The Flash is one of the most iconic and recognizable superheroes in the DC Comics Universe, and his super-human speed is a power that many people find fascinating and entertaining to read about.
Reading Flash comics can be a lot of fun, and for those who enjoy superhero stories, the Flash comics are worth checking out. But do you know what the correct reading order is?
Here’s the recommended Flash Comics Reading Order:
- The Golden Age with Jay Garrick (1940-1951)
- The Silver Age and Bronze Age with Barry Allen (1956-1985)
- Post-Crisis The Flash with Wally West (1987-2006)
- From One Year Later to Flashpoint: Bart Allen, Wally West, and Barry Allen (2006-2011)
- New 52: Barry Allen in The Flash (2011-2016)
- The Rebirth Years and the DC Universe (2016-2021)
- The Infinite Frontier
We will cover the basic storylines, highlighting the most significant moments and character arcs, and provide context and background information to help you understand the characters and their motivations in this article.
So, buckle up and get ready to experience the thrill of “The Flash” comics!
How Many Volumes Of The Flash Are There?
Many volumes of The Flash comics have been released since they first debuted in 1959. Volume 1 was published after the original series concluded in 1949 with issue #104.
Since then, more books have succeeded it – spanning each era of the Flash’s history – with even more new runs set to join them soon!
So how many volumes are there? Currently, there are twelve volumes altogether. Each of them features different popular incarnations of the character – from Wally West to Barry Allen and beyond!
With all these different timelines, it might take a bit of research to find which order to read through them in – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it for any fan of The Flash comics wanting to stay up-to-date with its rich history!
Where To Start Reading Flash?
If you’re new to The Flash comics, it can be confusing to know where to start. Fortunately, the best place to begin is with Flash: Rebirth, which acts as a jumping-off point for new readers.
This comic book reintroduces Barry Allen, the main Speedster you’ll follow throughout your journey in The Flash universe.
After reading Flash: Rebirth, the next book on your list should be Flashpoint.
Of course, if you want to truly immerse yourself in The Flash experience, then it’s worth exploring some of the original stories and comics that inspired the character in the first place.
This includes stories like DC Showcase #4, which introduced “The Scarlet Speedster” in 1956, and also showcases other famous characters from The Flash universe, such as Jay Garrick and Barry Allen himself.
Other classic issues include All-Flash #13, which combines all versions of the Flash into one story and is considered a must-read for any fan.
The Flash Comic Books Reading Order
The Golden Age of superheroes was ushered in with the debut of Jay Garrick, the Scarlet Speedster, and Flash Comics #1 (1940).
Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the hero soon became one of the most popular superheroes of his time. His contributions to the Justice Society of America included being its first chairman.
Jay Garrick had an exceptional tenure in comic books from 1940 to 1951. During this time, fans saw his adventures brought to life which often included some of DC’s greatest villains doing battle with The Flash on multiple occasions.
While other superheroes have come and gone, Jay Garrett has remained a mainstay throughout comics for decades. Even now, his legacy continues as he set a high bar for speedsters that followed in his footsteps.
Reading order:
- The Golden Age Flash Archives (vol. 1)
- Flash Comics #1–17
- The Golden Age Flash Archives (vol. 2)
- Flash Comics #18–24, All-Flash Comics #1–2
- The Flash: The Greatest Stories Ever Told
- Flash Comics #86, 104; The Flash (vol. 1) #123, 155, 165, 179; The Flash (vol. 2) #91; DC Special Series #11
- All-Star Comics in Collected editions:
- All-Star Comics Archives Volume 0
- All-Star Comics #1–2
- All-Star Comics Archives Volume 1
- All-Star Comics #3–6
- All-Star Comics Archives Volume 2
- All-Star Comics #7–10
- All-Star Comics Archives Volume 3
- All-Star Comics #11–14
- All-Star Comics Archives Volume 4
- All-Star Comics #15–18
- All-Star Comics Archives Volume 5
- All-Star Comics #19–23
- All-Star Comics Archives Volume 6
- All-Star Comics #24–28
- All-Star Comics Archives Volume 7
- All-Star Comics #29–33
- All-Star Comics Archives Volume 8
- All-Star Comics #34–38
- All-Star Comics Archives Volume 9
- All-Star Comics #39–43
- All-Star Comics Archives Volume 10
- All-Star Comics #44–49
- All-Star Comics Archives Volume 11
- All-Star Comics #50–57
- Comic Cavalcade – Archives, VOL I
- Comic Cavalcade #1-3, All-American Comics #1, All-Flash #6, and All-Star Comics #2
The Silver Age and Bronze Age with Barry Allen (1956-1985)
The Silver Age and Bronze Age of comics saw Barry Allen take the spotlight as The Flash.
He was introduced in Showcase #4 (October 1956), created by writer Robert Kanigher and penciler Carmine Infantino.
