Wally West: The Flash Appreciation 2020

[BohemiaDrinker]

Okay, I thought about this for a while, and decided to give it a fair shot.

At the end of the day, what all of us here wanted is to Wally to be recognizable, and for Wally to matter, right? As of right now, this gives us both those things. Is it the ideal scenario? No, but the ideal scenario would be undoable on the current shape of the DCU.

This is not the same shit they've been throwing at the fandom for the last decade, this is something different that comes from character. So I say it deserves a chance.

(The counterpoint here is that this can damage the DCU and, consequently, Wally's image to a bunch of readers who were indiferent towards him so far. So we shall see. But I will hold out judgement for now).

[Waterfall]

Snyder is the one to write the main event right? I'm curious what kind of voice he will give to Wally. So far with modern writers:

• Joshua Williamson - probably the best writer for Wally who could never write for him. His Wally felt so natural, no wonder his best stories had him somewhere.
• Scott Lobdell- Surprised everyone and their mom. Though Wally is a very talkative guy so he fits right into Lobdell's habits. Nobody here would say no to a Lobdell solo book now. (Though with Lobdell's personal attitude, I'm not too hot on the idea)
• Tim Seeley - He clearly likes the character from the little we've seen of his take. He seem to also enjoy YJ version so it would have been interesting to see him incorporating some cartoon stuff.
• Michael McMillan - He only wrote one issue but he nailed it.
• Adam Glass - Eh, story wise he sounded more like Barry than Wally.
• Dan Abnett - Probably the most boring Wally I've had the opportunity of reading. You had Wally and Dick in the same team under your pen and you managed to put out the blandest banter you could give to the fans.
• Christopher Priest - I don't think he cared or knew character enough to put something worthwile to read. He was better with Wallace instead.
• Tom King - What a disappointment. What a disaster. I had high hopes because I've always thought he could deliver with a Rogues or Zoom story. He had great taste in Flash stories too. But alas, it is all a mess.
  

It's been 4 years since his return and he didn't get the opportunity to be written by Tynion, Snyder, Orlando, Humphries, Venditti etc. This alone tells enough about the last few years.

[Godlike13]

It is different, I respect that, but they‘ll need to sell it. And I mean sell it in convince people on it with quality story and execution.

[Darkcrusade25]

My greatest hope for this is that it ends up with Wally fixing the timeline issues but as a result it drains the last of his Manhattan powers, fixes HIC and brings him back to a speedster.

[sifighter]

Snyder is the one to write the main event right? I'm curious what kind of voice he will give to Wally. So far with modern writers:

• Joshua Williamson - probably the best writer for Wally who could never write for him. His Wally felt so natural, no wonder his best stories had him somewhere.
• Scott Lobdell- Surprised everyone and their mom. Though Wally is a very talkative guy so he fits right into Lobdell's habits. Nobody here would say no to a Lobdell solo book now. (Though with Lobdell's personal attitude, I'm not too hot on the idea)
• Tim Seeley - He clearly likes the character from the little we've seen of his take. He seem to also enjoy YJ version so it would have been interesting to see him incorporating some cartoon stuff.
• Michael McMillan - He only wrote one issue but he nailed it.
• Adam Glass - Eh, story wise he sounded more like Barry than Wally.
• Dan Abnett - Probably the most boring Wally I've had the opportunity of reading. You had Wally and Dick in the same team under your pen and you managed to put out the blandest banter you could give to the fans.
• Christopher Priest - I don't think he cared or knew character enough to put something worthwile to read. He was better with Wallace instead.
• Tom King - What a disappointment. What a disaster. I had high hopes because I've always thought he could deliver with a Rogues or Zoom story. He had great taste in Flash stories too. But alas, it is all a mess.
  

It's been 4 years since his return and he didn't get the opportunity to be written by Tynion, Snyder, Orlando, Humphries, Venditti etc. This alone tells enough about the last few years.

Well that will really depend on if this story is ultimately connected to what Snyder is doing. Because Snyder has the Justice League go through a magic door to reconnect a broken timeline and reestablish all continuity is important against Perpetua. This Wally trying to fix a broken timeline with the left overs of Geoff Johns Darkseid War and Doomsday Clock. Especially since the rumors have made it seem like this and Metal 2 are two separate events. Not entirely sure if or even how those two concepts would mash. Maybe we will hear more soon though, maybe C2E2 at the end of the month?

[Badou]

My greatest hope for this is that it ends up with Wally fixing the timeline issues but as a result it drains the last of his Manhattan powers, fixes HIC and brings him back to a speedster.

I don't think DC is able to fix their timeline issues. It is all so complicated now. I feel like the knot they tied themselves up in is too difficult to unravel regardless of what they say or try. So whatever they are going to do is just going to complicate things further, unfortunately.

Like I think DC's continuity and their timeline is as difficult to understand as it ever has been before. I can't imagine being a new reader and trying to get into the current DCU. Maybe DC knows that and is why they are spending more time and effort on Black Label and out of continuity books to sell to people.

[Cmbmool]

My greatest hope for this is that it ends up with Wally fixing the timeline issues but as a result it drains the last of his Manhattan powers, fixes HIC and brings him back to a speedster.

I hope that Wally gives Barry his parents back and this time they die while he was within the speed force.

