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The Flash by Geoff Johns
The Flash by Geoff Johns, Book Four
Wally West has a secret identity. The world remains unaware that he is the Flash. Now he must choose which friends and allies to share his secret with. As he reconnects with the superhero community, the Flash is attacked by Gorilla Grodd. Angrier and more savage than ever, Grodd proves tougher than expected—though Nightwing is close by to lend support to the Flash and may just be enough of a match to defeat Grodd.
Elsewhere, the Rogues learn secrets of their own and gather together to achieve their goals. With an alliance that includes some of the most dangerous super-villains in existence, the Rogues continue to amass wealth and power while unifying
to eliminate the Fastest Man Alive, the Flash.
This fourth volume in THE FLASH BY GEOFF JOHNS series collects THE FLASH #201-213, featuring art by comics veterans Alberto Dose, Howard Porter and John Livesay.
Elsewhere, the Rogues learn secrets of their own and gather together to achieve their goals. With an alliance that includes some of the most dangerous super-villains in existence, the Rogues continue to amass wealth and power while unifying
to eliminate the Fastest Man Alive, the Flash.
This fourth volume in THE FLASH BY GEOFF JOHNS series collects THE FLASH #201-213, featuring art by comics veterans Alberto Dose, Howard Porter and John Livesay.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 5, 2017
35 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Johns
2,739 books2,400 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 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 21, 2024
4.5 ✨.. really good,excellent artwork so glad I read this, looking forward to buying and reading more of these.
August 20, 2020
Geoff Johns takes the book into uncharted territory. After the loss Wally and Linda suffered at the end of the last volume at the hands of Zoom, Wally wishes everyone would forget who The Flash is. The Spectre grants that wish, making everyone forget including Wally and Linda. Wally is now a mechanic working nights for the police department. Over time he regains his powers but not his memories. Alberto Dose's art in this arc is really dark. It has an Eduardo Risso look to it. It partially works here in a darker superhero story. Howard Porter returns to draw the second half of the book where it's mainly Wally dealing with the fallout of making all his friends, super and otherwise, forget who he is. Another great couple of stories in Geoff Johns's epic run on The Flash.
May 21, 2025
This was another really good book from this series, the storylines in here essentially were dealing with why Wally is the flash but was done in an interesting way. Really loved seeing Dick and Wally catch up. Overall another great read from this series, looking forward to the last book!
August 30, 2021
This one was another good one!
Geoff continues to tell one of the best Wally stories!
It starts with Ignition arc as Wally forgets his legacy as the flash after what Hal did to him and then we follow him on this arc, regaining his powers and thinking he is the flash first time, encountering cold and regaining his memories back after Batman team up and fighting Mr Element and stopping this villain. Its a fun story and has such great moments for them. Its one of those stories that defines the character and gives such a great lesson that you can't run from your problems!
And finally the big storyline like he has to go around the world and heroes team up like the one with Superman and reveal his identity to them to like remind them of Barry and all. The one with Clark was so awesome and their race is so good and also Clark tells him some great things and the art there is so good, the speed lines particularly.
And finally a team up with Nightwing to stop Penguin and his rogues and a final fight with Gorilla Grodd and then we follow two stories, one which is the origin of Evan McCulloch the Mirror Master and finally an encounter with the turtle while Wally is under questioning and the ending wow. Thats like one of the best plots which keeps you hooked and makes you wanna read the next volume immediately and I am feeling something big is happening with the rogues!
Amazing volume and the great run never stops, it keeps getting better and better and this volume was no less!
Geoff continues to tell one of the best Wally stories!
It starts with Ignition arc as Wally forgets his legacy as the flash after what Hal did to him and then we follow him on this arc, regaining his powers and thinking he is the flash first time, encountering cold and regaining his memories back after Batman team up and fighting Mr Element and stopping this villain. Its a fun story and has such great moments for them. Its one of those stories that defines the character and gives such a great lesson that you can't run from your problems!
And finally the big storyline like he has to go around the world and heroes team up like the one with Superman and reveal his identity to them to like remind them of Barry and all. The one with Clark was so awesome and their race is so good and also Clark tells him some great things and the art there is so good, the speed lines particularly.
And finally a team up with Nightwing to stop Penguin and his rogues and a final fight with Gorilla Grodd and then we follow two stories, one which is the origin of Evan McCulloch the Mirror Master and finally an encounter with the turtle while Wally is under questioning and the ending wow. Thats like one of the best plots which keeps you hooked and makes you wanna read the next volume immediately and I am feeling something big is happening with the rogues!
Amazing volume and the great run never stops, it keeps getting better and better and this volume was no less!
February 25, 2019
Volume 4 brings a bit of realism into the Flash ongoing, and it kinda works?
