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The Flash Reading Order (Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, Wally West, Bart Allen)

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The Flash is the fastest man alive, meaning that he possesses super-speed and can run, move and think extremely fast. Sometimes, it looks like the laws of physics don’t apply to him.

Created in 1940, The Flash is not just one person. To this date, four men have called themselves the Flash. The first was Jay Garrick, during the Golden Age. The second, Barry Allen (The Flash II), worked at Central City. Wally West (Flash III) began as Kid Flash before taking the mantle. And for a short time, Bart Allen (Flash IV) was also the Flash before Wally takes back the title, then Barry makes his return… and things are complicated, let’s be honest!

There’s a lot of Flash stories out there, so it’s time to run to discover them!

Where to start with The Flash?

The Flash made his first appearance more than 80 years ago and several characters have used the mantle since. So to help you find your path in this rich history, we made a short listing of books that can serve as a sort of entry point in the universe:

  • The Flash: A Celebration of 75 Years hardcover – A collection of stories ranging from his seven decades as a mainstay in the DC Comics universe. From the original Flash, Jay Garrick, to his successors Barry Allen and Wally West, this anthology is a good way to retrace the evolution of the scarlet speedster (from the Golden age to the Flashpoint series) and, in the end, to become familiar with the character in a flash!
  • The Life Story of The Flash by Iris West – Although not up to date, this biography of Barry Allen by his wife Iris (or really by author Mark Waid) can be seen as a crash course on the superhero’s life (covering his pre-Crisis life).
  • The Flash by Mark Waid – (with Wally West) With ‘Born to Run’ (The Flash v.2 #62-65), Mark Waid wrote a story that’s also a perfect starting point for anyone to get to know Wally West, the third Flash, and then continue with his run, of course.
  • The Flash By Geoff Johns – (with Wally West) After Mark Waid reinvented the Flash mythology, Geoff Johns followed up with reinventing the rogues gallery.
  • The Flash, by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato – (with Barry Allen) The DC universe was rebooted with the New 52 initiative, offering a new starting point to readers. This is the one for The Flash.
  • The Flash by Joshua Williamson – (with Barry Allen) Another reboot from DC gives us the Rebirth era, reconnecting with old elements, in this case, Barry’s quest to reunite his family.

The Flash Wally West 48Also, for a more detailed reading order about Flash III
We invite you to check out our Wally West Reading Order!

The Golden Age with Jay Garrick (1940-1951)

Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, Jason “Jay” Peter Garrick was the first Scarlet Speedster. He made his debut in Flash Comics #1 (1940). He soon became one of the best-known of the Golden Age of superheroes and a founding member of the Justice Society of America where he served as its first chairman.

Flash Comics in Collected editions:

All-Star Comics in Collected editions:

In 1976, All Star Comics was resurrected to tell adventures of the Earth 2 Justice Society of America (Jay Garrick was a member). You can find those stories in Showcase Presents: All-Star Comics.

Comics Calvadade in Collected editions:

The Silver Age and Bronze Age with Barry Allen (1956-1985)

A new Flash made his first appearance in Showcase #4 (October 1956), Barry Allen, and his arrival marked the beginning of The Silver Age of comics. Created by writer Robert Kanigher and penciler Carmine Infantino, Barry Allen is a forensic chemist with a reputation for being slow. After being struck by a lightning bolt, Barry Allen discovers he can run at super-human speeds and possesses equally enhanced reflexes, senses, and healing. He dubs himself the Flash (after his childhood comic book hero, Jay Garrick), and becomes Central City’s resident costumed crime fighter and protector. He’s also a member of the Justice League and becomes close friends with Green Lantern (Hal Jordan). 

Barry Allen is the star of his own series, The Flash, from issue #105 to #350, continuing the numbering from Flash Comics  (canceled in 1949 with issue #104).  It’s during those stories that are introduced the concept of Multiverse to DC Comics, with the now-classic Flash of Two Worlds.

