Wally West: The Flash Appreciation 2020

[BohemiaDrinker]

That's a big assumption.

Right now, it isn't.

They (almost unwillingly) put out enough with Wally to gauge sales. Twice in four years they're using Wally to "save" the line.

It's a pretty exact science at this point.

With two issues of one Flash title, DC knows they're going to fetch similar sales.

And with 2 different titles, they don't know which will sell more. Maybe that is the problem. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

With one issue of two Flash titles each month, there's no guarantee that Flash Comic A is going to sell similarly to Flash Comic B. It would be a gamble.

Wait a second, the company that put out "SuperWoman", "Prez", "Jimmy Olsen", "Starfire, "Ravagers", "Red Hood and the Outlaws", "Vodoo, "G.I.Combat", "I, vampire", etc is suddenly averse to gambles?

Nothing is ever a sure thing,

Betting that your most requested character in a decade is going to outsell "Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E." seems pretty safe.

and sister titles usually sell lower than the main title.

And yet, we now have a "sister"mini that doesn't. Actually, a sister mini that had everything going against it, and YET....

If the two do balance out, and they sell the same number of comics as they did before, then what has been gained?

I don't own or manage a multi-national media conglomerate, but if I did, and I had the choice of selling 80k books but had to deal with a never ending torrent of hate on every possible channel, or I could sell 80k books without dealing with it, I'd pick the "no-hate" option. Easily.

Fans naturally look at publishing decisions through the lens of a fan. "This is what I would like." But what any individual fan may like isn't necessarily going to be what best benefits DC Comics' publishing line and DC Entertainment's brand management.

When you got consumers telling you "this is what I would buy", if you're smart, you sell it to them.

I don't really understand what your point in this thread is, right now, throwing out why DC treating Wally poorly for decades is acceptable. The Wally West Appreciation Thread: Where looking at things as fans is less preferred to looking at it from the perspective of, and I quote, "DC Entertainment's brand management"

Maybe we should just change the title to DC Entertainment Brand Management appreciation thread. It really is hard on those guys, making those tough choices that they didn't even make.

You know Lee, as much as I enjoy our infinite tangles, Dred has a point here.

[WallyWestFlash]

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Lol.

[Lee]

I don't really understand what your point in this thread is, right now, throwing out why DC treating Wally poorly for decades is acceptable.

I don't think they've been treating Wally poorly for decades. I think he was doing just fine two decades ago. How many decades do you think he's been treated poorly?

Wait a second, the company that put out "SuperWoman", "Prez", "Jimmy Olsen", "Starfire, "Ravagers", "Red Hood and the Outlaws", "Vodoo, "G.I.Combat", "I, vampire", etc is suddenly averse to gambles?

If they work, then DC has a successful IP they can merchandise, turn into a TV show, etc.

If a second Flash comic starring Wally West sells, what can they do with it beyond the boundaries of the comic book store?

[Spider-Ham]

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Lol.

Thank your for sharing. I really need to get all the Blu ray available !

[manwhohaseverything]

The problem is most of DCs current books aren’t selling that good, so selling just as good as the main book right now isn’t that impressive. That being said with proper creator support I think Wally could still sustain a book just fine. But that right there is the issue, when it comes to a character like Wally he needs to be able to sustain with out real creator support.

Well isn't that a plus? Even in this climate. Even as an ancillary title it selling as much the main. Wally isn't alone. He should have every one on board. Jay, bart, max.. Etc.A flash family book could have a boost of its own. As said wally's cast is diverse. Advertise them with him. But, the other speedsters would need to be treated with respect though.

[BohemiaDrinker]

If a second Flash comic starring Wally West sells, what can they do with it beyond the boundaries of the comic book store?

Flash in the Flashverse.

2 different tv shows.

Ressurect him in Young Justice and get a small, but focused and loud torrent of love and good word of mouth.

Maybe nothing.

It really doesn't matter here.

[Godlike13]

Well isn't that a plus? Even in this climate. Even as an ancillary title it selling as much the main. Wally isn't alone. He should have every one on board. Jay, bart, max.. Etc.A flash family book could have a boost of its own. As said wally's cast is diverse. Advertise them with him. But, the other speedsters would need to be treated with respect though.

Hard to say. I’m just saying, saying it’s selling as well as the main Flash right now is grading on a curve.

[Spider-Ham]

.

Ressurect him in Young Justice

Can’t wait to see him back in full glory. I know many of you don’t like this Wally but, damn, do I love this iteration and his relationship with Artemis!

[Rend20]

I know many of you don’t like this Wally but, damn, do I love this iteration and his relationship with Artemis!

I don't think it's so much people dislike the version as they do the handling of the character.

[manwhohaseverything]

With dc generation one shots. Do you guys feel wally will be given justice as the flash?

[Mr.B]

They're inserting his history back in. So yeah.

[Lee]

2 different tv shows.

They're not going to have two different TV shows about a super-hero named The Flash who wears a red suit and runs fast being produced simultaneously.

Maybe nothing.

It really doesn't matter here.

And that's what I'm saying. To you it doesn't matter. You're a fan and you want what you want.

To DC Comics and DC Entertainment, it absolutely does matter. They're custodians of the brand.

"A comic for each Flash", "a comic for each Green Lantern", "a comic for each Batgirl" - these aren't things DC is going to do arbitrarily. If Cassandra Cain as Batgirl doesn't mesh with what they're doing with the Batgirl brand, then they're not going to suddenly start publishing new Cassandra Cain Batgirl comics for the hell of it.

[sifighter]

With dc generation one shots. Do you guys feel wally will be given justice as the flash?

I mean according to the FCBD one-shot he’s either gonna be a big part of the narrative or he’s the narrator of each one-shot watching the history of the Dc universe

I assume he will play the biggest role in Generation 4: Age of Rebirth or whatever it’s called since not only is that the current age but it’s when he returned.

[WallyWestFlash]

Thank your for sharing. I really need to get all the Blu ray available !

Sure. This is the Wally West appreciation forum after all. I gotta re watch some of these episodes. Such a great portrayal of Wally there.

They're inserting his history back in. So yeah.

That's great to hear. I hope they show Wally as the Flash in all his 90's glory rather than just hint at it vaguely. DC still seems resistant to it.

Like for the 80 year anniversary variants. The 90's decade cover would have been perfect to show that. But instead we just got a generic cover that could be any Flash from any decade. (Yes, I'm still super salty about that.)

[Spider-Ham]

So, here we go for some Flash Forward #6 spoilers. Be ready for some tears dear friends.

spoilers:

Wally is described as hope itself. And the staff is like a gun which can literally shoot Wally’s hope on dark matter, destroying it in the process. So at the end of the issue, Wally sacrifices his soul, his heart and gives all his hope to the Multiverse in order to save it. Before losing his humanity, he has one last gift for Linda : he gives her children back.

end of spoilers

And that’s it guys, I hope you enjoyed the ride.