Reddit reviews The Flash, Vol. 1: Move Forward (The New 52)
We found 38 Reddit comments about The Flash, Vol. 1: Move Forward (The New 52). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
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We found 38 Reddit comments about The Flash, Vol. 1: Move Forward (The New 52). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
For those of you interested, Manapul and Buccaletto (the creative team behind this page) did an excellent arc for The Flash from New 52 #1 through #29. These are collected in Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol 3, Vol 4, and Vol 5. I highly recommend reading them if you're interested in the comics, as they are a great introduction to the character of Barry Allen.
For Barry:
For Wally:
By the way, these are just starting points. I'll help you with an actual reading order if you need.
A great place to start is with the current book it's being written by a die-hard Flash fan and has been knocking it out of the park with every issue (its on issue 11). Also, if you can find it I would suggest getting that in tandem with with New 52 Vol 1 "Move Forward" that book is a great introduction into Barry Allen as the Flash
A big part of the Flash is their legacy so I'll briefly explain that for ya. There have been four Flashes to date: Jay Garrick (Flash I), Barry Allen (Flash II), Wally West (Flash III), and the short lived Bart Allen (Flash IV). There are also members of the Flash family that go by different names like Max Mercury and Jesse Quick; additionally Bart Allen originally went by Impulse.
A small bit of history that may be helpful if you go and read some of the Pre-New 52 Flash books is that Barry Allen is dead. He sacrificed his life in Crisis on Infinite Earths to save the universe. That's all you need to know from that event, you may even recognize this homage from the finale of season 2. The effect of his death weighs really heavily on Wally for the first part of his time as Flash. However, Wally's time as Flash is the one with the most well regarded stories. Barry does eventually come back in another event 25 years later, those events are detailed in Flash: Rebirth (2009)
The rest I'll let you learn, but we love answering any questions you may have over on r/theFlash. Moreover, to find the official list of our recommendations check out the subreddit's wiki located on the top bar.
Here is a synopsis...
The Flash, Volume 2 (1987-2009):
Johns run starts at #164, and is more of a collection of one-shots, team-ups, and "Rogue Case Files" from #164 to #191. The later being an individual study on each of Flash's rogues John's wishes to flesh out and give an origin. John's does create a few of his own Rogues as well. Plainly put, John's is far better than Waid at creating villains while Waid excelled at writing Wally and the Family. I recommend getting them all, they are not only necessary but a real joy to read.
*Flash Fact!: these are all about Wally's time as Flash.
Barry's resurrection and takeover of the Flash solo titles begins with
Flash: Rebirth (2009) by Geoff Johns: #1 to #6. This story flings Barry back into the forefront of the Flash Family revealing secrets about the his origin, powers, and the Speed Force. This can be very confusing so its best understood with the knowledge from the previous books.
The Flash, Volume 3 (2009-2010):
Flashpoint (2011) by Geoff Johns: #1 to #5. Following the devastating news revealed in Flash Rebirth, Barry attempts to go back in time only to find out by doing so he has changed the entire world. With no powers Barry must find a way to undo his most desired wish.
The fallout of Flashpoint leads to the creation of The New 52. a line wide reboot, making Barry the only Speedster in the Flash Family.
The Flash, Volume 4 "The New 52" (2011-2016):
Flashing forward to today, a new event has spawned, and the information revealed explains the absence of members such as Jay and Wally. Wally has been trapped in the Speed Force! and the entire world forgot who he was. His return to the DC landscape was accompanied with certain people recovering their lost memories and discovering a new threat, the one who stole them!
All this is detailed in DC Universe: Rebirth followed by Flash: Rebirth #1 (2016) and the current run with issue 11 coming out next week. If you'd like to follow the exploits of the returned Wally West read Titans (2016-) you can also check out Teen Titans (2016-) to explore Kid Wally's development. Pick it up on Comixology or your local comic book shop!