We’re focusing on The Flash title, but the speedster was always more than the star of his own title, and can also be found on Justice League of America vol.1 (1960–1985) and Adventure Comics (1978–1979).

Also, you can find Jay Garrick as a member of All Star Comics (1976–1978) and All-Star Squadron (1981–1987).

NEW COLLECTION! DC Finest is a new line of affordable, large paperbacks focused on characters and stories rather than creators. You can discover the earliest adventures of Barry Allen, second Flash!

Previously collected in Omnibus:

Wally West made his first appearance as Kid Flash in The Flash #110 (December 1959).

The superhero team the Teen Titans made its first appearance in The Brave and the Bold #54 (July 1964). Kid Flash aka Wally West is a founding member and he will be a regular in Teen Titans Vol. 1 (1966–1977) and The New Teen Titans Vol. 1 (1980–1984).

You can also get those issues in TPBs with The Flash Silver Age Vol. 1 to 4 (collects the same issues as the first two omnibuses) and The Flash Archives Vol. 1 to 6 (collects the Showcase issues and The Flash #105-150.) and the black and white extra-length Showcase editions, Showcase Presents: The Flash Vol. 1 to Vol. 4.

What about issues 200-350? We are in the Bronze Age and this time in The Flash is not well collected, at all. Still, two majors storylines have been released in trade paperbacks:

 

Written by Mark Waid and Tom Peyer, with art from Barry Kitson, the limited series Flash & Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold Vol 1 was published post-Crisis (in 1999-2000) but explores the friendship between Barry Allen and Hal Jordan during the pre-Crisis era. For a touch of modern writing celebrating the Silver Age and this beautiful friendship:

Major event alert! The end of the Pre-Crisis era is marked by the Crisis on Infinite Earths event, written by Marv Wolfman and penciled by George Pérez. Barry saves the universe at Great Cost and The DC universe will never be the same! To know more about it, check out our full Crisis on Infinite Earths reading order.

Post-Crisis The Flash with Wally West (1987-2006)

Wally West was introduced as the original Kid Flash. Post-Crisis, he took on the role of the Flash, the first time in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12. Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, Wally West is the nephew of Iris West and, during a visit to the Central City police laboratory, is also a victim of a freak accident that gave him the same powers as the Flash.

A founding member of the Teen Titans, a sidekick, and sometimes the lone superhero in his hometown, Blue Valley, Nebraska, everything changed for Wally after Crisis. He took on his fallen mentor’s costume and identity. 

In this long period, several writers wrote Flash vol.2 (1987–2006) and leave (or not) their marks on the character:

  • Mike Baron (#1-14, Annual #1)
  • William Messner-Loebs (#15-61)
  • Mark Waid era with a Grant Morrison & Mark Millar interlude  (#62-163)
  • Geoff Johns (#164-225)
  • Joey Cavalieri (#226-230)

Wally was also a regular in Justice League Europe/International (1989–1994), but also Justice League America (1994–1996), JLA (1996–2006), and The Titans vol.1 #1–20 (1999–2000).

During this time, Jay Garrick continues his activities as a hero in Justice Society of America v.2 (1992–1993), then JSA (1999–2006).

Following a 14-issues run by Mike Baron, William Messner-Loebs took writing duties on The Flash, until issue #61. This period is uncollected and mostly never discussed. This changes with Mark Waid’s arrival on the title on issue #62 in 1992.

Before jumping in all those Wally West stories, Mark Waid also wrote about Barry Allen in JLA: Year One, a pre-crisis, kind of origin story for the superhero team and The Life Story of The Flash by Iris West, a graphic novel/memoir revisiting Barry’s history. Both of them make a good prologue to Mark Waid’s run.

