I really didn't love this take on the flash-- it felt like a weird vol. 1 as the knowledge of existing character lore I needed to grock what was going on was too vast to be worthwhile. Also, to be frank, Barry is just so much less interesting as a Flash than Wally (or at least, Wally pre-Final Crisis).

The Flash: Starting Line (DC Essential Edition) by Brian Buccellato was interesting enough while I was reading but ultimately mostly forgettable and I skim read most of it. I do want to give this book another try when I'm not in a reading slump though.

My only knowledge of The Flash came from the movies, so I was interested in reading the comic book. This collection was an easy place to start, even for newbies like me, with a back story that made it easy to catch up. The plot was intriguing and fast paced, and the artwork fantastic. If you’re a fan of the superhero movies or tv shows, give this collection a try, you won’t be disappointed.

A great intro in The Flash for me. I confess to not having read much of The Flash in the past so this is definitely a good start.

Starting Line is a stand-alone series of adventures staring Barry Allen as the Flash facing off against the the Rouges Gallery and a few other villains. If you are new to DC super-heroes, then the Essential Editions are a place to start, otherwise, you might want to skip these. The storyline is decent, the art not bad in spots, and that is the problem. The Flash has had some very good story arcs lately, and the stories in Starting Line does not live up to those tales.

Man! Introductions of all of our favorite villains showed up in this comic! But things don't look good for the Flash when they all unite to defeat the Flash.

What is great is that the reader get a little bit of background to each villain and how they came to be, while also incorporating an overall plot line conducive to the story line of the Flash. The art is beautiful and true to the prior comics. This is a great beginner comic for fans of the TV show.

Great graphics and a good story (though it does tend to lag a times, not a good quality in a flash story) I can't wait till the next one

This isn't so much an essential story as it is the first year of stories after the new 52 reboot. The first arc is very good. The creative team smartly creates a new foe without any baggage for Barry's first arc. Mob Rule is an interesting villain. Hopefully, he (or should I say they) will pop up again. I wasn't a big fan of how Manapul sets up the Speed Force as this dimension where time is lost. I prefer Mark Waid's treatment during his run. The second arc with the Rogues featured some very scattered and disjointed storytelling that often made me feel I'd skipped pages.

Manapul makes the art in this book sing. It's just gorgeous, probably the best work of his career. I also enjoy how he pays homage to Will Eisner by drawing the titles into the backgrounds.

The Flash: Starting Line is a DC Essentials collection. I personally love these collections, as they do a decent job of collecting the most important/popular plots. In this case the collection focuses more on all of the one-shot issues, but I think that made it stronger rather than weaker. I loved reading all of the shorter Flash stories contained within this volume.
The best part about it being all shorter plots is that it felt like we were reading the highlights, and that there was little time spent (or wasted) with duller and quieter moments. This is the Flash after all; I want to see him moving, moving, moving.
The other reason I love the collected editions is that you usually get more for your money. Here there are thirteen issues in total, but the cost is less than $25. You would not have gotten even close to that price buying the individual issues. Plus, while it doesn’t always happen, sometimes the collected editions end up at a higher value later, which is always nice. Especially for collectors.
I’ll admit that I haven’t read a lot of the Flash’s older series (I jumped in right around New 52), so I know I’ve been missing out on some of the classic plots. Because of that I really enjoyed getting a chance to get my toes wet, so to speak. I knew I’d enjoy this, but I hadn’t expected how much I’d end up liking some of the plots included.
I can safely say that newer readers will have no trouble understanding what is going on (again, I’ve read the two most recent series, so I have some knowledge, but it isn’t extensive). I also think its safe to say that fans of the older series will enjoy seeing these issues printed all together like this. I know I’d feel that way for any of my favorites at least.
The artwork was phenomenal. It’s easy to forget how bright and wonderful comics can be, especially with the trend towards darker and grungier styles (which I also enjoy, for the record). It’s a refreshing change, and honestly, it just feels so perfect for the Flash. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Even though I enjoy superhero movies, I've been a bit annoyed by comic books the couple times I've tried to dip into them. There's just not enough plot per issue, and crossover plot points from other heroes leave you with the choice of spending more money on other titles or having only a vague idea of what is going on. This format does away with some of that, and I quite enjoyed it. With all the issues for the year bundled together, the "artificial cliffhanger after minimal exposition followed by a month-long wait" annoyance wasn't there, and there were no major plot points that hinged on knowing something from another title. An acquaintance with Flash and his recurring villains would add to the experience, but a newbie would not be lost or frustrated.

