it’s hard to even accept that these are people Barry knows, since they never seem to be around him – or, rather, he never seems to be around them. But they talk about him an awful lot for some reason.

Captain Cold’s story feels much more like a second or third appearance than a first. Granted, it’s far from the character’s first appearance, really, but for new readers, and for this continuity, it is. What even remains from the old Captain Cold? We can only assume that his new powers replaced those he’s traditionally in command of.

The art is, as usual, incredible. There’s some really superb layouts in this issue. Just…heck, it’s exciting to look at THE FLASH. It just is.