The Flash: The Silver Age Vol. 3 by Various

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The third volume of the Silver Age Flash collects Issues 134-147.

The book has a few highlights. The Kid Flash costume is changed from the "mini-Flash" look to the iconic Kid Flash look. We meet two big new members of Flash's Rogue's gallery, Heatwave and Reverse Flash. Heatwave's introduction is okay, though its marked by one of the dullest and least interesting costumes of the Silver Age.

The Reverse Flash is a really solid challenge for the Flash. He not only appears but comes back a few months later to try and use a reformed criminal to make a come back. Issue #147 has Flash and Reverse Flash raising towards the former criminal in an homage to the Flash #123.

Other than that, the Flash repels several alien invasions. He has another team up with the Earth One Flash as they battle Vandal Savage who has picked off former Justice Society of America members off like flies. The adventures leads to a re-forming of the JSA and sets the stage for 20 years of crossovers between the JLA and JSA. He has a great team up with the Green Lanterns where they fight several versions of the Green Lanterns who exist for scientifically dubious rason.

There were many returning villains, some featuring silly ideas that worked from a story standpoint ( such as a prison newspaper that has a ranking of e effectiveness of Flash villains and Mirror Master escaping to rise in the rankings) to those that don't know (the Prankster story.)

Overall, I don't think this is quite as good or groundbreaking as the previous volumes, but it is still a really fun read, full of imaginative stories, and even a couple changes for our hero.



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