Who?
One of DC's oldest characters, the Flash was first created back in 1940 by Gardner Fox and Harry Lampert. Jay Garrick was a college student who inhaled hard water vapours (we all experiment a little in college, man) and developed the ability to move at superhuman speeds as a result.
An excellent example of a legacy superhero, Garrick was replaced as Scarlet Speedster in 1956 by forensic scientist Barry Allen in the pages of Showcase #4. Usually considered the "main" Flash, Barry was replaced by his nephew and sidekick Wally in 1986, who also went on to have a very successful run. Barry's grandson Bart briefly assumed the mantle in 2006 as well, but in 2008 Barry returned to the role for good.
Always at the forefront of DC events and milestones, the Flash is a much-loved character, regardless of who is filling the well-worn boots, and is known for fun, light-hearted stories with plenty of action and drama too.
Okay, so where do I start?
Jay Garrick's adventures can be found in two Golden Age Flash Archives full-colour hardcovers for those of you into the classics. Likewise, the zany, era-defining Silver Age stories featuring Barry Allen are collected in DC's famous Showcase Presents volumes, albeit in black-and-white.
If you like a good origin story (and who doesn't?) then you might want to check out Mark Waid and Tom Peyer's Born to Run. This excellent and very touching coming-of-age tale is all about Wally West, who started out as Kid Flash before becoming the first ever sidekick to step into his mentor's shoes.
I started out with Wally as "my" Flash, and so I'd recommend Geoff Johns' acclaimed run on the series, starting with Wonderland. He truly builds the Flash into one of the most interesting characters in the DC Universe, fleshing out his home city, supporting cast, and infamous villains -- turning them into memorable characters in their own right.
But, if like the Flash himself, you prefer to look forward and just want something recent to jump on to, then look no further than The Dastardly Death of the Rogues, where Johns once again tries his hand at writing the Fastest Man Alive, but this time it's the recently-resurrected Barry Allen. You need absolutely no prior knowledge of the Flash or DC events to start reading (and thoroughly enjoying) this remarkable series from here on.
There is also Flash: The Greatest Stories Ever Told, which collects material from various eras, creators and Flashes.
What next?
Did you like Born to Run? Well, know that Mark Waid also wrote for The Flash ongoing series, and the first collection of his stories is The Return of Barry Allen. Like Born to Run, Waid's whole "run" on the series is quite an underappreciated gem.
Bart Allen's blink-and-you'll-miss-it time as the Flash is collected in Lightning in a Bottle and Full Throttle, both of which are quite good, but lack the punch of other runs. And speaking of short runs, Grant Morrison and Mark Millar both contributed two volumes worth of entertaining material to the Scarlet Speedster (Emergency Stop and The Human Race). It's a shame they were so short-lived on the series.
As I said, the Flash has always been at the forefront of major DC events, such as Crisis on Infinite Earths and Final Crisis, so they might be worth checking out if you're willing to branch out. Plus, Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge is a tie-in that is most definitely a must-read for Flash-fans, although it can also be read on its own.
Hope this has been helpful. Do let me know of any suggestions. This article is a Flash Fact.
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