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The Flash (2016)
The Flash, Vol. 16: Wally West Returns
Wally West is back! The fan-favorite character has returned to the role of the Fastest Man Alive and is leaping through time on a quest to return him to glory!
Wally West is ready to call it quits. After a tumultuous and traumatic few years from DC Universe: Rebirth to Heroes in Crisis to Dark Nights: Death Metal, the former Kid Flash is ready to walk, not run, away from the super-hero life--but Barry Allen needs his former partner now more than ever.
What happen next, though, is unexpected--a journey through time that sees Wally leaping from the bodies of fellow speedsters, on a mission from World War II to the far future to restore his former glory!
This is the Flash story fans have been waiting for--with Wally back in the title role for the first time in 15 years!
Along with the Wally West story written by Jeremy Adams and illustrated by artists including Brandon Peterson, this collection includes adventures written by Kevin Shinick and illustrated by artists including Clayton Henry, pitting Barry Allen against the Trickster and Dr. Alchemy!
This volume collects The Flash #763-771, The Flash 2021 Annual #1 and Justice League: Endless Winter #1.
Wally West is ready to call it quits. After a tumultuous and traumatic few years from DC Universe: Rebirth to Heroes in Crisis to Dark Nights: Death Metal, the former Kid Flash is ready to walk, not run, away from the super-hero life--but Barry Allen needs his former partner now more than ever.
What happen next, though, is unexpected--a journey through time that sees Wally leaping from the bodies of fellow speedsters, on a mission from World War II to the far future to restore his former glory!
This is the Flash story fans have been waiting for--with Wally back in the title role for the first time in 15 years!
Along with the Wally West story written by Jeremy Adams and illustrated by artists including Brandon Peterson, this collection includes adventures written by Kevin Shinick and illustrated by artists including Clayton Henry, pitting Barry Allen against the Trickster and Dr. Alchemy!
This volume collects The Flash #763-771, The Flash 2021 Annual #1 and Justice League: Endless Winter #1.
280 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2022
31 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
July 23, 2022
It’s so great to have Wally back as the main Flash in the ongoing! I was smiling through pretty much the entire book.
The annual included here was amazing as well and was just about everything I could have hoped for, especially considering how much I hated Heroes in Crisis.
Recommended for anyone who missed Wally as the main Flash as much as I did.
The annual included here was amazing as well and was just about everything I could have hoped for, especially considering how much I hated Heroes in Crisis.
Recommended for anyone who missed Wally as the main Flash as much as I did.
July 31, 2024
Reread: 30/07/2024
This one was so awesome like just the whole story of Barry finding his ring and vs Dr Alchemy whose such a great villain for Barry being an alchemist and it leads to some really good moments and battles and I love it! And then the stuff with Wally jumping through timelines and you get to see crazy stories like vs dinosaurs or in the future where he teams up with Gold beetles and its a fun future story and then WW2 and even Reverse flash like with LOD and it felt like such a 1980s story! It really showed you how fun Wally's character is and like also completes is resolution of "give up being the superhero" to embracing the legacy once again and becoming the main flash and thats awesome and a perfect transition from Barry to Wally! I love the emotional component and retcon of Heroes in crisis and you can see the heroic wally return and yeah the explanation can be confusing but it was well done!
____________________________________________________________
This was so fun to read omg! Btw spoilers below so!
I loved this one and its easily one of my favorite reads of the year!
We deal with a story of Barry and how his ring came to be and that was such a fun one and yeah its a retcon but the emotions behind it is awesome and then the short battle with Trickster was great and then the return of Dr Alchemy and I love how the writer explores it, showing how Desmond is a great villain for the chemist side of Barry and it makes the story so much more personal and even better and then the changes with Dr Alchemy and it becomes magical sorta and then some interesting connections to the larger DCU and cameos by DC characters leading to an amazing Flash-Alchemy fight which was cool!
Then Idk why Endless winter is included here but oh well fun story between Adam and Barry and showing how one of their power might help the others so that was fun!
And then finally the big story with Wally and we deal with his return and a travel through time like him fighting speed dinosaurs which was so cool omg and then travelling to Speedsters body like Impulse and then meeting Gold beetle (who is easily one of my new favorite characters so yeah!) and then a story set in WW2 which was so fun and then that RF thing with LOD set in 70s Super friends series was an inspired choice lol and finally dealing with the HIC stuff and whats happening to Wally in such an amazing way, it will make you love it!
I love how in the end Jeremy had Wally confront all of these things in the very first arc and sort of gave him a redemptive moment which was much needed and slowly showing the return of Savitar and Wally finally becoming the flash like coming around after the initial issue (where he wanted to stop being the flash) and its awesome and amazing and just too good to read!
