The Flash is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics superhero of the same name. The character's first incarnation, Jay Garrick, first appeared in Flash Comics #1. When the Silver Age Flash Barry Allen was introduced, that character took over Flash Comics numbering and the series was retitled as The Flash.
Although the Flash is a mainstay in the DC Comics stable, the series has been canceled and rebooted several times. The first series featuring Barry Allen was canceled at issue #350 in the event of the character's death in the universe altering event Crisis on Infinite Earths. When Wally West succeeded Allen as the Flash, a new series began with new numbering in June 1987. That series was briefly canceled in 2006 in the wake of the Infinite Crisis event, but was restarted with its original numbering in 2007, only to be canceled again in 2008 in the wake of Barry Allen's return in Final Crisis and The Flash: Rebirth. The series was revived for a third volume by writer Geoff Johns and artist Francis Manapul after the completion of the Blackest Night event in 2010. A fourth volume was launched in 2011 as part of The New 52.
Publication history
Volume 1 (1959â€"1985)
Volume 1 starred Barry Allen as the Flash and the series assumed the numbering of the original Flash Comics with issue #105 (March 1959) written by John Broome and drawn by Carmine Infantino. Comics historian Les Daniels noted that "The Flash" was a streamlined, modernized version of much that had gone before, but done with such care and flair that the character seemed new to a new generation of fans. The Broome and Infantino collaboration saw the introduction of several supervillains many of whom became part of the Rogues. The Mirror Master first appeared in issue #105 and the following issue saw the debuts of Gorilla Grodd and the Pied Piper. Captain Boomerang first challenged the Flash in issue #117 (December 1960) and the 64th century villain Abra Kadabra was introduced in issue #128 (May 1962). Another villain from the future, Professor Zoom first appeared in issue #139 (September 1963).
Kid Flash and the Elongated Man were respectively introduced in issues #110 and 112 as allies of the Flash. One of the most notable issues of this era was issue #123 (September 1961), which featured the story titled "Flash of Two Worlds". In it, Allen meets his inspiration Jay Garrick, after accidentally being transported to a parallel universe where Garrick existed. In this previous continuity, Garrick and the other characters of the Golden Age only existed as comics characters in the mainline shared universe. This brought about a new concept in the formative stage of what would become the DC Universe, and gave birth to the current conceptualization featuring it as a multiverse.
Barry Allen married his longtime love interest Iris West in issue #165 (November 1966). Infantino's last issue was #174 (November 1967) and the next issue saw Ross Andru become the new artist of the series as well as featuring the second race between the Flash and Superman, two characters known for their super-speed powers.
The series presented metafictional stories featuring comics creators appearing within the Flash's adventures such as the "Flash â€" Fact Or Fiction" in issue #179 in which the Flash finds himself on "Earth Prime". He contacts the "one man on Earth who might believe his fantastic story and give him the money he needs. The editor of that Flash comic mag !" Julius Schwartz helps the Flash build a cosmic treadmill so that he can return home. Several years later, the series' longtime writer Cary Bates wrote himself into the story in issue #228. Four months after the cancellation of his own title, Green Lantern began a backup feature in The Flash #217 (Aug.-Sept. 1972) and appeared in most issues through The Flash #246 (Jan. 1977) until his own solo series was revived. Schwartz, who had edited the title since 1959, left the series as of issue #269 (January 1979).
Bates wrote The Flash #275 (July 1979) wherein the title character's wife, Iris West Allen was killed. Don Heck became the artist of the series with issue #280 (Dec. 1979) and drew it until #295 (March 1981). The Flash #300 (Aug. 1981) was in the Dollar Comics format and featured a story by Bates and Infantino. Doctor Fate was featured in a series of back-up stories in The Flash from #306 (Feb. 1982) to #313 (Sept. 1982) written by Martin Pasko and drawn by Keith Giffen. A major shakeup occurred in the title in the mid-1980s. The Flash inadvertently kills his wife's murderer, the Reverse-Flash, in The Flash #324 (Aug. 1983). This led to an extended storyline titled "The Trial of the Flash" in which the hero must face the repercussions of his actions. Bates became the editor as well as the writer of The Flash title during this time and oversaw it until its cancellation in 1985. "The Trial of the Flash" was collected in a volume of the Showcase Presents series in 2011.
Shortly before Barry Allen's death in Crisis on Infinite Earths, the series was cancelled with issue #350 (October 1985). In the final issue of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Wally West, previously known as Allen's sidekick Kid Flash, stated his intent to take up his uncle's mantle as the Flash.