Also collected in:

Bart Allen made his first appearance in The Flash #91-92 (June-July 1994). Almost ten years later, he will reinvent himself as Kid Flash in Teen Titans #4 (December 2003). This is also in issue #91 that the concept of the Speed Force is introduced, and you can learn more about the Origins of The Flash’s Powers here.

Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! The biggest DC Event since 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths, it involved almost every DC Universe monthly series published at the time and, in the end, some past events were changed—and some series were rebooted. The Flash #(92-)94 are tie-ins in this crisis. Go here for the reading order.

DC One Million! This event takes place during The Flash Book 7, as issue #1000000 indicates. The 20th-century Justice League of America and the 853rd-century Justice Legion Alpha cooperate to defeat a plot by the supervillain Vandal Savage and future Superman nemesis Solaris the Living Sun. Go here for the reading order.

  • DC Comics One Million Omnibus (a new edition is coming in 2022)
    Collects DC One Million #1–4, plus the #1,000,000 issues of Action Comics, Adventures Of Superman, Aquaman, Azrael, Batman, Batman: Shadow Of The Bat, Catwoman, Chase, Chronos, The Creeper, Detective Comics, The Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, and many more!!!

Identity Crisis! After the spouse of a member of the Justice League of America is brutally murdered, the entire superhero community searches for the killer in this unpopular DC Event. The Flash #213-217 are tie-ins to the event. To know in which order to read the story, you can check out our Identity Crisis Reading Order.

Infinite Crisis! The end of Geoff John’s run takes place during this sequel to DC’s 1985 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earth. It’s the DCU’s darkest day, and long-lost heroes from the past have returned to make things right in the universe… at any cost. (go check out our Infinite Crisis Reading Order!)

  • Infinite Crisis Omnibus
    Collects Action Comics #826, #829, Adventures of Superman #639, #642, Countdown to Infinite Crisis, Day of Vengeance #1-6, Day of Vengeance Infinite Crisis Special, JLA #115-119, Infinite Crisis #1-6, Infinite Crisis Secret Files 2006, The OMAC Project #1-6, and much more!

What about issues 226-230? Joey Cavalieri took writing duties for the end of The Flash vol. 2, but no collected editions exist for those issues.

From One Year Later to Flashpoint: Bart Allen, Wally West and Barry Allen (2006-2011)

Created by writer Mark Waid and artist Mike Wieringo in 1994, Bart Allen comes from the future. He’s the grandson of Barry Allen from which he has inherited his super-speed. His family history is quite complicated and he had to grow up fast. He made his first appearance as the teen hero Impulse, before becoming the second Kid Flash (during the Wally West era).

Bart disappeared during Infinite Crisis but reappeared after as our fourth Flash! After this event, every series in the DC Universe leaped forward in chronology by a year’s time (check out 52 to know what happened during the famous missing year).

Bart Allen used The Flash’s mantle for a very short time, stopped in his course by tragedy. Following the cancellation of this title, Wally West returned as The Flash, resuming his ongoing series with issue #231. As life as a Flash is always interrupted by a Crisis, soon happened The Final Crisis, which reintroduced Barry Allen…

During this short period, The Flash is a regular in the following titles:

  • Flash: The Fastest Man Alive (2006–2007) (as Bart Allen) (by Danny Bilson, Paul DeMeo and Marc Guggenheim)
  • Flash vol. 2 #231-247 (2007–2008) (as Wally West) (by Mark Waid)
  • The Flash vol. 3 (2010-2012) (as Barry Allen) (by Geoff Johns)

And of course, you can count on Jay Garrick being part of the Justice Society of America v.3 (2007-2011), which continued from the canceled title JSA (Volume 1) and took place following the events of Infinite Crisis.

The Flash The Fastest Man Alive - The Flash Reading Order

 

Final Crisis! Now superheroes from around the world—and across the Multiverse—must make a last, desperate stand against the forces of Anti-Life. An important event for The Flash, more specifically for Barry Allen!