I love this, I highly recommend it, its got some great stories for both the flashes and leads into a great new status quo for both the characters! ;)
This one was so awesome like just the whole story of Barry finding his ring and vs Dr Alchemy whose such a great villain for Barry being an alchemist and it leads to some really good moments and battles and I love it! And then the stuff with Wally jumping through timelines and you get to see crazy stories like vs dinosaurs or in the future where he teams up with Gold beetles and its a fun future story and then WW2 and even Reverse flash like with LOD and it felt like such a 1980s story! It really showed you how fun Wally's character is and like also completes is resolution of "give up being the superhero" to embracing the legacy once again and becoming the main flash and thats awesome and a perfect transition from Barry to Wally! I love the emotional component and retcon of Heroes in crisis and you can see the heroic wally return and yeah the explanation can be confusing but it was well done!
____________________________________________________________
This was so fun to read omg! Btw spoilers below so!
I loved this one and its easily one of my favorite reads of the year!
We deal with a story of Barry and how his ring came to be and that was such a fun one and yeah its a retcon but the emotions behind it is awesome and then the short battle with Trickster was great and then the return of Dr Alchemy and I love how the writer explores it, showing how Desmond is a great villain for the chemist side of Barry and it makes the story so much more personal and even better and then the changes with Dr Alchemy and it becomes magical sorta and then some interesting connections to the larger DCU and cameos by DC characters leading to an amazing Flash-Alchemy fight which was cool!
Then Idk why Endless winter is included here but oh well fun story between Adam and Barry and showing how one of their power might help the others so that was fun!
And then finally the big story with Wally and we deal with his return and a travel through time like him fighting speed dinosaurs which was so cool omg and then travelling to Speedsters body like Impulse and then meeting Gold beetle (who is easily one of my new favorite characters so yeah!) and then a story set in WW2 which was so fun and then that RF thing with LOD set in 70s Super friends series was an inspired choice lol and finally dealing with the HIC stuff and whats happening to Wally in such an amazing way, it will make you love it!
I love how in the end Jeremy had Wally confront all of these things in the very first arc and sort of gave him a redemptive moment which was much needed and slowly showing the return of Savitar and Wally finally becoming the flash like coming around after the initial issue (where he wanted to stop being the flash) and its awesome and amazing and just too good to read!
I love this, I highly recommend it, its got some great stories for both the flashes and leads into a great new status quo for both the characters! ;)
December 26, 2023
After years of badly drawn, poorly written Flash comics, this run is a welcome change! DC ought to have begun a new series here instead of tacking this run onto the end of the Rebirth era Flash.
July 21, 2022
This volume's a bit of a mix-up, since it collects the intermission arc between bigger creative teams, an Endless Winter tie-in, and the first arc of the current team. It's not a bad thing, but the earlier stuff does overshadow quite how good Jeremy Adams' run is shaping up to be.
So we start with Kevin Shinick's four issue run, which looks at the origins of the Flash Ring and brings Doctor Alchemy back into the fold. It's a fun little story, nothing groundbreaking, but it does the job of getting a Flash comic out onto the stands while bigger things are happening elsewhere. Clayton Henry pencils one (ONE!) issue of this run, before ceding to Will Conrad for the rest (with an assist from Sami Basri). Conrad's always been an odd fit for the Flash, since his artwork can sometimes look a little too static, but it's not bad at all.
Clayton Henry then returns for the Endless Winter tie-in, which is pretty much just collected for completeness rather than anything else since it'll make zero sense without the rest of the story for context, or at least the beginning. It's nice that it's here, but I doubt it'll have you running out to grab the rest of the story on its own.
And then the real meat and potatoes, Jeremy Adams' run begins with issue #768. Blink Of An Eye runs through four issues and an annual, and brings Wally West and his family back into the Flash spotlight properly for the first time in...oh, a while? Joshua Williamson touched on him for a little bit, especially during Flash War, but he's mostly been sidelined due to Heroes In Crisis and Flash Forward having their way with him instead. Thankfully, Adams gets Wally unlike anyone since maybe Geoff Johns or Mark Waid, and he spins a time travelling yarn that ropes in all your favourite Flash characters including a few surprises and will make longtime Flash fans smile from ear to ear. The art is again a little all over the place, with Brandon Peterson doing the heavy lifting, but then other time periods being drawn by the likes of David LaFuente, Kevin Maguire (!), and Jack Herbert.
I'm honestly surprised DC didn't throw the first five issues here in a separate trade, then let Adams' first arc breathe on its own as its own thing, but hey, what do I know about collecting trades after reading them for 10+ years? Either way, this is a decent first half coupled with an amazing second - you really can't go wrong, but it's the latter half of the book that will really set your Flash world on fire.
