Which Flash run was better: Waid or Johns?

[BohemiaDrinker]

I'd have to vote against The Life Story of The Flash.

Maybe it's good for people who want a recap, but it bored me silly.

Well, Götterdämmerung is getting to know the Flash right now.My guess is that he wants insight into the history and mythology as much as he wants good stories; and for that, "Life Story" is one hell of a resource.

[Captain Craig]

Waid.

He brought so much into Flash lore and it was his run that really saw Wally step out of Barry's shadow and fully be THE Flash. Not some also ran in the suit. Because of everything Waid set up it allowed Johns to continue to make Wally the dominant Flash. Only DC editorial saw fit to ditch Wally after decades, bring Barry back and fudge all over Wally's legacy. If smarter people were in control we'd have two main Flashes running around just like multiple main Earth GL's but no.

[Buried Alien]

Well, Götterdämmerung is getting to know the Flash right now.My guess is that he wants insight into the history and mythology as much as he wants good stories; and for that, "Life Story" is one hell of a resource.

It's certainly much more practical than trying to track down all those Silver and Bronze Age back issues of THE FLASH, which would take years and years and cost thousands of dollars. Other than the fact that LIFE STORY retells the classic story of Barry Allen (Pre-REBIRTH) from a Post-COIE perspective (which removes the whole Multiverse angle of FLASH OF TWO WORLDS), it's more or less a straightforward encapsulation of the Silver and Bronze Age adventures of the Flash.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Adset]

waid. love both runs, but i went into waid's run not even caring for wally as a character. by the end, he was my favorite character in comics.

geoff johns' (wally) run is bittersweet because i think flash has been complete garbage since he left. couldn't get into impulse aging and becoming flash, couldn't get into rebirth, and i think all of the New 52 stuff has been wretched.

[Götterdämmerung]

waid. love both runs, but i went into waid's run not even caring for wally as a character. by the end, he was my favorite character in comics.

geoff johns' (wally) run is bittersweet because i think flash has been complete garbage since he left. couldn't get into impulse aging and becoming flash, couldn't get into rebirth, and i think all of the New 52 stuff has been wretched.

I definitely like the current Flash run (looking forward to backtracking and checking out vol. 1 "Move Forward"...wow was that awkward lol!). However, now that I've read the Waid I see the faults in the early Johns run.

The Waid moves me, the Johns just doesn't.

[BohemiaDrinker]

The Waid moves me, the Johns just doesn't.

Well, Waid wrote the best Wally and Company (yes he did, Rakzo!), while Johns wrote the best Rogues and villains in general. Johns run is really better from mid to finish, while Waid is mostly consistent. Both have strong and weak spots, and usually the weak spots of one are the strong of the other and vice versa.

If Johns had got Wally's voice "right", he would no doubt be the best Flash writer ever. But he didn't, so he has an amazing run with an anemic front-character.

[Götterdämmerung]

Well, Waid wrote the best Wally and Company (yes he did, Rakzo!), while Johns wrote the best Rogues and villains in general. Johns run is really better from mid to finish, while Waid is mostly consistent. Both have strong and weak spots, and usually the weak spots of one are the strong of the other and vice versa.

If Johns had got Wally's voice "right", he would no doubt be the best Flash writer ever. But he didn't, so he has an amazing run with an anemic front-character.

Okay, you've convinced me. I wasn't wild about the early Johns Flash (and found "Rebirth" a confusing mess with terrific art). But I'm going to go ahead and pre-order the collected edition of the second half of his Wally run.

[Lightning Rider]

Okay, you've convinced me. I wasn't wild about the early Johns Flash (and found "Rebirth" a confusing mess with terrific art). But I'm going to go ahead and pre-order the collected edition of the second half of his Wally run.

The Secret of Barry Allen and Rogue War blow Rebirth out of the water. Don't even worry.

[Götterdämmerung]

The Secret of Barry Allen and Rogue War blow Rebirth out of the water. Don't even worry.

Mega-sigh of relief. I've kept Rebirth around just because I'm a big fan of Sciver. I found that book a major disappointment from a story perspective.

[BohemiaDrinker]

I found that book a major disappointment from a story perspective.

We all did, my friend, we all did!

[madmodpoetgod]

I want to read Waid's Flash so badly.

Johns' Flash is really good but the beginning of his run was pretty mediocre.

[Götterdämmerung]

I want to read Waid's Flash so badly.

Johns' Flash is really good but the beginning of his run was pretty mediocre.

Trust me, if you haven't read Terminal Velocity, it's a terrific way to start, and imo completely knocks out Johns' early run, one punch. A really inspiring story, I'm a convert lol!

[Hilden B. Lade]

Speaking of Mark Waid's Flash...

Look what just popped up on the Amazon listings!

[Captain Craig]

Speaking of Mark Waid's Flash...

Look what just popped up on the Amazon listings!

I wonder how many issues it'll have. Follow up thought, how many TP books for his run then?
So TPBs first, Omni's later...it's progress.

[Götterdämmerung]

I wonder how many issues it'll have. Follow up thought, how many TP books for his run then?
So TPBs first, Omni's later...it's progress.

An Omni would be a gotta have for me. I'm a little mystified why there are Johns and not Waid omnis; even forgetting the overall higher quality of the latter, it came significantly before the Johns.