What should The Flash series be about?

[Ilan Preskovsky]

While the Speed Force has been overused and there are way too many speedster villains, the real issue is Barry himself. He's just been such a drag since Johns rewrote his origins. I would reveal this version as an imposter and get rid of him and whoever that Wally West imposter was in Heroes in Crisis kind of like they did the New 52 Superman - just a lot quicker, please. I would get back to having Wally as the main Flash again with Linda and (depowered, perhaps de-aged) kids in tow, pretty much where we left them at the end of Johns' run on the Wally Flash book.

I would then have proper, pre-Crisis Barry return and have them share the title. While Wally, a lifelong superhero, adjusts to the more grounded realities of having to look after a family, Barry (without the tragic origin, about the same age now as Wally and with a much more introverted and nerdy personality to contrast against the brasher, more sarcastic Wally) tries to adjust to a DC Universe that has moved on from him and that his nephew had fully made the title of the Flash his own. Keeping their established personalities intact would be central to the story going forward so Barry would be a man out of time but he would still be the same optimistic, morally-centered loveable nerd and Wally would still be the sometimes hotheaded but more mature Wally West that he matured into over Loebs' and Waid's runs.

I would keep both these character arcs as the underlying focus of the book and build on top of it stories that are pretty much like the Fantastic Four at its best: a mixture of family dynamics (Wally and Barry would be the main stars but other members of the Flash family will also regularly pop in and out of the book) and wild, crazy science-fiction adventures. There can and should be drama but the tone would also be in line with the more classic feel of writers like Waid or Busiek but perhaps with the added zing of Bendis or Fraction at their best.

[poroto678]

While the Speed Force has been overused and there are way too many speedster villains, the real issue is Barry himself. He's just been such a drag since Johns rewrote his origins. I would reveal this version as an imposter and get rid of him and whoever that Wally West imposter was in Heroes in Crisis kind of like they did the New 52 Superman - just a lot quicker, please. I would get back to having Wally as the main Flash again with Linda and (depowered, perhaps de-aged) kids in tow, pretty much where we left them at the end of Johns' run on the Wally Flash book.

I would then have proper, pre-Crisis Barry return and have them share the title. While Wally, a lifelong superhero, adjusts to the more grounded realities of having to look after a family, Barry (without the tragic origin, about the same age now as Wally and with a much more introverted and nerdy personality to contrast against the brasher, more sarcastic Wally) tries to adjust to a DC Universe that has moved on from him and that his nephew had fully made the title of the Flash his own. Keeping their established personalities intact would be central to the story going forward so Barry would be a man out of time but he would still be the same optimistic, morally-centered loveable nerd and Wally would still be the sometimes hotheaded but more mature Wally West that he matured into over Loebs' and Waid's runs.

I would keep both these character arcs as the underlying focus of the book and build on top of it stories that are pretty much like the Fantastic Four at its best: a mixture of family dynamics (Wally and Barry would be the main stars but other members of the Flash family will also regularly pop in and out of the book) and wild, crazy science-fiction adventures. There can and should be drama but the tone would also be in line with the more classic feel of writers like Waid or Busiek but perhaps with the added zing of Bendis or Fraction at their best.

You should write the book, man. Everything you just said sounds beautiful.

Geoff Johns is my favorite writer, but I agree he shouldn't have made the Flash about tragedy. Wally was all about his undying love for Linda, the most amazing Rogues Gallery every made, his relationship to the Family (Jay, Max, Bart) and great stories about Wally being a guy trying to figure out the whole super hero thing. One his best stories was with Wally de-powered (or he didn't remember being the Flash), so screw the speed-force and the Anti-Flashes. I'm so sick of that crap.

[king81992]

Less focus on time shenanigans. Clearly define the Speed Force or scrap the concept all together. Also scrap the other forces that were recently introduced. We don't need three new 'Forces' when nobody seems to know how the Speed Force functions.

At times, I feel like the Speed Force itself is the 'Big Bad' of the Flash franchise.

[Frontier]

Geoff Johns is my favorite writer, but I agree he shouldn't have made the Flash about tragedy. Wally was all about his undying love for Linda, the most amazing Rogues Gallery every made, his relationship to the Family (Jay, Max, Bart) and great stories about Wally being a guy trying to figure out the whole super hero thing. One his best stories was with Wally de-powered (or he didn't remember being the Flash), so screw the speed-force and the Anti-Flashes. I'm so sick of that crap.