*Flash Fact!: During the New 52 a different Wally West is revealed to be black (I call him Kid Wally, others call him Chocolate Wally). In DC Universe: Rebirth he is also revealed to be the white Wally's (as I call him Adult Wally, others Strawberry Wally) cousin! Today the Flash Family is 3 members strong once again!
The Flash, Volume 5 (2016-):
Titans, Volume 3 (2016-): (Optional)
How to Get Into Comic Books (13:40) by Patrick Willems
Consider your intent/commitment. Think about stories/characters from TV, movies, games, etc. that you already like. Do you seek “good” storytelling or encyclopedic DC knowledge? Are you here to collect or read? How much time/resources are available?
Don’t try to read everything—there’s too much. Forget about continuity, universes, and timelines; it's all very confusing, even to creators/fans. Older comics can be an acquired taste for modern audiences, so first appearances/early origins may not be the best starting points. Creative teams change often, characters get re-worked, and origins are re-told (e.g. I never cared for Aquaman until Geoff Johns’ run).
Pick an interesting character/team and seek their “greatest hits”. Focus on well-received, relatively self-contained, and complete stories. You may encounter the occasional unexplained reference/character/event—just ride along (Wiki if necessary). Remember, there are so many other great characters and publishers to explore, and not all comics are about superheroes.
Comixology for digital. instocktrades for physical (US). ISBNS for price aggregate.
Recommendations:
Flash
Green Arrow
More if you're interested:
Title | Writer
---|---
Animal Man | Grant Morrison
Animal Man | Jeff Lemire
Aquaman | Geoff Johns
Batman: Year One | Frank Miller
Batman: The Long Halloween | Jeph Loeb
Batman: Hush | Jeph Loeb
Batman | Scott Snyder
Batwoman: Elegy | Greg Rucka
Birds of Prey | Gail Simone
Gotham Central | Brubaker & Rucka
Green Lantern| Geoff Johns
Hellblazer (Constantine) | Delano, Ennis, et al.
JLA (Justice League) | Morrison & Waid
Kingdom Come | Mark Waid
Omega Men | Tom King
Suicide Squad | John Ostrander
Secret Six (Suicide Squad) | Gail Simone
Superman: Birthright | Mark Waid
Superman: American Alien | Max Landis
Superman: All-Star Superman | Grant Morrison
Saga of the Swamp Thing | Alan Moore
Swamp Thing | Scott Snyder
New Teen Titans | Marv Wolfman
Wonder Woman | Greg Rucka
Wonder Woman | Brian Azzarello
Alternatively, you can skip directly to the new Rebirth re-launch by reading the Rebirth event (2016) and any Rebirth #1. Check out the /r/DCcomics sidebar for more info.
Events/crossovers can be fun and/or tedious. They are most appreciated by readers already well-versed in relevant continuity. Generally, the best non-event comics integrate these seamlessly or avoid them entirely (notwithstanding editorial/executive mandates). Regardless, you may want to familiarize with major plot points.
Modern DC events/crossovers:
Title | Writer
---|---
Crisis on Infinite Earths | Marv Wolfman
Identity Crisis | Brad Meltzer
Infinite Crisis | Geoff Johns
52 | Geoff Johns, et al.
Final Crisis | Grant Morrison
Blackest Night | Geoff Johns
Flashpoint | Geoff Johns
Forever Evil | Geoff Johns
Multiversity, The | Grant Morrison
Darkseid War | Geoff Johns
Rebirth | Geoff Johns
Discover your preferences and let them guide you. Do you like older/newer comics? Weird concepts? Super-smart meta-analysis and social commentary? Family-friendly content? Hyper-violence? Male/female protagonists? Humor? Horror? Have you noticed that a specific artist, writer, or creative team consistently produces content you like? Follow these instincts.
Suggestions to improve the guide are welcome.
Check out The Flash: Rebirth. Next, read the series by Geoff Johns, Francis Manapul, and Scott Kolins (2010-2011). It's collected in two volumes. After that, read Flashpoint, and then read the New 52 series.
