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The Flash by Geoff Johns
The Flash by Geoff Johns, Book One
In 2000, Geoff Johns redefined THE FLASH for a new generation. Now you can re-experience his unforgettable five-year run in these stunning tales of Wally West, The Fastest Man Alive!
When the Flash breaks through space and time to reach a parallel Earth, it mirrors our own—except for one big there is no Speed Force. Disconnected from the energy source that powers all super-speedsters, this is a world where The Flash never existed, and has become deadly for anyone who wears a mask. Powerless and hunted by the law, the only way Wally West can survive and escape is to accept help from those he trusts the least—his own Rogues Gallery!
This first volume in THE FLASH BY GEOFF JOHNS series collects THE FLASH #164-176 and THE IRON HEIGHTS featuring art by Angel Unzueta, Scott Kolins and Ethan Van Sciver.
When the Flash breaks through space and time to reach a parallel Earth, it mirrors our own—except for one big there is no Speed Force. Disconnected from the energy source that powers all super-speedsters, this is a world where The Flash never existed, and has become deadly for anyone who wears a mask. Powerless and hunted by the law, the only way Wally West can survive and escape is to accept help from those he trusts the least—his own Rogues Gallery!
This first volume in THE FLASH BY GEOFF JOHNS series collects THE FLASH #164-176 and THE IRON HEIGHTS featuring art by Angel Unzueta, Scott Kolins and Ethan Van Sciver.
448 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2015
105 people are currently reading
366 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Johns
2,717 books2,410 followersGeoff 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
December 29, 2018
It's nice to step back to the days as Wally West as the Flash. It really is the golden era of the Flash, watching him grow from the immature Kid Flash during Mark Waid's run into the self-sure family man he becomes during Geoff Johns time on the book. Johns takes a very down to earth approach to the character while turning Keystone City into a version of Detroit. Wally is so much more interesting as the Flash. Not only is he better at using his powers at this point, but he's a less selfish hero. I like his approach to the Rogues. He doesn't think they are all bad and is willing to cut them a break when they lend a hand. Johns greatly expands Flash's rogues gallery during this era, giving him a set of villains second only to Batman and maybe Spider-Man. There's a good reason I keep returning to this era of the Flash over and over. Maybe DC's current Flash writers will one day get why and strengthen Barry's character.
December 10, 2021
Wally West is my favorite Flash.
Oh sure Jay and of course Barry are awesome, then throw in the Speed Force and all the other speedsters, just a great storyline, but here Geoff Johns and team bring together some issues of Volume Two, which is Wally’s run as The Flash, from issues #164-176 and The Flash Iron Heights, this is a fun graphic novel.
I liked the art in the first part, done mainly by Scott Kolins, Ethan Van Sciver and Angel Unzueta. One issue that comes up with another of my favorite artists, Kelly Jones, is the issue of realistic illustrations or more comic, pseudo-caricatures. Jones famous drawings of Batman are spectacularly unrealistic, but Hey! It’s a comic book, have some fun. The art in the first part is often like this and I really enjoyed the color and vibrancy of the frames.
The second third is the Iron Heights series which is the better written, and an amusing exploration of some of Iron Heights more colorful inmates – Rogues and new rogues.
Good book.
Oh sure Jay and of course Barry are awesome, then throw in the Speed Force and all the other speedsters, just a great storyline, but here Geoff Johns and team bring together some issues of Volume Two, which is Wally’s run as The Flash, from issues #164-176 and The Flash Iron Heights, this is a fun graphic novel.
I liked the art in the first part, done mainly by Scott Kolins, Ethan Van Sciver and Angel Unzueta. One issue that comes up with another of my favorite artists, Kelly Jones, is the issue of realistic illustrations or more comic, pseudo-caricatures. Jones famous drawings of Batman are spectacularly unrealistic, but Hey! It’s a comic book, have some fun. The art in the first part is often like this and I really enjoyed the color and vibrancy of the frames.
The second third is the Iron Heights series which is the better written, and an amusing exploration of some of Iron Heights more colorful inmates – Rogues and new rogues.
Good book.
July 26, 2022
Cheesy, fun, and a little disjointed. It's a rough start for Johns' Flash run, but one that already shows improvements between the first and second halves. Never does this volume feel overly clever or well written, and it probably isn't trying to be. What you get here is some good ol' fashioned popcorn entertainment with small stakes and little substance. Something that probably won't be memorable in the long run, it's an 'in the moment' type of enjoyment.
July 2, 2016
I was a bit worried. The first major arc in this title is just okay. So I was wondering if this was worth my time and money. Luckily the second half made it very much so.
We start off with a plot where Flash is thrown into a mirror like world. Things are similar but not the same. He is considered a criminal and he lost his speed. I never understood why this seems to be a big thing people like to do. The whole fun part of Flash is his speed. Take that away the fights are dull.
However second half is so much more fun. Multiple stories of The Flash dealing with his rogues, taking them down, and also dealing more with Wally's personal life and learning his past. I really dug this and I really 'em liking my first taste of Wally, he's a fun character.
Overall second half is a blast, and good old flash fun. The first half is okay. For that it be closer to a 3.5 but the ending made me want book 2, so I'm going to go with a 4 because it's so damn fun at the end. New to flash? Pick this bad boy up for 16 bucks with 300+ pages.
We start off with a plot where Flash is thrown into a mirror like world. Things are similar but not the same. He is considered a criminal and he lost his speed. I never understood why this seems to be a big thing people like to do. The whole fun part of Flash is his speed. Take that away the fights are dull.
