Who is the Best Flash writer

[Lightning63]

I've grown up loving the flash family and flash has many well-known runs across the many years of publication so I was wondering

Who do you consider to be the definitive flash writer?

[married guy]

As a sad Wally fan, Mark Waid gets the nod from me.
Messner-Loebs comes a close second and Geoff Johns gets the bronze.

[Lightning63]

Is there any modern trade collection or omnibus for Messner-Loebs run?

[Laufeyson]

The best writer of Flash is Cary Bates, he is the guy that defined the Flash code that is still used until now. But, the guy that moderinized his take is Mark Waid. Mark Waid as a writer rejuvenated the line by adding several interesting element such as Max Mercury (The Original Quicksilver), Johnny Quick, Speedforce, and many villains based on speedforce that some enjoy the publication through CW TV Series. I think it can be said that modern Flash won't be here without him. Though the one who rejuvenated the Rogues is Geoff. So to me the way to write it is:

Cary Bates >> Mark Waid > Geoff Johns

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I couldn't say if he was the best Flash writer, but Waid is certainly my favorite Flash writer, even if he overstayed his welcome and didn't do as much with the Rogues as I would have liked.

[Rakzo]

Geoff Johns was certainly the most consistent of them all with a great skill at worldbuilding and long-term planning while reinventing characters who were humilliated for years by that point. Second comes William Messner-Loebs due to his ability to create extremely human stories with the best portrayal Wally West has to date. Third comes Mark Waid I guess due to his contribution to the mythos but he was extremely inconsistent even early on, he had great high points (The Return of Barry Allen) but incredibly low ones (Chain Lightning), plus, remember when I mentioned that Johns fixed characters who were humilliated in the past? Well, Waid was responsible for many of those humilliations.

Honorable mention to Joshua Williamson's recent run. Probably not as good as the ones above (or at least not as good as Waid's best because Lord knows that he never went as bad as Waid's worst) but still really solid and followed The Flash's history with a lot of respect.

Oh, and I'm still a big defender of Francis Manapul/Brian Buccellato's New 52 work. They didn't have it easy, had to follow the terrible lack of a direction the New 52 had and still managed to tell fun stories with some interesting reinventions.

[Jekyll]

My favorites in order:

Mark Waid
Mark Millar/Grant Morrison (extremely underrated!!!!!!)
Geoff Johns
Josh Williamson
Gardner Fox/Bates

[JAG2045]

Is there any modern trade collection or omnibus for Messner-Loebs run?

The first few issues of Messner-Loebs run (issues 15-18) were reprinted in "The Flash: Savage Velocity" which came out in September this year, no word as yet if they plan to reprint the remaining issues (19-61 and Annuals 2-3) but I hope they do!

[Mike]

Gardner Fox

[Buried Alien]

Cary Bates. Much of what we take for granted as being evergreen concepts of the FLASH franchise were established by Bates, and he did it without a Speed Force to use as a creative crutch.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Celgress]

Another hard question, here goes -

My top five are Cary Bates (he created widely loved concepts that are still in use today), Geoff Johns (I greatly enjoyed his run), and Mark Waid (the guy was an Ace when it came to Flash, need I say more?).

[Stanlos]

This is not even a question.

[Stanlos]

As a sad Wally fan, Mark Waid gets the nod from me.
Messner-Loebs comes a close second and Geoff Johns gets the bronze.

I have to give Josh some crowd too. He and Johns tie for me for the bronze

[Hol]

Mark Waid. Hands down. No one else is close.

[Laufeyson]

Another hard question, here goes -

My top five are Cary Bates (he created widely loved concepts that are still in use today), Geoff Johns (I greatly enjoyed his run), and Mark Waid (the guy was an Ace when it came to Flash, need I say more?).

My dude that's three.