Volume 2 (1987â€"2008)
Featuring Wally West as the main character, the Flash mostly operated out of Keystone City. The second series was launched by writer Mike Baron and artist Jackson Guice in June 1987. Featuring long runs most notably by writers Mark Waid and Geoff Johns, the second volume originally went in a different direction from the series starring Barry Allen by making Wally West more flawed. This Flash could not constantly maintain his super-speed because of his hypermetabolism, and would consume gargantuan amounts of food in order to continue operating at top speed. This metabolic limitation would later be continued into Barry Allen's character for the brief television series The Flash that ran in 1990.
Mark Waid's tenure on the title in the 1990s brought back more traditional Flash aspects from Barry Allen's era by reforming the Rogues, some of which were new incarnations of old characters, and bringing more of a sci-fi/fantasy aspect that had been lost in Flash titles since Allen's departure. Waid made Wally West much more powerful in an attempt to take him out of Barry Allen and Jay Garrick's shadows. Waid and artist Mike Wieringo introduced Impulse in issue #92 (July 1994). Wally West married Linda Park in issue #142 (October 1998).
When writer Geoff Johns stepped aboard with issue #164 (September 2000), he refocused the character on some of the Silver Age aspects by spending single issues on building the psychology of the various Rogues. Johns created Zoom, the third of the Reverse-Flashes, and fleshed out the environmental character of Keystone City in an attempt to make it unique in comparison to other fictional DC cities such as Metropolis or Gotham City.
In the wake of the "One Year Later" event and Wally West's disappearance in Infinite Crisis, DC canceled The Flash vol. 2 in favor of a new series starring Bart Allen as the Flash. The new series ran only 13 issues and ended with Bart's death. Mark Waid returned to the title briefly in 2007 to bring about the return of Wally West but the series was canceled again in late 2008 with the return of Barry Allen in the event series Final Crisis. Spinning out of Final Crisis, writer Geoff Johns and artist Ethan Van Sciver created The Flash: Rebirth, a 6-issue mini-series bringing Barry Allen back to a leading role in the DC Universe as the primary Flash. Barry Allen is also an integral character in the crossover event Blackest Night, and had a self-titled limited series tying into the main event.
Volume 3 (2010â€"2011)
On September 8, 2009, DC Comics announced that after the completion of The Flash: Rebirth and Blackest Night, Geoff Johns would return to writing a new Flash ongoing series with artist Francis Manapul in 2010. In January 2010, DC Comics announced that the series' opening arc would be launched under the banner of Brightest Day, a line-wide aftermath story to the crossover "Blackest Night". In April 2010, DC released The Flash: Secret Files and Origins 2010 one-shot, setting the stage for the status quo of the new series. It was followed one week later with the release of The Flash vol. 3, #1. On June 1, 2011, it was announced that all series taking place within the shared DC Universe would be either canceled or relaunched with new #1 issues, after a new continuity was created in the wake of the Flashpoint event. The Flash was no exception, and the first issue of the new series was released on September 28, 2011.
Volume 4 (2011-current)
DC Comics relaunched The Flash with issue #1 in September 2011, with writing and art chores handled by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato as part of DC's company-wide title relaunch, The New 52. As with all of the titles associated with the DC relaunch, Barry Allen appears to be about five years younger than the previous incarnation of the character. Superheroes at large have appeared only in the past five years, and are viewed with at best, suspicion, and at worst, outright hostility. In this new continuity, Barry's marriage to Iris West never took place, and he is instead in a relationship with longtime co-worker Patty Spivot. In this new series, the Flash draws deeper into the Speed Force, enhancing his mental abilities while still trying to get a full grasp on his powers, which he doesn't yet exert total control over.
As revealed in issue #0 of the current series, Barry Allen's father was placed in prison for the murder of his mother. While the evidence seems to indicate his father's guilt, Barry makes proving his father's innocence a priority. The murder occurred shortly after Barry returned victorious from a school spelling bee, and Barry placed the trophy he won on his mother's grave in her memory. Barry is also part of the main cast of the relaunched Justice League series, making his debut in the series' second issue.
