Barry Allen, the first scarlet speedster, is back from the dead. Thought long since dead, it was discovered that he was trapped in the speed force for decades. In the pages of the storyline Final Crisis, he made his return. Flash: Rebirth was written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Ethan Van Sciver. The six-issue run resets Barry Allen into the DC world as the primary Flash while telling an exciting story where the power that gives Barry his speed is killing him as well as attacking the other speedsters. It all begins with the murder mystery of not only police scientists, but also that of the Black Flash and the death of another speedster Savitar. Before it all ends, Barry comes face to face with the horrors of his childhood, the truth of his return and an encounter with his worst nemesis: Eobard Thawne, the Reverse Flash. For any fan of The Flash who hasn’t read this story, it’s a must read for sure. In fact it’s a tale that heavily impacted the newer TV series ‘The Flash.’ This story sets up so much of what The Flash has become over recent years and it’s full of every aspect of what makes Flash stories so awesome. For me, as a reader, it’s where I really met Barry Allen in the comic pages. He was never The Flash when I was growing up reading the comics. In the story, Bart Allen questions Barry’s presence and necessity for existence as a speedster from the beginning. It’s a position that I took as I turned the pages. One thing that I realized as I went along was that the stakes were always higher when it came to Barry Allen. His decisions always affected things on a larger scale than the other speedsters and when he disappeared, it was only an intermission to his greater story. The next chapter of his life begins with this storyline right here.
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