However second half is so much more fun. Multiple stories of The Flash dealing with his rogues, taking them down, and also dealing more with Wally's personal life and learning his past. I really dug this and I really 'em liking my first taste of Wally, he's a fun character.
Overall second half is a blast, and good old flash fun. The first half is okay. For that it be closer to a 3.5 but the ending made me want book 2, so I'm going to go with a 4 because it's so damn fun at the end. New to flash? Pick this bad boy up for 16 bucks with 300+ pages.
January 9, 2019
In the hands of Geoff Johns as the head writer, we get a much more grounded and well rounded Wally West. And the great part is that not only is Wally West rebuilt from the ground up, but also the world around him. From the city, to the rogues, to Linda West and the rest of his allies, its all reestablished as a much more grounded approach to the Flash mythos.
The first story is pretty clever way to establish Wally as not only a great super hero, but just a smart, resourceful dude that can think on his feet and do the right thing regardless of his powers. In this first arc, he is depowered which allows his "normal, non powered" character to shine through. He gets by on his smarts and bravery, and shows that Wally is a hero regardless of his speed. We also get a new dynamic on how Wally intearcts with his rogues, where now, we see them as much more human and not one note villains. He works with them, he gives them a break, and he actually talks to them. It really elevates the book to a character study where before it was more of an action adventure type book.
In the second arc deals with a cult that basically worships Wally, but for some reason (that isnt really explained) they kill those who Wally has saved in the past. The story is ok, but what really shines is the art by Scott Kolins. He has a bright, clean line that is perfect for the Flash. I really enjoyed this story mostly because of the art.
All in all, its a great start to Johns time on the book. Looking forward to continuing to read his run.
Recommended for anyone that likes the flash!
The first story is pretty clever way to establish Wally as not only a great super hero, but just a smart, resourceful dude that can think on his feet and do the right thing regardless of his powers. In this first arc, he is depowered which allows his "normal, non powered" character to shine through. He gets by on his smarts and bravery, and shows that Wally is a hero regardless of his speed. We also get a new dynamic on how Wally intearcts with his rogues, where now, we see them as much more human and not one note villains. He works with them, he gives them a break, and he actually talks to them. It really elevates the book to a character study where before it was more of an action adventure type book.
In the second arc deals with a cult that basically worships Wally, but for some reason (that isnt really explained) they kill those who Wally has saved in the past. The story is ok, but what really shines is the art by Scott Kolins. He has a bright, clean line that is perfect for the Flash. I really enjoyed this story mostly because of the art.
All in all, its a great start to Johns time on the book. Looking forward to continuing to read his run.
Recommended for anyone that likes the flash!
June 3, 2024
I really enjoyed this first volume, it’s nice to see Wally fully established as the flash and the stories in here were good. I found the first half slower to read than the second but that just means that hopefully the series is going in a good direction!
February 1, 2016
As a big Geoff John's fan I knew I would like this one. And thankfully I wasn't let down.
Before now the only Flash stories I've read were Rebirth and Flashpoint, both of which revolve around Barry. So this was my first real exposure to Wally West.
I had no idea that he didn't have a secret identity? That definitely put a different spin on the superhero thing, since all the villains can just look him up in the phone book! It was cool to see a hero that was able to maintain a semi normal life as a known hero with a family and a life. And John's writes Wally with a sense of humanity that you don't see that much. He doesn't want to be idolised, he just wants to use his powers to help people.
Another thing I really like here is how Wally treats the Rouges. They are villains, but they have some sense of right and wrong and won't cross some lines. They came off more as delinquent older brothers, rather than enemies which I found cool.
The art was also enjoyable. I preferred the second half of the book more so, but the first section is rad too.
Looking forward to seeing where the story goes with Pied Piper and the new Rouges. Just have to wait until May when the next volume comes out...dammit!!
Before now the only Flash stories I've read were Rebirth and Flashpoint, both of which revolve around Barry. So this was my first real exposure to Wally West.
I had no idea that he didn't have a secret identity? That definitely put a different spin on the superhero thing, since all the villains can just look him up in the phone book! It was cool to see a hero that was able to maintain a semi normal life as a known hero with a family and a life. And John's writes Wally with a sense of humanity that you don't see that much. He doesn't want to be idolised, he just wants to use his powers to help people.
Another thing I really like here is how Wally treats the Rouges. They are villains, but they have some sense of right and wrong and won't cross some lines. They came off more as delinquent older brothers, rather than enemies which I found cool.
The art was also enjoyable. I preferred the second half of the book more so, but the first section is rad too.
Looking forward to seeing where the story goes with Pied Piper and the new Rouges. Just have to wait until May when the next volume comes out...dammit!!
August 29, 2021
This was such a great volume!
It starts with Wally being stuck in some other dimension and then we have him team up with Cold and MM and as we discover here there are some other things at play and they have to maze their way through this wonderland and meeting alternate versions of people they know, for Wally its personal and then we have the revelations with Brother Grimm and all that and its fun! Its a quick fun story with great character moments.
Then we have the stories with Magenta and the coming of the Cicada cult and all there is on that side and its so good to see someone like Cicada who thinks its his mission to kill people Wally saves and its this weird twisted ideology and it highlights the difference between the two and also shows the plight of Magenta and the art was so good there.
And finally the thing with Mirror Master and his child and the face off there plus Wally and Linda and their lives going on and facing off against Murmur in the Iron heights story, setting some stuff up there with Warden Wolfe and The New Rogues and that story was so good just showing the lengths Wally will go to save people and showing his heroic tendencies. Plus good spotlight on Jay Garrick.
