In 2015, DC is releasing a 400-page collection of Flash stories from 75 years. Past collections have had plenty of Barry Allen and Jay Garrick stories, but have been extremely light on Wally West stories, in part because of page count. So many classic Jay Garrick and Barry Allen stories are 13-22 pages long, easy to include in a collection, but Wally’s best-known stories tend to be 6-part epics that get collected in their own books.
Suppose you had the job of including as many good Wally West stories as would fit in a collection like this. Which stories would you include? Single issues, maybe two-parters, short stories in other books (anthologies, 80-page giants, etc.)
I’ll start things off with the obvious “Nobody Dies” from Flash #54, in which Wally jumps out of an airplane without a parachute to rescue a flight attendant, deciding that he’ll figure out how to land safely on the way down.
@SpeedForceOrg Dancing in the Dark (#30), Nobody Dies (#54), Out of Time (#91) –all gimmick stories in a way but good character pieces too.
@SpeedForceOrg Also Flash #0 (of course) and the 50th anniversary special. I’d love to see that included in its entirety.
@SpeedForceOrg I always liked the Death Touch story from Annual 1. Only because Wally had to learn to stand STILL.
The Flash #19 – The Rogues Party by William Messner-Loebs
Another from Messner-Loebs: The Flash #30 – Shot in the Dark
YES! This was a great done in one issue!
Underworld unleashed tie in with shazam. Issue 0 and 91.
And The Flash #91 – Time stops with Waid, Wieringo and Max Mercury!
Flash #1 and #2 – a decent 2-parter that started the series off.
Flash #75. Even as I recognize that it’s extra-long, and even as I recognize it’s the conclusion of a long storyline, I’ve thought for a long time that it was a good issue in and of itself as well. Still ranks among the top Flash stories for me, and I couldn’t see clear to make a “greatest” trade without it.
Collected Editions: Do you mean Flash #79?
Yeah, that. 🙂
Everything I have of Wally are paperback trades that are yellowing from age (other than the Geoff John’s Omnibuses 1 & 2 which are fairly new) and a smattering of floppies mostly in deplorable to bad condition. So at this point I’d welcome any reprinted Wally, but would particularly love to have a collection of all the single-issue stories and the Dark Flash saga as a separate hardbound book. THAT would really make my celebration of 75 years complete.
But, yeah, Nobody Dies would be a must. Also the one where Max guides Wally in getting over his depression so that he can save those guys in a helicopter. I love that one too.
Others I would include: 50th anniversary special, 48-50 (I know, I know, that was a 3-issue arc, but it’s still one of my favourites), 54, 91, 0, Iron Heights one-shot.
This is making me want to go through my Wally West collection when I get home tonight!
Oh yes, #91. That was it.
I’m going to also add #50 if only for the dream sequence. Yes, the feminist part of me was (mildly) offended, but the far larger part (the I luv Comedy part) was lmao.
Wally issues with the Velocity 9, early in the run. Or those first few with Savage.
There’s a story in the 3rd Annual that is a “get to know Wally” that made him more “real” for me. It added a depth to the character.
The Justice League Elite one shot where Wally had to bounce between the JLA and the JLE.
IF I would choose one story arc of any length… the Terminal Velocity Arc.
Flash #54 gets my vote as well. Flash #3-4 is a two part story but its one of my favorites and introduces Kilg%re. Also, I’d include Flash #91, Flash #106 and Flash #107. There’s also an 8 page story by Mark Waid and Patrick Zircher (penciller) in Justice League Quarterly #10 called “Half an Inch” that has Wally trying to stop an assassin’s bullet from killing a District Attorney while Wally is trapped in a glass elevator. Its really good.
Also, I’d have go back through my collection, but were there any good Wally stories from the Secret Files and 80 Page Giants “one-shots” during Wally’s run? I know there were 3 different Secret Files and Origins books for Wally and at least two 80 Page Giant specials, plus a “Speed Force” special.
Half an Inch: A Great story from Justice League Quarterly 10 where Wally is trapped in a glass elevator while a sniper shoots at the District Attorney.
To Race with Gods: Flash 55 Wally gets into a fight with Hermes and Mercury in a side story to the War of the Gods Event.
Secret of the Super Weapons: Wally as Kid Flash gets his suit upgraded as he fights off an alien invasion.
Annual 3 was Immense. Gave me my first real understanding of the Flash Legacy
There was one after Terminal Velocity where he beat the living tar out of Mongul. That was a good illustration of the new Flash powers and Wally’s new confidence.
Ha! I remember that one for Wally’s asking Mongul if he also had a girlfriend. (Wally and Linda were having a spat at the time which put him out of sorts. Since Mongul also seemed ‘out of sorts’ he asked the question…and it made me snicker like a mad woman. Even the stories I otherwise was blah on had at least one -gem- part that made me love them.)
#19, 30, 79, 0 and one from out of left field, #163.
A fill-in issue that fell between Waid & Johns.
It was a good little yarn.
Don’t would jus forget that a lot of the best Wally stories were by Mark Waid who dc is doing there best to pretend does not exist!! (if they did say they were going to print it dc would just come up with a BS excuse ala the Impulse trade a few years back)
The last messners-loeb issue. His mom gets married, he helps the preacher to the chapel, realizes what a jerk his dad is, and officially gets involved with Linda.