What do you think?
Rate this book
The Flash #2
The Flash: Johnny Quick
Based on the hit CW TV show, this second title in The Flash middle-grade series follows Barry Allen as he continues his mission to protect Central City from the sinister Hocus Pocus—but this time, a new evil lurks beneath the city streets . . . Written by New York Times–bestselling author Barry Lyga, this brand-new, original adventure builds upon the world of The Flash. This is one fans won’t want to miss!
174 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 10, 2018
24 people are currently reading
214 people want to read
About the author
Barry Lyga
71 books2,199 followersBarry Lyga is a recovering comic book geek. According to Kirkus, he's also a "YA rebel-author." Somehow, the two just don't seem to go together to him.
When he was a kid, everyone told him that comic books were garbage and would rot his brain, but he had the last laugh. Raised on a steady diet of comics, he worked in the comic book industry for ten years, but now writes full-time because, well, wouldn't you?
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl is his first novel. Unsoul'd is his latest. There are a whole bunch in between, featuring everything from the aftermath of child abuse to pre-teens with superpowers to serial killers. He clearly does not know how to stick to one subject.
When he was a kid, everyone told him that comic books were garbage and would rot his brain, but he had the last laugh. Raised on a steady diet of comics, he worked in the comic book industry for ten years, but now writes full-time because, well, wouldn't you?
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl is his first novel. Unsoul'd is his latest. There are a whole bunch in between, featuring everything from the aftermath of child abuse to pre-teens with superpowers to serial killers. He clearly does not know how to stick to one subject.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 2, 2018
Barry Lyga’s second Flash novel picks up exactly where the first left off; Barry has defeated Hocus Pocus, but the magician has escaped the Pipeline and now Team Flash are at a loss. Meanwhile, a serial killer named Earthworm has taken up residence in Central City’s sewers, and Barry’s job at CCPD is hanging in the balance.
So of course, a trip to the Crime Syndicate ruled Earth-27 is in order.
I mentioned in my first review that writing tie-in novels is always difficult, but I had a realisation while reading this one; it’s fanfiction. Sure, it’s published, officially licenced fanfiction, but that’s what it is at the end of the day. What an amazing job to have, and what an amazing piece of work to show for it at the end of the day.
It’s very clear that Lyga is a fan not just of the TV show, but the Flash comics in general as he’s able to meld in references to comics-exclusive characters (at the moment, anyway. I would kill for a TV show version of Madame Xanadu (come on, Legends Season 4. Don’t fail me now.)), as well as reinterpreting characters we’ve already seen in different ways a la Earth-2’s Harry Wells, etc. All your fan favourites are here, unrestrained by TV show budgets as novels are.
The dual storylines unfold at different rates, with Barry’s trip to Earth-27 being the more compelling of the two; it’s clear that Earthworm’s meant to be the side story, but I’d have thought there’d be more urgency to deal with it than there feels like there is. I’m guessing this’ll shift in the final volume of the series, especially since there’s a cliffhanger at the end here.
There are also some really compelling developments for Cisco here that tie into the TV show in a very unexpected way; no spoilers, but this was a genuine surprise and I wonder how Lyga is going to use this plot thread going forward. It’s a very Flash thing to do, and it’s very well executed.
I had a blast reading this; granted, I’m not the target audience, but I don’t think that matters. This is a story that will appeal to any Flash fan of any age, and has something for even the most diehard Flash addict.
So of course, a trip to the Crime Syndicate ruled Earth-27 is in order.
I mentioned in my first review that writing tie-in novels is always difficult, but I had a realisation while reading this one; it’s fanfiction. Sure, it’s published, officially licenced fanfiction, but that’s what it is at the end of the day. What an amazing job to have, and what an amazing piece of work to show for it at the end of the day.
It’s very clear that Lyga is a fan not just of the TV show, but the Flash comics in general as he’s able to meld in references to comics-exclusive characters (at the moment, anyway. I would kill for a TV show version of Madame Xanadu (come on, Legends Season 4. Don’t fail me now.)), as well as reinterpreting characters we’ve already seen in different ways a la Earth-2’s Harry Wells, etc. All your fan favourites are here, unrestrained by TV show budgets as novels are.