The Rebirth stuff does fly in the face of what was the underlying message of Johns' original Flash run, and I honestly don't think even Johns is all that proud of it even if "dead mom, imprisoned dad" is people's go-to for Barry now.

Less focus on time shenanigans. Clearly define the Speed Force or scrap the concept all together. Also scrap the other forces that were recently introduced. We don't need three new 'Forces' when nobody seems to know how the Speed Force functions.

Yeah, I really don't think the other Forces have come up yet, although I expect The Flash TV show will probably mine them at some point if only because they've run out of other stuff to do.

At times, I feel like the Speed Force itself is the 'Big Bad' of the Flash franchise.

I've never gotten that sense, if only because for my money it's always been, and always will be, Eobard Thawne.

[SecretWarrior]

The Flash should be a humor book like Harley Quinn. There's not much to him in terms of powers, and the other parts of his mythology can get pretty repetitive. This property could better distinguish itself from Superman and Batman by being the big name funny book--the every man celebrity book.

[Frontier]

The Flash should be a humor book like Harley Quinn. There's not much to him in terms of powers, and the other parts of his mythology can get pretty repetitive. This property could better distinguish itself from Superman and Batman by being the big name funny book--the every man celebrity book.

He's The Fastest Man Alive. I think that's pretty significant as far as abilities go.

What do you find repetitive about his mythos?

I personally feel The Flash should have humor but also plenty of heart and weight.

[SecretWarrior]

He's The Fastest Man Alive. I think that's pretty significant as far as abilities go.

What do you find repetitive about his mythos?

I personally feel The Flash should have humor but also plenty of heart and weight.

They've found some creative ways to use super speed with Flash in the comics, particularly during the Manapul run, but there's only so many ways you can depict simultaneous running and fighting in 2D. It often just becomes a couple of streaks of light zig-zagging around.



Then there's the fact that other heroes have super speed in addition to their other powers. Flash is fastest, but still. Sure he he can vibrate and create windmills, but that doesn't seem as interesting as Superman's powerset. What differentiates him from other characters who can move quickly or solve mysteries is his humor. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman-- Hard to see them quipping under high stakes, but it can work for Flash like it does for Spider-Man or Human Torch or Iceman or Fraction's Hawkeye. Unfortunately, Barry Allen is usually written as just a straight-laced cop. Instead of fighting super-powered serial killers, I'd prefer if Flash were cracking jokes, getting into wacky adventures, and being a kind person in the midst of craziness. His book should be less Se7en or Law and Order and more Thor: Ragnarok or Guardians of the Galaxy in tone.

As for mythology, I think time-travelling and speed storms need a rest for a bit. They're often just a crutch to create formidable villains. I'd rather read about him balancing superheroics with helping Central City citizens with their personal problems. I think you can really show his humanity that way.

[married guy]

Crazy sci-fi concepts pertaining to physics and speed, and how one ordinary, scientifically-inclined man uses such concepts in his pursuit of justice.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

And there ladies and gentlemen is the PERFECT description for a Barry Allen Flash comic book.

[Jekyll]

I would just like to be able to read the book again. I dropped it because of all the other forces non sense and the fact that Barry most of the time is either a jerk or moping around. The Flash is supposed to be light-hearted and fun.

[Flash Gordon]

It needs to lean heavy into science fiction and new ideas and concepts.

It can have elements of legacy and superheroics, but bleeding edge scifi needs to be at the foreground.

[Tzigone]

Barry (without the tragic origin, about the same age now as Wally and with a much more introverted and nerdy personality to contrast against the brasher, more sarcastic Wally) tries to adjust to a DC Universe that has moved on from him and that his nephew had fully made the title of the Flash his own. Keeping their established personalities intact would be central to the story going forward so Barry would be a man out of time but he would still be the same optimistic, morally-centered loveable nerd and Wally would still be the sometimes hotheaded but more mature Wally West that he matured into over Loebs' and Waid's runs.

