The Flash: Rebirth: DC Compact Comics Edition

DC Compact Comics

by Geoff Johns, Ethan Van Sciver (Illustrator), Francis Manapul (Illustrator)

Barry Allen is back—but the Speed Force isn’t what it used to be. In this thrilling collection of two modern classics, The Flash: Rebirth and The Dastardly Death of the Rogues!, the Scarlet Speedster must reclaim his legacy and outrun a deadly conspiracy. It’s a high-velocity saga of resurrection, redemption, and rogue justice.

The Flash: Rebirth – DC Compact Comics Edition brings together two pivotal storylines that redefined the Flash mythos for a new generation. In The Flash: Rebirth, Barry Allen returns from the dead, but his presence threatens the very Speed Force that empowers every speedster. As he struggles to find his place in a changed world, a dark force from his past emerges. Then, in The Dastardly Death of the Rogues!, Barry faces a time-traveling mystery when a future version of the Rogues accuses him of murder. With stunning art and fast-paced storytelling, this edition is perfect for new readers and longtime fans alike.

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels

352 pages, Paperback

Published March 17, 2026

About the author

Geoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career writing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and JSA (co-written with David S. Goyer) for DC Comics. He worked with Richard Donner for four years, leaving the company to pursue writing full-time.

His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.

Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.

Reviews

[Nicolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This DC Compact Comics edition collects two arcs by Geoff Johns. The first arc is where this collection gets its name, The Flash: Rebirth with Ethan van Sciver. The second is The Flash, Vol. 1: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues from The Flash vol. 3 #1–8 with Francis Manapul.

The Flash: Rebirth was a follow-up to Johns and Van Sciver's acclaimed Green Lantern: Rebirth where they restored Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps. Unlike the earlier story, The Flash: Rebirth is thematically different. It explored the place of newly returned Barry Allen, the Silver Age Flash in the current mythos. When Jordan disappeared, the Corps went with him, and Johns and his collaborators restored them to its rightful place in the DC multiverse. Allen's disappearance allowed his legacy to flourish, primarily with his former sidekick Wally West taking on the mantle and becoming the Flash for a generation of readers. Thus, did Barry Allen have a place for his stores?

Though the The Flash: Rebirth ended on a hopeful note, the stories that came after would prove otherwise. As early as the first arc of Barry Allen's first regular series after his return, Johns was already seeding Flashpoint which was originally planned to reboot a key part of Allen's backstory. It was expanded to encompass the entire DC line which led to the New 52 reboot. This led to new Flash Barry Allen stories as Wally West and the rest of the Flash family were relegated to other titles. Barry Allen needed to be the sole Flash again, and thus the legacy that grew around his absence was dispensed with by editorial.

A shame, because I believe that Wally West was the superior character. He was similar to Dick Grayson's Nightwing, both are characters who have grown out of their mentors' shadows. Wally West has since returned to helm his own book, Absolute Flash (2025-) , because the nature of the DC multiverse allows for multiple versions of a character to coexist.

This is another DC Compact Comics edition that provides value for the dollar with the stories included. It's an essential collection of modern Flash stories. However, I would like to see a DC Compact Comics of the Johns Wally West Flash stories and this format would fit it well, as snug as Flash's crimson costume around him.

[Joseph Dodd · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a LOT of comic book history out there, but one thing I've been enjoying about the DC compact collection is I felt largely ok reading them without worrying I wouldn't understand things, any references I got were a bonus.

That said, I was really confused for the majority of this. I was vaguely aware of some things going on, but having not read much of those stories beforehand, I was lost.

The various characters are great, and the two arcs were interesting, but there's a heck of a lot of speed force stuff, and even for someone who considers themself a somewhat big comic book fan, I was scratching my head. That's partly on me of course, but don't have this as your first Flash comic.

[Brady Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something I've greatly enjoyed reading these DC Compacts so far is that each of them provide an excellent entry point to some great stories of various DC Comics characters. They've allowed me to read some things I probably never would have and piqued my interest in many characters I may not have been interested in before. However, this one is not a good entry point for The Flash at all. I spent the majority of my time reading very confused. There was a lot of context missing and it made for a pretty unenjoyable read. The second half was a lot of fun though so I'll still give it a 3/5.

[Keniel Ortiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The actual rebirth story was pretty fun but it was a bit too fast paced imo. I still loved the whole idea of Barry becoming the new black flash and Thawne being behind everything tho. Also I think there was way too many speedsters fighting Thawne but anyways.
The death of the rogues story on the other hand was a bit more fleshed out which I enjoyed. The rogues and the renegades were cool to see and the plot twist with top I didn’t really expect. Boomerangs story was also great.
Overall an 8.5/10

[Scott A. Love]

I think i'm just not a flash guy, maybe I'll give this another chance in the future.

[Elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining if a little confusing

[Tyson]

gotta go fast!

[Michael Colglazier]

The cover isn’t even from Flash Rebirth lmao

[Mia Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barry Allen will always be my Roman Empire.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 stories. Barry Allen escapes the Speed Force and must solve a bizarre murder that re-creates the accident that gave him his powers. The Renegades travel back in time to arrest Barry for a murder he hasn't committed yet.

[Zachary Hatrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

There can be a lot of technobabble and nonsense when it comes to the Flash. I think the Rebirth arc definitely goes way too far into that but the following 7 issue arc leading up to Flashpoint is great.

[samcan928 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely loved this book. I loved the portrayal of Reverse Flash and Captain Boomerang after their return, and even Barry Allen’s welcome back. This book was amazing because it came with two essential plots important pre-Flashpoint and post-Final Crisis. Great characterization for Barry Allen and the speedster family! This compact comic is good change of pace because it feels like a normal comic book series compared to the other compact comics.