What do you think?
Rate this book
Showcase Presents #94
Showcase Presents: The Trial of the Flash, Vol. 1
Following the murder of The Flash’s wife, Iris, by his greatest foe, The Reverse-Flash, the two costumed characters are locked in a round-the-world race and battle – one that ended in the death of the evildoer. This is only the beginning of a startling chain of events for The Fastest Man Alive, as he is arrested on a charge of murder. A police scientist himself in his civilian identity of Barry Allen, The Flash begins to build his defense. But when his famous Rogues Gallery of villains decides to get revenge for the death of one of their own, The Flash must battle their patsy: The massively powerful villain called Big Sir. And that’s all before the trial even begins . . .
592 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2011
9 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Cary Bates
705 books13 followersCary Bates (born 1948) is an American comic book, animation, television and film writer. He is best known for his work on The Flash and Superman.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 17, 2021
It's was ok just for reading Flash moments. Still silly shit happening all over the place with things being a realistic as they can for an 80s comic series. Like seeing Flash in costume in court being tried.
Other than stuff like that, fun story to read with a bit too many villains pretty much doing nothing besides filling up pages so the story can be dragged out some more.
So it was an ok I guess story, mediocre at best but still fun to read and if you're a fan of Barry Allen then for sure one of the must read stories for the character.
Other than stuff like that, fun story to read with a bit too many villains pretty much doing nothing besides filling up pages so the story can be dragged out some more.
So it was an ok I guess story, mediocre at best but still fun to read and if you're a fan of Barry Allen then for sure one of the must read stories for the character.
March 17, 2014
The best thing about this book is suspense. It's a mini-series that always surprises you about what it really is. A battle with perennial villain the Reverse Flash leads to killing in self-defense, which leads to a second degree murder trial. And then there are typical super-powered twists about his defense team, and a bunch of crazy twists about whether he actually is a killer or not, proof that may exist across the space time continuum.
There were some glaring issues. From a character POV, I didn't like that Barry Allen's fiancee, Fiona, became a nervous wreck when Barry Allen disappeared (a biproduct of Flash going on trial). It made it seem like she was a diminshed character, whose frailty had to be "taken care of" by the male Flashy-kins.
The action is also a little bit redundant. It's like "crap piles on top of flash" about how bad of a person he is or how he's being framed, it doesn't build as clearly as it should've. And there are a lot of dialogue bubbles. I often had to re-read scenes because I couldn't track the speaking order as six villains all complained about Reverse-Flash or some such.
But I really liked the mix of action and legalese, as well as good art by Carmine Infantino, as well as imaginative use of the DC Universe and its many characters by Cary Bates. The ending, like most things in 80s comics, is overly complicated and dependent on technology/space time, but it is a creative effort that is a fun read.
There were some glaring issues. From a character POV, I didn't like that Barry Allen's fiancee, Fiona, became a nervous wreck when Barry Allen disappeared (a biproduct of Flash going on trial). It made it seem like she was a diminshed character, whose frailty had to be "taken care of" by the male Flashy-kins.
The action is also a little bit redundant. It's like "crap piles on top of flash" about how bad of a person he is or how he's being framed, it doesn't build as clearly as it should've. And there are a lot of dialogue bubbles. I often had to re-read scenes because I couldn't track the speaking order as six villains all complained about Reverse-Flash or some such.
But I really liked the mix of action and legalese, as well as good art by Carmine Infantino, as well as imaginative use of the DC Universe and its many characters by Cary Bates. The ending, like most things in 80s comics, is overly complicated and dependent on technology/space time, but it is a creative effort that is a fun read.
September 6, 2011
This is the last Barry Allen story. Sure he would be killed and brought back after this in two different crises but this was designed to be his swan song. And it's a fun one, dealing with all the important aspects of his life, a few of his allies and most of his enemies before sending him to his final reward.
Of course, it is a product of its time. Everything is overexplained and recapped in both naration and dialog. These days, those 25 issues would be done in about 10. It is mostly gorgeous though. The lines a crisp and precise with a lot of detail without becoming too stiff. The page layouts are imaginative and original, a good fit for a character like the Flash, if at times a bit over the top. Usually I like the black and white in these Essential/Showcase volumes but here it takes something away from the depiction of super-speed and becomes a tad confusing when dealing with two characters with identical costumes of different colours.