Overall its a great volume and shows Wally at his best and heroic self and the lengths he will go to, to save people and spotlights characters as Cold, Piper, Linda, Chyre, Morillo and sets stuff for the future in such a great way and the art team is awesome throughout! Great stuff all around! A must read!
It starts with Wally being stuck in some other dimension and then we have him team up with Cold and MM and as we discover here there are some other things at play and they have to maze their way through this wonderland and meeting alternate versions of people they know, for Wally its personal and then we have the revelations with Brother Grimm and all that and its fun! Its a quick fun story with great character moments.
Then we have the stories with Magenta and the coming of the Cicada cult and all there is on that side and its so good to see someone like Cicada who thinks its his mission to kill people Wally saves and its this weird twisted ideology and it highlights the difference between the two and also shows the plight of Magenta and the art was so good there.
And finally the thing with Mirror Master and his child and the face off there plus Wally and Linda and their lives going on and facing off against Murmur in the Iron heights story, setting some stuff up there with Warden Wolfe and The New Rogues and that story was so good just showing the lengths Wally will go to save people and showing his heroic tendencies. Plus good spotlight on Jay Garrick.
Overall its a great volume and shows Wally at his best and heroic self and the lengths he will go to, to save people and spotlights characters as Cold, Piper, Linda, Chyre, Morillo and sets stuff for the future in such a great way and the art team is awesome throughout! Great stuff all around! A must read!
March 17, 2019
I dont know why but I wasnt as blown away as I was expecting. So far i haven't become a massive Johns fanboy.
October 10, 2025
Muy buen primer tomo: mucha acción, dinámico, buena caracterización de personajes. Johns muestra el amor y el conocimiento que tiene de Wally y su entorno. Lo criticable es el dibujo del primer arco pero por suerte después entra Kolins y mejora mucho en ese rubro. Agrego: las PORTADAZAS de Brian Bolland: ❤️❤️
November 16, 2018
The Flash Book One collects a year of The Flash comic book (and a special) from 2000-2001, so it contains several multi-issue stories. The first story starts with a bang with Wally West's Flash arriving in what he eventually figures out is a mirror universe, where there was no Flash - no Jay Garrick Golden Age Flash, no Barry Allen Silver Age Flash, and no Wally West Modern Age Flash. As a result, there are no other heroes - the members of the Justice Society and Justice League of America having been killed or forced into retirement. Keystone City has a zero-tolerance policy against all masks both Rogues and Heroes. West finds himself in jail, drugged by a "counselor" and then rescued by Captian Cold. Wally, Cold, and Mirror Master end-up having to work together to get out of the Mirror Universe before it collapses in on itself. They eventually succeed, only to find Keystone City missing when they return.
Mirror Master helps Wally and Capt. Cold to figure out what's happened to Keystone City. While they were captured inside Linda's wedding ring, Keystone was shifted into another dimension. Mirror Master gets them there and they end up in a fairy-tale like alternate universe. Wally had been there once before as Kid Flash with Barry Allen as the Flash. Wally discovers the current king of this fairyland holds quite a grudge. It seems when he and Barry last visited, he told the young, artistic prince he could "do whatever he wanted" rather than be king. So after the kingdom rose up and defeated the tyrant king, the young prince made his younger brother king, only to have his brother become a worse tyrant than the old king. This new king also launched wars that killed off much of the population of the kingdom. Wally tries to explain that the prince, who is now king, missed the point, but the king decides to execute him anyway to get even. Cold and Mirror Master try to leave but they discover they are now trapped. Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash arrives - first he's bounced from Grimm, but then he returns. The Flash (Wally) is able to borrow some of Jay's speed and give it to Cold and Mirror Master. They work together to break the spells and return to Keystone City to where it belongs, with everyone back to normal rather than believing they are their alternate selves.
The next story starts with some background information on Keystone City, an industrial blue-collar city that works hard and plays harder. An old girlfriend of Wally's shows up but before he can talk to her about their break-up, she's murdered. Magenta, another old girlfriend of Wally's, who happens to be an unstable Meta, also returns. However, she seems to have calmed down a lot. Meanwhile, the Keystone City police are dealing with a serial killer. It takes a while to figure out the pattern, but it turns out that everyone who died was at one point in their lives saved by the Flash. The killer is Cicada, and he leads a cult of people saved by the Flash who are now some sort of religious cult. Cicada convinces his followers to offer themselves as a sacrifice and he wants to gather enough energy to bring his wife back from the dead. Oh, and due to a lightning strike, Cicada is immortal. The Flash is able to finally send Cicada to Iron Heights. But it turns out that Julie, the cop who once dated Wally had a baby.
There's a one-issue story of the Flash verses Tarpit in which Wally quickly defeats the new foe.
As Wally deals with the death of Julie, and the possibility of being the father of her baby, Weather Wizard goes on the attack in Keystone - and he says the child is his. But Weather Wizard only wants to control the child because he thinks the child can control the weather without a weather wand. The Flash defeats Weather Wizard and he and Linda decide they need to figure out what to do with Julie's baby.
At Iron Heights, Warden Wolfe is not simply tough - he's corrupt, and he's torturing Metas, but when a mutated virus makes it way through the prison, killing prisoners and guards alike - he needs to reach out to the police for help. Wally, Pied Piper (who has reformed), and Jay Garrick rush to the prison. Jay will work on an antidote in the lab, while Wally investigates and tries to find the original contagion in the prison. Wally finds evidence of corruption and torture in the prison and he's exposed himself. He does discover the source of the virus though and gets it to Jay in time for an antidote to be made. He also informs the police of Wolfe's abuses. The prisoners and guards that didn't die in the initial attack are saved with a vaccine. But a few of the Flash's Rogues escape and form a group called, "The New Rogues".