One of the main issues with super hero comics is that it is a complete fantasy and would never happen in the real world. Because, as Flash found out last arc, if a bad guy really wants to hurt you, they target those around you. Because of this fact, and more specifically, what was done to him and his wife by the new Zoom, the Flash wishes that the world didn't know who the Flash was entirely.
Well, when you make this wish next to DC's equivalent of a genie, the Spectre, one should be careful what they wish for.
Not only does everyone forget, the Flash himself and his wife Linda forget too.
What I really liked about this volume, and specifically this arc, is that the art style changes to a much more grounded, and realistic style. It changes the entire ambiance established so far so that when you open the book, its darker, and muddier, and overall just has a heavier tone to it. And Johns gets to write his own sort of origin for Wally, as he has to rediscover his powers.
Now the premise is great, and I like the setup with the art and all, but something about the pacing of this book felt off. Its almost like John's had a great idea but ran into trouble in the execution. Which is ok, not every story is going to be a masterpiece. Overall I would say this book had some very cool moments, and great potential, but was one of my less favorites of the Flash books so far.
There is also a secondary story about the rouges, and what motivates them, which is very cool, back to basics Flash. But also, nothing to write home about.
Not a great volume, but certainly good, I look forward to reading book 5 of John's Flash.
One of the main issues with super hero comics is that it is a complete fantasy and would never happen in the real world. Because, as Flash found out last arc, if a bad guy really wants to hurt you, they target those around you. Because of this fact, and more specifically, what was done to him and his wife by the new Zoom, the Flash wishes that the world didn't know who the Flash was entirely.
Well, when you make this wish next to DC's equivalent of a genie, the Spectre, one should be careful what they wish for.
Not only does everyone forget, the Flash himself and his wife Linda forget too.
What I really liked about this volume, and specifically this arc, is that the art style changes to a much more grounded, and realistic style. It changes the entire ambiance established so far so that when you open the book, its darker, and muddier, and overall just has a heavier tone to it. And Johns gets to write his own sort of origin for Wally, as he has to rediscover his powers.
Now the premise is great, and I like the setup with the art and all, but something about the pacing of this book felt off. Its almost like John's had a great idea but ran into trouble in the execution. Which is ok, not every story is going to be a masterpiece. Overall I would say this book had some very cool moments, and great potential, but was one of my less favorites of the Flash books so far.
There is also a secondary story about the rouges, and what motivates them, which is very cool, back to basics Flash. But also, nothing to write home about.
Not a great volume, but certainly good, I look forward to reading book 5 of John's Flash.
March 7, 2018
This picks up after some event which resulted in the Wally West Flash disappearing. The story does explain what happened but neither the story (or editors) tell the reader what that event was. Getting past that, nearly the first half is spent bringing the Flash back, and filling in the readers of who everybody is. It feels like a starting point and does a fine job, but it isn't very exciting. I also discovered that I don't really care for Wally.
The second half of the book was a little more traditional with the Flash battling rogues and having a team-up but nothing ground breaking. The art is better (Porter) than the first half.
Overall, this volume is tepid which matches my feelings so far on the previous volumes.
The second half of the book was a little more traditional with the Flash battling rogues and having a team-up but nothing ground breaking. The art is better (Porter) than the first half.
Overall, this volume is tepid which matches my feelings so far on the previous volumes.
September 10, 2022
So: “Ignition.”
This is the arc that saved superhero comics for me. Like a lot of young readers, there came a point when I stopped. For one reason or another, it happens. A few years pass, and I’m in a comic book shop, trying to reconnect, and there’s these issues of The Flash. Years earlier Mark Waid’s “The Return of Barry Allen” was the first time a superhero comic really felt like it was “mine,” something that made perfect sense to me, not something that everyone was supposed to be reading, but I had stumbled upon, and it was magic, and it explained everything about the appeal of these things. “Ignition” was like that.
This is a story about the Flash that’s the opposite of what a Flash story is supposed to be. Wally West had lost his memory of being the Flash. The art of Alberto Dose wasn’t the sleek art the Flash was supposed to have. And unlike Waid’s stories, he wasn’t obsessed with legacy, because he was just trying to be Wally West. Of course the story concludes as expected. He becomes the Flash again.
None of this is what a character below the scope of Batman and Superman was supposed to experience. In the wake of James Robinson’s Starman, whose Jack Knight could barely be said to have a costume, though, the boundaries started to break.
This particular collection has a year’s worth of storytelling, another half dozens issues past “Ignition.” In it you can see Geoff Johns figure out why he loves DC so much. At this point he has dabbled his toe at Marvel. And from a certain point of view this was his response. He phrases it by separating Flash from the DC icons, but he’s really making the argument against Marvel, which since the “Marvel Age” in the ‘60s had carried the reputation of being the reader’s level of superhero comics, the relatable platform where the secret identities were almost more important than the costumes, but whose adventures were almost uniformly filled with characters who hated being superheroes.
