I haven’t been reading “The Flash” for close to a year now. At various times over the past 15 years, “The Flash” has been one of the best comic books out there. From Mark Waid’s first two runs on the title, to Geoff Johns classic run, I can’t say enough good things about it. After Johns run came to an end, “The Flash” just hasn’t been that good.

After “Infinite Crisis,” Wally West aka The Flash disappeared along with his wife Linda and twin babies. Bart Allen aka Kid Flash, like Wally West before him, became the Flash in his absence. A year later, Bart was killed by Inertia and the The Rogues. Wally returned along with Linda his wife and their kids who were now physically older due to their link to the speed force. With Wally’s return, Mark Waid also returned to write the character.

I can’t tell you how disappointed I was with Waid’s latest run. So was everyone else, as it only last six issues. The new writer Tom Peyer did nothing for me, so I dropped it. A while back it was announced that December’s issue #247 would be the last as the series was going to be canceled. It was also announced recently that Barry Allen, the Flash before Wally who died during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, would be returning and that Geoff Johns would be writing a mini-series called The Flash: Rebirth.

With the end almost here, I decided today to pick up an issue. To my surprise, I really enjoyed it.

The issue begins with Wally and the kids arriving at the Hall of Justice to visit Linda who is ill. It seems that the villain, Queen Bee, released some killer bees and Linda has been stung into a coma. Sounds pretty lame, but overall the issue was very good.

Much of the issue shows a history of Wally and Linda from there first meeting to when Wally asked the Spectre to have everyone forget that Wally West is the Flash so as to protect Linda from being targeted by his enemies. The Queen Bee arrives pretending to be Linda and steals the kids. Linda takes a turn for the worst and is dying. Not wanting Linda to die, Wally again returns to the Spectre for help - but there is a difference this time.

When Wally first turned to the Spectre, the host was Wally’s friend Hal Jordan. This time, the host is Crispus Allen and Wally’s old friend Raven from the Teen Titans tells Wally not to trust him. Is it too late for Linda? Will the Spectre help? Those are questions that I guess will be answered in next month’s last issue.

The writer of this issue was Alan Burnett and he did a very good job here. I got very sentimental as we went over the relationship of Wally and Linda. I hope they don’t kill her off. Linda has become a mainstay in the world of Flash and their relationship is as strong as some of the other couples in the comic book world. The artist Carlo Barberi does a descent job. Good work, but not great.

I’m looking forward to next month’s final issue and next year’s “Rebirth” to see where things go in the world of Flash. With Johns returning to write “Rebirth,” I’m assuming a new regular on-going series will be starting up and Johns may be writing it. Whoever is writing it, I just hope we get some good stories.

It’s been a while.