The dual storylines unfold at different rates, with Barry’s trip to Earth-27 being the more compelling of the two; it’s clear that Earthworm’s meant to be the side story, but I’d have thought there’d be more urgency to deal with it than there feels like there is. I’m guessing this’ll shift in the final volume of the series, especially since there’s a cliffhanger at the end here.
There are also some really compelling developments for Cisco here that tie into the TV show in a very unexpected way; no spoilers, but this was a genuine surprise and I wonder how Lyga is going to use this plot thread going forward. It’s a very Flash thing to do, and it’s very well executed.
I had a blast reading this; granted, I’m not the target audience, but I don’t think that matters. This is a story that will appeal to any Flash fan of any age, and has something for even the most diehard Flash addict.
June 7, 2018
I have to admit, I was surprised by this series.
I bought the first one on my Kindle because the price was fairly cheap. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the reviews seemed favorable.
Right out of the gate, the first book impressed me by how well it captured the spirit of the characters on the show. Or at least, the spirit of how their characters used to be, before the last two seasons. My interest in the show has waned a bit because the storytelling just keeps getting sloppier and there's too much focus on drama. Here, it manages to bring back a sense of fun and adventure, while still balancing the drama and relationship stuff. It reminds me of the first two seasons.
Right out of the gate, the first book takes us into a divergent timeline in which Flashpoint didn't happen. And surprisingly, it works out for the better. It almost felt like Lyga was throwing a bit of shade at the show by having Barry comment numerous times on how he's glad he decided not to go back in time and that he could have made things a lot worse if he had. Instead, he stayed and moved past the pain and dealt with the loss of his father. It's a more mature Barry, and damn, I love it. I wish the show was written as well as this, because this is a Barry that hasn't been around for the past two seasons now.
Barry Lyga is an author I'm already familiar with, having read a number of his other works, and it turns out, he was a great choice to take on this project.
I quite liked the plot of this book. Seeing the Crime Syndicate in the CWverse was pretty great, even though we ever only saw Johnny Quick. Speaking of, the identity of Johnny Quick was a pleasant surprise - I was beginning to guess right around the time it was revealed, but I imagine it made a lot of fans happy, who were disappointed about another reveal in the show in Season 3.
This manages to capture the fun of the early seasons and balance it with a lot of fun uses of power. And my favorite bit is that Barry has some intelligent moments. He doesn't act like an idiot or suddenly forget how to use his powers. Sure, he gets bested and outsmarted, but it's written in a way that doesn't diminish the character. Some of the feats of speed in this book were great.
If you enjoyed the show in the early seasons, then you ought to give this book a try. It does a great job of balancing the characters, the action, and manages to have fun while still providing some drama. If only the CW show was currently being written as well.
A spoiler I wanted to discuss, hidden by tag:
I bought the first one on my Kindle because the price was fairly cheap. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the reviews seemed favorable.
Right out of the gate, the first book impressed me by how well it captured the spirit of the characters on the show. Or at least, the spirit of how their characters used to be, before the last two seasons. My interest in the show has waned a bit because the storytelling just keeps getting sloppier and there's too much focus on drama. Here, it manages to bring back a sense of fun and adventure, while still balancing the drama and relationship stuff. It reminds me of the first two seasons.
Right out of the gate, the first book takes us into a divergent timeline in which Flashpoint didn't happen. And surprisingly, it works out for the better. It almost felt like Lyga was throwing a bit of shade at the show by having Barry comment numerous times on how he's glad he decided not to go back in time and that he could have made things a lot worse if he had. Instead, he stayed and moved past the pain and dealt with the loss of his father. It's a more mature Barry, and damn, I love it. I wish the show was written as well as this, because this is a Barry that hasn't been around for the past two seasons now.
Barry Lyga is an author I'm already familiar with, having read a number of his other works, and it turns out, he was a great choice to take on this project.