  • Final Crisis 10th Anniversary Omnibus
    Collects Batman #676-683, #701-702, Birds Of Prey #118, Dc Universe #0, DC Universe: The Last Will And Testament #1, Final Crisis #1-7, Final Crisis: Legion Of 3 Worlds #1-5, Final Crisis: Requiem #1, Final Crisis: Resist #1, Final Crisis: Revelations #1-5, Final Crisis: Rogues’ Revenge #1-3, and much more!

Dead since Crisis on Infinite Earths, Barry Allen is brought back to life, and returned to his old life in the now-iconic storyline written by Geoff Johns, with art by Ethan Van Sciver.

This storyline (with the Final Crisis and Blackest Night issues) is also collected in:

Blackest Night and Brightest Day! This is a big Green Lantern event written by Geoff Johns (see Blackest Night Reading Order/Brightest Day reading Order). A limited Flash series and some issues of the main series take place during that time.

FlashPoint! Another Major Event for the Flash, written by Geoff Johns, ending the continuity of New Earth and leading into the New 52 relaunch. Flashpoint details an altered DC Universe in which only Barry Allen seems to be aware of significant differences between the regular timeline and the altered one (see Flashpoint event reading order).

Geoff Johns’s run is also collected in omnibus:

  • The Flash Omnibus by Geoff Johns Volume 1
    Collects The Flash #164-191, The Flash: Our Worlds at War #1, The Flash: Iron Heights #1, The Flash Secret Files & Origins #3, and DC First: Flash and Superman #1.
  • The Flash Omnibus by Geoff Johns Volume 2
    Collects The Flash #192-225 and Wonder Woman #214 plus bonus content from The Flash: The Secret of Barry Allen.
  • The Flash Omnibus by Geoff Johns Volume 3
    Collects The Flash vol. 2 #201–225, Wonder Woman vol.2 #214. Final Crisis: Rogue’s Revenge #1-3; The Flash: Rebirth #1-6; Flash #1-12; Blackest Night: The Flash #1-3; The Flash: Rebirth #1; Blackest Night: Black Lantern Corps Vol. 2 #1; The Flash Secret Files and Origins 2010 #1; Flashpoint #1-5

New 52: Barry Allen in The Flash (2011-2016)

A new continuity was launched with New 52, an era with less Flash than usual. During this time, Barry Allen is our main Flash, and Wally West is nowhere to be seen. Or, more precisely, we have a reinterpretation of the character, which will become Wallace West in the Rebirth era. Our original Wally West will also make his comeback in this next era. Bart Allen is no luckier, as he is also reintroduced as Bar Torr in Teen Titans before being written out, and this version will be erased from the timeline with Rebirth.

The Flash vol. 4 (2010-2012) was written by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato, Robert Venditti, Van Jensen.

He was also a regular in Justice League (2011-2016) and made some appearances in the Justice League of America during that period.

This part of the run is collected in the omnibus: The Flash by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato Omnibus.

Forever Evil! The Crime Syndicate comes from Earth-3 to take over this world and Lex Luthor forms the Injustice League to beat them. This event will create a new story-arc for the Justice League. And the Rogues’ gallery is at the center of a limited series during this event. (see reading order).

The Rebirth Years and the DC Universe (2016-2021)

DC relaunched its entire line of comic book titles in 2016, entering the Rebirth era. The DC universe was restored to a form closer to what it was before Flashpoint, while still incorporating numerous elements of The New 52, including its continuity.

In that timeline, Barry Allen was still The Flash, but good ol’ Wally West was back after escaping the Speed Force at the start of DC Rebirth. The next few years will be quite difficult for the character, to say the least. He wasn’t the only one to make his return, as Bart Allen was also brought back later. 

The Flash vol. 4 (2016-2021) was mostly written by Joshua Williamson. Barry Allen also appears as a regular in Justice League vol. 3  (2016-2018) and Justice League vol. 4 (2018-2022), while Wally West, also as The Flash, was in Titans vol.3 #1-21 (2016-2018).