Barry Allen is a forensic chemist known for being slow, but when lightning strikes, he discovers he can run at super-human speeds!
After that, he adopts the namesake of his childhood comic book hero, Jay Garrick, and becomes Central City’s resident costumed crime fighter.
His own series, ‘The Flash,’ ran from issue #105 to #350, continuing the numbering from Flash Comics and introducing the concept of Multiverse to DC Comics with ‘Flash of Two Worlds.’
Throughout this period, Barry Allen appeared in various issues of Justice League of America vol.1 (1960–1985) and Adventure Comics (1978–1979).
Jay Garrick also appeared in All-Star Comics (1976–1978) and All-Star Squadron (1981–1987). In 1985, Barry Allen’s story ended tragically with Crisis on Infinite Earth, but Flash remains an iconic hero to today’s readers.
Reading order:
- The Flash: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 1
- Showcase #4, #8, #13, #14, and The Flash #105-132.
- The Flash: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 2
- The Flash #133-163 includes a foreword by veteran comics writer Tom Peyer.
- The Flash: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 3
- Flash #164-199 includes a foreword by The Flash writer Mark Waid.
- The Flash: The Death of Iris West
- The Flash #270-284
- Showcase Presents: The Trial of the Flash
- Flash #323 to #327, #329 to #336, and #340 to #350
- The Flash/Green Lantern: The Brave & the Bold Deluxe Edition
- Crisis on Infinite Earth (the 2001 TPB edition)
- Crisis on Infinite Earth #1-12.
Post-Crisis The Flash with Wally West (1987-2006)
The Flash was given a dramatic post-Crisis makeover with Wally West donning the identity of the Scarlet Speedster.
The original Kid Flash, he was created by writers John Broome and Carmine Infantino and was struck by a freak lab accident that endowed him with the same powers as his fallen mentor, Barry Allen.
Wally took up the mantle of The Flash and made it his own from 1987 to 2006. He was a founding member of the Teen Titans, a sidekick, then eventually became the lone superhero in Blue Valley, Nebraska, paving his own path throughout his heroic career.
Reading order:
- The Flash: Savage Velocity
- The Flash vol. 2 #1-18, Annual #1
- JLA: Year One Deluxe Edition
- the full 12-issue miniseries, with an introduction by writer Mark Waid.
- The Life Story of The Flash
- the full 12-issue miniseries, with an introduction by writer Mark Waid.
- The Flash by Mark Waid Book One
- The Flash vol. 2 #62–68, Annual #4–5, Flash Special #1
- The Flash by Mark Waid Book Two
- The Flash vol. 2 #69–79, Annual #6, Green Lantern #30–31, 40
- The Flash by Mark Waid Book Three
- The Flash vol. 2 #80–94
- Also collected in:
- The Flash by Mark Waid Omnibus Vol. 1
- The Flash #62-91; The Flash Annual #4-6; Green Lantern#30-31, #40; The Flash Special #1; and Justice League Quarterly #10.
- Zero Hour: Crisis in Time 25th Anniversary Omnibus
- Zero Hour #0-4, stories from Showcase ’94 #8-9 and the Zero Month sampler, and much more!
- The Flash by Mark Waid Book Four
- The Flash vol. 2 #0, #95–105, Annual #8
- The Flash by Mark Waid Book Five (dead heat!)
- The Flash vol. 2 #106–118, Impulse #10–11
- The Flash by Mark Waid Book Six
- The Flash vol. 2 #119–129, Green Lantern and The Flash: Faster Friends, Flash Plus Nightwing #1; material from Showcase ’96 #12, DC Universe Holiday Bash #1
- The Flash by Grant Morrison & Mark Millar
- The Flash vol. 2 #130–141, Green Lantern Vol. 3 #96, Green Arrow Vol. 2 #130; material from The Flash 80-Page Giant #1, JLA Secret Files #1
- The Flash by Mark Waid Book Seven
- The Flash vol. 2 #142–150, #1000000, The Life Story of the Flash; material from The Flash Secret Files #1, Speed Force #1, The Flash 80-Page Giant #1
- DC Comics One Million Omnibus (a new edition was coming in 2022)
- 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!!!
- The Flash by Mark Waid Book Eight
- The Flash vol. 2 #151–163, Annual #12, The Flash Secret Files #2
- The Flash By Geoff Johns Book One
- The Flash vol. 2 #164–176, The Flash: Iron Heights #1 368
- The Flash By Geoff Johns Book Two
- The Flash vol. 2 #177–188, The Flash: Our Worlds at War #1, The Flash Secret Files #3, and DC First: Flash/Superman #1
- The Flash By Geoff Johns Book Three
- The Flash vol. 2 #189–200
- The Flash By Geoff Johns Book Four
- The Flash vol. 2 #201–213
- Identity Crisis
- Identity Crisis #1-7.