Here's a breakdown:
In addition to these, you can check out a list of some more recommended Barry Allen reads here.
EDIT: Don't be discouraged if you find The Flash: Rebirth very continuity-heavy - it is. This was one of the first non-Batman comics that I read when I was getting back into comics, and I had no clue what was going on. The thing is, that frustration only encouraged me to dig deeper and understand more about this world. I hope you (or anyone for that matter) takes that approach when something comes along that doesn't seem to make sense.
I'm not sure where you got the idea of Flash as a snob or jerk. I'd recommend the Buccellato / Manapul run from the beginning of the New 52. It's a fun, lighthearted-but-not-goofy superhero book. (I haven't read any of the Jensen/Venditti run that follows, so I can't speak to that.)
Your work?
In 2011, DC launched "The New 52", a reboot that reset every title back to #1, and condensed/erased many portions of the old continuity, in order to make the new books more accessible to new readers. Generally, you can start with "trades", which are volumes of issues (generally around 5-8) collected in a novel form. Vol. 1 of any series is usually a good place to start.
 
For Batman and Batman-related books, I recommend starting with the following:
Batman, Vol. 1: The Court of Owls
Batman and Robin, Vol. 1: Born to Kill
Nightwing, Vol. 1: Traps and Trapezes
Batman: The Black Mirror - This is actually just before The New 52, but I recommend this mainly because it's a very well-loved modern story that made Scott Snyder (the current Batman writer) famous. It's also fairly accessible to new readers.
 
For other characters, I would recommend:
Green Arrow, Vol. 4: The Kill Machine - The first three volumes are heavily disliked by fans. Vol. 4 is when the next writer (Jeff Lemire) takes over, and he establishes a different status quo and tone, making it easy for new readers to jump in.
The Flash, Vol. 1: Move Forward
Wonder Woman, Vol. 1: Blood
Earth 2, Vol. 1: The Gathering
Basically if he doesn't run the speedforce becomes unstable and does strange thinks like sucking up people.
I got them from random newsstands, but here's a Amazon link for the first trade paperback.
They are all derived from the nu52 Flash number 1 cover.
Francis Manupul is the artist.
https://www.amazon.com/Flash-Vol-Move-Forward-New/dp/1401235549
If you're interested in Suicide Squad, I'd recommend you just start it. It was the first comic I read that got me interested in them, and now I've spent far too much money (or not enough.) I love the series. The first volume is called Kicked in the Teeth
If you like Harley in that series, I'd absolutely recommend her new solo series, the first volume of which just launched recently.
If you're wanting Flash, his New 52 run was made to be a jumping in point for fans. It's a great place to start if you're new to Flash.
If you want to try something slightly different, but still relating to the overall Justice League, Flashpoint rocks my socks every single time I read it (Or watch the movie)
And if you want something completely different but is one of the most awesome/entertaining things to read, you can't really go wrong with Demon Knights
The Flash. I hear the run by Manapul and Buccellato that started in the New 52 was great. It starts here. Also, that always mentioned Carmine Infantino for more Silver Age Flash. One that I've always wanted to read is Mark Waid's run. I hear it's great, but it's really hard to get ahold of because it's OOP. Grant Morrison also had a run on Flash right after Waid's run. But out of all the Flash runs, I hear Geoff Johns name mentioned the most. If you're brand new to Flash, I'd probably start with Geoff Johns run, which is collected into three omnibus editions, and then maybe start the new 52 run.
I should state I've really only read the Morrison run, however.
The side bar is really helpful, as someone else stated. However, currently my favorite comics are Saga, Sex Criminals, and Batman.
Black Adam is one of the focused-on characters in the series 52. I can't recommend this series enough, for every character in it (but especially Black Adam). Shazam just had a single volume released here, and it's amazing and it'll leave you wanting more.