Given the opportunity, I probably would have given this a 2.5 stars but since I can't, I upped it to 3 since it is definatly worth a read for classic superhero fans.
Of course, it is a product of its time. Everything is overexplained and recapped in both naration and dialog. These days, those 25 issues would be done in about 10. It is mostly gorgeous though. The lines a crisp and precise with a lot of detail without becoming too stiff. The page layouts are imaginative and original, a good fit for a character like the Flash, if at times a bit over the top. Usually I like the black and white in these Essential/Showcase volumes but here it takes something away from the depiction of super-speed and becomes a tad confusing when dealing with two characters with identical costumes of different colours.
Given the opportunity, I probably would have given this a 2.5 stars but since I can't, I upped it to 3 since it is definatly worth a read for classic superhero fans.
March 9, 2025
It's not often you get a comic story that lasts over 500 pages, so you have to admire its ambition. The ongoing trial, which kind of unfolds in real time through hiring lawyers, submitting evidence, selecting a jury, and hearing sometimes unexpected testimony, is full of drama and surprises, and there are fun side quests with returning villains Gorilla Grodd and Pied Piper (starting on the road to his later redemption). But some parts of the plot get forgotten or sidelined, like the hit taken out on Flash that just goes away without discovering who even paid for it, Barry's new fiancee going mad after the manslaughter at her wedding and then basically disappearing from the series forever, and Flash killing off his Barry identity with zero consequences and the implication that he wore his costume constantly for the entire trial. Then the ending is immediately undone by Crisis on Infinite Earths! So, a mixed bag, but generally more good than bad.
July 14, 2013
Barry Allen, the Flash, is finally moving on from his wife Iris’ death, and is about to marry his new love, Fiona Webb. But on the day of the wedding, Flash learns that Iris’ murderer, Professor Zoom has escaped imprisonment. In the desperate struggle that follows, Zoom announces his intention to kill Fiona just as he did Iris. Barry stops Zoom–permanently. But was it an justifiable act of defense, or a deliberate killing? That’s up to a jury to decide!
This mid-80s epic is not one of the best Flash stories. The creative team was tired and it really shows. One issue in particular is half reprints from older stories apparently to give the writer and artist a break. But it does treat the issue of a masked vigilante killing a criminal with all the seriousness it deserves, before this became the standard operating procedure for superheroes in the Nineties.
The lack of color in this reprint hurts the story several times, not only because Zoom’s costume is identical to Flash’s with a palette swap, but in that recurring villain Rainbow Raider’s entire gimmick is color (and by this time the writer had stopped having people redundantly mention the colors of things.)
Which is not to say that this story is entirely without merit. There are some interesting subplots, such as the mystery of Nathan Newbury, and the ambitions of a pompous defense attorney who sees Flash’s trial as a meal ticket beyond compare. A couple of Flash’s villains put in notable appearances (and the final issue’s villain notes that he’s ,kind of sort of doing Flash a favor, which was foreshadowing for Crisis on Infinite Earths.)
Barry makes a couple of mistakes early on that compound his trouble. First, he still hasn’t told his bride to be his secret identity, which leaves Fiona with no reasonable explanation when Barry Allen disappears permanently. This causes a mental breakdown that renders her useless or worse than useless for the remaining two years of the story. (And then shuffled offstage before the actual ending.)
The other is his decision that he must fight Professor Zoom alone, even actively telling the Guardians of the Universe to keep any other heroes from helping him. This leads directly to killing Zoom being the only way to stop him, precipitating the entire trial plotline.
Again, not the best Flash story, and a bad place to start reading about the Barry Allen Flash. (And a worse place to start reading about the Wally West Flash, who’s barely in these issues and whose spotlight is the aforementioned reprint issue.) But for fans of the Barry Allen Flash on a budget, this is most of the end of the run in one low-price package.