- The Flash By Geoff Johns Book Five
- The Flash vol. 2 #214–225, #1/2, Wonder Woman vol. 2 #214
- Infinite Crisis Omnibus
- 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!
From One Year Later to Flashpoint: Bart Allen, Wally West, and Barry Allen (2006-2011)
The 2006 to 2011 era was turbulent for the Flash comic books, as Bart Allen, Wally West, and Barry Allen all had a turn at the mantle of The Flash.
In 2006, Bart Allen took on the role after first appearing as Impulse and Kid Flash. A year later, due to the events of the Infinite Crisis, every series in the DC followed a “one year later” chronology, with Bart taking on The Flash mantle for a short time before tragedy struck.
This led to Wally West returning as The Flash in issue #231 of his ongoing series.
The final Crisis saw Barry Allen reunited with his Speed Force powers and returning full-time as The Flash from 2009-2011.
During this time, more classic villains appeared, while story arcs such as “Rogue War” set up bigger storylines leading into the now infamous Flashpoint event, which shook the comic book world to its core.
The legacy of these three Flashes during this era was immense – Bart’s short reign ushered in new threats and technological advances; Wally looked back at his earlier stories while adding new twists; and Barry returned with decades’ worth of personal history intact – giving rise to some powerful stories that will remain forever connected to each individual hero’s journey through time.
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 the Infinite Crisis.
The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive: Lightning in a Bottle
Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1–6
The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive: Full Throttle
Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #7–13, All-Flash #1, a story from DCU Infinite Holiday Special #1
The Flash: The Wild West
The Flash vol. 2 #231–237
Final Crisis 10th Anniversary Omnibus
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!
The Flash: Rebirth
The Flash: Rebirth #1–6
This storyline (with the Final Crisis and Blackest Night issues) is also collected in:
The Flash by Geoff Johns Book Six
Final Crisis: Rogues’ Revenge #1–3, The Flash: Rebirth #1–6, Blackest Night: The Flash #1–3
Blackest Night Saga (DC Essential Edition) or regular edition
Blackest Night #0-8.
Blackest Night: Black Lantern Corps Vol. 2
Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #1-3, JSA #1-3, and The Flash #1-3.
Brightest Day Omnibus
Brightest Day #0-24.
The Flash Vol. 1: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues
The Flash vol. 3 #1–8, The Flash Secret Files 2010 (issues 1 to 7 happened during Brightest day).
Flash Vol. 2: Road to Flashpoint
The Flash #9-12
Flashpoint
Flashpoint #1-5.
The Flash Omnibus by Geoff Johns Volume 1
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
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
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 leading 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, and 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.
The Flash Vol. 1: Move Forward
The Flash vol. 4 #1–8
The Flash Vol. 2: Rogues Revolution
The Flash vol. 4 #9–12, #0, and The Flash Annual #1
The Flash Vol. 3: Gorilla Warfare
The Flash vol. 4 #13–19
The Flash Vol. 4: Reverse
The Flash vol. 4 #20–25 and #23.2: Reverse-Flash #1
Forever Evil
Forever Evil #1-7
Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion
Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion #1–6, The Flash Vol. 4 #23.1
The Flash Vol. 5: History Lessons
The Flash vol. 4 #26–29 and The Flash Annual #2
The Flash Vol. 6: Out of Time
The Flash vol. 4 #30–35, The Flash Annual #3, and The Flash: Futures End #1
The Flash Vol. 7: Savage World
The Flash vol. 4 #36–40 and Secret Origins vol. 3 #7
The Flash Vol. 8: Zoom
The Flash vol. 4 #41–47 and The Flash Annual #4
The Flash Vol. 9: Full Stop
The Flash vol. 4 #48–52
The Rebirth Years and the DC Universe (2016-2021)
The DC Universe underwent a significant transformation from 2016 to 2021, known as the Rebirth era.
This saw many elements of The New 52 maintained, while some aspects were restored closer to their pre-Flashpoint status.
During this period, Barry Allen was still The Flash, and Wally West made his return after escaping the Speed Force at the start of DC Rebirth. Additionally, Bart Allen also returned during this time.
The Flash vol. 4 (2016-2021) covers much of Barry Allen’s exploits during this time and is mainly written by Joshua Williamson.
In addition to that series, Barry Allen also had regular appearances in Justice League volumes 3 and 4 (2016-still ongoing). Wally West as The Flash appears in Titans vol.3 #1-21, which ran from 2016 to 2018.
This period proves to be highly influential in shaping today’s DC universe and is certainly worth reading for any comic book fan who wants to understand how things developed during the Rebirth years between 2016 and 2021.
