Everything we know in the live-actionDCUniverse will change after Andy Muschietti’sThe Flashreleases, serving as a reset point to honor past work by Zack Snyder and to open a gateway to James Gunn’s vision.
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The Flash will be jostling with DC characters, old and new, and skipping through time leaving a lot to unpack. This is where several comics come into play to prepare you for the themes and events that may transpire. Here are some of the best comics to read before watching.
Comic Book Spoilers And Potential Spoilers For The Flash Ahead
10The Death Of Iris West
Created by Cary Bates, Alex Saviuk, and Don Heck, The Death of Iris West is an arc beginning with A Fast Way to Die! in 1979 and ending with Run Flash…Run for your Life! in 1980, compiling issues #270 to #284 of the ongoing comic book series.
The fifteen issues see Barry Allen searching for his wife Iris West’s killer, Reverse-Flash, and it’s a heartbreaking arc for the character that emulates Barry’s grief towards his mother in the upcoming movie and a solid read to jumpstart the list.
9The Trial Of The Flash
Written by Cary Bates with Carmine Infantino’s illustrations spanning a two-year arc from #323 Run, Flash – Run For Your Wife in 1983 to #350 Flash Flees in 1985, the story revolves around Barry Allen’s trial for killing Reverse-Flash after the death of Iris West.
This is the perfect run to pick up after The Death of Iris West and continues the rivalry between Barry and Reverse-Flash, which is a conflict that the movie is expected to touch on as Barry tries to save his mother.
8Flash Of Two Worlds
Written by Gardner Fox with artwork by Carmine Infantino, Flash of Two Worlds is an iconic run in The Flash series and a great piece to read if you need an introduction to the concept of the Multiverse.
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Beginning in The Flash #123 in 1961, this solid eighth-place entry also introduced Earth-Two - an alternate dimension that Matt Reeves’The Batmanis set in - and is the perfect comic to prepare you for the multiverse elements expected to dominate the movie.
7Terminal Velocity
Written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Mike Wieringo, Salvador Larroca, Carlos Pacheco, and Oscar Jimenez, Terminal Velocity ran for five issues between 1994 and 1995 starring Wally West as The Flash, and followed the Zero Hour crossover event.
This is a great read and another staple entry on this list in order to introduce the Speed Force - Barry’s ability to run faster than the speed of light in order to reverse time and travel to different dimensions - which will also be explored in Muschietti’s feature.
6Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow
This eight-issue limited series is one of the more recent entries on this list, but a deserving one at that, as it is a modern story focusing on Kara’s union with alien Ruthye to catch her father’s killer.
Created by Tom King and Bilquis Evely, Woman of Tomorrow is a fantastic read if you want to get to know the character before going into The Flash, since Sasha Calle’s portrayal will be prominent and crucial to how the movie plays out.
5Nobody Dies
Released in 1991, The Flash (Volume 2) #54 was written by William Messner-Loebs and is the second appearance from Wally West on this list when he must use his imagination to save a free-falling flight attendant by way of the Speed Force - flaunting the hero’s creativity.
The story in this particular issue is not likely to appear within the movie, but the title, Nobody Dies, was spoken in the trailer for The Flash and is, therefore, a perfect nod to this comic and a fitting entry for the halfway mark.
4The Button
This four-issue crossover arc was released in 2017 and written by Joshua Williamson and Tom King with illustrations by Jason Fabok and Howard Porter. The story features The Flash andBatmanuniting to uncover the secrets of a smiley face button leading to Watchman’s Doctor Manhattan.
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We’ve already had a taste of Bruce and Barry’s working relationship inZack Snyder’sJustice League, but this comic run offers another look at the dynamic duo in action and serves as the perfect appetizer to the upcoming movie.
3A Flash Of The Lightning
The twelve-part Crisis on Infinite Earths arc is one of the most iconic runs inDC Comics, and the eighth issue, A Flash of the Lightning, sees Barry Allen make a pivotal decision against the Anti-Monitor that changes the character forever.
The passing of the mantle from Barry Allen to Wally West is covered in this run, and it’s something that may also happen in The Flash movie, takingJames Gunn’s resetinto account, and it’s a must-read comic to pick up if you’re trying your hand at predictions.
2Batman ‘89
Another recent release on our list is the limited series, Batman ‘89, written by Sam Hamm. The six-part story serves as a continuation of Tim Burton’s movies set in an alternate universe with Michael Keaton behind the cowl and a worthy second place on our list.
Since Keaton is returning as the Caped Crusader in The Flash movie, this run will give fans a taste of what to expect, and the gothic setting is a read to be experienced at least once by every DC fan.
1Flashpoint
Standing as the most iconic and well-respected Flash story out there, Flashpoint is a five-issue miniseries created by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert that ended the New Earth continuity whilst introducing Prime Earth and The New 52.
This story earns a first place on the list because it revolves around Barry Allen waking up in an altered timeline after he goes back in time to save his mother - closely resembling the plot points in The Flash movie. Expect many references to this comic run in the feature.
