Wally West: The Flash Appreciation 2020

[Somecrazyaussie]

That's the way I took it as well.
It was ALL Thawne.

Here's the pages.

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[Dred]

Yeah, all Thawne hypnotized him to do was cover it up. He still blows up and kills people when depressed.

We had to endure about 5 years of Hal sheepishly asking for forgiveness, so Wally's making much faster progress towards in his own "redemption from an ill-advised heel turn" hoop jumping. Hopefully, this story will bury the stank of HiC as thouroughly as GL Rebirth did for Hal, so the character can get back to being a straight-up hero again.

I can sort of understand why the new writer wants to re-open these wounds again, since not everyone knows what Thawne did yet, but I'd prefer they stop belaboring it and just move on.

It's a bit less palatable when HiC follows up 15 years of poor treatment. Emerald Twilight was terrible for Hal after 30 years of limelight. HiC was our "reward" for sticking with Wally for so long. We were told Wally was finally getting his due after a decade and a half of misery. It's a significantly different situation.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Yeah, all Thawne hypnotized him to do was cover it up. He still blows up and kills people when depressed.



It's a bit less palatable when HiC follows up 15 years of poor treatment. Emerald Twilight was terrible for Hal after 30 years of limelight. HiC was our "reward" for sticking with Wally for so long. We were told Wally was finally getting his due after a decade and a half of misery. It's a significantly different situation.

I am not going to compete with you in the Fanboy Misery Olympics over which fanbase suffered more.

Suffice it to say, Wally fans are due for a reprieve after being stuck in the wilderness for waaaay too long.

[BooCoo]

Count me among those who don't care if Wally is faster. I'd be more concerned with good stories and character development. And how much faster anyway? A yard? A millisecond? An eyeblink? It's never been defined. The speeds flashes run makes it all relative. It's also emotion. Whenever Wally ran out of his mind it was all emotion and adrenaline. Its canon that he mentally held himself back for years affecting his speed. Barry admitted his analytical mind holds him back a bit too. So it's clearly fluid. Depending on circumstance it could be either one of them. Jay learned years ago the SF is tied to emotion and said as much.

I said all along their relationship is what stands out the most, something that seems to fly past people. Its always who's faster or better. Depends on who you prefer. But we get it, some of y'all just LOVE Wally. He's been ripped off and ruined. Been said like 1,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000 (redacted) times on these forums.

Nothing wrong with that but all the complaining ain't gonna make anybody write Wally a certain way. The place holder Future State title looks like a Flash train wreck. And proceed with caution on the March solicits for the so called redemption. Not to mention who will carry the mantle (guaranteed to start nerd wars).

After the speed metal story that made the flashes look foolish and their mission pointless, I'm a bit suspicious. The reconciliation was the only thing that held the issue together. even the new 'cool' uniforms amounted to a lot of nothing.

My favorites got screwed over all the time so I get the frustration:

Quasar = weak whitebread character with a huge title who tried to talk his way into everything, died a lot and was incompetent. Not to mention a prop for his weapons and got no respect on his own. The ultimate Gamma male. He even blew himself up by mistake. Got replaced by a lesbian who dated Moondragon who wanted to be his mate. Bizarre or what?

Thor = Nearly five years of woe is me, I'm not worthy. Made pathetic and a prop for the hammer that any cluck could pick up. Jane wore his identity as a meat sack. Movies made him look like a barbarian cosplay. New team has fixed all that thankfully.

Alan Scott = made weak and old, forced into cliche mentor role due to experience. Young, old, a zillion costumes.

Spiderman = hopelessly locked into street level incompetence despite his intellect. He can never be successful, only responsible. Gets upgrades that are removed. But we're told he's so special because he has a conscience. Just ask the cluster of spider people running around with near identical abilities. Spidey is presented as a lighweight despite hanging out with heavyweights. So what the hell is he? He's even been made a backup in his own book.

I am glad to see Obsidian and Jade back. Hopefully Obie will get more equal treatment. I was tired of the daughter/father trope and 'starchild' bit with Jade (who is likeable but unremarkable, she just has powers). Poor Obie was trashed as a whiny headcase with sexuality problems. Although his neediness was kind of cute.

[Konja7]

I was under the impression that Thawne caused the Speed Force explosion and Wally's inexplicable desire to cover up the accident and frame Harley & Booster.

If it didn't, that's my head canon anyway

The issue only say that Thawne make Wally cover up the accident.

It was never implied that Thawne make Wally to cause the accident. That is still on Wally's depresión.

[Drako]

5G really was Didio's Wet dream.

spoilers:

The Kid Quick Flash – they came from the multiverse to warn our world of a great conspiracy – and stayed behind with the Justice League to help with the fallout. What fallout? Well… The Flash Family's powers are also stolen due by unknown forces and they are forced to battle Wally West, possessed by a mysterious entity that had been trapped inside the Speed Force. It can't end well. Because Wally West kills his nephew and fellow Flash, Wallace West. And now Barry Allen must deal with him too. And Future State: Teen Titans shows us just how that works out, right?

end of spoilers

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/dc-f...u-do-spoilers/

[Bored at 3:00AM]

The issue only say that Thawne make Wally cover up the accident.

It was never implied that Thawne make Wally to cause the accident. That is still on Wally's depresión.