DC Universe: Rebirth Deluxe Edition
The Relaunch and the return of Wally West in DC Universe: Rebirth #1
The Flash Vol. 1: Lightning Strikes Twice
The Flash: Rebirth #1, The Flash vol. 5 #1–8
The Flash Vol. 2: Speed of Darkness
The Flash vol. 5 #9–13
The Flash Vol. 3: Rogues Reloaded
The Flash vol. 5 #14–20
Batman/The Flash: The Button
Batman #21-22 And The Flash #21-22.
The Flash Vol. 4: Running Scared
The Flash vol. 5 #23–27
The Flash Vol. 5: Negative
The Flash vol. 5 #28–32
Dark Nights: Metal
Dark Nights: Metal #1-6, Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1, and Batman Lost #1.
Dark Nights: Metal: The Resistance
“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.
The Flash Vol. 6: Cold Day in Hell
The Flash vol. 5 #34–38, Annual #1
The Flash Vol. 7: Perfect Storm
The Flash vol. 5 #39–45
The Flash Vol. 8: Flash War
The Flash vol. 5 #46–51, a story from Annual #1
The Flash Vol. 9: Reckoning of the Forces
The Flash vol. 5 #52–57
The Flash Vol. 10: Force Quest
The Flash vol. 5 #58–63
Heroes in Crisis
Heroes in Crisis #1-9.
Heroes in Crisis: The Price and Other Tales
Batman #64-65, The Flash #64-65, The Flash Annual #2, and Green Arrow #45, 48-50
The Flash Vol. 11: The Greatest Trick of All
The Flash vol. 5 #66–69, Annual #2
The Flash: Year One
The Flash vol. 5 #70–75
The Flash Vol. 12: Death and the Speed Force
The Flash vol. 5 #76–81
The Flash Vol. 13: Rogues Reign
The Flash vol. 5 #82–87
Doomsday Clock
Doomsday Clock #1-12.
Flash Forward
Flash Forward #1-6
The Flash Vol. 14: The Flash Age
The Flash vol. 5 #88, #750–755, Annual #3
The Flash Vol. 15: Finish Line (the end of Joshua Williamson’s run)
The Flash vol. 5 #756-762.
Dark Nights: Death Metal Deluxe Edition
Dark Nights: Death Metal #1-7.
Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Darkest Knight
Dark Nights: Death Metal: Legends of the Dark Knights #1, Dark Nights: Death Metal: Guidebook #1, Dark Nights: Death Metal: Trinity Crisis #1, Dark Nights: Death Metal: Speed Metal #1, and Dark Nights: Death Metal: Multiverse’s End #1
Dark Nights: Death Metal: War of the Multiverses
Dark Nights: Death Metal The Last 52: War of the Multiverse #1, Dark Nights: Death Metal The Last Stories of the DCU #1.
Future State: Justice League
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 Infinite Frontier
“The Infinite Frontier” is the newest installment in the incredible Flash comics series. With Wally West ready to end his superhero life, Barry Allen needs him now more than ever.
This comic book puts readers amid Wally’s journey as he decides what path to take. It also dives deep into Barry’s effort to fight a new evil that has emerged in the DC Universe, threatening Central City and the entire world.
With classic villains making shocking cameos and plenty of twists and turns along the way, “The Infinite Frontier” promises to be an exciting and action-packed ride for all Flash fans!
The Flash Vol. 16: Wally West Returns
The Flash #763-77
The Flash 2021 Annual #1
The Flash Vol. 17: Eclipse
Flash #772-779
War For Earth-3
Flash #780
Suicide Squad #13
Teen Titans Academy#13
War for Earth-3 #1-2
How Long Would It Take The Flash To Read Every Book In The World, Or Every Book In Every Library?
One might wonder how long it would take The Flash to read every book in the world, or every book in every library.
Although the San Francisco library system contains 3,946,841 books and assuming that other libraries have a similar size, reading each library would still require 13.32 years!
However, it would only make sense to have him doing that if these books are comic books that Flash would be most interested in reading multiple times.
According to Quora, there are 129,864,880 books in the world today. Reading and retaining these books would take The Flash around 11 hours! About his own time scale, this is 49.5 years – an incredible feat for the Scarlet Speedster!
Which Comic Book ‘The Flash’ Is Based On?
Unsurprisingly, the hit television show The Flash is based on the popular comic book series of the same name.
While the TV show takes some liberties with the storylines, it stays true to its comic book roots. For example, original characters like Harrison Wells and Joe West are present in both story versions.
Furthermore, viewers who have read The Flash comics also know that Eobard Thawne is actually the Reverse Flash, which was revealed in the fifteenth episode of the first season.
Take Away
So if you’re a fan of The Flash and want to experience where it all began, reading these comics should be at the top of your to-do list!
Not only will doing so give you an even deeper understanding of this beloved superhero story, but it will also provide plenty of exciting action from both heroic and villainous characters!
