Wally West: The Flash Appreciation 2019

[Kon93]

I tend to buy things with Wally in it, too. Sadly, there are not 50,000 of us.

I'm depressing because I've been a Wally fan since the mid 90s and anything to deal with the character nowadays that isn't pie in the sky dreaming is depressing. Everytime something even mildly good happens it is immediately and terribly squashed back into depressing. I've just seen the pattern repeat for 15 years at this point and I don't do myself any favors getting my hopes up like I used to.

I would like nothing more than to be proven wrong, and for good things to happen to Wally both in universe and through the publication. But what I would like is not what has happened or will happen.

I hear ya, I'm there with ya

[WallyWestFlash]

My personal opinion is that these days Barry is more popular than Wally but just barely and it's all munfactured.

Meaning Barry is just ahead of Wally but it's because DC has really pushed Barry out there very strongly while at the same time doing everything that they can to destroy and turn people off from Wally.

But left on their own I think Wally would easily surpass Barry. From what I see that despite DC doing everything that thet can to bury Wally there is still a strong fan base and with all the pushing that they give to Barry he is still just kinda popular.

[Drako]

I tend to buy things with Wally in it, too. Sadly, there are not 50,000 of us.

I'm depressing because I've been a Wally fan since the mid 90s and anything to deal with the character nowadays that isn't pie in the sky dreaming is depressing. Everytime something even mildly good happens it is immediately and terribly squashed back into depressing. I've just seen the pattern repeat for 15 years at this point and I don't do myself any favors getting my hopes up like I used to.

I would like nothing more than to be proven wrong, and for good things to happen to Wally both in universe and through the publication. But what I would like is not what has happened or will happen.

25 to 30k is considered a good number of sales for a comic book, just so you know. It's what the likes of Red Hood, Supergirl, Deathstroke and AQUAMAN are selling this days.

I'm pretty sure Wally can sustain that type of number.
Hell, Nightwing is in one of his worsts periods ever and he is selling around 28k regulary.

[Dred]

25 to 30k is considered a good number of sales for a comic book, just so you know. It's what the likes of Red Hood, Supergirl, Deathstroke and AQUAMAN are selling this days.

I'm pretty sure Wally can sustain that type of number.
Hell, Nightwing is in one of his worsts periods ever and he is selling around 28k regulary.

The question was about him being as popular as Barry. He is not even close.

[Drako]

The question was about him being as popular as Barry. He is not even close.

Yeah, they only needed to strip him from the Flash brand recognition and put in the limbo for some years.

And who cares? Fans wanted him back and they got it. Everything we want now is for him to not get screwed for the millionth time and get a chance of a solo book again. It's not difficult when DC is shipping comics like Damage and Silencer.

I don't know why a Wally fan would arge against this.

[Dred]

Yeah, they only needed to strip him from the Flash brand recognition and put in the limbo for some years.

And who cares? Fans wanted him back and they got it. Everything we want now is for him to not get screwed for the millionth time and get a chance of a solo book again. It's not difficult when DC is shipping comics like Damage and Silencer.

I don't know why a Wally fan would arge against this.

I'm not arguing against the idea of Wally getting a comic. I'm stating the fact that Barry is significantly more popular. That that popularity difference was created by what can only be described as inane organizational favoritism sucks, but just because something sucks doesn't mean it isn't true. Wally used to be more popular, and built his popularity every day with as much respect as possible to Barry Allen. It'd be nice if Barry could exist without trivializing Wally but we've long since moved past that idea.

[The Cool Thatguy]

I'm not arguing against the idea of Wally getting a comic. I'm stating the fact that Barry is significantly more popular. That that popularity difference was created by what can only be described as inane organizational favoritism sucks, but just because something sucks doesn't mean it isn't true. Wally used to be more popular, and built his popularity every day with as much respect as possible to Barry Allen. It'd be nice if Barry could exist without trivializing Wally but we've long since moved past that idea.

Yeah, agreed.

I think the problem with Barry is that he comes from an era where if a character has superpowers, he automatically becomes a superhero.