The stories themselves fairly skillfully combined origins & explanation of the Flashverse (if that's a word) kind of plotlines with regular superhero fare (foiling bad guys, balancing romance and secret identity, etc.). The artwork wasn't bad, but did feature more talking head panels than I was expecting. Honestly, since I'm not a comic connoisseur, I don't know how it stacks up against similar efforts. Overall, I'm probably not the usual audience for this book, but it was fun.

The Flash: Starting Line took me on an intense journey. This hero took on some new baddies, visited the speed force itself, took a trip to Gorilla City, and fought many familiar rogues who somehow are stronger than ever before. We also got to see how he became The Flash and the challenges he has faced along the way. The ending was very good and this hero will be needed more than ever to stop the new threat plaguing his city.

The Flash: Starting Line is a great value. It includes comics 0-12 plus the first annual for less than $25 on paper and even less digitally.

These episodes of The Flash hold up well. The drawing is bright with beautiful coloring. The plots are great.

I’ve never read some of the early stories. It was nice to read Barry’s backstory. The collection contains a great explanation of how he can move through solid objects and how he discovered that skill. Most of the best enemies are here.

The Flash: Starting Line is a great way to bring new readers quickly up to speed. It also is excellent to fill in blank spots for existing fans that may not have read the original issues. 5 stars!

Thanks to DC Comics and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Story: Barry Allen is the fastest man alive, but even that’s not fast enough. Just as he starts to learn how to increase his speed, time vortexes begin popping up all over the city. As if that wasn’t enough, Mob Rule (an interesting villain that I had never heard of before) is causing problems in the city as well. Can Barry use his new found control of the Speed Force to overcome the time vortexes and Mob Rule, or will he be caught flat-footed? Then, to add fuel to the fire, the Rogues are back and better than ever, with only one thing on their mind: revenge on The Flash!

The Verdict: Oh man. Where do I even begin? Start Line is a fantastic addition to the story of Barry Allen, and I loved every minute of it. This is part of the DC Essentials line, and is a great place to jump on and enjoy some action in Central City – and beyond! Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul pull out all the stops in the story and art departments – this is probably my favorite version of The Flash and the Rogues. Without spoiling anything, I will say that the time travel (it’s in every Flash story) makes the most sense for me in this arc.

The Flash: Starting Line, part of the DC Essential Edition's, features a collaborative story line from creators Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul, and includes The Flash #0-12 and The Flash Annual #1. This edition features brand-new cover art (which are beautiful) and is such a great kicking off point to get into this fun character. Not only is it perfect for new fans who want to get into comics but aren't really sure where to start, but it's also a really nice collection for longtime readers as well.

Aside from a great story line, fans can expect to see some of Barry Allen's best foes from the Rogue's Gallery in this. You've got everyone from Captain Cold to Mirror Master to the Trickster who have joined together in their hatred of the Scarlet Speedster and will stop at nothing to bring him down.

I really enjoyed this collection. The artwork was great, especially all the little details like the lightning crackles around Barry as he runs, and it really was a good starting point for fans. However, the only minor issue I had was that some of the panels were a bit crooked and didn't line up that well, so at times it was a little hard to tell which dialogue went where. I'm not sure if maybe this was due to reading a digital version, but I read the majority of my comics digitally and usually never have that problem. Aside from that, I think it's a great release especially with how popular the CW show is and The Flash recently being introduced in the movie universe (maybe one day we'll get his stand alone move), it gives people even more of a reason to bridge the gap into the comics world. Overall, I'd definitely recommend picking this volume up if you're a fan or looking to start!

The Flash: Starting Line is a supersized volume that takes you back to the beginning of Barry Allen being the Flash. I found this to be the most entertaining comic featuring the Flash for its non-stop action and full ensemble of Flash's enemies. Flash learns about why he needs to run to save the world. He finds love and loses it all the while friends become enemies, the Rogues are back in action, and Gorilla Grodd is on a rampage. The art mostly shines but a few wonky panels prevent total perfection. The color beams in Flash panels but sizzles a little in other places. Overall, the volume ensnares and pleases the reader for hours of amusement and is worthy of a multitude of rereads. My favorite Flash edition ever. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

As I have said elsewhere recently...the Flash is back! The writing is great, my hero is worthy of his hero status. The story and background plot is alive and interesting again.
Recommended