Sterling Gates' run on "Supergirl" was easily the high point of the series to date, so hearing that Gates was writing "Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost" was enticing. Doubly so, thanks to being a fan of the character dating back to when he was first introduced as Impulse. And up until this point, he's been curiously absent from the "Flashpoint" series.

With the first issue of "Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost," it's suddenly quite clear why we haven't seen him up until now. With Barry Allen never becoming the Flash, there's only one place for Bart to end up, and that's right back where he started.

Or is it? Gates is playing with the idea of Bart Allen being an anomaly here, and as the issue progresses we learn that his status - not just as Kid Flash but even existing - is a bit more in flux than it first seems. It uses a proven road map of starting small and then growing bigger, with each new piece of information putting Bart in a worsening situation. We also get to see a follow-up from the "Road to Flashpoint" story that ran in "Flash" over the past few months, and it makes that story feel like it actually fits into "Flashpoint" as a result. At this point the new Hot Pursuit doesn't make much sense, but I also trust Gates enough to say that with two more issues we've probably got an answer coming on just how "Flash" #12 connects with this.

I'm not familiar with Oliver Nome's pencils, but they get the job done. I think he's at his best in some of the earliest scenes: Bart and Barry running down the street with lightning going everywhere, for example, or that panel where Bart looks at his grandfather and says, "I'm Kid Flash." Some of the post-wakeup panels come across a little clunky, unfortunately, and the faces in particular remind me a lot of early Image Comics series. It's not bad, but it can use a little fine-tuning here and here.

Will "Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost" have anything to do with how "Flashpoint" will conclude? If I was a wagering man (fortunately I'm not) I'd bet no. Does it enrich the overall story for those who are fans of "Flash," though? That it does, and ultimately that's about all you can hope for with a tie-in. For this mini-series, I'm good with that.