So we start with Kevin Shinick's four issue run, which looks at the origins of the Flash Ring and brings Doctor Alchemy back into the fold. It's a fun little story, nothing groundbreaking, but it does the job of getting a Flash comic out onto the stands while bigger things are happening elsewhere. Clayton Henry pencils one (ONE!) issue of this run, before ceding to Will Conrad for the rest (with an assist from Sami Basri). Conrad's always been an odd fit for the Flash, since his artwork can sometimes look a little too static, but it's not bad at all.
Clayton Henry then returns for the Endless Winter tie-in, which is pretty much just collected for completeness rather than anything else since it'll make zero sense without the rest of the story for context, or at least the beginning. It's nice that it's here, but I doubt it'll have you running out to grab the rest of the story on its own.
And then the real meat and potatoes, Jeremy Adams' run begins with issue #768. Blink Of An Eye runs through four issues and an annual, and brings Wally West and his family back into the Flash spotlight properly for the first time in...oh, a while? Joshua Williamson touched on him for a little bit, especially during Flash War, but he's mostly been sidelined due to Heroes In Crisis and Flash Forward having their way with him instead. Thankfully, Adams gets Wally unlike anyone since maybe Geoff Johns or Mark Waid, and he spins a time travelling yarn that ropes in all your favourite Flash characters including a few surprises and will make longtime Flash fans smile from ear to ear. The art is again a little all over the place, with Brandon Peterson doing the heavy lifting, but then other time periods being drawn by the likes of David LaFuente, Kevin Maguire (!), and Jack Herbert.
I'm honestly surprised DC didn't throw the first five issues here in a separate trade, then let Adams' first arc breathe on its own as its own thing, but hey, what do I know about collecting trades after reading them for 10+ years? Either way, this is a decent first half coupled with an amazing second - you really can't go wrong, but it's the latter half of the book that will really set your Flash world on fire.
October 13, 2023
Speed force quantum leaping. Oh boy.
August 29, 2022
With This Ring. The lead story by Kevin Shinick is aggressively mediocre. Barry's fights again the Trickster and Dr. Alchemy read like they could have been written during any non-continuity focused era such as the 60s, 70s, or 80s. There's basically nothing interesting in here, just babble and fight [2/5].
Endless Winter. You've got to hand it to DC that for the first time since the nuDC they actually tried to bridge crossover material by explaining it. But this volume contains so little of the Endless Winter story that the issue and a bit that are included are a huge waste. They should have just bridged the whole crossover and pointed you in the right direction [1/5].
Blink of an Eye. The story of Wally West's return seems a bit pointless at first, as he bounces around time. But it grows increasingly interesting as he meets speedsters (or rather becomes them). Then in the finale we get an unexpected, but it should have been expected, return to Heroes in Crisis and a semi-fix for the horrid character assassination of Wally West, making this trip through time worthwhile [4/5].
Endless Winter. You've got to hand it to DC that for the first time since the nuDC they actually tried to bridge crossover material by explaining it. But this volume contains so little of the Endless Winter story that the issue and a bit that are included are a huge waste. They should have just bridged the whole crossover and pointed you in the right direction [1/5].
Blink of an Eye. The story of Wally West's return seems a bit pointless at first, as he bounces around time. But it grows increasingly interesting as he meets speedsters (or rather becomes them). Then in the finale we get an unexpected, but it should have been expected, return to Heroes in Crisis and a semi-fix for the horrid character assassination of Wally West, making this trip through time worthwhile [4/5].
February 14, 2023
Oddly enough the best issue of the volume is the Annual, wrapping up the main arc. It is astutely tied to Tom King’s Heroes in crisis and cleverly relaunches Wally as Flash. Well done, really.
But gee, what drag it was to get there...
Uninteresting single/two-parters as appetizer for a stodgy main course, barely understandable at times and illustrated by various artists ranging from meh to bland. To say I was unimpressed qualifies as understatement of the month.
This goddamn annual is pretty good though..
But gee, what drag it was to get there...
Uninteresting single/two-parters as appetizer for a stodgy main course, barely understandable at times and illustrated by various artists ranging from meh to bland. To say I was unimpressed qualifies as understatement of the month.
This goddamn annual is pretty good though..
August 31, 2025
Very very weak beginning, would honestly recommend just skip it and start reading this volume when the jeremy adam’s story’s kick in as they are very fun and entertaining
June 17, 2022
Though the story is actually called Blink of an Eye, issues 768-771 and the 2021 Annual are collected as The Flash Vol. 16: Wally West Returns, and it's what amounts to bringing Wally back from the brink he was pushed to in the objectionable Heroes in Crisis (going so far as clearing him of part of those events). The story has Wally taking over the series from Barry and getting drawn into the Speed Force and Quantum Leaping into other speedsters across time and the multiverse. Jeremy Adams provides quite a funny script at times (if a wordy one), but it only really feels right in the Super-Friends sequence because they have Kevin Maguire doing the art and making it feel like the Bwa-ha-ha era. I know the flatter colors are meant to remind us of the cartoon, but I wish more of the comic had been like this. Visually, they always have guest artists present other times, but they're mostly treated the same way as Brandon Peterson's frame tale. The rounded solidity of the colors just too often gives the figures a static solidity that works against the feeling we should get from Flash-type action. Let's just say the art generally leaves me cold. Funny how the end of Dan DiDio's regime has brought the original Titans back to the fore, huh?