I quite liked the plot of this book. Seeing the Crime Syndicate in the CWverse was pretty great, even though we ever only saw Johnny Quick. Speaking of, the identity of Johnny Quick was a pleasant surprise - I was beginning to guess right around the time it was revealed, but I imagine it made a lot of fans happy, who were disappointed about another reveal in the show in Season 3.
This manages to capture the fun of the early seasons and balance it with a lot of fun uses of power. And my favorite bit is that Barry has some intelligent moments. He doesn't act like an idiot or suddenly forget how to use his powers. Sure, he gets bested and outsmarted, but it's written in a way that doesn't diminish the character. Some of the feats of speed in this book were great.
If you enjoyed the show in the early seasons, then you ought to give this book a try. It does a great job of balancing the characters, the action, and manages to have fun while still providing some drama. If only the CW show was currently being written as well.
A spoiler I wanted to discuss, hidden by tag:
June 22, 2018
The Flash: Johnny Quick inicia exatamente onde o primeiro volume da trilogia de Barry Lyga, The Flash: Hocus Pocus, termina. Após derrotar o mago nêmesis do primeiro livro, Barry parte para a Terra-2 em busca de compreender a tecnologia extremamente avançada usada por Hocus Pocus. Entretanto, como nada na vida do velocista escarlate é simples, algo dá errado durante sua aventura pelo multiverso e ele acaba perdido na desconhecida, e completamente diferente, Terra-27. Não demora muito para que o herói perceba que, nesse lugar, heróis se tornaram vilões e vilões se tornaram heróis. Barry Allen encontra na Terra-27 uma Central City completamente dominada e aterrorizada por Johnny Quick, um poderosíssimo velocista tirano. Enquanto o Flash busca meios de libertar a versão alternativa de sua cidade das mãos de Quick, na Terra-1 uma série de histórias paralelas têm continuidade, enquanto a Equipe Flash tenta desvendar os misteriosos assassinatos cometidos por Earthworm e Cisco continua em sua quest para descobrir quem é Hocus Pocus e como ele conseguiu fugir de uma prisão inescapável. Deixo aqui uma menção especial a Cisco por ele possuir um dos arcos mais interessantes da história.
Mais uma vez Lyga consegue acertar em cheio ao captar a essência dos personagens, tornando o segundo volume da série uma história deliciosa de ser acompanhada, do começo ao fim, além de apresentar novamente diálogos extremamente divertidos. A construção do vilão principal é muito bem feita e me deixou em vários momentos com vontade de ver essa versão de Johnny Quick adaptada para a série de TV. O autor consegue utilizar e descrever bem os poderes dos personagens, preenchendo lacunas e fazendo abordagens que a contraparte televisiva não se dá ao luxo de fazer.
A sensação de frustração que me pegou no primeiro volume, devido a introdução de diversos plots no primeiro livro e a conclusão de nenhum deles, desapareceu durante o segundo, mesmo que nenhuma desses tenha sido de fato finalizado ainda. Entretanto, Lyga indica que em sua timeline alternativa nada é por acaso e podemos ter uma conclusão verdadeiramente épica para sua trilogia em The Flash: Tornado Twins, o qual aguardo o lançamento ansiosamente.
Mais uma vez Lyga consegue acertar em cheio ao captar a essência dos personagens, tornando o segundo volume da série uma história deliciosa de ser acompanhada, do começo ao fim, além de apresentar novamente diálogos extremamente divertidos. A construção do vilão principal é muito bem feita e me deixou em vários momentos com vontade de ver essa versão de Johnny Quick adaptada para a série de TV. O autor consegue utilizar e descrever bem os poderes dos personagens, preenchendo lacunas e fazendo abordagens que a contraparte televisiva não se dá ao luxo de fazer.