If anyone, starting from Waid, loved being a superhero, it was Wally West. And Johns had pitched his version of the Reverse-Flash as challenging that positive outlook. This collection traces the arc of the fallout, from “Ignition” to Wally having to deal with his peers finding out all over again that he’s the Flash. And the result is that he once again discovers he has always thrived off his peers, something Waid had forgotten.
So this is a collection that seeks to reintegrate Wally into the greater DC landscape. At the end, Johns reaches Identity Crisis. It had never occurred to me that he might have helped Brad Meltzer craft his mystery, but in hindsight it certainly seems possible, or that at any rate, sheer serendipity dovetailed the storytelling.
The results are a deep dive into superhero psychology, but without ever really gotten lost in it, or losing sight of occurring within the bounds of a monthly superhero comic. (I think what bothered so many fans about Tom King’s Batman was that they concluded it did, probably around the point of “War of Jokes and Riddles.”)
Which is to say, this is probably the high point of Johns writing The Flash, and where he realized, if he was ever going to top it, it was going to have to be Flashpoint (the next comic that made the medium for me).
This is the arc that saved superhero comics for me. Like a lot of young readers, there came a point when I stopped. For one reason or another, it happens. A few years pass, and I’m in a comic book shop, trying to reconnect, and there’s these issues of The Flash. Years earlier Mark Waid’s “The Return of Barry Allen” was the first time a superhero comic really felt like it was “mine,” something that made perfect sense to me, not something that everyone was supposed to be reading, but I had stumbled upon, and it was magic, and it explained everything about the appeal of these things. “Ignition” was like that.
This is a story about the Flash that’s the opposite of what a Flash story is supposed to be. Wally West had lost his memory of being the Flash. The art of Alberto Dose wasn’t the sleek art the Flash was supposed to have. And unlike Waid’s stories, he wasn’t obsessed with legacy, because he was just trying to be Wally West. Of course the story concludes as expected. He becomes the Flash again.
None of this is what a character below the scope of Batman and Superman was supposed to experience. In the wake of James Robinson’s Starman, whose Jack Knight could barely be said to have a costume, though, the boundaries started to break.
This particular collection has a year’s worth of storytelling, another half dozens issues past “Ignition.” In it you can see Geoff Johns figure out why he loves DC so much. At this point he has dabbled his toe at Marvel. And from a certain point of view this was his response. He phrases it by separating Flash from the DC icons, but he’s really making the argument against Marvel, which since the “Marvel Age” in the ‘60s had carried the reputation of being the reader’s level of superhero comics, the relatable platform where the secret identities were almost more important than the costumes, but whose adventures were almost uniformly filled with characters who hated being superheroes.
If anyone, starting from Waid, loved being a superhero, it was Wally West. And Johns had pitched his version of the Reverse-Flash as challenging that positive outlook. This collection traces the arc of the fallout, from “Ignition” to Wally having to deal with his peers finding out all over again that he’s the Flash. And the result is that he once again discovers he has always thrived off his peers, something Waid had forgotten.
So this is a collection that seeks to reintegrate Wally into the greater DC landscape. At the end, Johns reaches Identity Crisis. It had never occurred to me that he might have helped Brad Meltzer craft his mystery, but in hindsight it certainly seems possible, or that at any rate, sheer serendipity dovetailed the storytelling.
The results are a deep dive into superhero psychology, but without ever really gotten lost in it, or losing sight of occurring within the bounds of a monthly superhero comic. (I think what bothered so many fans about Tom King’s Batman was that they concluded it did, probably around the point of “War of Jokes and Riddles.”)
Which is to say, this is probably the high point of Johns writing The Flash, and where he realized, if he was ever going to top it, it was going to have to be Flashpoint (the next comic that made the medium for me).