This mid-80s epic is not one of the best Flash stories. The creative team was tired and it really shows. One issue in particular is half reprints from older stories apparently to give the writer and artist a break. But it does treat the issue of a masked vigilante killing a criminal with all the seriousness it deserves, before this became the standard operating procedure for superheroes in the Nineties.
The lack of color in this reprint hurts the story several times, not only because Zoom’s costume is identical to Flash’s with a palette swap, but in that recurring villain Rainbow Raider’s entire gimmick is color (and by this time the writer had stopped having people redundantly mention the colors of things.)
Which is not to say that this story is entirely without merit. There are some interesting subplots, such as the mystery of Nathan Newbury, and the ambitions of a pompous defense attorney who sees Flash’s trial as a meal ticket beyond compare. A couple of Flash’s villains put in notable appearances (and the final issue’s villain notes that he’s ,kind of sort of doing Flash a favor, which was foreshadowing for Crisis on Infinite Earths.)
Barry makes a couple of mistakes early on that compound his trouble. First, he still hasn’t told his bride to be his secret identity, which leaves Fiona with no reasonable explanation when Barry Allen disappears permanently. This causes a mental breakdown that renders her useless or worse than useless for the remaining two years of the story. (And then shuffled offstage before the actual ending.)
The other is his decision that he must fight Professor Zoom alone, even actively telling the Guardians of the Universe to keep any other heroes from helping him. This leads directly to killing Zoom being the only way to stop him, precipitating the entire trial plotline.
Again, not the best Flash story, and a bad place to start reading about the Barry Allen Flash. (And a worse place to start reading about the Wally West Flash, who’s barely in these issues and whose spotlight is the aforementioned reprint issue.) But for fans of the Barry Allen Flash on a budget, this is most of the end of the run in one low-price package.
November 29, 2021
I did like how accurate the proceedings of the court trial was portrayed. It would surely be boring for the average comic reader, but as a courtdrama fan i liked those parts. I even say those are the the parts that sets this story apart in originality. I found the story events outside of the courtroom really boring ironically, felt like a bunch of filler in between the trial.
Putting a major superhero on trial for 'killing' a villain is the main appeal of this book. It was really original at the time, and later stories in the same trend didn't portray the court proceedings this accurately. I would have rated it higher if the ending didn't have some weird twists that i won't spoil but make the whole trial pointless in the first place.
Putting a major superhero on trial for 'killing' a villain is the main appeal of this book. It was really original at the time, and later stories in the same trend didn't portray the court proceedings this accurately. I would have rated it higher if the ending didn't have some weird twists that i won't spoil but make the whole trial pointless in the first place.
May 16, 2020
Ohhhhh, this was exhausting! While I really wanted to love this run, and particularly the final years of the Pre-Crisis Flash, it was one of those stories that dragged on for way too long and was filled with situations that only deviated the main focus of the story. It was like a giant soap-opera, but not necessarily a good one.
Cary Bates taking over editorial reins granted him the chance to run a story-arc that lasted for over two years. And with him running everything, I guess he lacked the chance to run things with anyone else. The result was a waaaaay too long story.
I don’t know how it did in sales back in the day, or how invested fans were at the time, but in this time and day, even if I had the complete story at hand, it felt a bit overwhelming, filled with issues that didn’t matter and some others that just had one thing happening at a time. Oh, and don’t get me started on the trial itself... This was not How To Get Away With Murder...
Still, it did have some glorious moments, but it relied on too many gimmicks for the story to stand on its own two feet. And it didn’t help that the villains had so little depth.
Narrative has changed a lot ever since and this particular story wouldn’t survive the test of time. Sadly, though, it didn’t make me want more, either.
I wonder if this was the reason why Barry Allen got the short end during the Crisis, and it was Wally West who took over the mantle afterwards.
Cary Bates taking over editorial reins granted him the chance to run a story-arc that lasted for over two years. And with him running everything, I guess he lacked the chance to run things with anyone else. The result was a waaaaay too long story.
I don’t know how it did in sales back in the day, or how invested fans were at the time, but in this time and day, even if I had the complete story at hand, it felt a bit overwhelming, filled with issues that didn’t matter and some others that just had one thing happening at a time. Oh, and don’t get me started on the trial itself... This was not How To Get Away With Murder...