A sensação de frustração que me pegou no primeiro volume, devido a introdução de diversos plots no primeiro livro e a conclusão de nenhum deles, desapareceu durante o segundo, mesmo que nenhuma desses tenha sido de fato finalizado ainda. Entretanto, Lyga indica que em sua timeline alternativa nada é por acaso e podemos ter uma conclusão verdadeiramente épica para sua trilogia em The Flash: Tornado Twins, o qual aguardo o lançamento ansiosamente.
April 17, 2018
I have read the first Flack book by Barry Lyga, Hocus Pocus, twice now. Once by myself and then with my son who is now 10. To say that we both loved it would be an understatement, and as fans of the Flash Tv Series we both love this alternate timeline. My son and I both prefer Barry Allan as portrayed by Grant Gustin, over the one in the Justice league movie. That is who we both picture in our head as we read these books. I have read almost all of Barry Lyga's works, I love his Brookdale High books. But there is just something about his works on the Flash that showcase his incredible skill with the pen in a new way. In many ways it is harder for an author to take characters we know and love and drop them in new stories. And Super Hero novelizations are an art form unto themselves, they are not just simple novels. They must maintain a continuity of characters and plots; or do a dam excellent job of explaining the variations. And Lyga executes magnificently!
I devoured this book in 2 sittings over 2 days. And am now going back and reading it with my son, at a slower pace of a chapter a day. This book is an amazing read. In my previous review of book 1, Hocus Pocus, I stated: "Not since reading Batman Knightfall by Dennis O'Neil back in 1995 have I enjoyed a super hero novel so much." And I would now say that this book, this series is my all time favorite novelization of a super hero story!
This story continues in an alternate timeline where Flashpoint never happened. Instead of running off that night after Zoom was defeated, Barry headed back in the house with Iris. I though book 1, Hocus Pocus, was an amazing read, and I loved this story even better. This story throws a few new twists at Barry, and as us his fans. At the beginning of this story there is evil lurking under the streets of central City. Cisco has literally crashed after the effort it took to stop Hocus Pocus. And a new threat arises. Barry decides to use the tachyon harness tohop to Earth 2 and get Harry and Jesse to help figure out a problem. Rather than waiting for Cisco to wake up. But something goes askew while he is traveling across the realms. And he ends up skidding out into a version of Earth they have not interacted with before.
Back on Earth 1, Wally is searching the tunnels below central city. After her recovers Cisco has a vibe that really throws him off kilter. And the team is just trying to fight battles on too many fronts. And Barry has dubbed the Earth he landed on the multiverse Earth 27. Not since Star Trek's original episode of the Mirror Universe has a story been so fun. And that is as much of a clue I can give in this review.
This book captures all that Good story telling should, and the hope that Super Hero's bring. They characters are ones we know and love, but these new tales take them different places. Lyga is a master wordsmith and as this trilogy progresses I have greater and greater respect for his talent. This story was a race from the beginning to the end, but what else would you expect from the Flash!
This is an excellent read. It will truly be loved by fans of the expanding DC TV Universe. It will also stands solidly on its own as a superhero novel series. It is a story for fans of all ages. And I eagerly anticipate book through, The Tornado Twins.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Barry Lyga. As well as an author profile and interview with barry.
I devoured this book in 2 sittings over 2 days. And am now going back and reading it with my son, at a slower pace of a chapter a day. This book is an amazing read. In my previous review of book 1, Hocus Pocus, I stated: "Not since reading Batman Knightfall by Dennis O'Neil back in 1995 have I enjoyed a super hero novel so much." And I would now say that this book, this series is my all time favorite novelization of a super hero story!
This story continues in an alternate timeline where Flashpoint never happened. Instead of running off that night after Zoom was defeated, Barry headed back in the house with Iris. I though book 1, Hocus Pocus, was an amazing read, and I loved this story even better. This story throws a few new twists at Barry, and as us his fans. At the beginning of this story there is evil lurking under the streets of central City. Cisco has literally crashed after the effort it took to stop Hocus Pocus. And a new threat arises. Barry decides to use the tachyon harness tohop to Earth 2 and get Harry and Jesse to help figure out a problem. Rather than waiting for Cisco to wake up. But something goes askew while he is traveling across the realms. And he ends up skidding out into a version of Earth they have not interacted with before.
