Mark Waid's Run on The Flash - Comic Tropes (Episode 17) 

Your channel is criminally underrated. Constantly informative and entertaining.

Wally West will forever be MY Flash. Grew up with him as The Flash in the comics and JLU, so when Barry Allen came back, I was very disappointed.

Mark Waid really made me love all the Flashes. From Jay Garrick to Bart Allen.

Mark Waid signed my issue of Flash#0. It's one of my prized possessions because of the plot and what Wally does for himself. It's always reminded me of every meaningful chat shared when I needed it the most. I hope Mr. Waid knows how special that story is.

You can tell how old a Flash fan is by which Flash they like best.

I love Mike Weiringo’s art. Was really sad to hear about his passing years ago.

I just discovered your channel, and you have really good stuff. I am currently reading the Jeremy Adams Flash run and it’s so good. I grew up with the Mark Waid run, and Flash became one of my favorite characters with the Geoff Johns’ run.

Wally West IS the Flash for me. He was the Flash when I was growing up, and Waid's run on the Flash was LEGENDARY.

Your history of comics knowledge is amazing but i like that you show you are human and there is always something more to learn.

I would like to see more videos about you discussing the Mark Waid's Flash run. So many good stories and characters. By far my favorite Flash writer.

Great video. I started reading Flash and Green Lantern when Marvel went off the rails with Onslaught and Heroes Reborn.

Waid's run on Flash is as legendary as Claremont's run on x-men, or Peter David's Hulk run.

You should do a run on William Messner-Loebs Flash run. I found it surprising good and the characters like Wally’s parents, Chunk and the Clipper are some entertaining characters and you got everything from comedy to body horror.

Mark Waid’s Flash Run is definitely my favorite run in comics. He added more mythology than almost anybody (Except for Broome) and it has my favorite stretch of issues in comics (Flash v2 80-94 + Issue 0). Some great artists have worked on the run (LaRocque, Wieringo, Jimenez, Pelletier) and each arc is really really solid

THANK YOU for reviewing Mark Waid's run on THE FLASH! Hate to say it but I'm one of those who was FURIOUS over the return of Barry Allen! 1. It ruined a great story and 2. I LIKED having Wally West as The Flash! I'm hoping there are some trade paperbacks from Waid's stint on The Flash similar to how Marvel reprinted his Daredevil!

Never gave the Flash the credit he deserves. Such and interesting character.

44:09 - Showcase (#4?), 35:23 - John Broome (or Gardner Fox), Carmine Infantino with Joe Kubert. I continue to enjoy your show!

Lol, I absolutely love watching you geek out over the Flash! It's like me and Superman, if someone brings up Supes, I can talk for HOURS!! 😂 (P.S.- My favorite Superman era was Dan Jurgens's run!)

this run was amazing wally is my favorite flash . having jay, max, bart, and jessie as supporting characters made the mythos so huge. the russian speedsters were delivering things not stealing them. honestly bringing back barry killed my enthusiasm for DC. barry had such and epic and heroic death i feel his resurrection just crapped on it. and ruined the whole legacy theme of the flashes. btw you need a comic for a kid impulse. im sure they are super cheap in the back issue bin.

Actually, Berry Allen says "my name is Berry Allen, and I'm the fastest man alive" and it was sense his first comic. Wally West says "My name is Wally West and I am the FLASH, the fastest man alive". Berry Allen introduces himself as the fastest man alive while Wally West introduces himself as the Flash, who is known as the fastest man alive. But those introductions both started with Jay Garrick sense his first comic, saying "My name is Jay Garrick and I am the fastest man alive". ⚡⚡⚡⚡

You are perfectly right!Neal Adams was so inspiring in the Flash Comics!

I've always said that if you want to know what the next big crossover event is going to be about or who the villan is going to be. Then just catch up on what's going on in either the flash comics or the green lantern comics. Because most of the big crossover events always seem to spin out of those 2 books.

Wally is my Flash because I came in during his run (thanks to John Wesley Shipp). In fact, I came back to DC comics for the first time in years because of John Wesley Shipp. Wally led me to JLE, which led me back into the wider DC universe. I'd read various Superman and Batman issues as a child, often b+w reprints in Australia, I had really enjoyed the Jonni Thunder miniseries, she was one tough cookie. I'd also read a few Cap and Defenders stories along with a *tonne* of Battle/Commando comics, but I'd drifted away for a couple of years before getting back into the Phantom, and exclusively the Phantom, through Australian newsstands in a big way. Then Pet Fly Productions' production hit and it reminded me. So, when I saw Superman race, and lose to, the Flash, I bought it. Then the next issue of the Flash that I saw, it was the first part of the two-parter Icicle's will story. Anyway, as absolutely fantastic, nay, brilliant, as Mark Waid's run was, it was William Messner-Loebs who set it up (along with the Dragnet-style opening narration) and one thing that disappointed me about Waid's run was that he immediately dropped every supporting character except for Linda Park. Wally went from having friends to having only a girlfriend in his supporting cast. All of the historical characters had to be brought in to replace Ben Hayes, Pied Piper, Chunk and Connie. As for the story you explore, the return of Kapitalist Kourier and "Lady Flash" was welcome. Less welcome was when Waid brought back a one-off Messner-Loebs supporting character (with a new career) only to kill her. I understand that the storyline was built around such examples, but still. Surrounded by ninjas. And with him was his cousin, Barry's *other* speedster grandchild. Legacy. Mike Weiringo was great, probably my favourite. But the first couple of issues he drew? Yeesh. The art style was such a change and the inker(s ?) didn't yet know how to mesh with it. Once they went to the glossy paper the colours just make Ringo's art absolutely pop, but it took a while for Ringo's new art style to grow on me after reading so many issues with Larry Mahlstedt inking Greg LaRocque's pencils, that was an inspired pairing.

It's so sad to see how far DC's fallen. How could Heroes in Crisis exist?

The Speedforce is the only thing I've seen in comics that actually makes super speed make sense. Yeah it's pretty much just "magic", but at least it's a way to hand wave away all the issues that should come with running that fast. Most speedsters in other comic franchises have pretty much no explanation

Waid's respect for John Broome's work was really neat. I also liked how he never did anything the way the reader expected.

Love The Flash. However, I share your sentiment regarding the art around that period.

Wish you could've gotten one more question right. I loved the Johns/Kolins Flash run! Waid is good too, though! Good to see Flashie getting some respeck on his name for once!

Better opening and closing...keep that UP!! Also fun to hear about one of my favs......the Flash!!

You should try the DC comics app. Sometimes you get better deals than comixology and you can pay on the app

Mark waids flash run is one of the greatest runs on any comic ever. He didnt just redefine the character, he redefined the characters predecessor and made a way for him to be even more significant in the dc universe forever. It kinda sucks that they brought barry back and shafted wally, as wallys growth from kid flash to fastest flash ever was earned, not like kyle rayner suddenly getting a ring in an alley because of editorial mandate. And so much of barry in the show and the comics relies on wallys storys. Man back in the late 90s we were still saying all superheroes cone back to life except for jason todd and barry allen, because their deaths actually had impact (and barrys was saintly). It is hard ro be bitter for 20 years and so i enjoy the show, but barry just feels like a fake in the comics. Hes not the fastest man alive and he should be learning from wally.

Marvel still does those editorial notes pretty often

Bro, I LOVE your stuff, but "Flash as the first legacy hero"... BRO: ¡¡¡The Phantom!!!

Various _runs_ of _The Flash._ I see what's happening here.

dead heat is one of my all time favorite flash runs.

I still believe jay garrick never got the modern overhaul he deserves. Garrick’s speed, age, and legacy together would easily make a great story. He’s essentially the perfect character to be symbolical of history, growing old, adapting to the modern era, and the peace and wisdom you gain in your elder years not to mention passing his legacy onto to the next generation. Garrick’s life flashed throughout the history of the dcu and American history. Out of all the flashes, Garrick has never been dc major focus except the golden age. Both, dc and marvel have so many characters who never got the triple a creative overhaul they deserved. Plastic mans another character I’d love to see get his just due.

yknow I'm pretty sure the first comic I owned was a flash comic, I got given it by a neighbor when I was moving as a kid

I really like the Mark Waid run, but he ran out gas bad at the end. Every story started being about the speed force and other speedsters, and it got tired fast. That and the fact that Waid hated all the old Rogues and did his best to either kill them off or just ignore them didn't help much. When he left and came back years latter it was even worse. His 2nd run was just not good.

I grow up with wally West as the flash

Flash vol 2 #50 pretty much started me collecting comics (when I could actually afford it). I always liked Wally more than Barry because I started collecting with his stories.

I don't think I can separate the art from the artist with Waid anymore.

That story sounds a bit like that old one where Vandal Savage(?) develops some sort of serum that would grant super speed to regular people but back then I believe there wasn't Speed Force and it was sort of explained that speedsters (and Superman?) had some 'aura' that would protect them against the air friction or whatever. Also these people who would use the serum would age quickly or be consumed by that power and since they didn't have much control over it they would constantly crash against things and smash themselves to death. Can't remember how it ended though or how it was called but it's out there and before this Mark Waid story...

Im not really big fan of having many speedsters aside from Flash ( it being Barry or Wally ) and Jay Garrick. I think it gets oversaturated.

Is that the same Chris Sim who wrote the deadpool bad blood comic?

The flash as super hero is the strongest. Like the Hulk, they have to fight him down.

The Speedforce is cool as shit

I liked William Messner-Loebs as a writer on the the Flash. I thought his run was better than Mark Waid’s

I don't get that crossbow thing at the end

Mark Waid's writing is peerless!!! Never read anything by him that I didn't like.

DO GOEFF JOHNS TROPES!!

I really liked Paul Pelletiers Art on The Flash

I started his run last night on lunch @ work

Cool end.

Hi can someone identify the flash issue. All i remember is flash entering a mansion and confronted by three demons or somekind of entity disguised as two men and a woman. This was my first comic and i would like to get it again.

Legacy can't be a theme. Legacy would be a topic, what the writer says about legacy is the theme. Lots of people make that mistake.

Great vid. Too bad Mark Waid ruined his own legacy by committing tortious interference against a Iraq/Afghan USMC Vet by bullying a small publisher.

Grandson of Berry Alan

For the all go ruthenium

Do you think that Comixology has gotten better?

mark waid is an absolute sack of crap. made fun of an independent comic creator who was critical of his work, told him to put up or shut up, so the guy got independently funded. so mark waid proceeded to have him blacklisted from the industry, blacklisted from comic book shops, called his publisher and threatened him not to publish his book, and encouraged people to doxx him. what a heroic person to be writing our paragons of virtue. approve.

I can't stand Waid now, he weaseled his way out of a tortious interference lawsuit, but back in the 90s his Wally West Flash comics were incredible! He did things I couldn't imagine with the character, with his powers, it was amazing. But the greatest thing he ever did was "The Return of Barry Allen." Wally has finally defeated his immortal enemy Vandal Savage. He has embraced his identity of the Flash and no longer lives in Barry's shadow. (The previous writer went deep on the psychological impact of Barry's death on Wally from imposter syndrome to survivor guilt) He and his now girlfriend Linda are entering a bright new future together. And then Barry Allen returns. It is impossible in this day and age to understand the impact of that statement. Barry Allen died in 1985 during the crisis on infinite earths, a maxiseries crossover event. And stayed dead for 23 years! Barry Allen's sacrifice put the exclamation point on the whole Crisis and then they moved on, with his protege Kid Flash becoming the new Flash. For 74 issues of the new Flash comic the death of Barry Allen was a immutable fact. And then Waid brought him back. Sorta. In truth, it wasn't the Flash that returned, it was the Reverse Flash. Only it wasn't the Eobard Thawn that fought with Barry all those years ago, it was a younger Thawn who used future tech to emulate his favorite hero and used that tech to then come and visit Barry in his past. Only he undershot the amount of time to show up after Barry died and while Wally was the new Flash. The complete head trip this arc was can't be quantified. I hadn't had such a reaction to a story arc since Marv Wolfman wrote the Judas Contract. And then to have Wally overpower and trick Thawn back to the future was just icing on the cake. (Actually it was the Lloyd Benson line, I knew Barry Allen and you are no Barry Allen) Yeah, Waid has done some awful stuff in comics and IRL since, but the Return of Barry Allen was his masterpiece.

ComiXology for me is a god send. Marvel Unlimited even more so (hurry up DC and allow us Aussies in on your subscription reading app!). I’ve been unemployed with a disability for 5 years now and if there wasn’t a cheap and easily accessible way to read comics I’d not be able to read much except a handful of trades a year. Don’t get me wrong. I have would absolutely love to be able to have a weekly pull list again. The joy of Wednesdays is something I sadly can no longer participate in. (Brisbane is the only place near me that has a comic book store and it’s an hour drive from my place) Plus a printed comic or hardcover is something that cannot be replicated on a screen. But even so, with those apps, I can buy things on sale or subscribe to marvel and read anything I want, whenever. 6 months delay for me doesn’t mean much because I’m always a few years behind anyway. I read so much these days that I never could have in the past. Plus an iPad is easy for me to be able to hold onto. The main concern I have is that I hope creators aren’t affected monetarily by me reading digital especially on a subscription service.

Always late

In Young Justice TV series the Impuls was introduced as Barry Allen's grandson.

just like Capt. America, it was Mark Waid's superb writing that made me read flash.

I prefer Wally West..... the white one!

Mark Waids contributions to the comic book industry in general are underrated by today's generation of int ernet trolls and haters. Mark waid is nothing less than a comic book God.

I’m a terrible person who reads all my comics on scan sites lmao

The Flash is a one trick pony.

You look British. Way to ditch yer accent mate.

🤬 hate the show.