comicbooks.com Join Free
The Flash: The Death of Iris West #[nn] cover
Cover: Dick Giordano

The Flash: The Death of Iris West #[nn]

Aug 2021 · DC · 39.99 USD; 53.99 CAD
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join free
About this Collection

This collection reprints the classic Flash storyline from the 1970s in which the Reverse-Flash murders Iris West, setting off a chain of events that reshapes Barry Allen's life. Written by Cary Bates and illustrated by Irv Novick, the volume includes issues #275–284 of the original series, plus a story from DC Comics Presents #1. It's a pivotal moment in Flash lore, marking a dark turn for the Scarlet Speedster as he grapples with loss and vengeance.

In "A Fast Way to Die!", Barry Allen grapples with the devastating loss of Iris West-Allen at a party, spiraling into a drug-fueled haze after being given angel dust by an unseen hand. As hallucinations blur reality—Barry sees himself confronting Clive Yorkin in a violent rage—his grief pushes him to the edge, turning against even his closest allies in the Justice League. Written by Cary Bates and illustrated by Alex Saviuk, with inks by Frank Chiaramonte, colors by Gene D'Angelo, and letters by Ben Oda, this emotionally charged issue unfolds with a haunting ambiguity, leaving readers questioning what’s real and what’s a mind unraveling. The cover, penciled and inked by Dick Giordano, captures the moment’s tension in stark, dramatic lines.

Contains 15 stories
A Fast Way to Die!
17 pp · Superhero
The Flash [Barry Allen]Iris AllenMelanie (unnamed psychic girl, introduction)Clown [Lyle Corley] (introduction)Clive Yorkin (prison inmate test subject, introduction)Dr. Gilbert Nephron (prison doctor, introduction)Detective Frank Curtis (introduction)Captain Harvey Paulson (Barry's boss, introduction)

In "A Fast Way to Die!", The Flash races against time as a new villain, the Clown, unleashes chaos across Central City with eerie, theatrical precision. With Iris Allen by his side and a web of secrets unraveling from prison experiments led by Dr. Gilbert Nephron, Barry Allen must confront a threat that blurs the line between madness and method—while Detective Frank Curtis and Captain Harvey Paulson press him for answers he’s not ready to give.

The Silent Slayer of Central City!
18 pp · Superhero
The Flash [Barry Allen]Iris AllenMelaniePatty SpivotClown [Lyle Corley]Clive YorkinDr. Gilbert NephronDetective Frank CurtisCentral City Mayor Bradley (introduction)GovernorConsolidated Power's President (introduction)Corley Family (in photo, circus performers whose deaths happened prior to this story)

In the wake of a citywide blackout that claimed the lives of circus performers, Barry Allen struggles to balance his duties as The Flash and as a husband to Iris, as the Clown—Lyle Corley—targets those he blames for his family’s death. With Clive Yorkin and Dr. Gilbert Nephron pushing the limits of their experiments, and a mysterious bearded figure lingering in the shadows of Barry’s lab, the tension in Central City reaches a breaking point.

The Girl with the Master Mind...
17 pp · Superhero
The Flash [Barry Allen]Iris AllenMelaniePatty SpivotClown [Lyle Corley]Clive YorkinDr. Gilbert NephronDetective Frank CurtisMayor BradleyGovernorConsolidated Power's President

In a pulse-pounding twist of fate, The Flash races against time to unravel a deadly trap set by the Clown, only to confront the chilling aftermath of Dr. Gilbert Nephron’s experiment on Clive Yorkin. As Barry Allen grapples with the consequences, he crosses paths with Melanie, a young woman whose psychic abilities mark her as both a mystery and a key to the unfolding chaos. With Iris Allen at his side and the city’s leaders watching, the Flash must navigate a web of secrets that tests his limits—both as a hero and as a man.

Harvest of Hate
17 pp · Superhero
The Flash [Barry Allen]Iris AllenMelaniePatty SpivotClive YorkinDr. Gilbert NephronDetective Frank CurtisChief Matthew PaulsonDackGary
The Mark of the Beast!
17 pp · Superhero
The Flash [Barry Allen]Clive YorkinDr. Gilbert Nephronprison guardsDetective Frank CurtisChief Matthew Paulsoncommon criminalsIris AllenMelanie

When Clive Yorkin breaks free from prison after a catastrophic experiment with the Nephron Machine, his path leads straight to Barry Allen’s home—just as Barry is pulled off his route by an eerie psychic force during a drug raid. With Iris Allen and Melanie caught in the crossfire of escalating chaos, Barry must confront a threat that’s both personal and terrifyingly unpredictable.