Back on Earth 1, Wally is searching the tunnels below central city. After her recovers Cisco has a vibe that really throws him off kilter. And the team is just trying to fight battles on too many fronts. And Barry has dubbed the Earth he landed on the multiverse Earth 27. Not since Star Trek's original episode of the Mirror Universe has a story been so fun. And that is as much of a clue I can give in this review.
This book captures all that Good story telling should, and the hope that Super Hero's bring. They characters are ones we know and love, but these new tales take them different places. Lyga is a master wordsmith and as this trilogy progresses I have greater and greater respect for his talent. This story was a race from the beginning to the end, but what else would you expect from the Flash!
This is an excellent read. It will truly be loved by fans of the expanding DC TV Universe. It will also stands solidly on its own as a superhero novel series. It is a story for fans of all ages. And I eagerly anticipate book through, The Tornado Twins.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Barry Lyga. As well as an author profile and interview with barry.
May 31, 2018
I loved the first Flash adventure Barry Lyga wrote, Hocus Pocus, because of how much Lyga gave us better characters than their equivalents on the CW TV series. Here, in Johnny Quick, Lyga not only writes these characters super-well, but also gives us an even more thrilling story very much worthy of the TV series at its best: loaded with action and Fringe-grade multiverse-hopping, tons of favorite characters making little appearances (I especially loved Captain Cold getting some time in the spotlight, since he's long been a fave of mine on the strength of Wentworth Miller's range alone), and not letting the whole Hocus Pocus storyline hang by itself - it's pretty clear here that we're in for a tightly plotted trilogy to conclude with one more book. And my personal favorite bit - the fact that instead of corny WestAllen scenes dragging me out of the moment, Barry and Iris both get to kick ass and take names as best they can, he as a speedster and she as a journalist. H.R. and Joe and Cait and Wally are also very much tons of fun - especially Wally, of course. And while Cisco's a little brought down by his attempts to quit caffeine giving him a bit of a downer attitude, I'm happy to see Lyga shaking things up a bit here.
One more book in the trilogy, which I cannot wait to read...and in the meantime, there's still Jo Whittemore's Supergirl: Curse of the Ancients for me to pick up eventually.
One more book in the trilogy, which I cannot wait to read...and in the meantime, there's still Jo Whittemore's Supergirl: Curse of the Ancients for me to pick up eventually.
April 17, 2018
The adventure continues with Barry trying to learn more about Hocus Pocus and Wally venturing into the sewers to track down the villain introduced at the end of the last book. I don’t typically like fragmented stories - I want my Team Flash fighting together. But Barry’s storyline was so entertaining (let’s just say he sees some familiar faces while off chasing the bad guy) that I actually loved bouncing back and forth between his story and what was going on with Wally and the others. It built up the tension really well. Cisco’s story was particularly intriguing. And Johnny Quick was a great villain. I don’t want to wait 6 months for the next book! *stamps foot and whines*
Also, just have to mention that the covers and layout for this series (and Supergirl’s) are gorgeous.
Also, just have to mention that the covers and layout for this series (and Supergirl’s) are gorgeous.
January 24, 2019
These books are SUCH a delight for a Flash fan like myself. They're very nearly like watching an episode of the show, which is about the highest praise you can give books like these.
December 16, 2019
The Flash Johnny Quick by Barry Lgya is a 5 star book.From Earth 2 where Zoom terrorized the city. There is a new speedster from earth 2 named Johnny Quick.He came to earth 1 and said he will rule the multiverse The Flash tries to fight him and put him behind bars but instead Johnny won the fight and took flash to his layer and tortured him. Flash found a way out .Johnny left them alone that is what they thought.On Halloween he came and Flash and johnny fought and Flash won and put him behind bars but Johnny still killed thousands of people.
June 28, 2023
This Flash tale was even better than the first and Johnny Quick was an interesting character with his speed formula.