Barry lacks an interesting motivation. He lacks character conflict. And his setting, Central City, is not a foil in which to bring out his character. It's rather telling that they had to tack 'My parents/mom is dead!' onto his character in 3 different canons now, and he still comes across as kinda bland.

Johns gave Wally a nice, blue collar background that the twin cities reflected off of, and gave him good characterization. Him living up to his uncle's legacy gave him motivation.

Barry, like Hal, simply lacks the characterization/motivation to make them interesting or dynamic, IMO. They're not bad, they're just...there.

Which sucks, as Wally's 'living up to a family legacy' is easier to transplant than Barry's 'Zoom killed my mom!' motivation for science.

But Barry is the one everyone pushes to the forefront, so...

[married guy]

If there was ever a character who DIDN'T need a tragic backstory it was Barry Allen.
I LOVED that he became the Flash when he got his powers as he simply wanted to help people. (Y'know, and be like his comic book hero The Flash!)
Then Wally became the Flash to uphold Barry's legacy and eventually surpassed his uncle.

[Frontier]

Yeah, agreed.

I think the problem with Barry is that he comes from an era where if a character has superpowers, he automatically becomes a superhero.

Barry lacks an interesting motivation. He lacks character conflict. And his setting, Central City, is not a foil in which to bring out his character. It's rather telling that they had to tack 'My parents/mom is dead!' onto his character in 3 different canons now, and he still comes across as kinda bland.

Johns gave Wally a nice, blue collar background that the twin cities reflected off of, and gave him good characterization. Him living up to his uncle's legacy gave him motivation.

Barry, like Hal, simply lacks the characterization/motivation to make them interesting or dynamic, IMO. They're not bad, they're just...there.

Which sucks, as Wally's 'living up to a family legacy' is easier to transplant than Barry's 'Zoom killed my mom!' motivation for science.

But Barry is the one everyone pushes to the forefront, so...

I know we've had this argument before about Batgirl, but I don't think a character absolutely has to have a deep motivation for being a hero beyond a desire to do good.

It's all in how they're implemented.

I mean, Barry became the Flash whether his mother was dead or not. Her death did not make him a hero.

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

https://www.comicbookmovie.com/tv/dc...gulars-a166664
Well it seems increasingly likely that Jake Austin Walker might be playing Wally in Stargirl. Fans were worried he might be playing Courtney’s stepbrother Mike but it looks like someone else got cast in that role.

[Dred]

Further proof that Geoff Johns is the only person with any say at DC who cares about Wally. Nice to see.

[The Cool Thatguy]

I know we've had this argument before about Batgirl, but I don't think a character absolutely has to have a deep motivation for being a hero beyond a desire to do good.

It's all in how they're implemented.

I mean, Barry became the Flash whether his mother was dead or not. Her death did not make him a hero.

I agree, but they need at least some form of contrast.

I do like characters who do right because it is right. But drama is driven by conflict, and for characters like that, you need an environment that puts them on the spot. Without it, they just come across as bland.

Take Nemesis/Tom Tressor. A character with a string moral compass, in Suicide Squad he was completely bad ass, punching out Deadshot, telling off Waller and what have you.

But in Wonder Woman, he becomes utterly bland, because what moral conflict is he going to have that he disagrees with Diana on?

We forget, because we have so many movies and live action depictions, that comic book characters themselves are basically Its. They have no tone of voice, no inflection and are completely 2D.

They need to stand out from the crowd, a compelling reason to do what they.

Stopping muggers and criminals because it's right? We can understand, but it's basic, underwhelming. And in comics, that comes across as obvious.

[The Cool Thatguy]

https://www.comicbookmovie.com/tv/dc...gulars-a166664
Well it seems increasingly likely that Jake Austin Walker might be playing Wally in Stargirl. Fans were worried he might be playing Courtney’s stepbrother Mike but it looks like someone else got cast in that role.

Why does anyone think that Wally will be involved at all? We already have a Flash series

[Jekyll]

Because it takes place in his home town of Blue Valley. The actor also looks a lot like Wally. I'm still skeptical and will believe it when I see it.

[deadman322]

Why does anyone think that Wally will be involved at all? We already have a Flash series

because geoff johns hinted towards it at a con last year. and so what if theres already a flash series, this is set in a different universe.