So, completely rewrite Barry's personality to better contrast Wally, while keeping Wally's intact. That's a crap move to Barry fans. Wally fans get the character they love, while Barry fans get a totally different guy tailor-made around being different from Wally. Barry and Wally were different enough already - Barry doesn't need his confident and friendly nature diminished to make him different than Wally. And frankly, slotting characters into different niches flattens them out and makes them less interesting. I've some real complaints about Robins in that regard.

[Agent Z]

They've found some creative ways to use super speed with Flash in the comics, particularly during the Manapul run, but there's only so many ways you can depict simultaneous running and fighting in 2D. It often just becomes a couple of streaks of light zig-zagging around.



Then there's the fact that other heroes have super speed in addition to their other powers. Flash is fastest, but still. Sure he he can vibrate and create windmills, but that doesn't seem as interesting as Superman's powerset. What differentiates him from other characters who can move quickly or solve mysteries is his humor. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman-- Hard to see them quipping under high stakes, but it can work for Flash like it does for Spider-Man or Human Torch or Iceman or Fraction's Hawkeye. Unfortunately, Barry Allen is usually written as just a straight-laced cop. Instead of fighting super-powered serial killers, I'd prefer if Flash were cracking jokes, getting into wacky adventures, and being a kind person in the midst of craziness. His book should be less Se7en or Law and Order and more Thor: Ragnarok or Guardians of the Galaxy in tone.

As for mythology, I think time-travelling and speed storms need a rest for a bit. They're often just a crutch to create formidable villains. I'd rather read about him balancing superheroics with helping Central City citizens with their personal problems. I think you can really show his humanity that way.

The Flash being a quipper is more of a thing in adaptations. Barry and Wally weren't really that snarky (and Wally didn't need to be for his success) and the only Flash that was really humor focused was Impulse.

As for his powers being repetitive, that applies to most long-running superheroes. There's only so much you can do with a defined powerset short of just giving them new ones.

[Tzigone]

The Flash being a quipper is more of a thing in adaptations. Barry and Wally weren't really that snarky (and Wally didn't need to be for his success) and the only Flash that was really humor focused was Impulse.

Agree on adaptations. Barry didn't need for his success, either (sure, he lost his success later, but he did originally succeed without quipping). Impulse was the one that sped around all the time, too. Impulse was extremely humor-based, but also not so much on the quipping. Barry was the very laid-back guy, and there was some humor from his constant lateness (which long predated him being a hero and was not just a consequence of being busy taking down criminals). Actually, on the topic of quipping - Dick Grayson as Robin wasn't really a quipper, either - did not do so any more than Batman. And was quite serious in general in the 1970s and 1980s and a kinda cerebral guy. But rather than just adaptations, retcons have changed him up a lot. Not happy about it, myself.

[Rend20]

The Flash being a quipper is more of a thing in adaptations. Barry and Wally weren't really that snarky (and Wally didn't need to be for his success)

I would actually say Wally was quite the quipster during his Flash run, especially during the Messner-Loebs/Waid parts. He was never a straight comic relief character like in some adaptations, but quips and snark are definitely a part of his character in my opinion.

[SecretWarrior]

And there ladies and gentlemen is the PERFECT description for a Barry Allen Flash comic book.

That was the concept in the Silver Age, but applying that to an inherently unrealistic character runs counter to that and is pretty boring IMO.

The Flash being a quipper is more of a thing in adaptations. Barry and Wally weren't really that snarky (and Wally didn't need to be for his success) and the only Flash that was really humor focused was Impulse.

As for his powers being repetitive, that applies to most long-running superheroes. There's only so much you can do with a defined powerset short of just giving them new ones.

That's what makes the adaptations superior to the source material. Barry can be written as a professional who crack jokes, even if they're bad ones.



"I'll be back in a Flash!" - Barry Allen

Heck, you can make him a guy whose jokes are about science, like Neil DeGrasse Tyson or something. "Flash Fact, Mirror Master: [Insert science-y punchline]"

Also, excusing a repetitive powerset doesn't make it less repetitive. I'm not saying give him new powers, just compensate for a concept that ca quickly become old by injecting humor into the title. Don't make him Superman-lite, which is what Flash stories often are. What is Flash's market value proposition? What can you get from a Flash story that you can't get from a Superman story?