I enjoyed The Flash Book One there's a variety of story types, and the writing is solid. Wally is a fun character, but here, having taken over the mantle of the Flash from his Uncle Barry who died in the line of duty - he's a bit more serious. Even though this is an older book, I still recommend it, it is a great introduction to the Wally West Modern Age Flash.
Mirror Master helps Wally and Capt. Cold to figure out what's happened to Keystone City. While they were captured inside Linda's wedding ring, Keystone was shifted into another dimension. Mirror Master gets them there and they end up in a fairy-tale like alternate universe. Wally had been there once before as Kid Flash with Barry Allen as the Flash. Wally discovers the current king of this fairyland holds quite a grudge. It seems when he and Barry last visited, he told the young, artistic prince he could "do whatever he wanted" rather than be king. So after the kingdom rose up and defeated the tyrant king, the young prince made his younger brother king, only to have his brother become a worse tyrant than the old king. This new king also launched wars that killed off much of the population of the kingdom. Wally tries to explain that the prince, who is now king, missed the point, but the king decides to execute him anyway to get even. Cold and Mirror Master try to leave but they discover they are now trapped. Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash arrives - first he's bounced from Grimm, but then he returns. The Flash (Wally) is able to borrow some of Jay's speed and give it to Cold and Mirror Master. They work together to break the spells and return to Keystone City to where it belongs, with everyone back to normal rather than believing they are their alternate selves.
The next story starts with some background information on Keystone City, an industrial blue-collar city that works hard and plays harder. An old girlfriend of Wally's shows up but before he can talk to her about their break-up, she's murdered. Magenta, another old girlfriend of Wally's, who happens to be an unstable Meta, also returns. However, she seems to have calmed down a lot. Meanwhile, the Keystone City police are dealing with a serial killer. It takes a while to figure out the pattern, but it turns out that everyone who died was at one point in their lives saved by the Flash. The killer is Cicada, and he leads a cult of people saved by the Flash who are now some sort of religious cult. Cicada convinces his followers to offer themselves as a sacrifice and he wants to gather enough energy to bring his wife back from the dead. Oh, and due to a lightning strike, Cicada is immortal. The Flash is able to finally send Cicada to Iron Heights. But it turns out that Julie, the cop who once dated Wally had a baby.
There's a one-issue story of the Flash verses Tarpit in which Wally quickly defeats the new foe.
As Wally deals with the death of Julie, and the possibility of being the father of her baby, Weather Wizard goes on the attack in Keystone - and he says the child is his. But Weather Wizard only wants to control the child because he thinks the child can control the weather without a weather wand. The Flash defeats Weather Wizard and he and Linda decide they need to figure out what to do with Julie's baby.
At Iron Heights, Warden Wolfe is not simply tough - he's corrupt, and he's torturing Metas, but when a mutated virus makes it way through the prison, killing prisoners and guards alike - he needs to reach out to the police for help. Wally, Pied Piper (who has reformed), and Jay Garrick rush to the prison. Jay will work on an antidote in the lab, while Wally investigates and tries to find the original contagion in the prison. Wally finds evidence of corruption and torture in the prison and he's exposed himself. He does discover the source of the virus though and gets it to Jay in time for an antidote to be made. He also informs the police of Wolfe's abuses. The prisoners and guards that didn't die in the initial attack are saved with a vaccine. But a few of the Flash's Rogues escape and form a group called, "The New Rogues".
I enjoyed The Flash Book One there's a variety of story types, and the writing is solid. Wally is a fun character, but here, having taken over the mantle of the Flash from his Uncle Barry who died in the line of duty - he's a bit more serious. Even though this is an older book, I still recommend it, it is a great introduction to the Wally West Modern Age Flash.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2025
Good stories. I really liked the story with Magenta. But the coloring style didn’t apply to me. Overall a good way to start my Flash reading era.
February 5, 2020
It's close to 4 stars, but the first 4-6 issue arc (don't remember entirely) was absolutely dreadful and insanely boring. The artwork was also horribly sharp and crude, I could barely drag myself through these first issues in weeks!
Yet, I must admit that when the artistic team changed and Geoff Johns found his footing it started becoming way better. I really like Wally's adult issues and past mistakes bitting him in the ass. He's very likeable, and has some decent quips.
Johns is great at writing great easy going super hero stories, but this is the first time I've seen him get really gruesome! Some of the villains were very horrifying and the amount of blood and injuries really surprised me, since the first half seemed very kid-friendly.
I don't know what else to say, but I am interested in getting the next volume. Though it is not at the top of my list. As usual Geoff Johns does a good job, but it's no flashpoint.
Yet, I must admit that when the artistic team changed and Geoff Johns found his footing it started becoming way better. I really like Wally's adult issues and past mistakes bitting him in the ass. He's very likeable, and has some decent quips.
Johns is great at writing great easy going super hero stories, but this is the first time I've seen him get really gruesome! Some of the villains were very horrifying and the amount of blood and injuries really surprised me, since the first half seemed very kid-friendly.
I don't know what else to say, but I am interested in getting the next volume. Though it is not at the top of my list. As usual Geoff Johns does a good job, but it's no flashpoint.
July 10, 2016
3,5 tähteä. Ei aivan yllä Flashpointin tasolle, mutta oli silti kiintoisaa luettavaa. Pidin erityisen paljon kirjan aloittavasta Wonderland-tarina-arkista, joka on Johnsin ensimmäinen Flash-sarjakuva. Onneksi olen lukenut Liisan seikkailut aikaisemmin, joten tajusin viittaukset.