For the Flash, there's 3 big runs to consider. Mark Waid wrote one of the most well regarded runs in comics on the Flash in the 90's and I'd recommend starting there (but it's out of print so you'd need to do it digitally on comixology). Geoff Johns took over after and did another huge and acclaimed run on the character here. Both of those Flashes are the Wally West Flash. The current Flash is Barry Allen (again) and you can pick his new series up easily starting here. The new series was a lot of fun and is a good enough place to start for a comic newbie
Also, although I linked omnibuses, that was out of convenience: there's lots of other options available.
Each of these books cost around $10 from amazon, all come highly recommended:
Flash: Volume 1
Batman: Volume 1 Volume 2. This was a year long arc and both volumes are one story. The current run in Detective comics, called Icarus, is fantastic, but it hasn't been collected yet.
Green Arrow: Volume 4. Don't read books 1-3. You'll thank me later.
Green Lantern carries on from the old series, which starts here
I would also recommend the Wonder Woman series (starts here) and the Aquaman series here (Aquaman rocks now, in case you haven't heard).
I hope you have lots of fun reading and collecting comics, it really is a great hobby.
The Flash Omnibus is before Rebirth. So it's dealing with Wally West. Rebirth onward mostly centers around Barry Allen (who is back from the dead). Rebirth is a great place to jump on if you want to read Barry. If you want Wally, go for the omnibus. As a side note, if you want to read Barry, you could easily just jump to New 52 Flash Vol. 1.
As for GL, it's hard to say what would be better. The Omnibus seems to have a lot of extras thrown in, that may add a lot to the story. But, since the book isn't out yet, we don't know well the omnibus holds the story together. So I would wait until there are some reviews on that one. Unfortunately, the New 52 continues off of the run, so it isn't a good starting place.
Since you're interested in The Flash, I'd recommend starting with Flashpoint, the event which lead directly into the New 52.
After that, start with The Flash Vol 1: Flash Forward, Batman Vol 1: The Court of Owls, and Green Arrow Vol 4: The Kill Machine.
I'd also recommend Justice League, Wonder Woman, Action Comics, Superman/Wonder Woman, and Superman Unchained.
Barry Allen started his carrier in the comics in 1956 until 1985 and then he was absent on until 2009. His modern-age series called The Flash: Rebirth when he returned. After that 2 trades came (In comics, a trade paperback (often shortened to trade) is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme.) called The Flash Vol. 1: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues and The Flash Vol. 2: The Road to Flashpoint.
After these, a HUGE event came that changed everything called Flashpont that "reset" the continuity and started the New 52 age and it's first story-line called The Flash, Vol. 1: Move Forward or alternatively The Flash: Starting Line (DC Essential Edition (collecting the first 2 trades in 1 book) This series (New52) lasted till Spring 2016 and collected 9 trades (the show you watched is based on this era).
In early 2016 DC Rebirth came (only name change, everything is continued from New52) but a huge exception: a long missing character came back to the grand scene who was missing for so long. Rebirth's first trade is The Flash Vol. 1: Lightning Strikes Twice and currently the latest is The Flash Vol. 9: Reckoning of the Forces, but that's not the end, the series is still ongoing. Alternatively you can buy "The Flash Rebirth Deluxe Book(s)" that collect 2 trades per book in an affordable price/way.
So if you are interested in Barry (overall) start with The Flash: Rebirth and move onward to Flashpont, but you can just start with The Flash, Vol. 1: Move Forward or DC Rebirth followed by The Flash Vol. 1: Lightning Strikes Twice, then read everything up to today. (the current story-arc called Year One coming out just right now, starting with issue #70)
But if you are interested in old material, the best place to start is The Flash: The Silver Age Vol. 1, the first comics where Barry showed up. (but beware, the art and the story is really different than what's today's standard)
(there is an omnibus on sale at the moment (a collection of multiple trades) called The Flash By Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato Omnibus that collects the first 4 trades of the New 52 era.
Personally, I'm a big fan of trade paperbacks. You get a lot of meat in one book, so you can sit around on the couch for an hour and dive into it pretty easy.
