The Flash #225

Jan 1974 · DC · 0.20 USD

📊 ~50,238 copies sold its debut month

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“Green Lantern, Master Criminal of the 25th Century!”

★ 1st appearance — Jai West

About this Issue

The Flash #225 is a fine representative artifact of the Bronze Age Schwartz-era Flash — a full book-length team-up at a time when Green Lantern was riding as a co-star backup feature in the title following the cancellation of his own series. The issue spotlights Eobard Thawne (Professor Zoom / Reverse-Flash) in one of his recurring Bronze Age appearances, deepening the storytelling tradition of time-travel villainy that would eventually culminate in Zoom murdering Iris West and Barry Allen's subsequent trial — one of the defining soap-opera arcs of the late Bronze Age. Nick Cardy's striking cover, depicting the two speedsters shaking hands while Hal Jordan is framed as a criminal, exemplifies the era's talent for visually arresting, story-driven cover design. While it is not a first-appearance issue, it is a well-regarded example of the Green Lantern co-starring period that CBR has singled out as among the memorable Flash Bronze Age reads.

In "Green Lantern, Master Criminal of the 25th Century!", The Flash and Green Lantern race to the 25th century to confront a mysterious alien horse threatening Earth, teaming up with the enigmatic Professor Zoom in a mind-bending mystery that redefines heroism across time. Written by Cary Bates and brought to life by Irv Novick’s dynamic art, with inks by Dick Giordano, colors by Carl Gafford, and letters by Ben Oda, this 1974 classic features a cover by Nick Cardy that captures the era’s bold, dramatic flair.

writer Cary Bates · artist Irv Novick · inker Dick Giordano · colorist Carl Gafford · letterer Ben Oda · cover Nick Cardy

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (Fine) $13

CGC 9.8 · 7 in census $853

CGC 9.6 · 25 in census $261

CGC 9.4 · 22 in census $168

CGC 9.2 · 9 in census $118

CGC 9.0 · 16 in census $88

CGC 8.5 · 10 in census $77*

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CGC 8.0 · 10 in census $70*

CGC 7.5 · 10 in census $62*

CGC 7.0 · 3 in census $53*

CGC 6.5 · 8 in census $47

CGC 6.0 · 3 in census $46*

CGC 5.5 · 6 in census $36*

CGC 5.0 · 7 in census $34*

CGC 4.5 · 3 in census $31*

CGC 4.0 · 1 in census $30*

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

This exact issue on ebay

CGC 9.6 ▾ $195–$350 4 listings

CGC 9.6 $195 CGC 9.6 $310 CGC 9.6 $326.25 CGC 9.6 $350

CGC 9.4 ▾ $145–$230 4 listings

CGC 9.4 $145 CGC 9.4 $195.75 CGC 9.4 $199 CGC 9.4 $230

CGC 9.2 $300 1 listing CGC 5.5 $150 1 listing Raw — VF/NM $78 1 listing Raw — VF+ $69.95 1 listing Raw — VERY FINE $50 1 listing Raw — FN+ $51 1 listing

Raw — FN ▾ $24.99–$35 2 listings

FN $24.99 FN $35

Raw / ungraded ▾ $25–$43.78 6 listings

Raw / ungraded $25 Raw / ungraded $25 Raw / ungraded $25 Raw / ungraded $25.49 Raw / ungraded $40 Raw / ungraded $43.78

Verified matches for The Flash #225 · eBay asking prices, seen 21 days ago

More listings for this title

GOOD $14 F/VF $15.99 FN $16 NM $24 FN/VF $24.99 FINE $39.95 CGC $185 The Flash #225 - Reverse Flash Appearance - Mid Grade Plus $11.99

Related listings we couldn't confirm as this exact issue · 12 total · seen 21 days ago

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History

The issue was produced under the long-running editorship of Julius Schwartz, who had guided the Flash title since 1959 and whose editorial records were later used to confirm the credits. Cary Bates — who had been the Flash's primary writer throughout the Bronze Age — scripted, while Irv Novick (pencils) and Dick Giordano (inks) handled interior art, a pairing typical of the Schwartz Flash during this period. Nick Cardy contributed the cover, continuing the high-quality cover assignment he regularly received across DC's line in the early 1970s. The Green Lantern co-starring framework that defines this issue had begun in Flash #217 (1972), when GL was folded into the book after his own title was cancelled, and the arrangement ran through Flash #246 (1977). Tom Brevoort has noted that this issue was also distributed in a three-pack alongside Shazam #7 and Plop #3, making it one of the harder-to-find center books of that retail configuration.

Trivia · 8 facts

Cover date: February 1974 (DC Comics, The Flash Vol. 1 #225); published December 1973.
Main story title: 'Green Lantern — Master Criminal of the 25th Century!' — a full book-length team-up with no separate backup strip.
Interior credits: script by Cary Bates; pencils by Irv Novick; inks by Dick Giordano; letters by Ben Oda — confirmed from Julius Schwartz's editorial records.
Cover credits: pencils and inks by Nick Cardy; colors by Tatjana Wood; letters by Gaspar Saladino — also confirmed from Schwartz's records.
Editor: Julius Schwartz, who had helmed the Flash title continuously since 1959 and would remain on the book through issue #269 (1979).
Featured villain: Eobard Thawne / Professor Zoom / Reverse-Flash, first created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino in The Flash #139 (September 1963) — his appearance here is part of a string of Bronze Age return visits.
The Green Lantern co-starring format was an ongoing arrangement begun in Flash #217 (1972) and running through Flash #246 (1977), during which Hal Jordan appeared in most issues while his solo title was on hiatus.
The issue was distributed as the center book in a three-pack with Shazam #7 and Plop #3, making newsstand single-copy purchases difficult at the time of release.