Think fast! What is The Flash about?
“A guy who runs fast?” says the reader.
Well, ok, yes, says the writer. But indulge me and step into Earth-Poetic License with me a bit here. I think Flash is one of the characters from DC Comics that are all about expansion. About stretching concepts, characters, powers as far as we can and challenging the characters to stray true to who they are and where they came from. And more often than changing, doing the most human thing is to give-in (hello, flashpoint) and learning how to face the consequences that come with it.
It doesn't matter if we talk about Jay Garrick, Barry Allen or Wally West. These guys run fast, sure, but they are also often late for dinner, they travel through multiverses and face Speed Gods on the same day their biggest worry is picking up roses for their dates. Flash comics are grandiose sci-fi adventures, classic superhero fun, and explorations of romance and family. And at the same time, they can delve into surprisingly specific metaphysical concepts.
Here 'sa rundown!
Here are some 'The Flash' reading recommendations
The Flash by William Messner-Loebs (1988–1992)
Often overshadowed by Mark Waid's subsequent run, this often-overlooked period was crucial in revitalizing the character for Post-Crisis DC. After Barry’s death in Crisis on Infinite Earths, Wally is left to carry the legacy of his uncle while growing into his own.
It might take a more by-the-book approach, but in a good way, the kind where you pick up an issue and enjoy a full adventure. Wally goes through a lot of self-reflection while throwing punches. Well, he has a city to save but he also has bills to pay and the financial struggles he goes through grounds him and makes a whole generation fall in love with the character for the first time.
Pied Piper is a great supporting character with his own journey as well. Messner-Loebs actually gives the first steps to the legendary next few runs and should not be overlooked in any way.
The first part of his run is collected in Omnibus format.
The Flash by Mark Waid (1992-2000)
My favorite. I mean, i guess this is most people's favorite. It's about that expansion we talked about. The first arc Born to Run retells Wally's origin, so it's a perfect place to start.
Here, Wally is as confident as he is talented, and he is confronted by this statement in a very hardcore way. One simple way Flash-fans use to describe the differences between Wally and his uncle Barry is that Barry's connection to the Speed Force comes from a scientific side, while Wally's is emotional, almost spiritual and intuitive.
In the first half of the run, Waid tackles legacy with the simple yet effective The Return of Barry Allen. In the second half, he dives into the Speed-Force, exploring time travel and expanding Wally’s world with his own Flash family, including Max Mercury, Jesse Quick, and Bart Allen (Impulse). This culminates in some of the absolute best classic Flash arcs, like Terminal Velocity.
Don't miss on the two recent omnibuses,
collecting his run. I would say both are in the top choices of best DC omnibus to get if you are new to comics or if you loved comics all your life.
Grant Morrison & Mark Millar’s The Flash (1997–1998)
Wait, these two also play around with the character? Hell yeah. These major rock stars of comics had a brief conjoined run in the middle of Waid's era and as you can guess, they didn't waste their shot.
More mythological and high-concept stories? Oh yes. A blend of sci-fi, horror, and psychological elements? It's Morrison, of course they experimented with darker tones, horror influences, and Silver Age-style weirdness. We get the first appearance of Black Flash, a speed force entity meant to tip the scales for speedsters. They test Wally's limit like the little rascals we know them to be. This story is a great middle chapter in the ever expanding-lore.
You can get the full run in a single beautiful deluxe hardcover edition that looks baller next to Waid's omnis.
Geoff Johns The Flash (2000–2005, 2009–2011)
Johns dominated DC’s first decade of the 21st century. While he rightfully gets credit for his Green Lantern, JSA, and Titans reboots, he brings the same energy to both Wally and Barry in this zany, all-out fun run. Among all his reboots, this one feels like the most connected to previous ideas rather than being a completely new vision.
Wally feels like a character that finally landed in his perfect spot with a more in depth look at his family life. When Barry returns later in the run, Johns handles both stories in a satisfying way. He makes a compelling case for why both Wally and Barry are The Flash (something that DC itself would forget for nearly a decade).
The meat of his vision tho, is the villains. The Rogues like Captain Cold, Gilder, Heat Wave, Mirror Master and Trickster are center stage in this and are giving full backstories and arcs that are just complete and insanely cool. It culminates beautifully in Rogues War. No kidding, you will eat these Omnibuses like candy. You open the book for Flash and you stay for the Rogues.