I started with this first volume, which collects Flash #1-7. Like I said, I had never read The Flash until I picked this up (about a month ago) and man, I fuckin' loved it! I'm really into The Flash as a superhero now. He can do so much more than just run fast!
After that second trade, you can get volume 2, which is called "Rogues Revolution" and it's linked on that Amazon page. I just bought this "Rogues" about 2 weeks ago, but I haven't read it yet. After that, volume 3 is "Gorilla Warfare" and vol 4 isn't out yet.
Let me know how that works out for you. Good luck.
For Batman The Flash and Justice Leauge you can start with The New 52 a soft Reboot DC did in 2011.
I would start with Batman Vol 1 The Court of Owls link
The Flash Vol 1 Move Forward Link
Justice Leauge Vol 1 Origin Link
As for other suggestions I would go with Supergirl Vol 1 Link
She is our current character of the month all these titles are new reader friendly and don't require any previous knowledge to jump into
I personally would start with the New 52. It's a great jumping on point for new readers. You can get trades (Issues in a collected format) that are basically the graphic novel you are looking for costing about $10 on amazon.
I would start with Vol 1 Batman, The Court of Owls. Flash is also great from Vol 1: Move Forward. I don't know too much about Green Lantern so I don't know where to start as there is a lot of material there. As for Justice League, start with Vol 1: Origin.
If you're looking to be caught up with the series, then you can jump on after any main story arc. There is a list somewhere here but I don't know where it is. Maybe someone could get that for me. Also I would recommend Green Arrow Vol 4: The Kill Machine based on your tastes. Green Arrow Vol 1-3 aren't very good, so I don't recommend those .
The links to all the trades above will be here:
http://ww.amazon.com/Batman-Vol-The-Court-Owls/dp/1401235425/
http://www.amazon.com/The-Flash-Vol-Move-Forward/dp/1401235549/
http://www.amazon.com/Justice-League-Vol-Origin-The/dp/1401237886/
http://www.amazon.com/Green-Arrow-Vol-Machine-Paperback/dp/1401246907/
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Here is the mobile version of your link
Here's a good place to get started with The Flash, it's Volume 1 of the New 52.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1401235549/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?qid=1458608249&sr=8-8&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65
If you enjoy it and want to read more just move on to Volume 2.
New 52 Flash is a pretty good jumping on point for those new to the character, starting with Vol 1: Move Forward.
I'd recommend starting out with the first trade paperback of The Flash (New 52). The New 52 rebooted DC's entire comic line in an attempt to make it easier for new readers to jump on board. This will keep you up to date with what's currently going on in the comic verse. It's deffo been one of the better comics I've read from the N52 too.
Here's the Amazon link for you
If you get up to date with the current stuff you could also go back and read some of the classic stuff like Flashpoint - Set before the reboot of all of DC's titles though so things aren't technically canon anymore (most of the time)
New 52 Flash stuff is decent and beautiful to look at, great for starting.
Lots of good older stuff in the sidebar, Mark Waid and Geoff Johns stories definitely.
Sadly, I can't speak for DC Rebirth. I haven't read any of it. I can say that I loved the New52.
Batman list, in order of what I would read first.
Staples for Batman
Flash list (I don't know as much about the Flash)
Batman/Flash related things
OK Great! Here are some starting points for you.
​
Mark Waid Flash - Wally West
Morrison And Millar Flash - Wally West
Geoff Johns Flash - Wally West
Geoff Johns Flash - Barry Allen
Manapul And Buccellato Flash - Barry Allen
Williamson Flash - Barry Allen
This is gonna be much harder, as the individual issues are pretty valuable. 1-30 would go for around £90 if you bought it that way.