April 17, 2023
3/5
First flash book I’ve read. Really fun starting story with fantastic art at the beginning. The longer it goes it kind of looses its luster but this was still a fun book. Not something great but just good. Worth reading for some fun flash.
First flash book I’ve read. Really fun starting story with fantastic art at the beginning. The longer it goes it kind of looses its luster but this was still a fun book. Not something great but just good. Worth reading for some fun flash.
June 4, 2017
Que Geoff Johns es uno de mis autores favoritos no será un secreto para nadie que vea mi lista de lecturas en tomos de cómics: Green Lantern de Geoff Johns, JSA de Geoff Johns... y ahora, Flash de Geoff Johns. Y es que los tomos que ECC está trayendo con los recopilatorios de este autor hacen que sea una gozada hacer estas colecciones.
Geoff Johns llegó a Flash con un encargo difícil: suceder a uno de los autores más reseñables de la historia del Velocista Escarlata, Mark Waid ni más ni menos, y este tomo recoge los primeros números de la etapa del escritor que trajo de vuelta a Barry Allen, pero que trabajó mucho antes con el Flash de nuestra generación, Wally West. En principio Johns iba a realizar una especie de interinidad, una sola saga, con dibujo de Ángel Unzueta, mientras el autor que iba a suceder a Waid, el veterano Gerry Conway, llegaba para hacerse con el que sería su nuevo dominio. Conway nunca llegó (por lo que fuera), y finalmente Johns se quedaría en la serie más tiempo del que originalmente pensaba, y se nota en cómo está escrita cada una de las partes. El Viaje al País de las Maravillas, que da título al tomo y que abre el volumen, es una historia cerrada en la que Flash se encuentra en un mundo sin Fuerza de la Velocidad, en el que ha perdido sus poderes y además, sólo cuenta con la ayuda del Capitán Frío para poder volver a su realidad. En una historia magistralmente dibujada por Ángel Unzueta, Johns explora la historia antigua de Wally West en los tiempos en que este vestía el uniforme de Kid Flash y formaba parte de los Titanes, mientras explora el tema del legado, de tanta importancia en el Universo DC.
Al quedarse finalmente en la colección, Johns comenzó a hacer un trabajo más expansivo, trabajando en dotar de personalidad a la propia Keystone City, trayendo nuevos secundarios a la serie, y profundizando en la relación entre Wally y su reciente esposa, Linda, mientras enfrenta al protagonista de la serie a una secta que le adora como representante del relámpago y que están decididos a acabar con la vida de todos aquellos que han sido salvados por Flash; y luego al Hechicero del Clima, decidido a conseguir un premio muy especial... En estos números, Johns colabora con el que es otro de los fetiches del corredor, Scott Kolins. Y para redondear el tomo, incluye un especial, con dibujos de Ethan van Sciver en el que Flash y el Flautista tienen que hacer frente a un virus surgido ni más ni menos que en Iron Heights, y que amenaza con extenderse por la ciudad, llevando a primer plano a uno de los enemigos más siniestros de Flash, Murmullo.
Si bien el principio es un poco flojo, lo cierto es que el tomo enseguida mejora y sobre todo, promete ir a mucho mejor...
Geoff Johns llegó a Flash con un encargo difícil: suceder a uno de los autores más reseñables de la historia del Velocista Escarlata, Mark Waid ni más ni menos, y este tomo recoge los primeros números de la etapa del escritor que trajo de vuelta a Barry Allen, pero que trabajó mucho antes con el Flash de nuestra generación, Wally West. En principio Johns iba a realizar una especie de interinidad, una sola saga, con dibujo de Ángel Unzueta, mientras el autor que iba a suceder a Waid, el veterano Gerry Conway, llegaba para hacerse con el que sería su nuevo dominio. Conway nunca llegó (por lo que fuera), y finalmente Johns se quedaría en la serie más tiempo del que originalmente pensaba, y se nota en cómo está escrita cada una de las partes. El Viaje al País de las Maravillas, que da título al tomo y que abre el volumen, es una historia cerrada en la que Flash se encuentra en un mundo sin Fuerza de la Velocidad, en el que ha perdido sus poderes y además, sólo cuenta con la ayuda del Capitán Frío para poder volver a su realidad. En una historia magistralmente dibujada por Ángel Unzueta, Johns explora la historia antigua de Wally West en los tiempos en que este vestía el uniforme de Kid Flash y formaba parte de los Titanes, mientras explora el tema del legado, de tanta importancia en el Universo DC.
Al quedarse finalmente en la colección, Johns comenzó a hacer un trabajo más expansivo, trabajando en dotar de personalidad a la propia Keystone City, trayendo nuevos secundarios a la serie, y profundizando en la relación entre Wally y su reciente esposa, Linda, mientras enfrenta al protagonista de la serie a una secta que le adora como representante del relámpago y que están decididos a acabar con la vida de todos aquellos que han sido salvados por Flash; y luego al Hechicero del Clima, decidido a conseguir un premio muy especial... En estos números, Johns colabora con el que es otro de los fetiches del corredor, Scott Kolins. Y para redondear el tomo, incluye un especial, con dibujos de Ethan van Sciver en el que Flash y el Flautista tienen que hacer frente a un virus surgido ni más ni menos que en Iron Heights, y que amenaza con extenderse por la ciudad, llevando a primer plano a uno de los enemigos más siniestros de Flash, Murmullo.
Si bien el principio es un poco flojo, lo cierto es que el tomo enseguida mejora y sobre todo, promete ir a mucho mejor...