September 23, 2018
Ever since I've read "The Return of Wally West" from DC Universe Rebirth, I've been wanting more of my favorite speedster. I picked this up at our library on a whim, and... yeah, I liked it. It wasn't my favorite, but it was still worth reading. Since this was book four, there was obviously a lot (and I mean A LOT) that happened before this collection... and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't confused for a decent chunk of it. But once I started reading it, I didn't want to stop either. I wanted to find out how Wally couldn't remember being the Flash anymore. I wanted to understand what was going on. I got my answers, though this whole arc was a bit more depressing than I'm used to reading from Wally West. One-hundred percent understandable, of course, but I like some of the more lighthearted stories I've read with him... though, thinking back, even some of those lighthearted stories often led somewhere surprisingly dark. I guess that's the thing with the Flash: he's one of DC's most optimistic superheroes, but that doesn't stop the darkness from coming. But, likewise, the darkness doesn't stop him from still being hopeful... from continuing to run forward into the future. Perhaps that's why the Flash is such a popular character: he embodies what it means to be human. To face the dangerous and dark times without ultimately losing yourself. You may get lost (as Wally did in this volume), but you ultimately come back to who you truly are. And... wow. This book just got a whole lot deeper all of a sudden. When I started writing this review, I gave this book three stars, but I think I'm going to have to up that four. Anyways... I really enjoyed this collection more once Wally got back into being the Flash. I enjoyed watching him interact with the rest of the Flash family, and I especially enjoyed him meeting back up with Nightwing. Their friendship is one of my favorite aspects of the DC Universe. (I REALLY enjoyed the flashback to the first time Kid Flash met Batman.) I'm not quite sure where these stories fit into the DC Universe continuity as a whole, and I'm probably going to regret reading this out of order. But... ah well. Can you ever really regret reading a story with Wally West in it? I think not. Again, not my favorite with the character, though that could be because I missed three books worth of build-up. But I just couldn't resist it when I saw it on the shelf. Ah well. I'm curious to see where the rest of this story goes, but reading future (or past) books is a down-the-road thing. I'll probably pick them up sometime. What I'd really like is a concise history of DC continuity. It's difficult sometimes to keep track of what happened before, during, and after various crisis events--as well as trying to remember which elements stayed true, and which elements were forgotten. (Like that Jason Todd used to be an acrobat in the circus was nixed, for instance.) If anyone knows of a book that outlines everything in a way that's easy to understand, or even a graphic on the internet--or anything--I would be very appreciative. But still... this was worth a read. It had some good mystery, some solid action, and lots of great cameos from favorite characters. Just... maybe don't do what I did and read it by itself without anything to reference where it fits into the overall timeline.
February 5, 2019
I've pretty much enjoyed these collections of Geoff John's run on The Flash but this one is problematic. Basically, the last volume culminated in the Flash being attacked by a new incarnation of the Reverse-Flash (Zoom) who wanted to introduce tragedy into Flash's life to make him a better superhero (there's a convoluted explanation for this as well, but you should read book three to get the whole story.) To this end, Zoom attack's Flash's wife and causes her to have a miscarriage. The Flash, not wanting to make his wife a target any longer (the Flash's identity is public) cuts a deal with the Spectre to make everyone in the world forget that he was ever the Flash--including himself!
For those of you not familiar with the Spectre, he is one of the perpetually misused characters in the DC Universe. Conceived as a spectral crime fighting "ghost" in More Fun Comics #52, eventually the Spectre became part of the "magical" part of the DC Universe and became so powerful that he essentially went toe to toe with the Anti-Monitor at the beginning of time in Crisis on Infinite Earths. By the time Flash #200 comes around, the Spectre has parted with his original host, Jim Corrigan, and is now hosted by the Silver-Age Green Lantern, Hal Jordan. In this incarnation, he is still powerful and is somehow able to make the entire DC Universe forget that Wally West and Barry Allen ever went by the name Flash.
Perhaps by now, you have figured out what is wrong here. I haven't even begun to talk about the events of The Flash by Geoff Johns Book Four and I have spent most of this review talking about the Spectre. It's silly that Wally has forgotten he is the Flash at the beginning of this arc--they weren't going to cancel The Flash after issue #200--so basically everyone knew that Wally would somehow figure out he was the Flash again, even if the Spectre did attempt to put Wally though his own version of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Instead we're treated to a six issue arc that probably could have been avoided complete, given that at the end of it, Wally's wife does what she would have done at the end of Flash #200 had Spectre/Hal not gotten involved. To add insult to injury, what Spectre/Hal did has a loophole that can be exploited to make it not stick, which kind of renders the whole exercise pointless. And while the villain of the first six issue arc probably deserved barely an issue (but we have to make it six issues while Wally "finds" himself, Gorilla Grodd barely rates an entire issue against the Flash, which is also silly, since Grodd got a three issue arc in the previous volume and the Flash got a promise that Grodd would never escape Gorilla City again. Glad to see that lasted all of nine issues.
There are a few highlights here. The Hal/Spectre stuff is kind of crap, but Wally's "reintroduction" to the Justice League is pretty good, including having a pretty great reason for the Flash and Superman to have a race. There is also a two part Mirror Master story that has Mirror Master's origin that is pretty good as well. Also, the second half of the book features art by Howard Porter, who I knew from his run with Grant Morrison on JLA. When he was with Morrison, Porter sometimes didn't seem to know how perspective and depth worked when drawing, but the art is more accomplished here, while still maintaining the good of his work on JLA. I don't thinkit's enough though. Compared to the first three volumes, this one is choppy and uneven, and I think is more for Johns to set up his run on Green Lantern rather than focusing on the title character. You know, the Flash?