What you can do is buy things called trades, which are collections of around 5-6 issues each. I'd probably go with Amazon for these. So, for example:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Flash-Volume-Move-Forward/dp/1401235549/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413383034&sr=8-1&keywords=flash
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flash-Volume-Rogues-Revolution-Numbered/dp/1401242731/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1413383034&sr=8-7&keywords=flash
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Flash-Volume-Gorilla-Warfare/dp/1401247121/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1413383034&sr=8-5&keywords=flash
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Flash-Volume-Reverse-New/dp/140124713X/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1413383034&sr=8-15&keywords=flash
These books in total collect issues 1-24. You'll likely be able to find them cheaper on the other sites I recommended, especially eBay.
On Amazon they cost about £10, I can't remember how much they cost in Waterstones, I think it's about £13.99. For Flash you should pick up volumes 1-4, make sure you get the new volumes as there were two volumes before New 52 called Dastardly Death of the Rogues and Road to Flashpoint, and you will probably be lost if you read them. Flash changes writer after Volume 4 and it gets awful. Batman is pretty good from Volumes 1-10, however you could skip 4-6 if you're on a budget, 4-5 are a retelling of Batmans origin and 6 is just filler issues that hadnt been collected in trades.
If you go on Amazon and look at other sellers for the item you will be able to get it New slightly cheaper, Amazon sells Flash for £12.99 but other sellers sell them for about £5+P&P
The Flash Volume 1: Move Forward TP (The New 52) (Flash (DC Comics Numbered)) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401235549/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_v6zqxbMES0BZ6
Flash Volume 2: Rogue's Revolution TP (The New 52) (Flash (DC Comics Numbered)) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401242731/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_C7zqxbQHD6MBP
The Flash Volume 3: Gorilla Warfare TP (The New 52) (Flash (DC Comics Numbered)) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401247121/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_37zqxb4NHS2WD
The Flash Volume 4: Reverse TP (The New 52) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401249493/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_n8zqxbP6DZFPG
Batman Volume 1: The Court of Owls TP (The New 52) (Batman (DC Comics Paperback)) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401235425/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_k-zqxbJTPZ80Y
Batman Volume 2: The City of Owls TP (The New 52) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401237789/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_R-zqxbBWZTXE3
Batman Volume 3: Death of the Family TP (The New 52) (Batman (DC Comics Paperback)) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401246028/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_f.zqxbEBF0Z98
Batman TP Vol 7 Endgame https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1401261167/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_O.zqxbM7Z5RSZ
Batman Volume 8 has only just come out so it will be more expensive and Volumes 9-10 will be out later this year
Pick up the first volume of the new Flash series. It is really good and requires no previous knowledge of the character. It also contains absolutely gorgeous art.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1401235549/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1370989292
Here's some really good stuff I recommend checking out:
Batman: The Man Who Laughs - The story of Batman's first encounter with the Joker. It's great.
Batman and the Monster Men and Batman and the Mad Monk - These stories are a pair, both set in the very early years of Batman's career.
Wonder Woman vol. 1: Blood - If you're curious about Wonder Woman, this is a great place to start reading about her.
The Flash vol. 1: Move Forward - Great place to start with the Flash.
Hello and I'm glad to see you're showing interest in comics. Let me be the first to say that I'm not some seasoned veteran with limitless knowledge of the "ins" and "outs" regarding to comics. The first time I picked up a DC Comic and read it was a 2 years ago, I picked up Batman Under The Red Hood. Why? I had seen the animated movie and LOVED it. I wanted to see what the graphic novel had to offer. At the time I didn't have access to comics and that was the only DC Comic I read. A year ago, I was on vacation in NYC and I picked up Justice League Vol. 1 Origins. Why? I was browsing through the store for something to jump out at me. I had no idea who Geoff Johns or Jim Lee was. At the time I didn't care, I just wanted to pick up a book, read it, and enjoy it. When I picked up Justice League Vol. 1, I was like "OH SHIIIIIIII", I felt like I had been transported into another reality. Reading about Green Lantern meeting Batman for the first time, it was great.
Then this past year I went to my first Comic Con. DC was pushing a lot of comics and they had all these artists and writers and panels, but I had no idea who these people were or why they were important. I remember sitting there at the Batman panel and they showed a slide of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, as they were describing the story behind and what Bruce was going through, I was thinking, "I need to read this."