November 29, 2022
This is a mixed review. This set contained Shinick's story, which was actually a loooooong fill-in, and it wasn't that good. Quite a forgettable story. Then, it included Flash's part in Endless Winter, which was yet another unnecessary and, also, forgettable crossover. And finally, we got Adams story, which brought back Wally West in a magnificent way. Obviously, it was this last part that made this set meaningful. Beautiful story, amazing art, the whole thing concluded in the annual and there was nothing but joy all around this story.
So, that's why I didn't give the set a 5-star, but for the record, Adams story is ranking really high.
So, that's why I didn't give the set a 5-star, but for the record, Adams story is ranking really high.
April 29, 2025
The Flash Vol. 16: Wally West Returns
Still feeling guilty after the Sanctuary incident, Wally West decides to hang up his suit and retire. A final race with Barry Allen thrusts Wally into the Speed Force and across the time barrier. He finds himself inhabiting Speedsters at times of crisis and finally learns what exactly happened at the Sanctuary.
A glorious soft relaunch of 'The Flash', with stylish art and great character work. The plot is well worked and the climax is powerful.
Still feeling guilty after the Sanctuary incident, Wally West decides to hang up his suit and retire. A final race with Barry Allen thrusts Wally into the Speed Force and across the time barrier. He finds himself inhabiting Speedsters at times of crisis and finally learns what exactly happened at the Sanctuary.
A glorious soft relaunch of 'The Flash', with stylish art and great character work. The plot is well worked and the climax is powerful.
July 16, 2024
YES.
The first with Dr Alchemy is meh.
Now, when Jeremy Adams takes over, it's awesome. He gets it. He gets everything. Fixes all the crap that was done to the character and puts him back at the center. It's fun and creative with great characterizations. I loved it. If this trade was only that it would be a solid five. Can't wait to read the rest of his run.
The first with Dr Alchemy is meh.
Now, when Jeremy Adams takes over, it's awesome. He gets it. He gets everything. Fixes all the crap that was done to the character and puts him back at the center. It's fun and creative with great characterizations. I loved it. If this trade was only that it would be a solid five. Can't wait to read the rest of his run.
September 13, 2022
Honestly the closest to Hitler meeting a dinosaur I have ever read.
May 1, 2023
mega mi sie podobalo nie spodziewalem sie i jeszcze ta kreska cudowna
November 27, 2022
Wally is back and this turned out to be pretty fun. They’ve jettisoned most of the drama of the pst few years and are focusing on what makes Wally a hero and family man. Will keep reading
November 17, 2022
3.5 Stars. Volume was just too long...
During Joshua Williamson's run, Barry ran the show as The Flash, and things were amazing. With Barry taking on The Flash's role in the Justice League, Wally is free to speed for Central City. Just one problem though...
Highlights:
- "With This Ring" is a story that focuses on Barry. His ring gets stolen by The Trickster, and he begins to lose his powers. Discovering that his ring contained trace elements of a metal that helped him better connect to the Speed Force, he is willing to do almost anything to get it back, which he does by defeating Trickster. Dr. Alchemy uses this catalyst to escape Iron Heights and cause Flash lots of trouble.
- We also get The Flash tie-in with Endless Winter
- "Blink of An Eye" has Wally wanting to quite being The Flash and a superhero all together. Still feeling guilt from his actions in "Heroes in Crisis", he feels like he needs to stop to focus on his family. Barry wants to help him so he challenges him to one last race where he knows he can use his connection to the Speed Force to cut Wally off permanently. Before he can do it, Wally gets sucked into the Speed Force and vanishes. With the help of Green Arrow and Mr Terrific, Barry is able to connect with Wally who is bouncing around the Speed Force through various time periods. He must find the "infection" in it and shut it down if he wants to every get back home. His last stop is during the events of "Heroes in Crisis", where he realizes that right before he lost control, this event happened, caused by Savitar. Ollie is able to say good bye to Roy and Wally brings Savitar back to the present. Fight obviously happens and Barry's full connection to the Speed Force is restored by absorbing Savitar's connection. Wally sees this whole ordeal, as well as finally being freed from his guilt, as cause to not quit and remain The Flash.
Interested to see where this goes next. I've always liked Barry, yet I know that Wally was Flash for a very long time.
Recommend.
