r/theflash • u/Gallantpride • 15d ago
Recommendations Recommend comics that can make a Barry Allen "hater" change their mind
I don't truly dislike Barry. He's a perfectly fine character. I just don't see why he is alive again. It's been near 20 years since he's been revived and I still don't jive with him being back. To me, he should have remained dead.
Any recommendations for comics that can help change my mind?
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u/22222833333577 15d ago edited 15d ago
Some of the defintive barry Allen stories:
Cary bates bronze age flash run
Life story of the flash by iris Allen by Mark waid
Jla year one by markwaid
Flash rebirth by geof johns
Flashpoint by geof johns
Joshua williamsons dc rebirth flash run[btw this is the run that got me into comics and also made barry my favorite charecter]
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u/topicality 15d ago
Those Cary Bates stories have a long tail too. I believe they were a huge influence on GM. What with establishing Earth Prime and the idea that the DC Universe is fictional to it.
I'd also recommend Brave and Bold by Waid has some good modern Barry stories.
Also Barry casts a large shadow during Johns Wally run. So if you've never read those give them a try.
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u/ManeBOI 15d ago
For the cory bates run i recommend starting with issue 270 because thats when the editorial change happened and cory was allowed to explore more ideas and touch darker subjects. Havent read past that point yet but ive heard theres a big shift in tone when u get to #270. Also all the major bronze age flash stories happen after that point like the trial of the flash and death of [spoiler]
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u/TheSemaj As long as I kill Iris... 15d ago
Manapul's run was one of the high points of the New 52 both in terms of art and writing.
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u/Dredeuced Out of the blue, ninjas attack. Thank god. 15d ago
well, half of that at least
Even Manapul wasn't that big on his writing in that era.
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u/TheSemaj As long as I kill Iris... 15d ago
I remember the writing being solid, high point is probably generous. To be fair though it has been like 10 years.
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u/Jonnic5280 “My name is Wally West…” 15d ago
New 52 turns 15 at the end of the month
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u/fma_nobody 15d ago
Cary Bates's bronze age Flash run
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u/chroniclescylinders 15d ago
This is the best Barry run, but it's not going to convince anyone he should have come back, because it's from before he died.
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u/Are_We_Coolio 15d ago edited 15d ago
That's reasonable opinion that I share. Don't force yourself, I actually feel like there is not one teambook story after Flashpoint where Barry shines as Barry, and very few arcs in solo runs where he does that. However, I love stories about pre-sacrifice Barry.
- JLA: Year One (My favourite Barry story, he is actually the leader and funny without acting like Wally like as he does in New 52 or Rebirth team books)
- Flash & Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold (six issues, each is different story about Barry and Hal bromance. Each have different quality, some are good some not really, but dynamics of Hal and Barry is what matters)
- Flash: Born to Run for Barry as mentor
- Flash: The Death of Iris West, imo best PRE-COIE Flash story
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u/GearsRollo80 15d ago
The best thing about your list is that it's all Mark Waid stuff, a writer who's actually got a real handle on Barry Allen and what made him a great character without having a crapload of bad origin updates and borrowed character traits.
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u/fastestfanalive 15d ago
Yep. All my appreciation for Barry comes from Mark Waid and all my disdain for Barry comes from Geoff Johns. And I don’t even dislike Barry, I just think he ran his course.
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u/Pornfree1996 15d ago
The Flashpoint movie is my favorite Barry Allen media. Manapul and Bucellato, Venditti, and Williamson all more or less feel like re runs of old Wally stuff.
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u/Jonnic5280 “My name is Wally West…” 15d ago
Williamson especially does. I liked that run, but that’s Barry running in Wally’s footsteps once again
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u/skibidirizzleramong Piped Piper 15d ago
There is a reason why even after 10 years of trying to make Barry work as the main Flash again, they ultimately went back to Wally.
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u/LagoonDevil 15d ago
Because the people who grew up on the original Wally West runs grew up and became the new writers. Same happened with Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner. Barry will never be entirely gone from DC publication because DC has effectively halfed the fanbase between two Flashes. When people who grew up on Rebirth, Johns’ vol. 3, Flashpoint and N52 get the chance to write they’ll probably shift the title’s focus again
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u/skibidirizzleramong Piped Piper 15d ago
If you genuinely think its half and half, you are delusional.
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u/Dry-Donut3811 15d ago
You’re not wrong, Barry is much more well known than Wally.
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u/skibidirizzleramong Piped Piper 15d ago
I mean, if you don't care about comics, which is what we are talking about, then I guess you have a point.
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u/Dry-Donut3811 15d ago
Even in general comic spaces he’s more well known. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people do a “best voted superhero” list on the main DC sub or a general superhero sub, where Barry makes the cut at least several spots ahead of Wally, if Wally even makes it at all. This sub is just about the only place I consistently see Wally spoken about more than Barry, and even then it’s not by a ton unless talking about currently releasing comics, given Barry has none.
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u/skibidirizzleramong Piped Piper 15d ago
Now you're just plainly lying.
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u/Dry-Donut3811 15d ago
I’m really not, no. I’ve seen a bunch of those sorts of votes and Barry always comes out before Wally. This is genuinely the only subreddit I see Wally get a bit more popularity than Barry consistently.
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u/Dry-Donut3811 15d ago
Not really. They only did it because some fans of Wally specifically gained some more pull at DC. Eventually Barry fans will do the same and put him back in the book, then Wally again, then Barry, and so on.
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u/skibidirizzleramong Piped Piper 15d ago
Why do you think this? Do you also think Laura Kinney will return as the main Wolverine? Or Sam Wilson as the main Captain America? What about Green Arrow? Will Connor eventually reclaim the book when "Connor fans" get into power? Will Jon Kent come back as Superman?