Still, it did have some glorious moments, but it relied on too many gimmicks for the story to stand on its own two feet. And it didn’t help that the villains had so little depth.
Narrative has changed a lot ever since and this particular story wouldn’t survive the test of time. Sadly, though, it didn’t make me want more, either.
I wonder if this was the reason why Barry Allen got the short end during the Crisis, and it was Wally West who took over the mantle afterwards.
November 25, 2018
Reverse flash kills Barry Allen's first wife Iris West and then again his second wife Fiona Webb. In the process of saving Fiona Barry kills R-Flash and gets accused of second degree murder. Flash completely deletes his original identity and through many events and twists and turns, comes to live in the 30th century.
July 31, 2019
An epic tale stretching across Flash Issues 323-327, 329-336, and 340-350 as the Flash kills the Reverse to save Barry Allen's Fiance Fiona Webb and finds himself on trial for murder.
This is a good story where the world seems to keep dumping on the Flash, yet at the same time, it's also a celebration of Barry Allen. This book had a more realistic approach to the Trial given how many issues it took to even to get to that point and that Flash's most celebrated Rogues never let up. At the same time, he has to make key sacrifices of his own secret identity and Barry's heroism shines through. In the trial itself, there are some surprising twists including an attempt from someone from the future to make sure history comes out right. And then there's issue #350 which is pure magic, with excitement, twists, and a team up between Flash and his Rogues against a common foe.
The book does suffer because of some omitted issues. Issue #328 was a reprint, but Issues #337-339 were original stories which means there was a break in the tale and a jarring resumption in Issue 340. The information is not vital and you can enjoy the book without it, but it appears to have only been done to keep the book under 600 pages.
The book's got legal realism problems, but then again it was published when Matlock and LA Law where kings of legal drama on TV, so I can't judge it too harshly for that. It does drag in places. Wally West "testified" as an expert witness so that we can almost an entire issue of Flashbacks to ol Kid Flash stories.
Still despite some melodrama, this is an epic and really fun story if you're a fan of the Pre-Crisis Flash with some great emotional beats and foreshadowing of the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths. I hope DC eventually reprints all the issues in color as an omnibus. Until then, fans of the Silver Age Barry Allen should get a hold of this if they can.
This is a good story where the world seems to keep dumping on the Flash, yet at the same time, it's also a celebration of Barry Allen. This book had a more realistic approach to the Trial given how many issues it took to even to get to that point and that Flash's most celebrated Rogues never let up. At the same time, he has to make key sacrifices of his own secret identity and Barry's heroism shines through. In the trial itself, there are some surprising twists including an attempt from someone from the future to make sure history comes out right. And then there's issue #350 which is pure magic, with excitement, twists, and a team up between Flash and his Rogues against a common foe.
The book does suffer because of some omitted issues. Issue #328 was a reprint, but Issues #337-339 were original stories which means there was a break in the tale and a jarring resumption in Issue 340. The information is not vital and you can enjoy the book without it, but it appears to have only been done to keep the book under 600 pages.
The book's got legal realism problems, but then again it was published when Matlock and LA Law where kings of legal drama on TV, so I can't judge it too harshly for that. It does drag in places. Wally West "testified" as an expert witness so that we can almost an entire issue of Flashbacks to ol Kid Flash stories.
Still despite some melodrama, this is an epic and really fun story if you're a fan of the Pre-Crisis Flash with some great emotional beats and foreshadowing of the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths. I hope DC eventually reprints all the issues in color as an omnibus. Until then, fans of the Silver Age Barry Allen should get a hold of this if they can.
July 18, 2025
A good mystery full of suspense and surprises. I would have given it 4 stars if it hadn’t been so unnecessarily long. It could have been 10 issues shorter and still accomplished the same thing. There was too much filler. It was still a nice ending for Barry before Crisis on Infinite Earths.
