Encouraging news. Thanks for sharing.Okay, I talked to Joshua today at NYCC, partly because I wanted to get a trade signed and partially because I was curious about Flash War. First off, let me say he seems like a really friendly guy and he was lovely and easy to talk too. I really felt this is a guy I could have talked Flash with a few hours. He's also pretty accessible and was absolutely willing to talk about the upcoming arc and address any concerns I might have. As soon as I mentioned Flash War, he asked if I was concerned and he asked me who my favorite Flash was. I answered Wally and he went on to mention the following (keep in mind I am paraphrasing):
-He is a big fan of Wally and a huge reason behind this storyline is that he wants Wally in the book more.
-This story arc reflects his desire to bring back a Flash family, which he said wouldn't be possible to do without Wally.
-This story arc is not Civil War, nor is it a competition, it is a different way of examining the Barry/Wally relationship (he compared it to brothers or a father and son).
-He said there would be a disagreement between the two at the center of the story (which really is unexplored territory in my personal opinion).
-He said he thinks Flash fans will be happy with how it ends.
-For the record, I did not ask about other members of the Flash Family other than Barry, Wally, and NuWally.
Personally, I think this arc could be promising. Barry and Wally haven't really been in conflict at all since...well, must have been before the Crisis, so exploring their relationship when they aren't seeing eye-to-eye has great potential and it sounds like the plan is for Wally to have a bigger role in the main Flash title overall.
Frankly, anyone who is worried about what this story means for Barry or Wally and happens to be at NYCC tomorrow should try seeking Joshua out at Artist Alley. Those of you who might be more interested in Jay, Max, or Bart, it probably couldn't hurt to ask him about them either, though I'm not sure how much he'd be able to tell you. He really seems like a very accessible guy who does have an awareness of the fandom and he was very open to talk about concerns, although I would suggest sharing concerns in a polite and respectful manner. Either way, I think Flash War could be very good.