Customer Reviews

The Flash Archives, Vol. 1 (DC Archive Editions)

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4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ahhh, the Flash. One of my favorite comic book characters as I was growing up. Next to World's Finest and Superboy, I think "The Flash" topped my collection of comics.

This book, volume 1 in what I hope will be an expanding set, takes us from Showcase issues 4, 8, 13 and 14 - where The Flash was reborn into the silver age of comics - and continues with stories from Flash #'s 104 to 108. (Hint: Flash #104 was the last issue of the earlier Golden Age Flash)

I alway did like the Barry Allen Flash better than Jay Garrick (the original Flash - or some of you may know him as the Flash from Earth Two). The book is beautifully done in 224 full-color, hardbound pages and introduces some of the fantastic villians the Flash aways seemed to face. Remember Captain Cold, The Pied Piper and the Mirror Master? And who could forget Grodd, the Super Gorilla? They're all here, plus more. 17 timeless tales in all.

Light, entertaining reading - great for just before bed - I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who liked the silver age Flash.

~P~

In the latter 1950's I saved a dime and bought my first comic ever -- The Flash, and I was hooked on comics. Now, nearly 50 years later, I began buying the Golden Age Archives (11 so far) because they were the stories I never got to read as a kid, since they were from before I was born. Then it dawned on me, "Wouldn't it be nice to check out the (Silver Age) Flash Archive to re-read those first comic books of my childhood?" So even though it's been out a while, I finally bought Volume 1 of the Flash, and I was delighted to discover that DC had wonderfully linked the last issue of the Golden Age (104) with the first issue of the Silver Age (105), and I also discovered that all the stories in this Archive were missed by me in my youth, coming before I bought that first book! The good memories came back --the really fine artwork by Carmine Infantino -- with characters looking like real people and not like the modern day "steroid pumped" characters. Another aspect of those issues was the desire by DC to put some educational information in the stories --much more so than the Golden Age stories. All in all, The Flash Vol 1, was a great buy, and a wonderful trip down memory lane, leaving me wondering why it took me so long to get this book. I now look forward to buying Vol 2 and to maybe "catching up" to that first issue I bought way back when, when for a kid, summer was fun, parents were always right, and for ten cents an issue, life was good.

When police scientist (what we'd call forensics or CSI now) Barry Allen is hit by lightning and bathed in chemicals, he discovers he has developed super-speed, much like his fictional comic book hero, the Flash. Taking his cue from the comics, Allen creates a costumed identity as the Flash, and begins a long and successful super-hero career.

I started reading comics after Barry died during "The Crisis on Infinite Earths." So to me, Wally West is THE Flash. That doesn't mean I don't like Barry, especially much of his Silver Age stories, written mainly by Robert Kanigher (Sgt. Rock) and drawn by Carmine Infantino. Indeed, Infantino's name has become synonymous with Barry Allen. His dynamic, crisp and clean artwork made the most of the numerous high-concepts and sci-fi gimmickry that the Flash was built upon. Most importantly, the Flash's immediate popularity birthed a new interest in super-heroes, re-establishing them as a viable genre in the comic book medium.

"The Flash Archives" vol. 1 contains "Flash" #104, the last issue of the Golden Age Flash's series, featuring some of Infantino's early artwork. It then jumps to "Showcase" #4 (the first appearance of Barry Allen), #8, #'s 13-14, and "Flash" #'s 105-108 (the publishers having decided to use the old numbering as a sign of a "strong" book). The creators developed a solid Rogues Gallery quickly, as the Flash battles the Turtle, Captain Cold, Mirror Master, Mr. Element, and Gorilla Grodd. Grodd became Barry's most persistent foe right off the bat, as he schemed to take control of the hidden Gorilla City, home of intelligent apes, with his heightened mental powers. Naturally, he aspired to global conquest, as well.

It's hard to zero in on one story as great. The volume represents such astounding consistency. Everything has a nice, innocent quality, and makes for entertaining reading. .

Granted, given these stories were written in the late 1950s and were aimed at children, the stories are also pretty simplistic: heavy on plot, light on character. Barry's girlfriend, Iris West, is a reporter with the local paper. She constantly laments Barry's slowness, and frequently wonders why Barry can't be more like the Flash. Barry takes it all with a wink and a nod, never letting his duel life get him down.

Barry Allen is one of the few comic book characters to die and (so far) stay dead. While I think bringing him back would be a travesty, it's great to look back at what made him such a fun and enduring character to begin with. It's hard not to read this volume without a big smile on your face.

The Flash launched the Silver Age. I read these stories across reprints in those great 100 Pagers and other DC reprint books of the 1970s but to have them all in one volume is a dream come true. Infantino's art is fantastic and the images from the first story will remain in my head forever!!!!