For those of you not familiar with the Spectre, he is one of the perpetually misused characters in the DC Universe. Conceived as a spectral crime fighting "ghost" in More Fun Comics #52, eventually the Spectre became part of the "magical" part of the DC Universe and became so powerful that he essentially went toe to toe with the Anti-Monitor at the beginning of time in Crisis on Infinite Earths. By the time Flash #200 comes around, the Spectre has parted with his original host, Jim Corrigan, and is now hosted by the Silver-Age Green Lantern, Hal Jordan. In this incarnation, he is still powerful and is somehow able to make the entire DC Universe forget that Wally West and Barry Allen ever went by the name Flash.
Perhaps by now, you have figured out what is wrong here. I haven't even begun to talk about the events of The Flash by Geoff Johns Book Four and I have spent most of this review talking about the Spectre. It's silly that Wally has forgotten he is the Flash at the beginning of this arc--they weren't going to cancel The Flash after issue #200--so basically everyone knew that Wally would somehow figure out he was the Flash again, even if the Spectre did attempt to put Wally though his own version of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Instead we're treated to a six issue arc that probably could have been avoided complete, given that at the end of it, Wally's wife does what she would have done at the end of Flash #200 had Spectre/Hal not gotten involved. To add insult to injury, what Spectre/Hal did has a loophole that can be exploited to make it not stick, which kind of renders the whole exercise pointless. And while the villain of the first six issue arc probably deserved barely an issue (but we have to make it six issues while Wally "finds" himself, Gorilla Grodd barely rates an entire issue against the Flash, which is also silly, since Grodd got a three issue arc in the previous volume and the Flash got a promise that Grodd would never escape Gorilla City again. Glad to see that lasted all of nine issues.
There are a few highlights here. The Hal/Spectre stuff is kind of crap, but Wally's "reintroduction" to the Justice League is pretty good, including having a pretty great reason for the Flash and Superman to have a race. There is also a two part Mirror Master story that has Mirror Master's origin that is pretty good as well. Also, the second half of the book features art by Howard Porter, who I knew from his run with Grant Morrison on JLA. When he was with Morrison, Porter sometimes didn't seem to know how perspective and depth worked when drawing, but the art is more accomplished here, while still maintaining the good of his work on JLA. I don't thinkit's enough though. Compared to the first three volumes, this one is choppy and uneven, and I think is more for Johns to set up his run on Green Lantern rather than focusing on the title character. You know, the Flash?
October 23, 2018
I've been going through the Johns Flash collections and while I liked the earlier ones (like not love) this one took a step backward for me. The biggest problem is that Johns decided to do a Brand New Day (ala Spider-man) on Flash (although I believe this was BEFORE Spider-man did it) and reset it so that not everyone knew the Flash was Wally West. But - uh oh - even Flash and his wife forget he is the Flash. It was very clunky how this happened (Hal Jordan/The Spectre wished it so) and after setting up such a clunky premise you would hope the writer would have an interesting direction to take it but "nope" the stories that follow are pretty bland and don't take advantage of the premise in any way. The worst part is when the Justice League want to talk to Flash about why he took their memories of his secret identity away and he runs away and Superman speeds after him and we get an issue of Superman saying "come on - talk" and Flash (for no reason) saying "I don't wanna! leave me alone!".
Silly premise and bad execution on the silly premise.
Silly premise and bad execution on the silly premise.
September 30, 2020
Another great volume!
Johns is writing beautifully again, the evolution that we see from Howard Porter, since his run with Morrison's JLA is awesome. And the stories about some of the villains are great. The turtle was a nice catch and McCulloch story is pretty heavy for a superhero book.
The only problem here was the art from the first arc of the book, where Wally got his memories and his powers back. But i understood that it was a way to show Wally's sadness, since he is not The Flash anymore. Everything is dark, it's raining, it's cold, so, looking at this way, it makes a lot of sense. A great decision from DC.
Johns is writing beautifully again, the evolution that we see from Howard Porter, since his run with Morrison's JLA is awesome. And the stories about some of the villains are great. The turtle was a nice catch and McCulloch story is pretty heavy for a superhero book.
The only problem here was the art from the first arc of the book, where Wally got his memories and his powers back. But i understood that it was a way to show Wally's sadness, since he is not The Flash anymore. Everything is dark, it's raining, it's cold, so, looking at this way, it makes a lot of sense. A great decision from DC.
July 7, 2023
Geoff Johns outright deconstructs the Flash. And it is brilliant.
Picking up from where the last volume left off, Wally West-- still reeling from the tragedy he and his wife Linda experienced-- has made a deal with the Spectre to erase his secret identity from the minds of everyone on Earth... including HIMSELF, causing him to forget that he was ever the Flash. In effect, this strips away all of the external factors that have propped the character up for so long-- the network of superfriends, the personal history in the wider universe, and the overall LEGACY-- and allows Johns to explore just who Wally West is at his core. The first six-issue storyline is a noir-ish re-origin story as Wally rediscovers his powers in time to stop a serial killer; the stylized artwork by Alberto Dose is draped in heavy black shadows, making the world seem dark and unfamiliar.
