Flashpoint is The #1 Greatest Flash Story

While there are many different points of contention about where Flash was the greatest, when he was at his best, or whether Barry or Wally was better, there's almost no chance that any story will be make more of a dramatic difference than Flashpoint, whose motto was Where everything you know changed in a flash.

Crossing into a realm of strangeness that affected every DC character on the roster, Flashpoint has now become defined as the endpoint of one era of comic books, and the starting mark for an entirely new series of DC's titles. On August 31, 2011, when the last issue of Flashpoint hit the stands, all their previous comic lines shut down; Batman ended; Superman ended; Green Lantern, over. Instead, DC Comics will be releasing 52 brand-new titles which reboot the universe. The concept is that they wanted to modernize their heroes to fit into the technology and problems surrounding current events. More...

This wraps up The Top 10 Greatest Stories of The Flash; hope you like it. And if you want to see more countdowns, Reading Orders, and cool stuff from the world of Superheroes, come check out The Superheroes List!

Rebirth: The #2 Greatest Story of The Flash

He's back.

In DC's Final Crisis series, we heard a rumor that Barry Allen was really returning and we didn't quite understand why or how. Somewhere in the expansive minds of the creators of the DC Universe, though, they dared to bring back the one man, the emblem of martyrdom, who saved us from the Crisis on Infinite Earths. And it all culminated in one of the most spectacular sold-out mini-series of all time, when the original Flash, Barry Allen, came back from the Speed Force in Flash: Rebirth.

Somewhat controversial; that would be an understatement. When Barry reappeared the Flash fans were joining separate camps; you were either a "Barry" Flash fan or a "Wally" one, and it was easy to understand. Since March of 1986, we all thought Barry had died; later, they tricked us with "The Return of Barry Allen", which turned out to be a super-villain hoax.

But now it was real; it really happened. More...


Item of the Day: The Flash: Rebirth

Flash: Rebirth has to be in the top 3 of the greatest Flash stories of all time. Fundamentally, it challenges your loyalty to the entire genre of speedsters, asking if you're truly a Wally West fan or if you've been waiting for Barry Allen to return. Not only does it twist everything in knots, daring you to keep up with the incredible plot, but it threatens at any moment to remain your favorite characters from the field of battle.

Flash: Rebirth is a 6 issue mini-series which was released in 2009, after the DC Event called "Final Crisis". If you're not up to speed on The Flash before reading his Rebirth Saga, Final Crisis is a pretty good, and lengthy, beginning.

Showing up at #2 on The Top 10 Greatest Stories of The Flash is Rebirth, the saga that literally brought Barry Allen back into DC Comics. If you're a big Flash fan and want to follow some of the most awesome adventures ever to catch up with the Scarlet Speedster, check out this list, sponsored by The Superheroes List.

The Return of Barry Allen is Flash's #3 greatest story!

One of the earliest stories that shocked and captured the heart of all Flash fans was the tale encapsulated in The Flash vol. 2, issues #74-79 (and including a crossover of The Green Lantern #40). Today, it's the beloved saga known as The Return of Barry Allen. Considering it was written fairly early during Wally West's role as the new Flash (1993), most of us were startled that Barry was returning to take up his old mantle.

The immediate surprise came in issue #74 when Barry showed up at Jay and Joan Garrick's doorstep, dazed with a loss of memory; he knew he was Barry Allen, but had been disoriented enough to wander around lost for weeks. Wally's first impression was to question reality: was this truly his old mentor? How could this be happening? What happens to him if the original Flash returns? More...


Item of the Day: The Flash: The Return of Barry Allen

In the Return of Barry Allen, you really have to understand the perspective surrounding him at the time; this happened very shortly after Crisis on Infinite Earths, a DC comic book event that did a soft reboot, remaking their entire universe. As it was written, Barry Allen was the virtual and literal martyr of the epic; his death was partially responsible for saving everything. Seeing his return sent fans reeling. They didn't know what to make of it.

The Return of Barry Allen was written by Mark Waid, one of the early, defining writers of the original Flash. This is one of his best works and covers The Flash vol. 2 #74-79. My only disappointment with this graphic novel is that it doesn't include the crossover issue of The Green Lantern #40 (1993), which has Hal Jordan encountering The Flash.