Collected editions
The Flash vol. 1
- The Flash Archives:
- Volume 1 collects Showcase #4, #8, #13-14 and The Flash #105-108 ISBN 978-1-56389-139-7
- Volume 2 collects The Flash #109-116 ISBN 978-1-56389-606-4
- Volume 3 collects The Flash #117-124 ISBN 978-1-56389-799-3
- Volume 4 collects The Flash #125-132 ISBN 978-1-4012-0771-7
- Volume 5 collects The Flash #133-141 ISBN 1-4012-2151-3
- Volume 6 collects The Flash #142-150 ISBN 978-1-4012-3514-7
- The Flash Chronicles
- Volume 1 collects Showcase #4, 8, 13-14 and The Flash #105-106 ISBN 978-1-4012-2471-4
- Volume 2 collects The Flash #107-112 ISBN 978-1-4012-2884-2
- Volume 3 collects The Flash #113-118 ISBN 978-1-4012-3490-9
- Volume 4 collects The Flash #119-124 ISBN 978-1-4012-3831-5
- Showcase Presents: The Flash Showcase Presents:
- Volume 1 collects Showcase #4, 8, 13, 14 and The Flash #105-119 ISBN 1-4012-1327-8
- Volume 2 collects The Flash #120-140 ISBN 1-4012-1805-9
- Volume 3 collects The Flash #141-161 ISBN 978-1-4012-2297-0
- Volume 4 collects The Flash #162-184 ISBN 1-4012-3679-0
- The Trial of the Flash collects The Flash #323-327, 329-336, 340-350 ISBN 1-4012-3182-9
The Flash vol. 2
- The Flash: Wonderland collects The Flash vol. 2 #164-169, 144 pages, October 2007, ISBN 978-1401214890
- The Flash: Blood Will Run collects The Flash vol. 2 #170-176, The Flash: Iron Heights, The Flash Secret Files #3, 240 pages, February 2008, ISBN 978-1401216474
- The Flash: Rogues collects The Flash vol. 2 #177-182, 144 pages, February 2003, ISBN 978-1563899508
- The Flash: Crossfire collects The Flash vol. 2 #183-191, 224 pages, March 2004, ISBN 978-1401201951
- The Flash: Blitz collects The Flash vol. 2 #192-200, 224 pages, August 2004, ISBN 978-1401203351
- The Flash: Ignition collects The Flash vol. 2 #201-206, 144 pages, March 2005, ISBN 978-1401204631
- The Flash, Vol. 6: The Secret of Barry Allen collects The Flash vol. 2 #207-211, #213-217, 240 pages, August 2005, ISBN 978-1401207236
- The Flash, Vol. 7: Rogue War collects The Flash vol. 2 #212, #218, #220-225, 208 pages, January 2006, ISBN 978-1401209247
- The Flash: The Wild Wests collects The Flash vol. 2 #231-237, 160 pages, August 2008, ISBN 978-1401218287
- The Flash Omnibus by Geoff Johns:
- Volume 1 collects The Flash vol. 2 #164-176, The Flash: Our Worlds at War #1, The Flash: Iron Heights, The Flash Secret Files #3, 448 pages, May 2011, ISBN 978-1401230685
- Volume 2 collects The Flash vol. 2 #177-200, DC First: Flash/Superman #1, 648 pages, April 4, 2012, ISBN 978-1401233914
- Volume 3 collects The Flash vol. 2 #201-225, Wonder Woman #214, 656 pages, September 2012, ISBN 978-1401237172
The Flash vol. 3
- The Flash: Rebirth collects limited series, 168 pages, May 2010, ISBN 978-1401225681
- The Flash, Vol. 1: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues collects The Flash vol. 3 #1-7, The Flash Secret Files 2010, 228 pages, February 2011, ISBN 978-1401229702
- The Flash, Vol. 2: The Road to Flashpoint collects The Flash vol. 3 #8-12, 128 pages, November 2011, ISBN 978-1401232795
The Flash vol. 4 (The New 52)
- The Flash Vol. 1: Move Forward collects The Flash vol. 4 #1-8, 192 pages, November 2012, ISBN 978-1401235536
- The Flash Vol. 2: Rogues Revolution collects The Flash vol. 4 #9-12, #0, and The Flash Annual #1, 176 pages, August 2013, ISBN 978-1401240318
- The Flash Vol. 3: Gorilla Warfare collects The Flash vol. 4 #13-19, 176 pages, February 2014, ISBN 978-1401242749
- The Flash Vol. 4: Reverse collects The Flash vol. 4 #20-25 and #23.2: Reverse-Flash #1, 176 pages, August 2014, ISBN 978-1401247133
- The Flash Vol. 5: History Lessons Collects THE FLASH #26-29 and THE FLASH Annual #2, 144 pages, February 3, 2015, ISBN 978-1401249502
- The Flash Vol. 6: Out of Time Collects THE FLASH #30-35, THE FLASH ANNUAL #3 and THE FLASH FUTURES END #1, 208 pages, June 23, 2015, ISBN 978-1401254278
References
External links
- The Flash at the Comic Book DB
- The Flash vol. 2 at the Comic Book DB
- The Flash vol. 3 at the Comic Book DB
- The Flash vol. 4 at the Comic Book DB