But once Wally reclaims his memories and his mantle, the artwork duties switch to Howard Porter, whose clean lines and colorful, kinetic compositions are brimming with classic superhero-comic energy. Layer by layer, Johns reintroduces the characters and the ideas that have been a part of Wally's story over the years-- illustrating just how much they've enriched him and his world. It's a clever and sneaky way to create a jumping-on point for new readers while also exploring and celebrating the character's history and place in the wider universe; the whole storyline feels like Johns' love letter to the Flash and to the DCU in general.
If not for some unnecessarily grim interjections (so, so much murder...) and a Mirror Master origin issue that stops the story momentum cold, this would be an unqualified win!
Picking up from where the last volume left off, Wally West-- still reeling from the tragedy he and his wife Linda experienced-- has made a deal with the Spectre to erase his secret identity from the minds of everyone on Earth... including HIMSELF, causing him to forget that he was ever the Flash. In effect, this strips away all of the external factors that have propped the character up for so long-- the network of superfriends, the personal history in the wider universe, and the overall LEGACY-- and allows Johns to explore just who Wally West is at his core. The first six-issue storyline is a noir-ish re-origin story as Wally rediscovers his powers in time to stop a serial killer; the stylized artwork by Alberto Dose is draped in heavy black shadows, making the world seem dark and unfamiliar.
But once Wally reclaims his memories and his mantle, the artwork duties switch to Howard Porter, whose clean lines and colorful, kinetic compositions are brimming with classic superhero-comic energy. Layer by layer, Johns reintroduces the characters and the ideas that have been a part of Wally's story over the years-- illustrating just how much they've enriched him and his world. It's a clever and sneaky way to create a jumping-on point for new readers while also exploring and celebrating the character's history and place in the wider universe; the whole storyline feels like Johns' love letter to the Flash and to the DCU in general.
If not for some unnecessarily grim interjections (so, so much murder...) and a Mirror Master origin issue that stops the story momentum cold, this would be an unqualified win!
August 3, 2021
Geoff Johns has always been my favorite Flash writer. This volume really illustrates why. Johns is able to juggle Wally's personal drama (a ton here), his heroic pursuits, and has an amazing grasp on his Rogues. The conclusion of the Blitz storyline drastically changed Wally and Linda's lives and I like how its dealt with here. Its resolved (somewhat) too simply but sometimes simple is better. Wally interacts with a handful of heroes in this volume as well and its pitch perfect. The art however is mixed. The first arc was by Alberto Dose and it was a huge letdown. Flash artwork needs to be dynamic and it wasn't. Luckily, Howard Porter is able to fit the bill in the remaining issues. The book also includes amazing cover art by Michael Turner (R.I.P.). Overall, a wonderful read that was only some ill-fitting art away from perfection.
November 23, 2024
The weakest of Johns' run, but still pretty good
I think my biggest problem here is Johns clearly trying to regress some of Wally's unique developments and characteristics for the sake of him wanting to recreate the kinds of stories he liked reading, rather than pushing the character forward using what was the status quo before Issue #200.
That being said, there’s still a strong commitment to great characterization and the initial story arc dealing with the repercussions of last book's ending is quick and mostly delves into the larger implications and issues that can bring about.
And hey, that ending also serves as a bit of setup for the seeds that will eventually grow into the Identity Crisis event, and it also has some setup for the next book of Johns' run.
Overall, I still liked it but I felt like it was a step back from what Johns did previously.
I think my biggest problem here is Johns clearly trying to regress some of Wally's unique developments and characteristics for the sake of him wanting to recreate the kinds of stories he liked reading, rather than pushing the character forward using what was the status quo before Issue #200.
That being said, there’s still a strong commitment to great characterization and the initial story arc dealing with the repercussions of last book's ending is quick and mostly delves into the larger implications and issues that can bring about.
And hey, that ending also serves as a bit of setup for the seeds that will eventually grow into the Identity Crisis event, and it also has some setup for the next book of Johns' run.
Overall, I still liked it but I felt like it was a step back from what Johns did previously.
Read
November 22, 2020The first half of this book deals with the consequences of the last volume, with Wally accepting the Spectre’s offer of everyone forgetting who the Flash was (including Wally). While this goes on a bit long, there are some fascinating moments, plus tangible growth for Wally and Linda. I had to suspend disbelief more than usual for this story though. Some of the mechanics as to how the remembering works don’t really make sense.
The second half is mainly Wally reconnecting with people as the Flash. I really like the issue with Superman. Elsewhere, there’s another Rogue character study issue with Mirror Master, where Johns builds on what Grant Morrison and others have done with the Scottish version. It’s really well-written and, like the Captain Cold one, tragic.
The second half is mainly Wally reconnecting with people as the Flash. I really like the issue with Superman. Elsewhere, there’s another Rogue character study issue with Mirror Master, where Johns builds on what Grant Morrison and others have done with the Scottish version. It’s really well-written and, like the Captain Cold one, tragic.