During Joshua Williamson's run, Barry ran the show as The Flash, and things were amazing. With Barry taking on The Flash's role in the Justice League, Wally is free to speed for Central City. Just one problem though...
Highlights:
- "With This Ring" is a story that focuses on Barry. His ring gets stolen by The Trickster, and he begins to lose his powers. Discovering that his ring contained trace elements of a metal that helped him better connect to the Speed Force, he is willing to do almost anything to get it back, which he does by defeating Trickster. Dr. Alchemy uses this catalyst to escape Iron Heights and cause Flash lots of trouble.
- We also get The Flash tie-in with Endless Winter
- "Blink of An Eye" has Wally wanting to quite being The Flash and a superhero all together. Still feeling guilt from his actions in "Heroes in Crisis", he feels like he needs to stop to focus on his family. Barry wants to help him so he challenges him to one last race where he knows he can use his connection to the Speed Force to cut Wally off permanently. Before he can do it, Wally gets sucked into the Speed Force and vanishes. With the help of Green Arrow and Mr Terrific, Barry is able to connect with Wally who is bouncing around the Speed Force through various time periods. He must find the "infection" in it and shut it down if he wants to every get back home. His last stop is during the events of "Heroes in Crisis", where he realizes that right before he lost control, this event happened, caused by Savitar. Ollie is able to say good bye to Roy and Wally brings Savitar back to the present. Fight obviously happens and Barry's full connection to the Speed Force is restored by absorbing Savitar's connection. Wally sees this whole ordeal, as well as finally being freed from his guilt, as cause to not quit and remain The Flash.
Interested to see where this goes next. I've always liked Barry, yet I know that Wally was Flash for a very long time.
Recommend.
August 15, 2022
This should be a five-star review, dammit. But because of the bizarre way DC has chosen to collect this volume, I HAVE to take a star off.
The first half of this volume is a shockingly terrible fill-in story starring Barry Allen and featuring the Trickster and Doctor Alchemy as villains. It is asinine. The plot makes leaps in random directions seemingly at the drop of a hat; there's no clear sense of set-up or pay-off, no clear stakes or consistent source of antagonism, and no rules. It honestly reads like the Flash group editor let his teenage nephew write a four-issue storyline.
Thankfully, this wet-blanket opening isn't enough to spoil the feature presentation: a multi-issue adventure from incoming writer Jeremy Adams (along with a plethora of artists) re-establishing fan-favorite Wally West as the Scarlet Speedster! And it is... just everything you could want from the character's return. It's fun, charming, occasionally goofy, and reintroduces the theme of legacy in a way that feels organic while also covering a LOT of ground.
Better still, a good chunk of the final couple of issues of this volume are dedicated to walking back the misery that'd been heaped on Wally West's shoulders in the past decade-- in particular, the grisly events of Tom King's Heroes in Crisis, which had left a stain on the character that Adams deftly washes away (without necessarily undoing or invalidating that story... much as I would have preferred that it HAD). It also reintroduces a surprise villain that I'm personally fond of, but I don't want to spoil it.
By the end, Wally has been renewed and restored, ready to set out on the heroic path again. And for the first time in over a decade, I'm excited to see where that path may lead for the Fastest Man Alive!
The first half of this volume is a shockingly terrible fill-in story starring Barry Allen and featuring the Trickster and Doctor Alchemy as villains. It is asinine. The plot makes leaps in random directions seemingly at the drop of a hat; there's no clear sense of set-up or pay-off, no clear stakes or consistent source of antagonism, and no rules. It honestly reads like the Flash group editor let his teenage nephew write a four-issue storyline.
Thankfully, this wet-blanket opening isn't enough to spoil the feature presentation: a multi-issue adventure from incoming writer Jeremy Adams (along with a plethora of artists) re-establishing fan-favorite Wally West as the Scarlet Speedster! And it is... just everything you could want from the character's return. It's fun, charming, occasionally goofy, and reintroduces the theme of legacy in a way that feels organic while also covering a LOT of ground.
Better still, a good chunk of the final couple of issues of this volume are dedicated to walking back the misery that'd been heaped on Wally West's shoulders in the past decade-- in particular, the grisly events of Tom King's Heroes in Crisis, which had left a stain on the character that Adams deftly washes away (without necessarily undoing or invalidating that story... much as I would have preferred that it HAD). It also reintroduces a surprise villain that I'm personally fond of, but I don't want to spoil it.
By the end, Wally has been renewed and restored, ready to set out on the heroic path again. And for the first time in over a decade, I'm excited to see where that path may lead for the Fastest Man Alive!
