Flash: 100 Greatest Moments: Fun, fully-illustrated reference

Flash: 100 Greatest Moments by Robert Greenberger

Flash: 100 Greatest Moments (2020), by Robert Greenberger, is a browser’s reference book that doesn’t stint on illustrations, always a plus for this sort of subject.

As the title says, it’s a look at a (obviously subjective) list of highlights from the eight or so decades the character has been around.

While some fans might quibble here and there, the list as a whole is most likely going to find general consensus.

As noted, while one can read it cover to cover, it’s more a browsing kind of book. I say that because it doesn’t go in chronological order, nor does it go into a deep dive in any particular area.

So it’s not meant to be read as an analysis, say, of the character’s changes over time. One picks up on those changes while reading, but as the entries shift around in time, it’s not a unified, linear exploration.

Instead, Greenberger has organized the entries by the categories listed below, along with some of their included content.

• “The Fastest Man Alive:” Scenes involving the multiple Flashes over the years, from the original Jay Garrick to Barry Allen to Wally West, to Bart Allen
• “Flash Facts:” Marriages and children
• “The Cosmic Treadmill:” various stories, most of which involve the device Flash uses to enhance his abilities
• “The Flash Museum:” Founding of the Justice Society and Justice Leagues, Teen Titans, several races with Superman
• The Rogues:” description of the many villains Flash has faced
• “The Speed Force:” explanation of the speed power, connections between the various Flashes

Each single entry is typically 3-4 paragraphs long, with a small illustration often accompanying them. Each category usually has a few good size covers scattered within its section, then each one is followed by full-page excerpts from the discussed comics, ranging from a single page to several pages. Having so many multi-page excerpts was a pleasant surprise and gives the reader a true sense of reading the comic as opposed to the usual single representative images. Even better, it allows you to get a strong sense of the range of artistic choices made by the various illustrators over the years.

The non-linearity can feel a bit chaotic/random; as noted it’s hard to get a sense of unity or cohesive big picture look, though the division into segments helps somewhat with that. And I confess that in the running “war” between the two titans of superhero comics, I long ago enlisted in the Marvel camp, though in my earliest comics reading days I did have a short period of time reading a few DC ones, including The Flash. Some of these moments reminded me of why I enjoy Marvel more, but some evoked some nostalgic memories, and others made me think I might have missed a few good stories here and there by giving up DC (I stand happily by my choice though). As a non-fan, Flash: 100 Greatest Moments was an interesting and fun read. Fans will, I’m sure, enjoy it even more.