June 18, 2023
Went into this book nervous after where book 3 left off. But Johns still has it I was nervous the sacrifice at the end of volume 3 wouldn’t be that impactful but it feels earned and a real shift tonally for the run which I appreciate. It has some really cool stories with flash coming back and also some incredibly dark stories with the rogues. HOW DID THEY ALLOW MIRROR MASTERS STORY I COULD NOT BELIEVE THEY ALLOWED THAT TO BE IN HIS BACKSTORY. But loved it! Really cool and I am ecstatic to see how this all ends in volume 5! Hope it all ends as good as this run has been since I truly have fallen in love with this run for the flash. 3.5/5
June 15, 2024
These stories were as good as I remembered from initial publication, especially a sequence of issues drawn by Alberto Dose, sort of in the style of Eduardo Risso, a noir sequence where the Flash rediscovers his identity.
Also, the reinvention of Flash's Rogue's Gallery by Johns features a nice one-issue focus on Mirror Master.
Highly recommended. Thanks to my local public library for the loan.
Also, the reinvention of Flash's Rogue's Gallery by Johns features a nice one-issue focus on Mirror Master.
Highly recommended. Thanks to my local public library for the loan.
October 6, 2024
I really enjoy Johns’ run on Flash. One big thing I particularly enjoy is the sense of continuity between issues - very few characters only appear once and everyone has a reason to be there and serve the story. I love the frequent reappearances of the Rogues, the community-minded aspect of their teamups is always so much fun to read. Wally is better than me though because if I was in his place I definitely would’ve ran Ashley Zolomon out to the middle of the desert or something.
August 26, 2025
First comic I've ever read about Wally West, and I'll be honest, I got invested. I got so invested in him as a character and his dynamics with everyone, and I'm so unhappy that I can't just continue reading, because there were so many hanging plot threads that I know I'll have to read other comics to see get resolved. Wasn't a fan of the art until the shift midway through. I don't fully know why, the characters just looked strange in the first art style. But Wally was great throughout.
December 26, 2022
How to change the status quo in comics while also being a good starting point for new readers and no
Its a nice reset for The Flash after the confrontation with Zoom and the aftermath. Cameos from throughout the DC universe hoping to lend a helping hand and advice.And sets up some new arcs that might involve a civil war among the Flash Villians.
Its a nice reset for The Flash after the confrontation with Zoom and the aftermath. Cameos from throughout the DC universe hoping to lend a helping hand and advice.And sets up some new arcs that might involve a civil war among the Flash Villians.
July 1, 2020
No surprise that I would enjoy this one. After a battle that costs him almost everything, the Flash makes his own "One More Day" deal with a higher power that causes quite a bit of fallout. Then, with his identity back in the closet Wally has a hard time earning the trust of cops in Keystone.
June 27, 2023
Flash is at his lowest point yet, and Johns manages to continue to reinvent the character while juggling what seems like a dozen plot threads. Definitely different from the first half of his run, but a good kind of different!
September 24, 2024
Getting Back Into Shape
Some things were okay. Pace felt slower a bit, though. At least it did in the middle. The beginning and end definitely got the ball rolling. Plenty suspense near the end.
Some things were okay. Pace felt slower a bit, though. At least it did in the middle. The beginning and end definitely got the ball rolling. Plenty suspense near the end.
November 16, 2020
Another good one. I am interested to see where this is going.
September 22, 2025
First half is great. Good story both with Wally West and a mystery of someone killing cops. Second half is cleaning up the mess from what happened at the end of the previous volume.
February 10, 2025
Y'all. The last half of Geoff Johns' run is so intertwined, I'm going to just combine my thoughts on books 3, 4, and 5 as they are essentially a larger story with two interludes that tie into the main story and greatly impact the main story. That's right. NO Filler (the Hawkman team up doesn't count as that was just tying up a loose end). Now what is the larger meta story? The Rogue War.
Johns does a great job balancing multiple plots, somehow tying the main DC crossover stories into his own Flash narrative and making Identity Crisis essential reading to this arc, and the volumes are conveniently broken up in a way where you can read Identity Crisis right between books 4 and 5 and not feel like this story is interrupted (and yes, you definitely need to read Identity Crisis to understand the final volume). It even ties in perfectly as a next step in the narrative after the "Ignition" interlude. The way the story naturally built up to this already great cross over, both through characters and themes, was nothing short of amazing. The art in the Ignition section was also phenomenal. Wally and Linda go through a lot in this collection as does their supporting cast.