November 27, 2017
Reprints The Flash (2) #164-176 and The Flash: Iron Heights (September 2000-September 2001). The Flash finds himself in another world where he isn’t a hero and his only hope could be Captain Cold! Plus, the Flash takes on a villain named Cicada who could undo all the good that the Flash has ever done. Linda and Wally find their lives turned upside down once again when a baby shows up that could be tied to Wally’s past and a mystery is surfacing in Iron Heights that could lead to a deadly outbreak!
Written by Geoff Johns, The Flash by Geoff Johns—Volume 1 collects the start of Johns’ game-changing run on The Flash. The collection features issues previously collected in The Flash: Wonderland and The Flash: Blood Will Run.
I actually always kind of liked the Flash. People always wrote off the Flash as the guy who could just “run fast” (like Aquaman could just swim and talk to fish). While that largely is true, it takes some clever writing to make the character more interesting than many of DC’s big guns. Geoff Johns managed to accomplish this in his run of The Flash which has a solid start here.
What is good about the Flash is that he can cross a lot of genres. His ability to time travel and jump dimensions with his powers allows for an almost endless set-up of stories including sci-fi fantasy stories along the lines of The Twilight Zone. That’s what you get in the start of this collection, but you get back to more classic superhero style storylines by the end of the volume.
Another reason I always like the Flash was his Rogue galleries. The Flash’s villains were always a strange balance of over-the-top supervillains and characters with strange moral codes. You have Rogues that switched sides like Pied Piper and you have Rogues that weren’t always just out for their own good like Captain Cold. The classic Rogues always work best in this series, so I’m never as interested as when Johns introduces his own characters like Cicada, Tar Pit and the villains in the stand-alone The Flash: Iron Heights issue.
Geoff Johns revolutionized the DC Universe in my opinion for better rather than worse, and The Flash was one of his early series. Here, Johns is just finding his footing and doesn’t have the massive creative control he has today, but you can tell at this point he’s already growing and learning in his writings…has he written better stuff? Yes. Is it still good? Yes. The Flash by Geoff Johns—Volume 1 is followed by The Flash by Geoff Johns—Volume 2.
Written by Geoff Johns, The Flash by Geoff Johns—Volume 1 collects the start of Johns’ game-changing run on The Flash. The collection features issues previously collected in The Flash: Wonderland and The Flash: Blood Will Run.
I actually always kind of liked the Flash. People always wrote off the Flash as the guy who could just “run fast” (like Aquaman could just swim and talk to fish). While that largely is true, it takes some clever writing to make the character more interesting than many of DC’s big guns. Geoff Johns managed to accomplish this in his run of The Flash which has a solid start here.
What is good about the Flash is that he can cross a lot of genres. His ability to time travel and jump dimensions with his powers allows for an almost endless set-up of stories including sci-fi fantasy stories along the lines of The Twilight Zone. That’s what you get in the start of this collection, but you get back to more classic superhero style storylines by the end of the volume.
Another reason I always like the Flash was his Rogue galleries. The Flash’s villains were always a strange balance of over-the-top supervillains and characters with strange moral codes. You have Rogues that switched sides like Pied Piper and you have Rogues that weren’t always just out for their own good like Captain Cold. The classic Rogues always work best in this series, so I’m never as interested as when Johns introduces his own characters like Cicada, Tar Pit and the villains in the stand-alone The Flash: Iron Heights issue.
Geoff Johns revolutionized the DC Universe in my opinion for better rather than worse, and The Flash was one of his early series. Here, Johns is just finding his footing and doesn’t have the massive creative control he has today, but you can tell at this point he’s already growing and learning in his writings…has he written better stuff? Yes. Is it still good? Yes. The Flash by Geoff Johns—Volume 1 is followed by The Flash by Geoff Johns—Volume 2.
January 4, 2025
Geoff Johns kicks off his run with the long awaited return of the Rogues, giving us a few fun stories.
There are two and a half stories collected here: Wonderland, Blood Will Run, and Crossfire pt. 1.
Wonderland finds Wally in a parallel dimension where he doesn't have his powers and he is forced to team up with Captain Cold and Mirror Master. It was fun, especially seeing the Flash and Cold dynamic. I have a feeling I am really going to love Captain Cold going forward. There is just something special about hero-villain love-hate relationships. I also like how the traditional 'harmless' villains are being transformed into real threats. The Rogues can be very bad and dangerous if they want to, they are just choosing not to out of a sense of honor among thieves.
The second major story involves a new villain and some new side characters, all of which are amazing. For spoiler reasons, I won't go too much into the villain, but let's just say he fits right in with Batman's rogues gallery. In fact, this whole story could have easily been a Batman story... but a fun one. So dark for the Flash. However, we get two amazing characters out of this: Morillo and Chyre. One is a former FBI Agent wants to move to a save town to raise his family, only to discover superheroes are a thing and is sick of the crazy crap he has to deal with. The other is a beefy and tough as nails old cop, who refuses to retire, but is really good at his job. One is constantly on the phone with his wife complaining, the other will punch you. They are great.
Lastly, we get our intro to "Crossfire," which is a multi-story arc leading to a new Rogues group that is willing to kill and has a hidden agenda. Since this story is finished in Book 2, I will leave the rest of my review there. I just wish it was all thrown in a single volume, instead of clearly breaking off mid-story.
Overall, the tone was all over the place, which I enjoyed, but is certainly not for everybody. The shenanigans were also pretty wild, as per Johns. BUT I loved how none of the villains were speedsters and the Rogues became an actual threat again. Johns does a good job at making joke villains serious and hilarious at the same time.
There are two and a half stories collected here: Wonderland, Blood Will Run, and Crossfire pt. 1.