August 25, 2022
This collection consists of two separate stories, one of which is much better than the other. The first is based around Barry's ring, which contains his costume, but turns out to have a significant background as well. The story is basically a series of fights against (mainly) Doctor Alchemy, mixed in with some rather dodgy comic-book chemistry. Yes, there's some link to Barry's backstory in here, which helps to raise it above the mediocre, but the writing is rather flat, the villain's powers don't make much sense, and the result is not one of the greatest. We then get a brief segment from the middle of an entirely different story arc that's otherwise not included here, which makes absolutely no sense to include.
Fortunately, the second story is not only the better of the two, but the longer. This sees Wally West considering retiring from the superhero business and then being catapulted through the timestream and the multiverse popping up in the bodies of various other speedsters. It's a good mix of styles - and new time-travelling superhero Gold Beetle is a fun addition to the canon - showing us (and Wally) different elements of what being the Flash is about. At least in collected form, it zips along at an appropriately fast pace, and there's a good conclusion that feeds back into some of the more recently developed mythology of the character.
Fortunately, the second story is not only the better of the two, but the longer. This sees Wally West considering retiring from the superhero business and then being catapulted through the timestream and the multiverse popping up in the bodies of various other speedsters. It's a good mix of styles - and new time-travelling superhero Gold Beetle is a fun addition to the canon - showing us (and Wally) different elements of what being the Flash is about. At least in collected form, it zips along at an appropriately fast pace, and there's a good conclusion that feeds back into some of the more recently developed mythology of the character.
August 14, 2022
Wally West is back baby!
This is a bit of a hodge-podge of a collection that I'm surprised wasn't separated into two separate books. First up is a story by Kevin Shinick about the Flash's ring and Dr. Alchemy. There's some things in the story that didn't make logical sense with Dr. Alchemy but overall it was fine. Then there's the 2nd part of the Justice League:Endless Winter story. It makes no sense with just this part of the story but I guess it was included for completeness. But just skip it and go read Endless Winter instead if you are interested.
Then Jeremy Adams's run on Flash begins and he brings Wally West back into the fold. Wally gets sling-shot back and forth throughout time taking over other speedsters' bodies. The really great thing about this story is that it fixes Wally, turning him back into a hero again. Wally is just a more interesting character than Barry Allen and I love seeing the focus back on him.
This is a bit of a hodge-podge of a collection that I'm surprised wasn't separated into two separate books. First up is a story by Kevin Shinick about the Flash's ring and Dr. Alchemy. There's some things in the story that didn't make logical sense with Dr. Alchemy but overall it was fine. Then there's the 2nd part of the Justice League:Endless Winter story. It makes no sense with just this part of the story but I guess it was included for completeness. But just skip it and go read Endless Winter instead if you are interested.
Then Jeremy Adams's run on Flash begins and he brings Wally West back into the fold. Wally gets sling-shot back and forth throughout time taking over other speedsters' bodies. The really great thing about this story is that it fixes Wally, turning him back into a hero again. Wally is just a more interesting character than Barry Allen and I love seeing the focus back on him.
January 21, 2023
Overall a really fun read, and what a Flash book should be.
The first arc is a really fun reinvigoration of a few classic Flash rogues, with Alchemy being given an especially fun new twist. It felt like a great modernization of classic Flash stuff.
There’s some middle fluff that ties into stuff that’s kinda fun, easily the biggest weakness here.
The back half of the book is Wally West getting shunted through time trying to fix what once went wrong. It’s fun. And it culminates in fixing one of the biggest mistakes of the last decade of Flash stories. And it paints a beautiful path forward.
On the whole the writing is fun, brisk, and rock solid. Decent dialogue, fun concepts, handling of lore. Honestly the only shortcoming is the inconsistency on the art side. It could be worse, at least it’s kind of justified with the Wally story (and the Kevin Maguire Super Friends bits make me crave him doing a Super Friends book) but it’s still not hot.
I can’t wait to read more of this series. I’ve heard great stuff, and this certainty lives up to that.
The first arc is a really fun reinvigoration of a few classic Flash rogues, with Alchemy being given an especially fun new twist. It felt like a great modernization of classic Flash stuff.
There’s some middle fluff that ties into stuff that’s kinda fun, easily the biggest weakness here.
The back half of the book is Wally West getting shunted through time trying to fix what once went wrong. It’s fun. And it culminates in fixing one of the biggest mistakes of the last decade of Flash stories. And it paints a beautiful path forward.
On the whole the writing is fun, brisk, and rock solid. Decent dialogue, fun concepts, handling of lore. Honestly the only shortcoming is the inconsistency on the art side. It could be worse, at least it’s kind of justified with the Wally story (and the Kevin Maguire Super Friends bits make me crave him doing a Super Friends book) but it’s still not hot.
I can’t wait to read more of this series. I’ve heard great stuff, and this certainty lives up to that.