Zolomon becomes a very interesting character with some pretty cool [spoilers], leading to a great [spoilers]. Similarly, the Rogues are great, especially Captain Cold and the original Trickster, who begin hunting each other. You see, due to the events of Identity Crisis, some of the Rogues are now good. Thus the reformed group begins hunting down their old team. Flash and his family end up getting caught in the middle. The dynamic between the Flash and all of the Rogues, including their relationship to each other, were all great. The long nature of this story really allowed us to connect to them and make the climax of endless action feel earned. It took awhile for the true Rogue War to start, but the buildup made it all the more satisfying.
In short, this is a LONG story, especially for a comic. But this allowed it to overcome a lot of the shortcomings of comics, namely rushing through stories and sacrificing character development. By slowing down the actions, we were able to connect with every single character in this story, including the villains. Thus when we finally get our typical comic story of balls-to-the-walls action, it feels earned. Is this the best Flash story? No. But it is certainly the best written.
Johns does a great job balancing multiple plots, somehow tying the main DC crossover stories into his own Flash narrative and making Identity Crisis essential reading to this arc, and the volumes are conveniently broken up in a way where you can read Identity Crisis right between books 4 and 5 and not feel like this story is interrupted (and yes, you definitely need to read Identity Crisis to understand the final volume). It even ties in perfectly as a next step in the narrative after the "Ignition" interlude. The way the story naturally built up to this already great cross over, both through characters and themes, was nothing short of amazing. The art in the Ignition section was also phenomenal. Wally and Linda go through a lot in this collection as does their supporting cast.
Zolomon becomes a very interesting character with some pretty cool [spoilers], leading to a great [spoilers]. Similarly, the Rogues are great, especially Captain Cold and the original Trickster, who begin hunting each other. You see, due to the events of Identity Crisis, some of the Rogues are now good. Thus the reformed group begins hunting down their old team. Flash and his family end up getting caught in the middle. The dynamic between the Flash and all of the Rogues, including their relationship to each other, were all great. The long nature of this story really allowed us to connect to them and make the climax of endless action feel earned. It took awhile for the true Rogue War to start, but the buildup made it all the more satisfying.
In short, this is a LONG story, especially for a comic. But this allowed it to overcome a lot of the shortcomings of comics, namely rushing through stories and sacrificing character development. By slowing down the actions, we were able to connect with every single character in this story, including the villains. Thus when we finally get our typical comic story of balls-to-the-walls action, it feels earned. Is this the best Flash story? No. But it is certainly the best written.
October 12, 2018
Geoff Johns continues to take charge in this collection that chronicles what happened after Wally West/Flash’s encounter with Hunter Zolomon/The Reverse Flash.
Basically Wally is crushed after defeating Reverse Flash but its clear that he’s lost too. His wife Linda Park was pregnant and thanks to a snap of Hunter’s fingers her pregnancy was terminated. Because of this, Wally begins to realize how much of a problem its become to be the Flash. At least as a public persona. Wally’s identity has long been public knowledge and knowing how close he had grown with Hunter he took the advice of his old mentor and the power of a mighty being to alter reality. Wally West’s identity of the Flash is his own. But it doesn’t change that he and Linda still lost their children. I really like how much Wally wants to live normally after the horrible events that happened with his wife. But here in lies a dilemma that brings the truth out. First for Wally and then for his friends and family.
All the while a case supposedly involving Captain Cold brings Wally to remember he was the Flash. The mystery killer of this story becomes secondary to Wally’s request of protecting his identity getting a type of selective amnesia in which he knows what happened to Linda but everything is else is also gone from his memory as the Flash. While some old superhero friends attempt to help him does look cool it does take away a little bit. But then again it alludes to another major storyline soon to be released.
Eventually Wally and Linda remember, but sadly they take time apart. All the while Wally looks into matters with the Justice League as well as other matters back home in Keystone.
Very good storytelling. C+
Basically Wally is crushed after defeating Reverse Flash but its clear that he’s lost too. His wife Linda Park was pregnant and thanks to a snap of Hunter’s fingers her pregnancy was terminated. Because of this, Wally begins to realize how much of a problem its become to be the Flash. At least as a public persona. Wally’s identity has long been public knowledge and knowing how close he had grown with Hunter he took the advice of his old mentor and the power of a mighty being to alter reality. Wally West’s identity of the Flash is his own. But it doesn’t change that he and Linda still lost their children. I really like how much Wally wants to live normally after the horrible events that happened with his wife. But here in lies a dilemma that brings the truth out. First for Wally and then for his friends and family.
All the while a case supposedly involving Captain Cold brings Wally to remember he was the Flash. The mystery killer of this story becomes secondary to Wally’s request of protecting his identity getting a type of selective amnesia in which he knows what happened to Linda but everything is else is also gone from his memory as the Flash. While some old superhero friends attempt to help him does look cool it does take away a little bit. But then again it alludes to another major storyline soon to be released.
Eventually Wally and Linda remember, but sadly they take time apart. All the while Wally looks into matters with the Justice League as well as other matters back home in Keystone.
Very good storytelling. C+
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