Wonderland finds Wally in a parallel dimension where he doesn't have his powers and he is forced to team up with Captain Cold and Mirror Master. It was fun, especially seeing the Flash and Cold dynamic. I have a feeling I am really going to love Captain Cold going forward. There is just something special about hero-villain love-hate relationships. I also like how the traditional 'harmless' villains are being transformed into real threats. The Rogues can be very bad and dangerous if they want to, they are just choosing not to out of a sense of honor among thieves.
The second major story involves a new villain and some new side characters, all of which are amazing. For spoiler reasons, I won't go too much into the villain, but let's just say he fits right in with Batman's rogues gallery. In fact, this whole story could have easily been a Batman story... but a fun one. So dark for the Flash. However, we get two amazing characters out of this: Morillo and Chyre. One is a former FBI Agent wants to move to a save town to raise his family, only to discover superheroes are a thing and is sick of the crazy crap he has to deal with. The other is a beefy and tough as nails old cop, who refuses to retire, but is really good at his job. One is constantly on the phone with his wife complaining, the other will punch you. They are great.
Lastly, we get our intro to "Crossfire," which is a multi-story arc leading to a new Rogues group that is willing to kill and has a hidden agenda. Since this story is finished in Book 2, I will leave the rest of my review there. I just wish it was all thrown in a single volume, instead of clearly breaking off mid-story.
Overall, the tone was all over the place, which I enjoyed, but is certainly not for everybody. The shenanigans were also pretty wild, as per Johns. BUT I loved how none of the villains were speedsters and the Rogues became an actual threat again. Johns does a good job at making joke villains serious and hilarious at the same time.
April 16, 2023
Not bad at all! I mean, the book gets pretty kooky and campy at times, and it did feel a bit disjointed at parts , but all in all, this is some good, clean, fun!
I've heard this is the starting gun for what goes on to be a legendary and unforgettable run, so I'm eager to see where we go from here!
Spoiler ahead but needed to mention this:
I've heard this is the starting gun for what goes on to be a legendary and unforgettable run, so I'm eager to see where we go from here!
Spoiler ahead but needed to mention this:
September 15, 2019
Rereading, thanks to loan from Atlanta-Fulton Public Library. So, I bought each of these issues upon original publication, with appreciation. I had reread the "Iron Heights" stand-alone story recently, but not the stories leading up to it in the main title. They hold up well. Couple thoughts follow.
Flash as Wally West really benefited from marriage to Linda Park, in characterization and story lines. A lot of that has been undone over the last ten years, but we still have these stories.
Editor Joey Cavalieri put together some real stable teams of comics creators on this book; covers by Brian Bolland; hand lettering by, mostly, the great Gaspar Saladino; color art, mostly, by ALex Sinclair. I liked these than and now. This was early in Johns' long run as writer of The Flash, and he starts reworking the Rogues here, as well as adding memorable villains. But he excels at character arc progression, which happens mostly by developing supporting characters in police cohort.
Artists: my favorite is Scott Kollins, whose work with Johns would continue, on The Flash as well as other books. Ethan Van Sciver, as I recall, made his debut here; he does well. The first six-part arc features art by Angel Unzueta, who has blanked from my mind since; it's fine, though.
So, recommended.
Flash as Wally West really benefited from marriage to Linda Park, in characterization and story lines. A lot of that has been undone over the last ten years, but we still have these stories.
Editor Joey Cavalieri put together some real stable teams of comics creators on this book; covers by Brian Bolland; hand lettering by, mostly, the great Gaspar Saladino; color art, mostly, by ALex Sinclair. I liked these than and now. This was early in Johns' long run as writer of The Flash, and he starts reworking the Rogues here, as well as adding memorable villains. But he excels at character arc progression, which happens mostly by developing supporting characters in police cohort.
Artists: my favorite is Scott Kollins, whose work with Johns would continue, on The Flash as well as other books. Ethan Van Sciver, as I recall, made his debut here; he does well. The first six-part arc features art by Angel Unzueta, who has blanked from my mind since; it's fine, though.
So, recommended.
May 15, 2017
An intriguing set of stories that subtly build off one another, even though each is presented as a distinct "arc." The exploration of the Rogues, the sneaky mysteries that are embedded but never feel forced...it's all a fantastic package of Flash stories that do not rely as much on the Speed Force as a trope. Indeed, I love the slight nods to Silver Age Flash stories, such as the inclusion of science "facts" and moments in many stories, despite Wally's lack of science training that drove these inclusions in the Barry Allen era. (To that point, it never feels forced, but presented naturally as the scientific things Wally has learned to do with his speed powers. And in one nice moment, he actually speed reads a forensics handbook on the way to a crime scene!) The initial artist is rather unfitting for the series, but once Scott Kolin comes on board, along with the beautiful covers by Brian Bolland, the series really takes off.
March 6, 2025
1.5
First 2 stories weren’t very good; the first one dragged on too much and the second on didn’t have an interesting resolution. The worst part about them is that I think they were trying to say something about Wally, and why he deserves to be the flash instead of just kid flash but there was nothing to analyze aside from some caption boxes that imply there’s a deeper meaning. The one off villain introduction was so short I can hardly give a review and the final weather wizard arc was good. I’m reading the flash to see silly Rogues antics, and this volume hardly delivered on that. Although, I’m still baffled as to why we just move from the fact that the prisoners are living in horrible conditions, Wally just says he wants to have a chat with the warden, but it doesn’t seem like it’s a priority. Also, if they actually make Linda quit her job I’m rioting, I don’t think it’s actually going to happen, but what a baffling and misogynistic decision if it does.