If you are a Silver Age comics fan this one's for you! I caught on to The Flash when I was maybe in junior high school and about seven or eight years into the original Carmine Infantino, John Broome, Robert Kanigher, Frank Giacola, Joe Giella, Joe Kubert et al. run. The Flash was updated from the older Golden Age Flash - the guy with the blue pants, red shirt, and sporting a helmet that looked suspiciously like that of the Greek god Mercury, the speedy messnger of the gods! DC Editor at the time Julius Sshwartz made a brilliant decision to update the DC Golden Age heroes into the world of the early 1960s and the rest is history.

I have been gradually reading my way through the DC Archives and it is a real treat. You could never afford all the comics at the time they came out and tried to stay up on the stories by skipping around the characters and series. Through the DC Archives you get to tune in on these characters and stories the way they debuted at the beginning of their DC run (a great pun in the case of The Flash!) You see Barry Allen mix it up with lightning and chemicals and the adventures start moving forward with situations and super villains that only The Flash could correct!

You will see early Flash stories that cover the grave situations of trouble making criminals, rampaging time travellers, mad scientists, and huge natural disasters. Early appearances of well-known Flash villains include Captain Cold, Mirror Master, the Pied Piper, and Gorrilla Grodd. Another plus is the interaction of Barry Allen (The Flash) in Central City with Jay Garrick (The Golden Age Flash) in future stories via the fabled Cosmic Treadmill. This sets up the parallel universes that lead to the fabulous Crisis on Multiple Earth stories that eventually lead to the Crisis on Multiple Earths and the big shakeup on the DC lineup. The effect of these stories is still being explored and played out in the Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis series.

If you love the DC comics of the Silver Age, this one's a must! Get it today and start adventuring with the Scarlet Speedster! I love it and so will you!

I still remember reading "The Flash" on a hot summer day under the shade of the plum tree in my yard. This book gave me quite a nostalgia rush!! This is a quality production with archive quality paper and accurate vibrant colors. I gave this four stars instead of five because DC should have included the letters to the editor for each issue. Other than that missing element this is a fantastic book to enjoy the early issues of the silver age Flash.

The very first adventures of the Silver Age FLASH (Barry Allen) are beautifully reproduced in this handsome volume, which is a must-have for fans of the Scarlet Speedster. A nice Foreword recounts his origins and, while it's a nostalgic read for longtime enthusiasts, it's also a great introduction for new fans.

Iris West was awfully nasty to Barry back in those days!

I ordered all 5 editions and they are ariving one by one, at first the price was off putting but after opening the box and removing the dust cover to see the beautifully made scarlet bound book with a golden lightning bolt embossed on the front cover made the price well worth it

THE FLASH ARCHIVES--VOLUME ONE does not dissapoint when it brings me a re-discovery of the silver age version of the epic speedster in red, but also reveals an exciting episode in the book's beginning chapter of the original golden age Flash--Jay Garrick. For the record, as well as for my generation of comic book fans who will always adore DC superheroes, Barry Allen will always be the definitive Flash, flicking the switch of his handy ring and swiftly revealing his scarlet costume; and in the blink of an eye charging to the rescue.

I will read it during whatever spare time I have. As for any other comic book fan, it will make a great start to a library for superherodom.

After World War II, the mystery Men/Superhero genere lost the popularity it had in the late 1930's and 1940's. At teh advent of the 1950's, Mystery Men/Superheroes had all but disappeared from the comic books on the newsstands. The only comic book company left that was publishing any mystery men/superhero comic book titles at that time was DC Coics. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman were the only Mystery Mne/Woman/superheroes that had managed to survived in the 1950's.

Westerns, war comics, monster, science fiction, horror, crime coics, and funny comics comics were now what appeared in comic books at this time.

In the 1950's, sales of comic books began to decline due to the advent of Television. And if this was not bad enough, a psychologist named Dr. Fredrick Wertham went on a crusade against comic books writting a book called "The Seduction of the Innocent." He was able to convince U.S. Sentator Estus Trafagar into starting a Senate Committe to look into the threat of comics on the youth of America. A lot of parental and moralist presure groups arose attacking comic books. Many stores and newsstands now refused to carry comic books and distributors refused to distribute comic books for he comic book publishing companies. Many a publishing company got out of the comic book publishing business.

The remaining comic book companies saw the writing on the wall and decided to move. They got together and decided to form a self-regulating agency, the Comics Code Authority. Before publishing the comic book, they would subit it to the Comics Code Authority to review it and okay it or to recommend changes be made before being given the stamp of approval by them. Zombies, werewolves, and vampires were banned from comics from the Comics Code Authority.