The Last Dance!
17 pp · Superhero
The Flash [Barry Allen]Green Lantern [Hal Jordan] (cameo)Iris Allen
Freakout!
17 pp · Superhero
The Flash [Barry Allen]Iris AllenBatman [Bruce Wayne]Clive YorkinFrank CurtisGreen Lantern [Hal Jordan]Ms. MaylinSuperman [Kal-ElClark Kent]Wonder Woman [Princess Diana]man in a Batman costumewoman in a Black Canary costumeDr. Nephron

In "Freakout!", The Flash [Barry Allen] spirals into a drug-fueled nightmare after the shocking death of Iris Allen at a party, hallucinating a violent revenge on Clive Yorkin. As his mind fractures, Barry confronts his Justice League allies—including Batman [Bruce Wayne], Superman [Kal-El; Clark Kent], Wonder Woman [Princess Diana], and Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]—only to be met with resistance that fuels his descent. With reality itself unraveling, the line between grief, guilt, and delusion blurs in a story that leaves you questioning what’s real and what’s just a high.

The Self-Destruct Flash
17 pp · Superhero
The Flash [Barry Allen]Batman [Bruce Wayne]Superman [Clark KentKal-El]Wonder Woman [Diana Prince]Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]Detective Frank CurtisChief Matthew PaulsonRalph Dibny [Elongated Man]Sue DibnyCarol FerrisThomas Allen (Barry's father)Mrs. Allen (Barry's mother)Wally West [Kid Flash]Dexter MylesIra WestRachel BarnettMelanieMirror Master [Sam Scudder]
Road to Oblivion!
17 pp · Superhero
The Flash [Barry Allen]Detective Frank CurtisCaptain BoomerangHeat WaveClive Yorkin
Death-Feast!
17 pp · Superhero
The Flash [Barry Allen]Clive YorkinHeat Wave [Mick Rory]Detective Frank CurtisMelaniePatterson (man in Sandman costume)DolbyOfficer Riker
The Wrong Man!
17 pp · Superhero
The Flash [Barry Allen]Clive YorkinMelanieDetective Frank CurtisChief Matthew Paulson
Deadly Games!
17 pp · Superhero
The Flash [Barry Allen]Detective Frank CurtisMitchCharlieDekeChief Matthew PaulsonIris Allen (on videotape only)Clive Yorkin (on videotape only)Reverse-Flash [Professor ZoomEobard Thawne]

In "Deadly Games!", Barry Allen races against time as his partner, Detective Frank Curtis, is wounded in a violent clash with Central City’s drug trade, while the city’s police chief is exposed as a traitor. With the trail leading to a twisted game orchestrated by Professor Zoom, Barry must navigate betrayal and chaos—chasing shadows through the city’s underbelly, where every move could be a trap.

Mishmash!!
17 pp · Superhero
The Flash [Barry Allen]Reverse-Flash [Professor ZoomEobard Thawne]Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]RikkiTymmie25th Century police officerIris Allen (image in library record only)Chief Matthew PaulsonMrs. PaulsonBobby Paulson

Barry Allen races to escape a trap set by the Reverse-Flash, then leaps into the 25th century in a desperate bid to uncover the truth behind Iris West’s death—while the Reverse-Flash drags Chief Paulson into a police station and challenges Green Lantern to a showdown.

Flashback
17 pp · Superhero
The Flash [Barry Allen] (also in flashback to Iris' death)Reverse-Flash [Professor ZoomEobard Thawne] (also in flashback to Iris' death with new details)Iris Allen (in flashback to her death with new details)Clive Yorkin (in flashback)Fred HortonDr. BurnsideFrank (criminal)Captain Boomerang [Digger Harkness] (in flashback)Green Lantern [Hal Jordan] (in flashback)
Run, Flash... Run for Your Life!
17 pp · Superhero
The Flash [Barry Allen] (also views his birth via time travel)Reverse-Flash [Professor ZoomEobard Thawne]Henry Allen (at Barry's birth)Nora Allen (at Barry's birth)Iris Allen (cameo, as time travel through Barry's life)Flash [Jay Garrick] (cameo, as time travel through Barry's life)Lord of Limbo (introduction)Lord of Limbo's prisoners (introduction)

Barry Allen, stranded in the limbo realm and imprisoned by the enigmatic Lord of Limbo, must outrun not just his captor but the echoes of his own past—memories of his parents’ deaths, Iris’s presence in his timeline, and even the ghostly shadow of Jay Garrick—all while reliving pivotal moments from his life in a desperate bid to escape.

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta
Raw (NM) $0
Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

Find on

Search eBay for The Flash: The Death of Iris West #[nn]
No confirmed live listings for this exact issue right now — this opens an eBay search.

Where to buy

$16.19 $29.99 46% off 🛒 Buy on Amazon
The Flash: The Death of Iris West

Sell my copy

Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.

We Buy Collections ▸
Fast, fair offers · we handle grading & shipping

Full credits

writer Cary Bates
colorist Gene D'Angelo
letterer Ben Oda
cover pencils, inks Dick Giordano

Reprints

↩ Reprints The Flash #270 (1979), The Flash #271 (1979), The Flash #272 (1979), The Flash #273 (1979), The Flash #274 (1979), The Flash #275 (1979), The Flash #276 (1979), The Flash #277 (1979), The Flash #278 (1979), The Flash #279 (1979), The Flash #280 (1979), The Flash #281 (1980), The Flash #282 (1980), The Flash #283 (1980), The Flash #284 (1980)

Reviews

Reader reviews

No reader reviews yet.