The Flash (comic book)

For the Rebirth comic book, see The Flash (DC Rebirth).
The Flash
Cover of The Flash #105 (February–March 1959), the first number of the series. Art by Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
Schedule
List
  • Bimonthly: #105–113; #217–232;790-present
    Eight times a year: #114–157; #212–216; #233–256
    Nine times a year: #158–211
    Monthly: #257–350
FormatOngoing series
Genre
Publication date
List
  • (vol. 1)
    February–March 1959 – October 1985
    (vol. 2)
    June 1987 – March 2006; October 2007 – February 2009
    (vol. 3)
    June 2010 – July 2011
    (vol. 4)
    November 2011 – July 2016
    (vol. 5)
    August 2016 – April 2020
    (vol. 1) restored
    May 2020 – August 2023
    (vol. 6)
    November 2023 – Present
No. of issues
List
  • (vol. 1)
    246 (#105–350) and 1 Annual
    (vol. 2)
    249 (#1–247 plus issues numbered 0 and 1,000,000) and 13 Annuals
    (vol. 3)
    12
    (vol. 4)
    56 (#1–52 plus issues numbered 0, 23.1 through 23.3) and 4 Annuals
    (vol. 5)
    88 and 3 Annuals
    (vol. 1) restored
    51 (#750–800) and 2 Annuals
    (vol. 6)
    6 (as of April 2024 cover date)
Main character(s)(vol. 1, 3, 4, 5, and 1 restored)
Flash (Barry Allen)
(vol. 2, 1 restored, and 6)
Flash (Wally West)
Creative team
Created byJohn Broome
Carmine Infantino
Written by
List
Penciller(s)
List
Inker(s)
List

The Flash is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the DC Comics superhero of the same name. Throughout its publication, the series has primarily focused on two characters who have worn the mantle of the Flash: Barry Allen, the second Flash (1959–1985, 2010–2020), and Wally West, the third Flash (1987–2008, 2021–present). The series began at issue #105, picking up its issue numbering from the anthology series Flash Comics which had featured Jay Garrick as the first Flash.

Although the Flash is a mainstay in the DC Comics stable, the series has been canceled and restarted several times. The first volume, starring Barry Allen, was canceled at issue #350 prior to the character's death in Crisis on Infinite Earths. A new series began in June 1987 with a new issue #1, starring Wally West as the new Flash. The second volume was briefly canceled in 2006 at issue #230 in the wake of the Infinite Crisis event in which Wally disappeared, and was replaced by a new series titled The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive starring Bart Allen as the fourth Flash. The following year, The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive was canceled and The Flash resumed publication from issue #231 with Wally as the Flash once again; however, this volume was ultimately canceled permanently in 2008 at issue #247.

Following Barry Allen's resurrection in Final Crisis and return to being the primary Flash in The Flash: Rebirth, a third volume starring Barry debuted in 2010. However, this volume was ultimately cancelled in the lead-up to the miniseries Flashpoint, which in turn led into The New 52 continuity reboot. A fourth volume was later launched in 2011 as part of the new continuity, with Barry Allen as the sole Flash; this volume ultimately concluded in 2016. A fifth volume was launched soon afterwards as part of the line-wide relaunch DC Rebirth.

In 2020, the series reverted to original numbering as of issue #750[1] by adding together all issues of The Flash from each volume. Wally West became the main character of the series again as of DC's line-wide relaunch Infinite Frontier, beginning with issue #768.[2] Original numbering continued until issue #800. A sixth volume of The Flash, also starring Wally West, began as part of the Dawn of DC relaunch in September 2023.

  1. ^ The Flash #750 (May 2020)
  2. ^ The Flash #768 (May 2021)