Barry Allen question, Re: Post Crisis on Infinite Earths

[gdw]

So, I know Barry sacrificed himself during the original Crisis, and eventually came back permanently in Final Crisis (I believe).

My question regards any returns of Barry PRE Final Crisis.
I recall reading a comic I had, which I could have sworn was from the 90's, as it was a Flash comic, and I haven't bought a Flash book since I was in high-school, graduated 99-00.

Any who, in the comic, Barry had returned, and was still getting used to how things were now, and he saw Pied Piper, and rushed into hero mode.
PP was a villain for Barry, but in the time he was gone had since reformed, which Wally had to explain, stopping Barry before he started anything with Piper.

That was only a small part of the whole story, but that's all I really can recall right now, and I can't find the issue in my collection.

Does anyone else recall this? I swear it had to be pre-Final Crisis, but everything I'm reading says Barry was all but MIA the whole time.

I must be going crazy.

 

[KevanG]

It was called The Return of Barry Allen.

http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/The_Flash:_The_Return_of_Barry_Allen

 

[gdw]

THANK YOU!
I'm not mad, yay!

Looks like it was the first issue I had. I remember the cover now, Barry and Wally in, I believe a fun house mirror maze, making it LOOK like hundreds of Flashes.

Gonna have to track this story down now, and see what happened, and how Barry eventual went away again.

 

[KevanG]

I bought the collected book way back.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

THANK YOU!
I'm not mad, yay!

Looks like it was the first issue I had. I remember the cover now, Barry and Wally in, I believe a fun house mirror maze, making it LOOK like hundreds of Flashes.

Gonna have to track this story down now, and see what happened, and how Barry eventual went away again.

One of the best Wally stories ever and honestly a great example of why Barry probably should have stayed dead. History and legacy used to matter in comics, yes even in the POST-COIE.

 

[dude stannis]

Exactly, now they've cribbed a lot of Wally's character for Barry and destroyed Wally completely. There's substance in having long dead heroes to honor.

 

[gdw]

And soon they're gonna do the same thing for the whole DC universe.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Exactly, now they've cribbed a lot of Wally's character for Barry and destroyed Wally completely. There's substance in having long dead heroes to honor.

It kind of inherently neutered, within the confines of suspension of disbelief sure, the criticism of super hero stories having no stakes. Wally takes up the mantle and legacy of his uncle and mentor WHO DIED ON THE JOB. The risk to being a super hero is rarely so tied into a character's back story so vividly.

 

[Batmannerism]

So, I know Barry sacrificed himself during the original Crisis, and eventually came back permanently in Final Crisis (I believe).

My question regards any returns of Barry PRE Final Crisis.
I recall reading a comic I had, which I could have sworn was from the 90's, as it was a Flash comic, and I haven't bought a Flash book since I was in high-school, graduated 99-00.

Any who, in the comic, Barry had returned, and was still getting used to how things were now, and he saw Pied Piper, and rushed into hero mode.
PP was a villain for Barry, but in the time he was gone had since reformed, which Wally had to explain, stopping Barry before he started anything with Piper.

That was only a small part of the whole story, but that's all I really can recall right now, and I can't find the issue in my collection.

Does anyone else recall this? I swear it had to be pre-Final Crisis, but everything I'm reading says Barry was all but MIA the whole time.

I must be going crazy.

You are not crazy, the only crazy thing would not being going out and
getting a copy.

I have the collected edition too, the final issue was a triple-sized issue entitled " the Once and Future Flash" which was the absolute best thing Mark Waid did on the Flash, and probably the greatest moment of Wally West's career as the Flash - where he finally steps out from under Barry's shadow.

Elements of the story were used in the Season 2 episode of the Flash TV show, which features the return of Eobard Thawne, the Reverse Flash.

If you can get the collected edition, it's a great read, totally worth it. A great example of early 90s comic book storytelling at its best.

I got my copy in a used bookstore for $ 20 - and it was worth every penny !

Hope you can find one out there dude, you won't regret it. Cheers.

 

[devinwifi]

Awesome