And of course, it leads to the most famous, and sometimes mischaracterized, Flash story of all time: Flashpoint, where Barry uses his powers to travel back in time, save his mother’s life, and clear his father’s name from the wrongful murder conviction that ruined his life. This changes the future and gives us things like a Thomas Wayne Batman and an Atlantean and Amazonian full-out war. It is also what leads into the New 52 line-wide reboot.
I would say that beyond the alternative-universe flashness, you can find a great story about a hurt-kid understanding sacrifices and the power one simple action of courage can have in the world. The courage to not do what we would all probably do in his place.
The way Johns writes Zoom as this evil unstoppable force in his life determined to destroy everything and everyone he loves, pushes the character to the limit and it's a beautiful metaphor for that endless-feeling of sinking down we all feel from time to time, and a plea for inner-peace as an act of resistance among tragedy.
The whole run is collected in three omnibuses:
- The Flash by Geoff Johns Omnibus Vol. 1
- The Flash by Geoff Johns Omnibus Vol. 2
- The Flash by Geoff Johns Omnibus Vol. 3
And Flashpoint's full storyline is also collected in one omnibus and multiple deluxe editions.
The Flash by Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato (2011–2014) New 52
Barry Allen takes center stage in the DC Comics relaunch and the stories are way more focused on his detective and scientist aspects. The visuals are the stars here. Some of the most beautiful and complex pages that take full advantage of his powers with incredible fluidity to them. It's just gorgeous. It's written like a perfect TV-Show and I would recommend this if your main contact with the character was with the Grant Gustins series version on The CW. Barry feels young again and explores his powers in very cool ways that differentiate himself from Wally.
It's collected in one pitch-perfect The Flash By Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato Omnibus.
The Flash by Joshua Williamson (2016–2021) Rebirth Era
Oh, so you want every single aspect of Flash? Joshua got you. Wally is back and Barry is not going anywhere. Even Impulse is here. And look, the whole Flash-family. This is a full dive into Flash's mythology that does not ignore any aspect of it. It's a tough task but it feels cohesive and it's the definitive argument that everything can stay and cohabit in this universe.
The zanny-romance, the family stories, the speed force, the sci-fi adventures, the science detective feeling. All here. It's one the biggest Flash runs in history (in today's comics reboot landscape???) and what this means is that Williamson tells a sequential story that will make you feel like you are going on a journey with these characters. The aspect that editors seem to forget it's the reason we buy ongoing comics in the first place(I know, insane) instead of future graphic novels in disguise.
It's been collected in two Omnibuses:
By the end of it, you'll feel like Williamson took you through a full-circle, long-form storytelling journey.
Other 'The Flash' comic recommendations if you read them all too fast and can't get enough!
Dip into what's happening right now with Simon Spurrier's current run getting the TPBs or the single issues. It's the closest we ever got to a Jonathan Hickman-style Flash run that feels almost like something from his Fantastic Four books.
You can also go for some pre-Crisis storylines with the new DC Finest: The Flash: The Human Thunderbolt line republishing some silver-age goodness.
Some classic storylines worth mentioning are "Flash of Two Worlds" (The Flash #123, 1961) that basically introduces the concept of the DC Multiverse. One could argue that, given where superheroes stand in pop culture today, this is one of the most essential and defining stories, not just for The Flash, but for the entire genre.
"The Trail of the Flash" (The Flash #179, 1968) features groundbreaking meta storytelling that places Barry in our reality, while "The Death of Iris West" (The Flash #275-284, 1979-1980) – as the title suggests – deals with heartbreaking tragedy.
And we haven’t even touched much on Jay Garrick. You can pick up his recent miniseries or dive into his stories with the JSA, like in Geoff Johns’ omnibuses, where he truly shines the brightest.
The Flash is more than just Barry Allen
At its core, The Flash is about momentum. Not just in speed, but in storytelling, legacy, and personal growth. Jay Garrick pioneering heroism, Barry Allen redefining the impossible, Wally West discovering his own path - every era of The Flash is about pushing boundaries.
From lighthearted sci-fi romps to deep metaphysical explorations, the character thrives on change while always staying true to his heart.
Each writer brings something unique: Messner-Loebs grounded Wally, Waid expanded the mythology, Morrison & Millar played with reality, Johns elevated the villains, Manapul redefined the visuals, and Williamson embraced it all.
No matter where you start, The Flash is a journey worth taking. When time feels like it's slipping away, there's always a way to move forward.
1 comment
Helen
The Flash was my first point of contact with comics, so this character has a very special place in my heart! love the reading reccomendations!!