Coming in 2024 is Joshua Williamson’s run in Omnibus with the first volume collecting the first 35 issues of the Rebirth era:

  • The Flash by Joshua Williamson Omnibus Vol. 1
    Collects The Flash: Rebirth #1, The Flash #1-35, Batman #21-22, Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #32, Justice League #32-33, and a story from DC Holiday Special 2017 #1 and features an introduction from Williamson and dozens of pages of behind-the scenes development art.

The whole period in classic trade paperbacks:

Once reborn, Wally West sought out the original Titans, and he will stay with the team until issue #21 and Titans Annual #2.

The Button! The road to Doomsday Cloak begins here, with the invasion of the Watchmen into the DC Universe! Batman needs The Flash’s help to resolve this mystery. To know more about Watchmen, check out our reading order.

Dark Nights Metal! Batman discovers the existence of a dark multiverse and eventually releases seven evil versions of himself into his own universe in this event in which The Flash #33 is a tie-in.

  • Dark Nights: Metal
    Collects Dark Nights: Metal #1-6, and Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1 and Batman Lost #1.
  • Dark Nights: Metal: The Resistance
    Collects “Gotham Resistance” (Teen Titans #12, Nightwing #29, Suicide Squad #26, Green Arrow #32) and “Bats Out Of Hell” (The Flash #33, Justice League #32-33, Hal Jordan and The Green Lantern Corps #32), plus Batman Lost #1 and Hawkman Found #1.

Bart Allen makes his comeback in The Flash #50 as Impulse. He will go to live his own adventures in a revival of the Young Justice team, with Superboy, Wonder Girl and more.

Heroes In Crisis! Wally West is at the Sanctuary, an ultra-secret hospital for superheroes and reformed supervillains, when tragedy strikes in this poorly executed event, Written by Tom King and penciled by Clay Mann (see our reading order).

Doomsday Clock! A follow-up to The Button and the real collision between Watchmen and the DC Universe takes place here. The Flash is present in the last few issues of this event.

Flash Forward! A limited series starring Wally West acting as a follow-up to the recent events (Metal, Heroes in Crisis and Doomsday Clock).

Dark Nights Death Metal! The sequel to Dark Nights: Metal is here, in which Wally West plays an important role and a whole story finally comes to a close (see Dark Nights: Death Metal reading order).

Following the event of Dark Nights: Death Metal, DC Comics took us to the Future. At least, to one possible future, one that is dark… The Future State (see the dedicated article for more information). The Flash’s stories are collected in the Justice League TPB:

  • Future State: Justice League
    Collects Future State: Justice League #1-2, Future State: Justice League Dark #1-2, Future State: Aquaman #1-2, Future State: Green Lantern #1-2, Future State: The Flash #1-2.

The Flash in The Infinite Frontier/Dawn of DC

Wally West is ready to call it quits. After a tumultuous and traumatic few years from DC Universe: Rebirth to Heroes in Crisis to Dark Nights: Death Metal, the former Kid Flash is ready to walk, not run, away from the superhero life—but Barry Allen needs his former partner now more than ever. Wally West is back with Jeremy Adams as the main writer?

Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths! The Justice League are dead. Can a new generation of heroes save the Multiverse? Find the answer in an event less eventful than announced!

The Lazarus Planet event kicks off the Dawn of DC era. Avery Ho, The Flash of China, appears in the short story “8 seconds of Still Force” in the tie-in Dark Fate #1. Not long after that event, horror invaded the DC Universe in Knight Terrors, with Barry Allen facing a personal nightmare in Knight Terrors: The Flash #1-2

Wally West is still our main Flash on Earth, with this new run from Simon Spurrier and Mike Deodato while also being a member of the Titans (2024). At the same time, writer Jeremy Adams reunites Jay Garrick with his long-lost daughter.

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