The Return of Barry Allen takes spot #3 on The Top 10 Greatest Stories of The Flash, a countdown list updating every week, from TSL. If you like the adventures of Barry Allen and Wally West, and want a list over some of their finest exploits, check out the list!

The Dastardly Death of The Rogues; The #4 Greatest Flash Story

By now you're completely comfortable with The Flash and the multitude of plots surrounding this extremely fast superhero; one thing that should seem likely is his inevitable interaction with time. How else can you be that fast without affecting it? And if you haven't spotted this, then perhaps it's time to read The Dastardly Death of The Rogues, a recent story occurring after Barry Allen's return from The Speedforce.

A brilliant masterpiece, The Dastardly Death of The Rogues reads well, but does need a primer before you delve into its pages. That's because it takes place during an event called The Brightest Day, a DC Comics crossover that fundamentally affected all their superheroes. So, if you have some extra reading time, you may want to pick up some Brightest Day graphic novels here. They are worth it.

Once you're ready, prepare for blast off. Encompassing The Flash vol. 3 #1-6, The Dastardly Death of The Rogues surrounds the fall of a superhero known as The Mirror Monarch, killed by none other than Barry Allen. More...


Item of the Day: The Flash, Vol. 1: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues

Is this a trap? You bet is it. Something strange is going on here. Could Barry Allen really be planning to kill another superhero? Naw; it's not likely. You can bet there's a secret manipulative plot under all this.

Covers issues The Flash vol. 3 #1-7 and includes The Reverse Flash Task Force and The current century's Rogues Gallery, which means you'll get the great combat action. The Flash gets thrown into all this and now you've got a great story. Also, if you're a fan of The Brightest Day and Flashpoint, these issues do a good job of getting you ready.

The Dastardly Death of The Rogues is #4 on The Top 10 Greatest Stories of The Flash, a weekly TSL countdown. If you're a big Flash fan, or you want to get introduced to this Scarlet Speedster, check out the List!

Dead Heat: The #5 Greatest Flash Story

Perhaps you remember, or were a fan of, The Flash story called Blood Will Run. In that exciting plot, Wally West had to deal with a religious cult of Flash-Worshippers and zealots, using the Speedforce to murder important people around him.

Well, let's up-scale this story up a notch; this time, let's make someone else the "god" of speed. And instead of killing people The Flash saved, let's kill all the people with Flash-like powers. Sound good? Good! Now you've entered the brilliant plot behind one of Flash's greatest stories called Dead Heat. Comprised of a cross-over of Flash #108-111 and Impulse #10-11, Wally West has to beat the odds when all the other speedsters lose their powers. More...


Item of The Day: The Flash: Dead Heat

Dead Heat is one of those truly great Flash epics surrounding The Speedforce (also called The Speed Force if you're particularly sensitive) and pitting our favorite Scarlet Speedster against a man who's taken the claim up as the Hindu god of motion. What happens if all the others with super-speed -- save The Flash -- have lost their powers? Why are blue-clad ninjas trying to kill him? All these questions are answered in The Flash: Dead Heat.

The Flash: Dead Heat is a compilation of The Flash #108-111, with a crossover section including Impulse #10-11. And obviously that means you'll not only be seeing a lot of Wally West, but more of his distant, future-relative, Bart Allen. There are also many other numerous appearances -- you'll get the entire speed-daring cast.

The Flash: Dead Heat fills the #5 spot on The Top 10 Greatest Stories of The Flash. If you're a big Flash fan and want to catch all the exciting plotlines and stories surrounding oru Scarlet Speedster, keep an eye out for this list.

The Flash: Rogue War; #7 of All-Time Greatest Flash Stories

With a resounding cast of characters, Rogue War charges full-force into a battle of The Flash's worst super-villains. From issue to issue, it's non-stop, building faster and faster in a way that emulates The Fastest Man Alive.

Living entirely up to its name, Rogue War starts with The Flash, vol. 2, #220 and ends with #225. From the beginning, the anticipation mounts as The Rogues, comprised on Captain Cold, The New Trickster, Boomerang, Weather Wizard and Mirror Master start their crime spree only to be challenged by the New Rogues.

Yes, that's right; formed by the original Trickster, FBI Agent James Jesse, with the magnetic Magenta, Heatwave and The Pied Piper, this group joins forces to take down Captain Cold and his gang. The next few issues are complete with extreme action and never a dull moment.

