The Beat has a list of upcoming DC collected editions, including two coming up in June that should be of interest to Flash fans:
The Flash Vol. 6 (The New 52)
Robert Venditti, Van Jensen, Brett Booth
On Sale Date: June 23, 2015
$16.99 USD
176 pages
Trade Paperback
Summary: The start of a new era for the Fastest Man Alive! In the future, The Flash is a broken man. His powers have failed him time and again at great cost to him and the city he has sworn to protect. Now he’s coming back to the current time to stop the one event that destroyed his life. Meanwhile, in the present, Barry Allen must contend with thieves trying to capitalize on the devastation of FOREVER EVIL. It’s a tale of two timelines that ushers in one of The New 52’s most anticipated character debuts!
THE FLASH VOL. 6 begins a brand new era for the Scarlet Speedster, from writer Robert Venditti (GREEN LANTERN), Van Jensen (GREEN LANTERN CORPS) and artist Brett Booth (NIGHTWING, TEEN TITANS). Collects THE FLASH #30-34 and THE FLASH ANNUAL #3.
Well, I guess that answers the question about hardcovers. Starting with vol.5, the New 52 Flash is going straight from monthlies to paperbacks.
There is one thing odd about this solicitation: As I understand it, the storyline launched in Flash Annual 3 continues in next week’s Flash: Future’s End and wraps in next month’s Flash #35, with a new storyline starting in Flash #36. It seems like that would be a more logical place to break it. Sure, it would be a little long at effectively 9 issues (I’m counting the annual as two), but there are several other New 52 trades on the same list that clock in at a 200-250 page count.
Showcase Presents: The Flash Vol. 5
Robert Kanigher, Irv Novick
On Sale Date: June 23, 2015
$19.99 USD
528 pages
Trade Paperback
Summary: Over 500 pages of classic super hero adventure are collected in this value-priced volume!
The Fastest Man Alive is back in this new collection of tales from the 1960s. In this fifth volume, The Flash faces foes from his Rogues Gallery including Captain Cold, and faces difficulties include amnesia, his girlfriend, Iris Allen, being granted invulnerability, and much more.
Collects THE FLASH #185-208.
One of DC’s reprint lines has finally brought the Flash into the 1970s! I’ve criticized DC before for its tendency to start a complete reprint run with the early Silver Age stories, then the next time they introduce a new format, start over with the same early Silver Age stories, never moving past around 1964.
Showcase Presents: The Flash Vol.5 brings the black-and-white reprint series up to August 1971. I wouldn’t count on the Archives or Chronicles getting there anytime soon.
Incidentally: Someone needs to tell whichever PR group wrote that summary that Barry and Iris were married at the time. I mean, the name “Iris Allen” ought to be a clue…
Next week DC releases Flash: Futures End #1. Like the rest of DC’s New 52 line this September, the issue jumps ahead five years. Of course, the current storyline with the Flash of twenty years from now has him coming back in time to undo mistakes, particularly one that will cost Wally West his life…five years from today! Like last year’s Reverse Flash one-shot for Villains Month, the Flash team has managed to work the event theme into their main story instead of going off on a tangent for a month.