February 23, 2023
I wanted to love this volume of Flash more, but the weakness lies in how these issues were collected. First, the Endless Winter crossover feels so random in this book. I was more invested in the main story that was being told that it was very irritating to have to get sidetracked by DC comics' stupid event. Endless Winter just needs a separate collection for itself. The artwork for the most part in this book ranges from good to incredible. This book also felt more like filler as we are leading up to Wall West's eventual takeover as the main lead in the Flash series. That's not to say that the Wally story was terrible but it just kind of meandered on a little too long for my taste. I have heard a lot of great things about the Jeremy Adams run on Wall West Flash and was a bit disappointed that this volume is just more of a lead-up. The inclusion of much of the Flash family is a plus and when the book focus is on our main plot it was pretty fun. DC Comics just needs to learn how to put these collections together better.
November 27, 2022
It’s an odd collection, but kudos to DC for not jacking up the price despite this volume being overstuffed. I choose to look at it as the beginning of the new Wally West era plus some bonus tracks. Things begin with what is clearly a fill in story arc designed to spin wheels between the end of Williamson’s run and the beginning of Adams’. With This Ring isn’t bad and it has its heart in the right place, but it is what it is: filler. The inclusion of a random chapter of the Endless Winter crossover is especially bizarre, but again if you look at it as bonus material, it’s not a big deal. The meat of things is the return of Wally and it’s absolutely terrific. I was hesitant because DC has not been particularly kind to Wally for the past decade plus and that’s coming from a fan of Heroes in Crisis. Adams gets it, though, and reframes things beautifully while passing the torch from Barry to Wally. It’s a terrific tale.
July 23, 2024
I continued the Flash run almost immediately after finishing Williamson's run. It's hard to continue the momentum that JW had writing the previous volumes and you feel the drop off in the first half of the volume. The Shinick issues, were 'eh' at best. His writing style was almost entirely obvious narration even within the dialogue aspects of the book. I will admit though, he did get me with a couple of twists but the writing itself needs work. The next portion of the book, the teaser from Endless Winter was also 'eh'. I felt more confused based on what was occurring in that volume rather than what was happening to the Flash (I understand why it was included but was unnecessary to the volume). Jeremy Adams' 2nd half of the volume drew me back in and will have me continue this run. His flash arc with Wally West's return was awesome and fun (an aspect many modern authors don't include). I suggest getting this volume solely for Adams' work. Grade: B
November 17, 2025
This volume adds good lore to the Flash mythos, and contains emotional moments, but suffers from padding and art choices which lacked appeal. I loved that the first set of stories used Doctor Alchemy as a villain, since he's an under-used baddie from Flash's rogues gallery. And I enjoyed the ring story for adding new significance to... well, Barry Allen's ring.
The Wally West story is an effective apology for Heroes in Crisis. I accept. That arc was cool, entertaining, and featured diverse artistic landscapes.
Though Wally's arc got too pseudo-sciencey for its own good, was drawn-out, and forced Oliver Queen into its narrative so that it could draw an emotional ending (it did) and dumb down the excessive technobabble. I also I disliked the inking and colours, despite enjoying the pencils.
Wally West Returns is Worth a Read.
The Wally West story is an effective apology for Heroes in Crisis. I accept. That arc was cool, entertaining, and featured diverse artistic landscapes.
Though Wally's arc got too pseudo-sciencey for its own good, was drawn-out, and forced Oliver Queen into its narrative so that it could draw an emotional ending (it did) and dumb down the excessive technobabble. I also I disliked the inking and colours, despite enjoying the pencils.
Wally West Returns is Worth a Read.
September 5, 2022
Even though the title is Wally West returns, this volume doesn't solely focus on Wally. Instead it's split into 3 stories.
The first story is Barry Allen taking on two villains because of his ring, for filler it is pretty entertaining but not very memorable, I'm writing this just a few days after and aside from the Trickster I can't remember who the other one is.
Endless Winter part 2, I have no idea why DC included this in here as it's an incomplete, the other 5 parts are collected in it's own graphic novel and it's a Justice League story so why is it in the Flash title? Who knows I skipped reading it because there is no point of it being in here, it's not like you're collecting comics where you'll need them all.
Finally we get onto the main man himself Wally West! Ever since Rebirth DC have been destroying his character and in this he's had enough, he tries to lose his powers only for it to go wrong and send him back in time. It's actually really captivating, you have him possess various speeders throughout time both future and past. We get to See Jay, Impulse as they take on Nazi's and a ton of other stuff. Honestly this should have been the graphic novel, more of this because it was gold!
As much as I loved the ending, I have to give this 3 stars because you have to dig through the other stories before getting the gold.
The first story is Barry Allen taking on two villains because of his ring, for filler it is pretty entertaining but not very memorable, I'm writing this just a few days after and aside from the Trickster I can't remember who the other one is.