And if you enjoy lots of super-villains, this storyline and plot won't let you down. Besides the aforementioned bad guys, it gets worse and worse. More...


Item of the Day: The Flash, Vol. 7: Rogue War

Rogue War, I have to say, it one of the best Flash stories around. Not only does it manage to neatly introduce all of his best super-villains, but it also manages to weave them into the plot in a reasonable and logical way. It's not just a "throw in" of baddies; it's about bad guys mad at other bad guys. At the end of the day, I'm wondering what kind of genius this Geoffrey Johns is because--I'm telling you--he's really pulled of a heck of a story.

In this graphic novel, you'll get The Flash, vol. 2 issues #220-225 plus some extra issues which nicely lead up to this story. It's well worth the purchase, and if you're new to The Flash, one of the biggest deals here is that it does an incredible job of letting you know who each super-villain in. And if you're a Flash fanatic, by the way, you'll also get the benefit of a surprise ending.

The Top 10 Greatest Stories of The Flash is a weekly Top 10 Countdown provided by TSL. Yep, it's a free service (I just like researching superheroes and countdowns and stuff.) Anyhow, if you like superheroes and villains like I do, feel free to Check out this List!.

What Happened To Wally? The #8 Greatest Flash Story

Although it's a strong-standing event on its own, the proper spot for Flash's Ignition event belongs right after Blitz, and that's why it will be featured here. (And if you ever manage to read Blitz, you'll know perfectly why.) The only drawback of this saga is that it's more difficult to comprehend until you've read into the middle and later chapters.

Written in the style of a mystery origin, though, Ignition is a fantastic Flash adventure wrapped in a compelling ride of revelation. Every page takes you deeper; you'll wonder what exactly is happening and then - all of a sudden - you'll be unfolding a series of events that explains why Wally doesn't know he's The Flash!

And that's the plot: From page 1, Wally West is a mechanic, working a 9 to 5 in a city that used to be home to the scarlet speedster. More...

Item of the Day: The Flash Vol. 5: Ignition



One of the best reasons I liked the story is because of the originality nature it portrayed. Often in the superhero career, the best stories come from the beginning. For example, we really like to see how they get their powers, or when they're learning all the neat things they can do. In Flash's Ignition, that sense of newness hits you again: Wally doesn't know who he is; he has to rediscover that he's The Flash.

This is a graphic novel which encapsulates The Flash, vol. 2 issues 201-206. It's a great way to embed yourself in one of the finest stories ever put out by The Flash with one of his best writers, Geoff Johns.

Ignition ranks at #8 on The Top 10 Greatest Stories of The Flash, a weekly countdown list provided by The Superheroes List. Be sure to check in our archives for other interesting countdown lists on superheroes and villains. There's always something interesting happening here at TSL.

Countdown: The Top 10 Greatest Flash Stories

Have you been following Flashpoint? Well maybe this List will interest you!

Updating every Friday, you should be able to check in and see The Top 10 Greatest Flash Stories ever told. Carefully read and handpicked, these are the best plots and storylines -- the ones that grabbed many a reader's interest and caused quite a bit of talk around the...Comic Book Shop! (Where else do we talk about our favorite comics?)

And, by the way, if you don't agree, feel free to submit your own pick. Ok. So, I've already started the countdown page here and have #9 and 10 up. Today I publically releasing the list plan on updating every 7 days.

Why this list: The beauty of The Flash is that his stories tend to push the imagination along the concepts of time. I mean, if you're no stranger to Barry Allen then you've probably met Bart, his 31st century distant relative, or maybe you've heard of the Cosmic Treadmilll, a device he uses to move around through the future and past. (Oh, and I forgot to mention, with the Flashpoint event, I thought people would like to know more about the Scarlet Speedster.)



This week's update is #9:

Erupting from Flash vol. 2, issues #197-200, The Blitz saga is a perfect blend of artwork and writing, making it worthy of one of the great Flash adventures as well as a perfect introductory tale for newly curious collector. In this story, Wally West faces an incredible nemesis in the guise of Professor Zoom, The Reverse-Flash. (For many Flash fans, Professor Zoom is a well-known and much loved threat to Wally's mentor, Barry Allen.)

But the problem here is that the super-villain wearing the yellow-threaded costume isn't Professor Zoom at all. More...