December 6, 2015
Well, the title says it all. Despite this collection's HUGE size, it really does detail just the "Trial of the Flash." Here, Barry Allen aka the Flash undergoes a murder trial for the death of the Reverse Flash, from the crime itself on the day of his wedding to the jury decision and a little bit after.
And it's so drawn out that I'm a little sorry for people who had to read it in real time... I didn't find it particularly fascinating. Kind of like real court. The trial goes on, a little bit at a time, in each issue, while numerous side-plots pop up to make things interesting. They do a good job, keeping it from getting too boring: the Flash's lawyer has a backstory that connects her to him, the Rogues get into trouble trying to take out the Flash; "Barry Allen" has disappeared; the Flash goes through huge flashbacks about the Kid Flash as his protegee is forced to take the stand against him; Rip Hunter makes a guest appearance... but altogether, I feel despite the number of issues this takes, you get the feeling by the end that it doesn't really matter in the long run (and since most readers know that "Crisis on Infinite Earths" comes shortly after, you know that it really doesn't.)
It has some nice parts, though... like I said, the Rogues were very entertaining, and the beginning with the Reverse Flash just great (and I'm not even a huge Silver Age fan- how can you resist the Flash going up against the man who killed his wife just for the fun of it?). Also, there's the commentary about what would happen if a superhero killed, albeit accidentally, a villain. Because at the end of the day, despite the (rather weak) case in his favor, the evidence is against the Flash because, hey, he did kill the Reverse Flash. Sort of maybe...
So, overall, I wouldn't recommend it to casual readers, but for Flash fans it has some perks. I didn't love it, but it is tolerable. It probably didn't need to be SO long, but that is the Silver Age for you...
And it's so drawn out that I'm a little sorry for people who had to read it in real time... I didn't find it particularly fascinating. Kind of like real court. The trial goes on, a little bit at a time, in each issue, while numerous side-plots pop up to make things interesting. They do a good job, keeping it from getting too boring: the Flash's lawyer has a backstory that connects her to him, the Rogues get into trouble trying to take out the Flash; "Barry Allen" has disappeared; the Flash goes through huge flashbacks about the Kid Flash as his protegee is forced to take the stand against him; Rip Hunter makes a guest appearance... but altogether, I feel despite the number of issues this takes, you get the feeling by the end that it doesn't really matter in the long run (and since most readers know that "Crisis on Infinite Earths" comes shortly after, you know that it really doesn't.)
It has some nice parts, though... like I said, the Rogues were very entertaining, and the beginning with the Reverse Flash just great (and I'm not even a huge Silver Age fan- how can you resist the Flash going up against the man who killed his wife just for the fun of it?). Also, there's the commentary about what would happen if a superhero killed, albeit accidentally, a villain. Because at the end of the day, despite the (rather weak) case in his favor, the evidence is against the Flash because, hey, he did kill the Reverse Flash. Sort of maybe...
So, overall, I wouldn't recommend it to casual readers, but for Flash fans it has some perks. I didn't love it, but it is tolerable. It probably didn't need to be SO long, but that is the Silver Age for you...
October 16, 2011
There's nothing inherently wrong with this book in and of itself. The storyline is a memorable one for what it entails, namely a Silver Age hero being tried for the accidental death of one of his enemies. That said, the execution is a bit lacking. 1985 Silver Age wasn't what it used to be. The style was more or less still there, but the imagination and goofiness was gone. So, yes, the Flash goes on trial, but everyone aside from an ambitious DA seems to think he's still innocent. And it seems to me the evidence used to convince jurors of his innocence was more likely to give him motive to do what he was accused of, not give him release. Plus, Infantino's artwork wasn't what it used to be. The man loved his crazy mustaches. With a few issues skipped (some of which were referred to in the reprint itself so some plot details are missing) in order to cover the whole trial, plus the modern reader's knowledge that the Crisis came right after this, means the volume is a bit saggy. Of greater pleasure is knowing where some of Flash's foes, especially the Pied Piper, went after this ended things for Barry Allen.
July 6, 2016
This was so incredibly goofy and the ending had some of the weirdest twists thrown into it. But I enjoyed the ride : )
August 6, 2013
Decent story for mid-80s but reproduced in b&w.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews