courtesy the CW
When Grant Gustin speeds on to screens as the Flash in the new CW series of the same name, he’ll be filling some pretty big (bright yellow) boots. Barry Allen was the forerunner of a new generation of superheroes when he first appeared in 1956′s Showcase #4, presaging the creation of DC Comics’ Justice League of America, a comic so successful it led to the creation of the entire Marvel Universe.
The strange thing about the comic book incarnations of the character is that there are so many different versions—Jay Garrick, the original Flash; Barry Allen, the version in the current comics and TV show; Wally West, who took on the role for multiple decades after Barry’s assumed death (he got better); Bart Allen, a time-traveling descendant of Barry from the 31st century—and yet, so few “iconic” stories centering around the character. With this in mind, here are five ways to learn more about the Flash, and his legacy—both good and, in one case, just plain weird. Time to start speed-reading!
The Flash #1-24 (2011-2014)
The first couple of years of the current series featuring the character are the best groundwork one could find for the show. Not only do you get to meet Barry Allen, Iris West, and the various Rogues who make crime happen in Central City (including Grodd, the telepathic gorilla), you’ll also find some theorizing about quite how the Flash’s powers work, an introduction to the case that drives Barry to solve crimes—one that also drives the television version of the character—and some wonderfully inventive artwork and layout by co-writer Francis Manapul.
How to read it: Available digitally and in print collections.
The Early Years (1956-1961)
As pointed out above, the first years of the Barry Allen character hold a particular importance to superhero comics and the superhero genre in general. Beyond that, they’re also a lot of fun, with creators including Gardner Fox, Robert Kanigher, and Carmine Infantino inventing a lot of now-familiar tropes out of 1950s sci-fi ideas, and playing around with an impressively straight-laced hero (the original Barry Allen is fairly square from today’s point-of-view). There’s a staggering amount of invention going on in these pages. This is literally where it all begins.
How to read it: Available digitally and in print collections as Showcase Presents: The Flash .
The Flash: The Return of Barry Allen (1993)
Arguably the most loved era for the Flash came after the “death” of Barry Allen in 1985′s Crisis on Infinite Earths series, when former sidekick Wally West took over the role and writer Mark Waid took over the series. Less than a year into his time on the series, Waid toyed with fans’ affections—and their minds—by appearing to bring Barry back from the dead, only for him to be a jerk. As much a story about hero worship and the need to grow out of such things as it is a superhero slugfest (but it is the latter, as well), this is a pretty great primer on the Flash as a concept and a legacy.
How to read it: Available digitally and in a print collection.
The Flash: Terminal Velocity (1994-1995)
This is another Waid story, and another sequence that focuses on the idea of the Flash as a legacy position. “Terminal Velocity” revisits Wally West’s origins before propelling him towards his death, which means he needs to find and train his replacement—at exactly the same time that a terrorist organization launches a plan to freak out the world, if not outright subjugate the human race. One of the wonderful things about the Flash mythology is its use of ideas like time-travel and this run of issues, although not a time-travel story per se, explores the consequences of such things in an impressive, exciting manner.
How to read it: Available digitally and in a print collection.
The Trial of The Flash (1983-1984)
And here is one for those looking to do a deep dive into Flash history. The final couple of years of the original Flash series contained one of the strangest, most drawn-out stories of the character’s 50-plus year career, in which the character killed one of his villains and went on trial for murder as a result. Because that alone isn’t enough, the storyline also involves the Flash being given an entirely new face by super-intelligent gorillas, some more time-travel, and the revelation that there is, of course, more to the court case than meets the eye. While the main plot is a twisty, turny mess at times, the storyline as a whole is a wonderful summary of what the Flash series had become by that point, and what makes it unique amongst superheroes: supervillains who work together, the ability for a story to change directions without warning, and a feeling that—no matter how bad things might look—everything will ultimately turn out alright. It’s a curio, but a fascinating, fun one to revisit.
How to read it: Available in a print collection.
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