New 52 flash 9

The Flash #9
Story: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
Art: Manapul
Colors: Buccellato
Letters: Wes Abbott
Cover: Manapul w/Buccellato
Variant Cover: Tony S. Daniel & Sandu Florea w/ Tomeu Morey
Assistant Editor: Darren Shaw
Editor: Brian Cunningham

Flash #9 starts out weird the middle is good but then ends with confusion. It is odd in the beginning because the title page is so early. This new 52 introduction of Gorrilla Grodd seems it different then half way through he issue mental powers are revealed and I am thinking "same old Grodd."

The writing is excellent except for the end. The only page with Pied Piper I felt really moved his story forward and I can not wait to see his interaction with the Flash. On page 9 it is shown The Flash has no memory which at the moment was my only nitpick with the writing(it's also my favorite panel). The page where the Flash remembers who he is neat because it tells us he was the little boy from page one. Concepts like Fear and light fit the issue well even if they are more lantern based. The last two pages of the issue seem like mess with many questions to be asked.

At first the art seemed to be average because I failed to notice the lightning behind the Flash on the top panel of page sixteen. The cave paintings remind me of Flash:Rebirth. On pages 12-13 its hard for me to distinguish where the middle panel of Grodd turning an apes neck fits in that sequence. One of my biggest problems with issue was that it did not show how Flash got home. i would like to think he entered the Speed Force but also we have no proof that Iris and the others inside the Speed Force are back home. Their scene ended on a cliffhanger type note

My other questions are why is Patty really traveling where she is? I do not buy here explanation. What happened to Dr. Elias? It reminds of the TV show when the Flash was sent to the future  8( out of 10)