First 2 stories weren’t very good; the first one dragged on too much and the second on didn’t have an interesting resolution. The worst part about them is that I think they were trying to say something about Wally, and why he deserves to be the flash instead of just kid flash but there was nothing to analyze aside from some caption boxes that imply there’s a deeper meaning. The one off villain introduction was so short I can hardly give a review and the final weather wizard arc was good. I’m reading the flash to see silly Rogues antics, and this volume hardly delivered on that. Although, I’m still baffled as to why we just move from the fact that the prisoners are living in horrible conditions, Wally just says he wants to have a chat with the warden, but it doesn’t seem like it’s a priority. Also, if they actually make Linda quit her job I’m rioting, I don’t think it’s actually going to happen, but what a baffling and misogynistic decision if it does.
October 28, 2024
One hell of a start to a new era.
I had heard all this praise for Johns' run before picking this book up and man it delivered, I was not sure if it would live up to the hype I saw online but this thing proved me wrong from the very first issue collected in here.
It is very rare to have two excellent runs back to back like this, but Johns manages to equal Waid in every regard from the get go and start surpassing him very quickly and evolving Wally's character; his stories are so fun and imaginative, I can’t believe that this comes right after Waid's work on the character.
Strong starting point for new readers too, but as a continuation of Wally's life, it’s still enjoyable, if a little bit frustrating that there’s a few plot points that are left unresolved for the next volume in this series. Still highly recommend it.
I had heard all this praise for Johns' run before picking this book up and man it delivered, I was not sure if it would live up to the hype I saw online but this thing proved me wrong from the very first issue collected in here.
It is very rare to have two excellent runs back to back like this, but Johns manages to equal Waid in every regard from the get go and start surpassing him very quickly and evolving Wally's character; his stories are so fun and imaginative, I can’t believe that this comes right after Waid's work on the character.
Strong starting point for new readers too, but as a continuation of Wally's life, it’s still enjoyable, if a little bit frustrating that there’s a few plot points that are left unresolved for the next volume in this series. Still highly recommend it.
September 10, 2020
Well, of you're for a nice, well writing and very fun book, this is your choice. Flash got this personality and Geoff Johns knew how to use it.
Over here, we got to know Wally (the best Flash, sorry Barry...), his city, his wife and of their people and, of course, the villains. And The Flash got some of the best of them.
The drawings here are good too. The first arc, i believe, was a little strange. I really don't see Flash as that kind of hero, with muscles and all that 90's stuff. Scott Kolins nailed it in his chapters and Ethan is a institution in DC Comics.
Geoff Johns is a walking DC encyclopidea, and over here is another chapter of his story in this publisher.
Over here, we got to know Wally (the best Flash, sorry Barry...), his city, his wife and of their people and, of course, the villains. And The Flash got some of the best of them.
The drawings here are good too. The first arc, i believe, was a little strange. I really don't see Flash as that kind of hero, with muscles and all that 90's stuff. Scott Kolins nailed it in his chapters and Ethan is a institution in DC Comics.
Geoff Johns is a walking DC encyclopidea, and over here is another chapter of his story in this publisher.
July 23, 2025
Such a better start than Williamson's Rebirth run, which I recently read.
The first arc, about Flash being trapped in the mirror-verse was excellent: 5/5 stars.
The rest of the book was meh: the weird midevil storyline, the weird cicada storyline, the super creepy final story.
I did enjoy the side characters and traditional rogues gallery. I really like the cop drama and melodramatic/soap opera "whose baby is this" storyline.
I will continue to read the series, and even go back to the Waid stuff too.
The first arc, about Flash being trapped in the mirror-verse was excellent: 5/5 stars.
The rest of the book was meh: the weird midevil storyline, the weird cicada storyline, the super creepy final story.
I did enjoy the side characters and traditional rogues gallery. I really like the cop drama and melodramatic/soap opera "whose baby is this" storyline.
I will continue to read the series, and even go back to the Waid stuff too.
March 4, 2024
The first storyline here (and longest) I rate 5/5. It was the perfect introduction to Flash for me as it summarized the whole history of the character without taking the reader out of the story. I also really enjoyed the story itself and its relationship to Alice in Wonderland throughout. This one alone made me sure to check out more Flash and Geoff Johns.
The latter two storylines were okay, I would give them 3.5 and 3 stars. Definitely enjoyable but nothing I would want to revisit.
The latter two storylines were okay, I would give them 3.5 and 3 stars. Definitely enjoyable but nothing I would want to revisit.
May 4, 2020
Johns first arc on the Flash seems like a soft pitch, with Wally trapped in another world. But it's clear by arc end that Johns has a bigger plan for the Rogues and the second arc takes off with that and leads to some exciting twists in Flash's life.
Also for some reason this book lists Secret Files 3 and Flash or World at War, and those are actually in book 2.
Also for some reason this book lists Secret Files 3 and Flash or World at War, and those are actually in book 2.
May 11, 2024
I had a lot of trouble getting into this one, but it really picked up about a third of the way through! I haven’t read a lot of stuff by Johns, and this is the first Wally West story that I’ve read, but I really liked it! He does some really cool things with his character and the Rogues, and for once, I have the next volume already, so I don’t have to wait too long to see what happens next!
June 28, 2017
Geoff Johns takes the Flash and updates him and his Rogues for the modern comics era. More violence, higher stakes, etc. But the nice thing about Johns is that he really can tell a good story, and he has a good sense of character. (For the most part -- there were a few times that I shook my head, but overall he does a good job.)
Solid superhero comics.
Solid superhero comics.
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