One might think that having super-speed would make time-management a breeze. And it does have benefits beyond being able to do your chores in a fraction of the time.  There’s also unexpected pleasures like super speed allowing you to savor every last minute of sleep before the alarm clock goes off, as if each minute were an hour.

Yet even The Fastest Man Alive finds it difficult to set aside a whole day for himself. So despite Barry Allen’s best efforts to enjoy a Godfather marathon with Joe West on their day off, the world keeps finding ways to pull The Flash into action. From a bank robbery to a broken levy in Coast City, Barry is having a harder time than usual sitting still.

The story of a superhero having difficulty in enjoying their leisure time is a classic favorite. Despite the near-cliched premise, Ben Sokolowski (most recently seen co-writing Green Arrow) manages to avoid having the long parade of disasters pulling Barry away from his day off descend into self-parody. Apart from a few wisecracks from Cisco the danger is played completely straight and the various crises are treated with appropriate gravity. There is nothing as over the top as an out-of-control bus full of nuns or a bomb that requires immediate disposal out in the deepest part of the ocean.

The artwork by Marcus To is a good fit for the aesthetic of The Flash: Season Zero. To’s style possesses a keen sense of motion – a latent energy that seems to crackle on the page. The only real flaw is that some pages seem rushed at times. Ironically, this occurs in the more sedate scenes where Barry isn’t running around trying to save the day.

The Flash: Season Zero is an enjoyable book that will hold appeal even to those who don’t watch the TV series.  This issue is a particularly good jumping on point for new readers.  And it is also a welcome treat for those Flash fans who can’t wait for Season Two to begin this fall.