Endless Winter part 2, I have no idea why DC included this in here as it's an incomplete, the other 5 parts are collected in it's own graphic novel and it's a Justice League story so why is it in the Flash title? Who knows I skipped reading it because there is no point of it being in here, it's not like you're collecting comics where you'll need them all.
Finally we get onto the main man himself Wally West! Ever since Rebirth DC have been destroying his character and in this he's had enough, he tries to lose his powers only for it to go wrong and send him back in time. It's actually really captivating, you have him possess various speeders throughout time both future and past. We get to See Jay, Impulse as they take on Nazi's and a ton of other stuff. Honestly this should have been the graphic novel, more of this because it was gold!
As much as I loved the ending, I have to give this 3 stars because you have to dig through the other stories before getting the gold.
February 26, 2023
He's baaaaaaaaaaack!
The OG Wally West has been back awhile but been busy with one Crisis or another. He's been through so much and wants to focus on his family instead. Barry is convinced to race Wally one final time and sever Wally's connection to the Speed Force.
What could go wrong?
(Hahaha! This is a Flash comic. Somebody probably broke the Speed Force again)
Yes, something is wrong with the Speed Force and Wally is bounced along the timeline trying to fix whatever it is that's shorting out the Speed Force. You'd never guess the origins of the problem.
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Bonus: The truth behind 'Heroes In Crisis' comes out. Wally gets blamed for SO much
Bonus Bonus: Dr. Alchemy hasn't been seen in AGES and this is a unique spin.
The OG Wally West has been back awhile but been busy with one Crisis or another. He's been through so much and wants to focus on his family instead. Barry is convinced to race Wally one final time and sever Wally's connection to the Speed Force.
What could go wrong?
(Hahaha! This is a Flash comic. Somebody probably broke the Speed Force again)
Yes, something is wrong with the Speed Force and Wally is bounced along the timeline trying to fix whatever it is that's shorting out the Speed Force. You'd never guess the origins of the problem.
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Bonus: The truth behind 'Heroes In Crisis' comes out. Wally gets blamed for SO much
Bonus Bonus: Dr. Alchemy hasn't been seen in AGES and this is a unique spin.
April 5, 2023
Basic Plot: Barry Allen deals with Dr. Alchemy, then Wally West gets thrown into a body-jumping, time-traveling adventure.
There were several different arcs in this volume, which meant there was just a lot going on in this volume. The Barry Allen arc was merely ok, with some very spotty art. The Wally West arc was much better, and the art shifted to match the time period/character he was leaping into. The art there was very good. Ollie Queen and Mr. Terrific are part of the Wally West arc, too, and provide some pretty good humor.
One whole bonus star because we get to see Jay Garrick punch Hitler. Always a good time.
There were several different arcs in this volume, which meant there was just a lot going on in this volume. The Barry Allen arc was merely ok, with some very spotty art. The Wally West arc was much better, and the art shifted to match the time period/character he was leaping into. The art there was very good. Ollie Queen and Mr. Terrific are part of the Wally West arc, too, and provide some pretty good humor.
One whole bonus star because we get to see Jay Garrick punch Hitler. Always a good time.
January 20, 2024
This volume had a cool Quantum leap like story where Wally who was trying to quit being a Superhero and the Flash gains a new motivation to remain as a Superhero and the Flash when he goes on a fun adventure traveling through multiple eras in the bodies of other speedsters. He manages to overcome his guilt and insecurity. In the end his fight with Savitar was badass. I would have given this volume 4 stars if DC's trade department hadn't added Barry Allen's filler stories in this volume. This volume was about Wally returning to the main Flash status. Why would you put Barry stories in the beginning.
September 24, 2022
I gave this collection 4 stars, but that's a reflection of the second half, which contains the return of Wally alluded to in the title.
The first half is pure filler. They're not awful stories, but nothing I"d pay money for.
In the second half, new writer Jeremy Adams gives us not only the return of the greatest Flash, Wally West, but also a redemption. He manages to do what I thought might be impossible: scrub the stink of Heroes in Crisis off the character. Hats off to the creative team on what could be the start of a classic run.
The first half is pure filler. They're not awful stories, but nothing I"d pay money for.
In the second half, new writer Jeremy Adams gives us not only the return of the greatest Flash, Wally West, but also a redemption. He manages to do what I thought might be impossible: scrub the stink of Heroes in Crisis off the character. Hats off to the creative team on what could be the start of a classic run.
March 7, 2023
I took a break from reading The Flash after Joshua Williamson's long run, thinking I'd step away from it indefinitely. But the strong reviews of the current run drew me back in, and I purchased this volume. I was not disappointed. The story "With This Ring" makes effective use of Barry Allen's abilities as a scientist. Meanwhile, "Blink of An Eye" is a throwback to the Mark Waid era of The Flash, creating a status quo for Wally West that works around much of how the character had been mishandled post-Flashpoint.
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