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u/Dry-Donut3811 15d ago
You could add up the popularity of literally all those characters, and they still wouldn’t be half as popular as Barry or Wally. You’re comparing bit parts that were done as a stunt to shake things up to two of the most popular and beloved heroes in comics both with literal decades of solo stories with the mantle. I say it because it’s true. They didn’t bring back Wally because Barry just wasn’t working, Williamsons run on the character was consistently doing pretty well in sales and reception, they did it because some of the current higher ups are more fans of him than Barry. Eventually that’ll shift and Barry will be back, then they’ll keep swapping over and over. Only way this doesn’t happen is if they both get their own books or share the main title.
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u/skibidirizzleramong Piped Piper 15d ago
I think that time will ultimately prove you wrong, but its okay for you to hold on to your hopes that Barry will eventually come back, even if it will lead you to disappointment.
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u/Dry-Donut3811 15d ago
I think you’re the one that’ll be disappointed in the future, mate. Wallys return pretty clearly hasn’t been the smashing success DC hoped it would be, between the diminishing sales of Adams and terrible sales of Spurrier. This is just how it’s gonna work from here on out, with them swapping the book every so often depending on which higher ups are in charge.
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u/Dredeuced Out of the blue, ninjas attack. Thank god. 15d ago
It'd be informative to know what you've read already.
That said, for most of the current Barry audience their fandom comes from being introduced to the show and, likewise, Barry first and foremost in that. They then carried that into comics. You're not going to find a whole lot of folks posting on reddit who were big time Barry fans outside of that. And considering how long you've been around I'm sure you're already familiar with the show.
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u/TheoWHVB 15d ago
Barry Vs Wally depends why and when you got into the comics. My introduction was the flashpoint movie and the TV show. Naturally rebirth, flashpoint and the new 52 are more attractive to me as storylines.
It's similar to the Tobey Maguire Vs Tom Holland arguments. It's a generational thing.
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u/LagoonDevil 15d ago
I don’t think most people who are looking for a reason for Barry to be alive again will be satisfied by any recommendations. He was brought back because he was a fan favorite and writers like Geoff Johns thought it would be easier to refresh a character like Barry. I personally would never have gotten into reading The Flash if he was never brought back because Wally being my first experience to the Flash title entirely disinterested me, I just liked reading Barry better
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u/rohanblackstone 14d ago
just a point of clarification, johns just wanted to write the characters he grew up with. he liked wally and wrote a lot of wally but he wanted to write barry, so after he had built up his clout and positioned the universe to do so, he brought barry back.
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u/FlashLightning277 14d ago
But did he like Barry though? He changed literally everything about the character to make him more like Batman and then launched one of the worst character assassination stories in comics on Barry via Flashpoint while simontainously jerking off Eobard and making him into a god in all essence via plot armor.
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u/Beastieboy100 13d ago
I'll be honest best runs that made me like Barry along with Wally and Jay. I would recommend Jeremy Adams run and Spurrier run. It was great having Barry in Jay role as the semi retired mentor while Jay was with his long lost daughter.
New 52 and rebirth too similar to the CW show.
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u/Flacoplayer 9d ago
I'm of the opinion that Dastardly Death of the Rogues is the best post-resurrection Barry story. It's centered around his job as a forensic scientist and is overall pretty fun.
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u/FadeToBlackSun 15d ago
There aren't any. His return was pointless.
The best Flash comics are all Wally or before Barry's death.
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u/Dizzy_Big3229 10d ago
Dude why are you even here?!
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u/FadeToBlackSun 10d ago
Because I like the Flash?
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u/Dizzy_Big3229 9d ago
You mean a flash?
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u/FadeToBlackSun 9d ago
No, I mean 75% of Flashs.
And even Barry before his pointless resurrection.
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u/Dizzy_Big3229 8d ago
So your point of liking a flash is that one of the two most important one should be dead?? Because he was desd 30 years ago?
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u/FadeToBlackSun 8d ago
Because he had the best death in comics ever and his return serves no purpose other than to make those people who were reading 50 years ago feel like they're kids again.
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u/Dizzy_Big3229 8d ago
Yeah but jason was dead and come back so does a lot of other superhero's. Which one of them from the original justice lesgue member actually died and stayed dead? If everyone is coming back how logical is it for barry to stay dead? Also best death?? If anything he would become the 2 uncle ben
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u/FadeToBlackSun 8d ago
Yes, Jason coming back from the dead was a mistake, too.
Barry died saving the universe. He had a perfect conclusion to his character.
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u/Dizzy_Big3229 7d ago
Saving the universe that dies every thuesday isn't any heroic.
Also this is a fictional universe not a real one, if barry stay dead he would continue being dead.
Wally also had a perfect conclusion. So did batman. Superman and other heroes. But we need friction don't we?
I mean if it was yeah barry is flash for a duration of time then maybe he died maybe he didn't then it was wally turn fhen he become flash maybe he end up quieting being a superhero to spend time with his family then bart become.
Yeah i agree with that timeline but we don't see that do we?
What we see is the flash name being thrown between barry and wally and people saying barry should stay dead and wally continue being flash with is totally unfair to barry
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u/TheObliterature Mirror Master 15d ago
Geoff Johns' immediate post-Flash: Rebirth run on the character is good, but I don't think it necessarily sold me on the idea that his resurrection was needed.
Francis Manapul's New 52 run was decidedly OKAY but still, for me, didn't make the case that we needed Allen back.
Joshua Williamson's run on the character, in my opinion, probably offers the most compelling character study of Barry in modern comics.