Product Description: THE FLASH COMPANION details the publication histories of the four heroes who have individually earned the right to be declared DC Comics' Fastest Man Alive: Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, Wally West, and Bart Allen. With articles about legendary creators SHELLY MAYER, GARDNER FOX, E.E. HIBBARD, JULIUS SCHWARTZ, ROBERT KANIGHER, JOHN BROOME, ROSS ANDRU, IRV NOVICK and all new interviews of HARRY LAMPERT, CARMINE INFANTINO, CARY BATES, ALEX SAVIUK, MIKE W. BARR, MARV WOLFMAN, MIKE BARON, JACKSON GUICE, MARK WAID, SCOTT KOLINS, among others, THE FLASH COMPANION recounts the scarlet speedster's evolution from the Golden Age to the 21st century. Also featured are lost covers; never before published commission pieces by Flash artists throughout the decades, a ROGUES GALLERY detailing The Flash's most famous foes, a tribute to late artist MIKE WIERINGO by Mark Waid, a look at the speedster s 1990s TV show, and Flash facts, detailing pivotal moments in Flash history. Written by Keith Dallas, with a a cover by DON KRAMER (Detective Comics, JSA) with colors by MOOSE BAUMANN (Green Lantern).
The Flashes Run Wild "The Flash Companoon" gives the history of all the Flashes beginning with the origianl Golden Age Flash, Jay Gerrick, who first appeared as a lead feature in "Flash Comics #1." The character was popular enough to be given his own full title comic book, "All Flash Comics Quarterly."
After World War Ii, The Flash like all the other usperheroes with the exceptions of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman by DC Comics were cancelled.
In the 1950's comic books came under fire for the amont of violence in comic books especially the horror and crime comics. The result was the comic book companies getting together to form the Comics Code Authority, a self-regulatory organization.
At DC Comics, Julie Schwartz needed to find something tht would be relatively safe to publish. He decided to ty doing superheroes again. He looked back at the old superheroes published by DC Comics/All American Comics in the 1940's, and decided to first try the more popular one, The Flash. However, Schwartz decided that the character needed to be revamped and updated.
In 1956, he new Silver Age Flash (Barry Allen) appeared in a trial comic book "Showcase #4." After two more trials in Showcase, the Flash comic book series was resumed with the new Silver Age Flash resumed anad continuing from the numeration of the last "All Flash Comics." It began with number 104.
The success of The Flash was followed thre years, 1959, later with the revampaed and updated version of the nex popluar Glden Age superhero Green Lantern.
The book goes into the 1980's when after DC Comics due to slumping sales of their titles, decided to revamp their whole line of comics in "Crisis of Infinite Earths" in which The Silver Age Flash (Barry Allen) was killed off with his once teenage protege' Kid Flash (Wally West) takes on the mantle of The Flash.
The book then goes to tell of the introduction of another tenage Flash, Bart Allen, descendant of Barry Allen from the future who comes to our present time who is also endowed with Suerp-speed and become Impulse, later to become the new Kid Flah.
There is a whole lot more not ocvered in this review. I suggest that you check this book out.
Incredibly researched and Informative It bears repeating that no one puts out better books about the comic industry than TwoMorrows publishing. Their books are written by people who are not only fanatics, but also experts about their subject matter. The Flash or rather ALL the Flashes are the subjects of TwoMorrows' latest companion guide. Editor Keith Dallas and his selected group of writers tackle the history of the Flash from Jay Garrick to Bart Allen, looking not only at the characters and their stories, but also the writers and artists responsible for their adventures for almost 70 years. The history is told not only through well-researched and informative articles, but also through a collection of interviews.
Dallas leads off with a look at Jay Garrick, The Golden Age Flash. The creation of the original Scarlet Speedster is covered through the perspective of its creators, editor Sheldon Mayer, writer Gardner Fox, and artist Harry Lampert.
John Wells relates the tale of the lost (and found Flash stories). When the title was canceled in the late 1940s, several stories were already completed and simply stored away and later scheduled for the scrap heap when they were located and rescued some twenty years later. Wells' article includes a synopsis of all five of these stories along with several pages of unpublished artwork. One has to wonder what other treasure DC has stored away in some dusty vault or warehouse...
Moving on to Barry Allen, Dallas leads things off with a history of the Silver Age Flash. Arguably the most important person of the early Silver Age era of comic books was editor Julius Schwartz. Schwartz was the driving force behind the revival of the superhero and the revamping of the Golden Age heroes into their Silver Age counterparts. This chapter profiles creators Robert Kanigher, John Broome, and Carmine Infantino. Jack Scott presents an interview with 70s writer Cary Bates, Dallas gives us individual interviews with artists Alex Saviuk, Carmine Infantino, and writers Mike W. Barr and Marv Wolfman. Dallas also provides a fond look back at the short-lived but well-done Flash television show. This includes a lengthy interview with the show's producers Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo.
The next two chapters on Wally West and Bart Allen are similarly filled with engaging articles and interviews on the latest characters to take the Flash moniker. Dallas rounds the book out with a look at the most well known members of the Flash's Rogues Gallery. The book is all Flash from cover-to-cover and even if you think you know all there is to know about the character, Dallas and his team of writers bangs you over the head with a vault of information. This is one of the best Companion books yet from TwoMorrows.
A fine history of all the artists as well as previously-unpublished scenes If you're a Flash comics fan, you must have Keith Dallas's THE FLASH COMPANION; it's packed with interviews and articles about the Flash creators through the decades of Flash creations, and presents a fine history of all the artists as well as previously-unpublished scenes. Black and white comics throughout illustrate behind-the-scenes coverage perfect for any comprehensive cartoon, comic or graphic novel library, and for many a general-interest collection. Highly recommended for specialty collector's libraries.
Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch
Informative, but is it worth it? This book is filled with detailed historical essays on each of the four "main" Flashes (and the Rogues) as well as interviews and bios on many of the creators to work on the character through the years. However, the editing is lackadaisical to say the least and for a cover price of $27, I was disappointed that not one of the 220 pages featured color illustrations. Grab it with the discount.
Geeked out Packed with interesting info that any speedster fanatic would like to know. Could have been a little more comprehesive, but overall very good.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