After NYCC was over I went to my local comic book store and picked up TDKR, and fucking LOVED it. It's not New 52. It's not new, it's older. But here's the thing. It's fucking awesome. Go buy it and read it and you'll see.
I'm just going to cut this short and say, there isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to read comics. Just go to the store, and see what jumps out at you. I mean, who cares if you happen to like the current Batgirl, while I may hate it. You are paying for the comic and if you enjoy it, why does it matter if it's "right" or "wrong"?
If you're lost, I'm sure you can find some help from everyone on here, the staff at your local comic store, can surely help if you just take the mindset of, "Hey I'm new can you at least point in me in some sort of direction for starting out?"
That's all I have to say about that. Good luck and hope you enjoy your time in comics (whether it be DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, etc)
If I had to supply a "here's a good place to start list", I'd say start with the following.
-Batman [Court of Owls] (http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Vol-Court-Owls-New/dp/1401235425/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422342173&sr=8-1&keywords=batman+court+of+owls)
-Batgirl [Darkest Reflection] (http://www.amazon.com/Batgirl-Vol-Darkest-Reflection-New/dp/1401238149/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422342206&sr=8-1&keywords=batgirl+vol+1)
-The Flash [Move Forward] (http://www.amazon.com/Flash-Vol-Move-Forward-New/dp/1401235549/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422342234&sr=8-1&keywords=flash+move+forward)
This isn't New 52 but it's still good [The Dark Knight Returns] (http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knight-Returns-Frank-Miller/dp/1563893428/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422342259&sr=8-1&keywords=frank+miller+the+dark+knight+returns&pebp=1422342259313&peasin=1563893428)
Yes, same way. If you look at the descriptions it tends to be fairly self-explanatory since you will see New 52 Flash vol 1 says it has issues 1-8 in the description and if you look at teh description for Flash vol 2; you see it starts on issue 9 where the last volume left off, and if you look at Flash vol 3 it starts with 13 and so forth.
My question was more, if I bought this one, would it look good on a bookshelf? Does it have a spine? I have tons of manga on shelves, and I don't want to get these if they're more like magazines.
If you're looking at individual issues, then yes, Flash v4 #1-29 is the Manapul/Buccellato run. If you're looking at trades, you want to start with Flash, Vol. 1: Move Forward, and then proceed with Vol. 2 (by the same writers), and so on.
As a DC fan, I can say that Marvel may handle stories well, but they don't EVER reboot their universe (which bars new readers from coming in) and they charge more for their comics and particularly big lines (Civil War II is running 6 bucks a single to Rebirth's 3).
The best way to start IMO is graphic novel groups (like The New 52 Group ). I'm sure Marvel has similar work, but they tend to run at a fair price to get a large amount of story (and they cut out ads).
Unless you're jumping in on a universe reboot time, that's a great way to start IMO (it's how I always look to start, because you're getting a decent amount of reading material)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flash-Move-Forward-Comics-Numbered/dp/1401235549
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flash-Rogues-Revolution-Comics-Numbered/dp/1401242731
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flash-Gorilla-Warfare-Comics-Numbered/dp/1401247121/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51paXaTvhjL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR106%2C160_&refRID=C1X48V6QYBM9V7J4NBW0
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flash-Reverse-TP-New-52/dp/1401249493/ref=pd_sim_14_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=51cIJkJDP%2BL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR104%2C160_&refRID=3R1TQMJQGXT4A8YH2KX5
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flash-History-Lessons-TP-New/dp/1401257720/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51SehUQ4r1L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR103%2C160_&refRID=4FG4DD5Y3XBBW0HZWJBZ
These are the 5 new 52 volumes I'm talking about. The descriptions list the issues included.
Well there's the FAQ on the sidebar for more info, if you want specific comics just ask.
For Flash I'd recommend the first 4 volumes of the New 52 Series.
Starting with this one.
Or you can get the entire run in one lovely big volume coming soon