In the mid-1950's Editor Julie Schwartz decided to try to do mystery men/superheroes again. He looked over the old characters that were successful in the 1940's. He chose to do The Flash.

The original Flash was scientist Jay Gerrick who in a lab accident in college ends up inhaling heavy water gas fumes (heavy water is ued in atomic experiments). By then it was known that heavy water gases have no such effects or detremental effects on people. The original Flah wore no mask. He wore a helmet with wings on it like the helmet teh mythological Greek God of Speed, Mercury, is shown wearing.

The Original Golden Age Flash was created in the 1940's by Gardener Fox, who later was to be assigned to be one of the writers along with writer John Broome for the new Flash.

Julie Schwartz decided that the character had to be redone/re-created for the then present-day comic book readers. So a whole new "Flash" was created with a whole new costume. He was Police Scientist Barry Allen whose girlfriend Iris West always chided him for be a "slowpoke" and always showing up late.

Alone one evening at the Central City Police Lab where Barry Allen is alone working late, there is a storm. A lightening bolt hits the chemicals on a helf and Barry Allen with the chemicals flling all over Barry Allen. Barry strangely survives this, but finds afterwards that his whole being and molecular structure has been accelerated. He finds himself albe to run at super-speed and vibriate through walls and able to see fast moving things solwed down to him going in slow motion.

Along with this, a whole new Rogues Gallery was created for this new Flash: The Mirror Master, Mr. Element later to become Dr. Alchemy, The Top, Captain Cold, Hat Wave, Captain Boomerang, Teh Trickster, the Pied Piper, Super Gorilla Grod, and Professor Zoom - The Reverse Fash.

In the origina story, it is revealed that as a kid, he used to read the adventures of the original Flash. Teh original Golden Age Flash does return later. Barry Allen while doing a charity benefit show as The Flash does a super-speed trick for the audience, however, in doing the trick, his internal vibrations are altered and he finds that he is no longer in Central City, but in Keystone City the city of the original Flash that he used to read about in the comic books. He finds that he as been transported to parrallel Earth, Earth 2, named so in the order of its discovery.

Barry Allen locates Jay Gerrick and shows up as Barry Allen at teh home of Jay Gerrick and Jay's wife Joan. Barry Allen then reveals himself to Jay and Jay's wife as The Flash from a parrallel Earth, Earth 1.

Jay Gerrick now longs to put back on his old Falsh costume and join Barry Allen. Conincidently, two of the Golden Age Flashe's old super-villains also happen to have eh same idea. It is a good thing that the two Flashes are around to foil their plot.

Before teh Flash returns to his own Earth, Earth 1, teh Golden Age Flash promises to come to Earth 1 one day to visit Teh Flash, which he does. And so begins an annual tradition of the Golden Age Flash guest starring with the Flash later leading to a story bringing back teh Justice Society of America with them coming out of retirement when a number of the members are kidnapped by their arch-foe Vandal Savage. The two Flashes come to the rescue and free them foiling Vandal Savage's evil plans. This would lead into the annual traditional two-part summer team-up stories in the pages of "The Justice League of America."

The (Silver Age) Flash is later also given a teenage sidekick and protege' Wally West who strangely, due to a similar accident is also given the same super-spped powers of he Flash. Wally West becomes Kid Flash. However, unlike Robi, Aqualad or Speedy, Kid Flash does not appear regularly in every story in fact it pretty much is only a special treat when Kid Flash appears in a story. Kid Flash was originally given a smaller sized Flash costume a small duplicate of The Flash's costume. Later Kid Flash was given an entirely new costume.

The Flash and Green Lantern became good friends and you will also find stories in which Green Lantern shows up as a guest-star to tam up with the Flash.

These volumes of "The Flash Archives" are great and these are teh stories done at teh height of The Flash's popularity.

In the 1960's, DC Comics made a disasterous decicision to go camp with Batman and all its other comic book titles to try to capitalize on the success of the 1960's Batman TV series. Also at this time, a lot of DC Comics creative talents That had worked at DC Comics and its subsidiary company All American Comics left DC Comics. Tehy could not get teh publishers to agree to start a retirement pension plan of a health benefit plan.

Tehy were getting older now and many left to find employment that did offer a retirement plan and health benefits.


The writers of the Flash, John Broome and Gardner Fox left. Gardner Fox and who had a law degree went back to practicing law. Teh Flash's artist Carmine Infantino stayed and was promoted to Art Director, so he ws no longer working on the Flash either.

After this, The Flash was never teh same again and neither was the Flash's bpopularity.

However, you can re-live the old days when The Flash was at the hieght of his populrity and enjoy the original Silver Age Stories by Editor Julie Schwartz, writers John Broome and Gardner Fox, and artist Carmine Infantino.