April 4, 2018
I loved the first book in this series and was really excited for this one. This was a really fun read, here we get to see Flash travel to a new Earth in the DCTV multiverse, home of the Crime Syndicate, which was a lot of fun. There were a lot of interesting sort of role reversals that happen on “Earth 27” and I don't want to give too much away, but if this had been an episode, Mark Hamill would have been involved. It was a lot of fun. And the rest of Team Flash is busy attempting to tie up some of the loose ends from the mystery from the first book. Though I really hoped that those would have been tied up here, but they were again postponed until book three, which I'm not gonna lie was a little disappointing. But we do get to at least see more of “Earthworm” an actually super creepy villain, and I really do want to see how that turns out, but I just thought that that would have happened in this book instead of later on. And Cisco has a couple of really awesome things happen to him in this book that I'm really looking forward to seeing more of in the next one. Overall this was a really fun read and there were a lot of things that I really loved about it, but I didn't quite like it as much as the first one, so for now that one remains my favorite of the series.
October 3, 2018
I'm a big fan of the show, so of course I had to read this book (and the one preceding it). I love the no-Flashpoint storyline, which makes it possible for this book to exist and still be canon to the show.
Ah, alternate timelines. :)
Two more things I love about this book:
1. Cisco Ramon (hands-down my favorite TeamFlash character) is in here, and there's just enough of him to keep me satisfied.
2. The book has multiple things going on at the same time, so it switches between situations, all of which I find fascinating.
Okay, I'm gonna wrap up this review with a warning that the book ends at a cliffhanger.
So when the third installment is published--I'll have to read that too...
Ah, alternate timelines. :)
Two more things I love about this book:
1. Cisco Ramon (hands-down my favorite TeamFlash character) is in here, and there's just enough of him to keep me satisfied.
2. The book has multiple things going on at the same time, so it switches between situations, all of which I find fascinating.
Okay, I'm gonna wrap up this review with a warning that the book ends at a cliffhanger.
So when the third installment is published--I'll have to read that too...
May 14, 2018
This story dove into the multiverse idea more, but there was not too much action in this, and the Flash seemed to overcome Johnny Quick without too much of a struggle, even though he didn't have his regular team (or even much help).The transitions between the different storylines/paths of Cisco, Wally/Iris West, and Barry were fine and made the others just even more intriguing to know what was going to happen next. I wish more would have happened with Earthworm, but I guess it was more of a build up for how the next book will go.
April 1, 2022
I really enjoyed this one. The story picks up almost immediately after the previous book ended. Barry decides to travel to Earth-2 to ask Harry for help but ends up on a world he names Earth-27, where the heroes he remembers are villains and the villains are heroes. The surprise reveal of Johnny Quick's identity caught me off guard, I'd been so sure I knew who it was. I'm very much looking forward to the final book in the trilogy.
August 31, 2019
I like the TV show, and have read other series spin off books with mixed results. This one felt a little disjointed. The main conflict (on Earth 27) was resolved, but the book ended with several smaller plot issues unresolved. Not striking enough to call them "cliff hangers" but just unfinished. It felt more like one longer story the publisher chopped into 2.
April 1, 2021
A good read. I liked it si far. The book talks about a timeline where the flash never went back and saved his mom so no flashpoint... at least thats where the first booo picks up fro. The second, this one, Barry accidentally finds himself in a different earh, he named it earth 27. Can't wait to read the third one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2023
Another fun episodic adventure from Barry Lyga, with interesting twists on established characters and there's even a cool and creative little plot point with Cisco towards the end of the book. What lets the book down though, is that it feels like a continuous story from the first book and now going into the next one, so it doesn't feel like a story in its own right.
April 2, 2019
I love the Flash. :)
August 15, 2021
It's an amazing Novel when reading it's like you are watching the show on your head
honestly it's amazing í ½í¸í ½í¸í ½í¸í ½í¸í ½í¸
honestly it's amazing í ½í¸í ½í¸í ½í¸í ½í¸í ½í¸
February 24, 2023
I loved this story it’s cool to see different stories about the flash that’s are different than the show
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews