DC’s full January solicitations include the official announcement of The Flash Omnibus by Geoff Johns Vol. 2…and its contents. It clocks in at a massive 648 pages, covering two years’ worth of the Wally West Flash series, including Rogues, Crossfire, Run Riot and Blitz. Volume One was considerably shorter, covering Wonderland and Blood Will Run, including Iron Heights and The Flash Secret Files #3.
I believe this is the first time the DC 1st: Flash/Superman one-shot has been collected.
Personally, I think this is the best of Geoff Johns’ run on the book. Everything built toward first Crossfire and then Blitz as he built up a fantastic supporting cast, revitalized the Rogues, and introduced a bunch of new villains. (IMO it lost direction after Ignition, but sales went up from #200 to 225, so the overall audience seems to have liked the second half of Johns’ run better.)
My guess as to the future of this series: DC will release one more volume from the Wally West series covering #201-225 (Ignition through Rogue War). Then Volume 4 will consist of Johns’ Barry Allen run: Flash: Rebirth, Blackest Night: The Flash, Flash vol.3 and Flashpoint.
THE FLASH BY GEOFF JOHNS OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by SCOTT KOLINS, DOUG HAZLEWOOD, RICK BURCHETT, PHIL WINSLADE, DAN PANOSIAN and others
Cover by SCOTT KOLINS
On sale MARCH 28 • 648 pg, FC, $75.00 US
It’s the second hardcover volume collecting all the issues of THE FLASH written by comics superstar Geoff Johns! In this massive collection featuring issues #177-200 and DC FIRST: FLASH/SUPERMAN #1, an old friend of Wally West becomes the portal to another universe and Gorilla Grodd goes wild in Keystone City! Plus, don’t miss the Fastest Man Alive’s clashes with members of his infamous rogues gallery, including Captain Cold, The Trickster, the Pied Piper and more!
“so the overall audience seems to have liked the second half of Johns’ run better”
Always a mistake to equate sales figures with presumed audience reception, IMO. More likely sales went up because Johns was a unknown starting out when he took on the book and by the later half he was known as the writer of several hit series, including DC’s then-current big crossover book.
You’re right that this is the best Flash writing Johns ever did, though. I actually just finished rereading it last night and the runup to Blitz is stunningly executed–you almost don’t see the Zoom turn coming despite all the obvious hints.
Good point. Sales dropped sharply after Waid left and the then-unknown Geoff Johns took over, and stayed relatively low (but steady) for a year or two…while he was just doing Flash & JSA. The second half does line up with his rise to prominence as he started picking up more and more high-profile series.
“I believe this is the first time the DC 1st: Flash/Superman one-shot has been collected.”
You meant in trade form right? Because DC 1st was collected in the Superman vs. The Flash Collection a few years back.
I’d completely forgotten that one for some reason!
I like your idea a Flash GJ Omnibus Vol. 4. It almost makes me want to hold off on picking up the collections of Flash v. 3 and Flashpoint.
Well, at this rate, they’ll probably release vol.3 in 2013 and vol.4 in 2014. So the question is: are you willing to wait 2 years for the book?
Haha…Very true. I suspect my wallet would be willing to wait!
*sigh* I really, really, wanted this too….although I already have the Superman story, wanted Crosswinds, Blitz, AND Ignition in one volume (which they didn’t do here.)
Another thing to add to my list if they ever bring back Wally…sometime after a new regime moves in…maybe.
(Really wish I hadn’t read the reports coming from NYCC.)
I am not as optimistic as you are about the fourth volume; it has seemed to me that DC intends this to be just a collection of Geoff Johns’s Wally West run, though I wouldn’t be disappointed if I’m wrong! In that speculative final volume, I’d also want to see Final Crisis: Rogues’ Revenge.
I guess partly I’m going off the title, Flash by Geoff Johns, and partly I’m going off the size. Johns’ return to the Flash is pretty close in size to this volume, though I’d forgotten about Rogues’ Revenge.
And partly, I just don’t see DC putting so much effort behind a character they’re busy sweeping under the rug unless the focus is on something else, namely the superstar writer. So I guess my cynicism about Wally West makes me more optimistic about volume 4.
Let’s see: 3 issues of Rogues Revenge, 6 of Rebirth, 3 of Blackest Night: Flash, 1 Flash Secret Files, 12 issues of Flash vol.3, and 5 issues of Flashpoint…
Hmm, that’s more than I thought. 30 issues, and at least five of them (all of Rogues Revenge and at least the first issues of Rebirth & Flashpoint) are oversized, so it’s the equivalent of 35 issues. We may be sliding into luggage cart territory here…or possibly a split into volumes 4 and 5?
Funny: because of the decompression, I didn’t realize there was so much material (at least by page count) from the Rebirth-to-Flashpoint period.
I kind of think Rouge’s Revenge would fit better at the end of the Wally stuff than in a Barry volume. Granted, it’s really kind of dependent on things Johns didn’t write, but it mostly bridges the gap between Wally’s last gasp and Barry’s return. Also, it doesn’t have The Flash in it, except for maybe a page at the end. So I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s just skipped.
Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if Flashpoint is never included in one. So just Rebirth (6 issues, but the length of 7) the Secret Files, Blackest Night and the 12 issue series. So, that’s what, about 23 issues worth of stuff done that way?
And as pointed out in shagamu’s comments on the Collected Editions article, Volume 3 ought to include the Wonder Woman crossover if they want to include complete stories, though based on [edit] Emergency Stop and some of the DC Retroactive reprints that featured half of a two-part story, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s left out because of the writer credit.
Blitz is probably my second or third favorite Flash story ever. Johns knocked that right out of the park. After Blitz and Ignition, he never quite got Wally right again. A bit too much of making him Barry-light. But this volume here, it collects some really damn good comic books.
Still wish they’d do a The Flash by Mark Waid series… Fat chance, I know.
I think he just wanted to write a different kind of Flash story, after having written 36 issues of one kind Flash. Sort of him trying to tackle things related to Barry that were left behind, it was an interesting way to do so if you’ve read about Barry’s mind wipe past. I didn’t really see him as Barry lite, his Wally is fairly distinct from his Barry.
I’m still amazed they’re releasing omnibuses of a character that DC has pretty much written off (and out), all to cash in on Johns’ name.
Blitz was great though. Given a choice, I would take the first half of Johns’ run over the latter half. Just finished reading Rogue War, now one of my least favorite Flash stories I’ve ever read.
That’s a shame, Rogue War was pretty great, Probably my favorite Flash story, and a great culmination of everything Johns was building up to.
I’m curious: Has what’s gone on since Geoff Johns stopped writing Wally colored how people view or enjoy his run? I’ll admit that I’m enjoying it a lot less now than when I first read it.
For me, nothing could dampen my amazement at those two-page Scott Kolins spreads (the Grodd issue comes to mind) — and the writing’s pretty good, too! 🙂 What about the stories are you liking less this time around?
What I’m disliking might be characterized as anti-Wally but that seems a bit too strong possibly. But I’ve found there’s such an emphasis on Barry and when that’s combined with how much ink the Rogues get, I’m left with the feeling that Geoff had no interest in Wally.
Plus, it’s hard not to notice that Geoff depowered Wally twice, once in Wonderland (where we find Barry, of course) and then again at the start of Ignition (although, that’s fixed pretty quickly). I’m never crazy about depowering characters (I disliked that the first time through).
As I’m reading the issues now, I’m acutely aware of the outside factors and I try not to let them influence how much I enjoy the story but I’m not very successful at doing that.
He wasn’t de-powered in Ignition, he’d just forgotten he was the Flash.
While that’s technically true, the effect is the same, no?
Not exactly, not knowing he’s the Flash doesn’t take away his abilities
Wally’s history is patterened with numerous depowerings pre Johns. It’s hardly a Johns thing. I do see your point, that the Rogues do get a lot of the limelight. I do find it interesting that they are making this big publishing investment in a character who was killed in Flashpoint rather unceremoniously and is nowhere to be found in the New 52. I wrote on Dan DiDio’s facebook wall on his birthday last week, wishing him a happy one, joking that as a gift, I’d return Wally to the DCU for him. He replied, “Awww thanks but no need, you can hold onto him! :)” Make of that what you will. I have no idea what was said about Wally at the New York con.