As with most stories I didn't like, I am going to stick with my head canon version until a better explanation gets published

[PennyDreadful]

5G really was Didio's Wet dream.

spoilers:

The Kid Quick Flash – they came from the multiverse to warn our world of a great conspiracy – and stayed behind with the Justice League to help with the fallout. What fallout? Well… The Flash Family's powers are also stolen due by unknown forces and they are forced to battle Wally West, possessed by a mysterious entity that had been trapped inside the Speed Force. It can't end well. Because Wally West kills his nephew and fellow Flash, Wallace West. And now Barry Allen must deal with him too. And Future State: Teen Titans shows us just how that works out, right?

end of spoilers

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/dc-f...u-do-spoilers/

So all the people saying that Wally fans dodged a bullet were right? Glad 5G ain't happening.

[Frontier]

5G really was Didio's Wet dream.

spoilers:

The Kid Quick Flash – they came from the multiverse to warn our world of a great conspiracy – and stayed behind with the Justice League to help with the fallout. What fallout? Well… The Flash Family's powers are also stolen due by unknown forces and they are forced to battle Wally West, possessed by a mysterious entity that had been trapped inside the Speed Force. It can't end well. Because Wally West kills his nephew and fellow Flash, Wallace West. And now Barry Allen must deal with him too. And Future State: Teen Titans shows us just how that works out, right?

end of spoilers

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/dc-f...u-do-spoilers/

Jeez, this sounds terrible. We really (hopefully) dodged a bullet.

[WallyWestFlash]

Im not sure if things are looking really bad for Wally or good.

On one hand we have Future State where Wally is taken over and goes off and kills a bunch of his friends and allies (Yes. Again) and Barry has to save him.

Then we have the Flash book after where it states that Wally wants to retire and Barry has to bring him back. Sounds like a lot of Wally needing Barry to save him.

But it does show both Wally and Barry side by side in the Infinite Frontier promo. It teases that Wally might become THE Flash. Also Bendis's JL says a Flash will join the league but doesn't specify who? Will Wally become the main Flash in.the DCU and join the League?

Probably not and probably just false hope but I guess we'll see. Kind of feel like Charlie Brown with the football at this point though.

[Frontier]

Im not sure if things are looking really bad for Wally or good.

On one hand we have Future State where Wally is taken over and goes off and kills a bunch of his friends and allies (Yes. Again) and Barry has to save him.

Then we have the Flash book after where it states that Wally wants to retire and Barry has to bring him back. Sounds like a lot of Wally needing Barry to save him.

But it does show both Wally and Barry side by side in the Infinite Frontier promo. It teases that Wally might become THE Flash. Also Bendis's JL says a Flash will join the league but doesn't specify who? Will Wally become the main Flash in.the DCU and join the League?

Probably not and probably just false hope but I guess we'll see. Kind of feel like Charlie Brown with the football at this point though.

Bendis can't write Barry, so if he gets a Flash, I hope it's Wally.

[Dred]

As the years go by I'm believing more and more that Bendis just can't write anyone well. Any good character work seems either rehashed so it's boring or happenstance compared to the bad.

[Frontier]

As the years go by I'm believing more and more that Bendis just can't write anyone well. Any good character work seems either rehashed so it's boring or happenstance compared to the bad.

Surprisingly enough he seems to get Superman's voice down, of all characters. Which kind of amazes me.

[Ascended]

Surprisingly enough he seems to get Superman's voice down, of all characters. Which kind of amazes me.

Right? If you had told me three (four?) years ago that Bendis, of all people, would have one of the best grips on Superman's character out of DC's entire stable of writers, I'd have laughed. But of all the many problems with Bendis' Superman run, getting Clark's voice wrong was never one of them.

As far the mystery Flash in JL, I'm guessing it's either that new Kid Quick character, or Jay.

Barry's out; if it's him then it's not really any big surprise.

Wally is likely out because if it's not Barry then Wally is the obvious choice. He's got years of League experience, and when his skill and history are intact is just as capable and powerful as Barry (if not moreso). Plus, Wally seems to be busy getting dragged out of retirement in the Flash book.

Using Jay would not only bring back a much-loved and classic JSA character, but it's not someone people are instantly going to think of, but nobody's really gonna complain about it. It won't even be the first time he's been in the League, since he worked with them after the JSA's return back in the early 90's (before Johns). And Jay's been popping up in the DCU since The Button, so his inclusion wouldn't be *completely* out of nowhere.

And Kid Quick (or whatever their name is) seems like a classic Bendis character; young, PoC, not straight, and enough of a blank slate that Bendis can do damn near anything with them and not be yelled at for ignoring continuity. DC is pushing Quick pretty hard, with a holiday special appearance, the role in Future State, and I guess (???) Titans Academy too. Plus, Quick being young would help Naomi stand out less among all the "old" people who're over thirty. Really, I'd say Quick is a sure bet if not for their supposed role in Academy. Plenty of heroes double time on multiple teams, however, so I feel like it's still possible.

I'm also gonna throw Wallace in as a consideration. He doesn't seem to be anywhere post-FS, and also fits Bendis' writing profile. The vague parallels to Miles Morales doesn't exactly hurt his chances either, I think.

[married guy]

Kind of feel like Charlie Brown with the football at this point though.

HA! The PERFECT analogy for Wally fans!!