The Flash reading help...where to start? Mark Waid? Geoff Johns?

[CurryPowder84]

Hey all I'm trying to start reading Flash. I've done some research and the good stuff seems to start with Mark Waids run. Problem is I only buy trades and Waids run doesn't get released in trades until September according to Amazon.

My question is, is it ok to start with Johns run and then go back to Waids? Should I just wait till September for Waids run to come out, or is a better alternative to read Johns Vol.3 12 issue run into Flashpoint and then New 52.

Thing is I've been a fan of animated Flash (Wally West) from DCAU and the animaed movies and I want the Flash that is most like the animated version. I've heard neither Barry or Wally is really as funny and juvenile as animated Flash but I want the one that's closest to it. I assume its Wally? Any help from Flash veterans appreciated.

[Rakzo]

If you want to read about the Wally West incarnation of The Flash I guess you could start at the beginning with Mike Baron but is not that necessary.

You should definitely read William Messner-Loebs' run before Waid's though, it creates many of the developments that Waid would work on later (although quite frankly, Messner-Loebs explored some of them in a much better way).

[Jenn]

I believe Geoff Johns' run is new reader friendly, so you can start with his first trade and be just fine.

As for Waid, some of his stories have been released in trades, but not everything, and since they are out of print they can be ridiculously overpriced, so you might want to wait till September to buy the new one. But for the record, here's the list:
Born to Run which is the first Flash story written by Mark Waid and also depicts Wally's origin story.
The Return of Barry Allen
Terminal Velocity
Dead Heat
Race Against Time
You can also squeeze Impulse: Reckless Youth in there. As the title implies, it stars Impulse and not the Flash, and it's more aimed at younger readers, but it's still pretty fun especially if you're looking for a character who's a bit immature.

Grant Morrison and Mark Millar also wrote a few issues of the Flash during that time and DC is releasing a trade in April, although it takes place in the middle of Waid's run and I'm not sure if it's a good place to start.
As Rakzo already pointed, Messner-Loebs' run is also pretty good, but it has sadly never been printed in trades. You can find them on Comixology if digital comics don't put you off, though.

I guess you could also start with the more recent stuff, with Barry as the Flash, but I'm not familiar enough with it to say if it's any good of if it's what you're looking for (I'm personnally more of a Wally fan). However, the New 52 is supposed to be a good starting point for new readers.

[Ascended]

As I recall you can start with Geoff Johns' first run on Flash and not be too lost. He explains what you need to know as you need to know it. Fairly new-reader friendly. At least as I recall; I had been reading Flash for over a decade or more by the time his run began. His first run (with Wally) is considered one of the better runs; not on par with Waid or anything, but far from the worst that the character has seen. (I myself am quite fond of his Zoom character)

But if you want the really good stuff, the stuff that built the foundation for the modern Flash mythology, you gotta read Waid and, to a lesser extent, Messner-Loebs.

A word of caution however; Waid returned to write a second run with Wally somewhere in the mid 00's and it was pretty underwhelming. I'd avoid that. And Johns also returned to the Flash with a miniseries called Flash: Rebirth, somewhere around 2009, which brought Barry back from the dead (basically), and followed that up with another run on Flash, featuring Barry, which was pretty lackluster as well. I'd recommend both Waid and Johns' first works, but can't recommend their second runs.

And the New52 is a good place to jump on, especially if you like the tv show, and all in all the run by Francis Manupaul (which starts off the current series) was decent (starts rough but each new arc got progressively better), but its not anywhere close to being on the level of Waid or Johns.

[JAG2045]

I started reading the Flash from the John's TPB and it set up everything perfectly fine (i then went back and read the Waid stories like "Return of Barry Allen")

[MajorHoy]

What about staring with Robert Kanigher?

You might still be able to find a copy of:

[CurryPowder84]

Thanks for your suggestions everyone, I ended up picking up Geoff Johns tpb vol 1. Will definitely pick up Waids books when they're released.

[JBatmanFan05]

New 52 Flash stinks.

Sadly, because DC has so poorly collected Flash comics over the years. There aren't many good places to start except the Silver Age Flash Omnibus.

But get Waid's Flash run in September. Even though that's not Barry.

[Adset]

if it's waid vs. johns, i'd go waid both because a.) i think it's superior, and b.) chronologically, johns run begins just a few issues after waid and after finish waid's you can just keep going.

luckily (in a sense), dc hasn't had a decent flash arc in over ten years, so it's really easy to ignore all the recent stuff.

honestly, i'd start with vol. 2 #1 by mike baron and run with it throughout the length of the series. you get messner-loebs, waid, and johns. i think all told it's 247 issues, so nothing cheap or easy (or quick!) to collect, but if you go the comixology route you could pick most issues up for .99 during various sales. in fact, i believe i just saw most pre-waid issues of that very volume are .99 right now.

[Lee]

Thanks for your suggestions everyone, I ended up picking up Geoff Johns tpb vol 1. Will definitely pick up Waids books when they're released.

Good call.

The Geoff Johns run and the Mark Waid run can be read independently.

Also, next month sees the release of "THE FLASH BY GRANT MORRISON AND MARK MILLAR". This was was previously collected as two separate volumes (Emergency Stop and The Human Race), but they omitted the Green Lantern and Green Arrow crossover issues, which will be included in this new edition.

But if you want a funny Flash, check out the early issues of the 1990s spinoff series, IMPULSE.

[Ascended]

IMPULSE, which was also by Waid, was tons of fun and for a while it was my favorite book being published.

Wasnt that Humberto Ramos' first mainstream work?

Impulse also crossed over into Flash for an Event or two as well, so that would help flesh out those stories, but its worth reading on its own merits. At least for the first few years.

[Jenn]

IMPULSE, which was also by Waid, was tons of fun and for a while it was my favorite book being published.

Wasnt that Humberto Ramos' first mainstream work?

Impulse also crossed over into Flash for an Event or two as well, so that would help flesh out those stories, but its worth reading on its own merits. At least for the first few years.

Yep, it was. And Ethan Van Sciver later worked on it, when Todd Dezago took over as the new writer.

[Fuzzy Barbarian]

I'd go from Waid to Johns, since that's kinda just the chronology. Plus, Waid is the guy who introduced the Speed Force, and wrote the best Wally stories, including the stories that I felt matured Wally and settled him into the role.

Buuut, with the lack of Waid trades, I think the Johns run reads decently without prior knowledge, but you kinda lose something from the Waid run. Still, Johns run is a great read, especially if you binge it. Thanks to the nineties art in some of it, I think Waid's run is better in bursts.

[Stanlos]

Hey all I'm trying to start reading Flash. I've done some research and the good stuff seems to start with Mark Waids run. Problem is I only buy trades and Waids run doesn't get released in trades until September according to Amazon.

My question is, is it ok to start with Johns run and then go back to Waids? Should I just wait till September for Waids run to come out, or is a better alternative to read Johns Vol.3 12 issue run into Flashpoint and then New 52.

Thing is I've been a fan of animated Flash (Wally West) from DCAU and the animaed movies and I want the Flash that is most like the animated version. I've heard neither Barry or Wally is really as funny and juvenile as animated Flash but I want the one that's closest to it. I assume its Wally? Any help from Flash veterans appreciated.

Yeah--those 150 issues or so are freaking comic book platinum!!