[manwhohaseverything]

U/earthmine52 on reddit theorised that dr. Manhattan's final gift for dc universe is wally. A doctor manhattan of their own for saving the reality. That it is a way apologising to wally for removing him. Since, we know wally will be be back in doomsday clock vision and Barry's seeing the future in flash war. That he will be known as the best hero. This might be the event.
Wally kickstarts the rebirth. Then his fall brings it down. His redemption will save it. So, hopefully this thing ends on a good note and sets up a status quo for wally.

[married guy]

I hate the idea of a cosmic Wally.
Hate it hate it hate it.

That said, this COULD lead to something good for Wally when it's all said and done. I doubt it, given how DC has treated the character over the last decade, but I will wait & see.

[manwhohaseverything]

I hate the idea of a cosmic Wally.
Hate it hate it hate it.

That said, this COULD lead to something good for Wally when it's all said and done. I doubt it, given how DC has treated the character over the last decade, but I will wait & see.

Dr. Flashattan is pretty cool. If he isn't stuck in the chair. It looks dope. Anyways, since manhattan was the one who killed owlman and metron. It stands to reason he messed with the chair. Might have left some essence of himself in it. Wally being only one who wasn't rejected by it. Puts credence to the theory. Wally had also hacked bruce's hic servers and was able to process data at an impossible rate. This might actually align things.
Also, irey might be the new flash in 5G and jai will be the new turtle. Jai being the new turtle has been brewing for a while.

[transformers03]

U/earthmine52 on reddit theorised that dr. Manhattan's final gift for dc universe is wally. A doctor manhattan of their own for saving the reality. That it is a way apologising to wally for removing him. Since, we know wally will be be back in doomsday clock vision and Barry's seeing the future in flash war. That he will be known as the best hero. This might be the event.
Wally kickstarts the rebirth. Then his fall brings it down. His redemption will save it. So, hopefully this thing ends on a good note and sets up a status quo for wally.

That's a beautiful theory.

Side note, Newsarama theorizes that Wally's new codename could be Watchman (https://twitter.com/Newsarama/status...25220884262919).

I... I don't hate it, but would prefer his codename be something with Flash in it. In general, I want Wally to continue to be referred to as Flash in continuity. The new codename would just be something that the Marketers can use to differentiate him from Barry Allen in future merchandise, and possibly adapt him in future media without contradicting Wallace West as Kid Flash in said media.

[manwhohaseverything]

That's a beautiful theory.

Side note, Newsarama theorizes that Wally's new codename could be Watchman (https://twitter.com/Newsarama/status...25220884262919).

I... I don't hate it, but would prefer his codename be something with Flash in it. In general, I want Wally to continue to be referred to as Flash in continuity. The new codename would just be something that the Marketers can use to differentiate him from Barry Allen in future merchandise, and possibly adapt him in future media without contradicting Wallace West as Kid Flash in said media.

That is effing awesome. Now there is a legacy title. The man who is the antithesis of watchmen. Carries the torch for them. Hopefully, dc doesn't screw this up.
"nothing ever ends". Even manhattan lives on and changed in wally and clark.

[phantom1592]

This doesn't feel like a story that CAN be told in DC without becoming a disaster. Parallax tried to 'fix' time and the whole DC universe rose up to stop him.... Barry didn't even CHANGE history, he just actively traveled back to stop someone ELSE from changing history and created the hellscape that was Flashpoint... DC has been bludgeoning everyone over the head with the whole idea of 'Messing with Time is WRONG/BAD/DISASTROUS!!!!!' So I don't know how this will go...

Either... A) Wally is the all powerful supervillain that the universe needs to stop, which will will Suck. or B) Wally is the Hero he should be, fixes the bad things... and the entire DC legacy looks like hypocrites for crapping all over Hal and Barry and even Booster...

So what flavor of disappointment is this going to be?


My one hope is that he keeps the blue costume. Ever since Pollux from the 90's Flash series I've always been a BIG fan of 'Blue Flash'.

[manwhohaseverything]

This doesn't feel like a story that CAN be told in DC without becoming a disaster. Parallax tried to 'fix' time and the whole DC universe rose up to stop him.... Barry didn't even CHANGE history, he just actively traveled back to stop someone ELSE from changing history and created the hellscape that was Flashpoint... DC has been bludgeoning everyone over the head with the whole idea of 'Messing with Time is WRONG/BAD/DISASTROUS!!!!!' So I don't know how this will go...

Either... A) Wally is the all powerful supervillain that the universe needs to stop, which will will Suck. or B) Wally is the Hero he should be, fixes the bad things... and the entire DC legacy looks like hypocrites for crapping all over Hal and Barry and even Booster...

So what flavor of disappointment is this going to be?


My one hope is that he keeps the blue costume. Ever since Pollux from the 90's Flash series I've always been a BIG fan of 'Blue Flash'.

How is it crapping all over hal, barry and booster? Those guys where messing with things they had no control. Wally has manhattan powers of seeing the past, present and future. On top of the chair metron knowledge base. He has absolute command of speedforce.
The difference is plain simple. The guys you mentioned where humans trying to play god. Wally is now the everyman who became god(a dr manhattan parallel). A god with absolute knowledge of things. Wally has the ability to switch things around as he pleases. If manhattan has learned how meta verse works. That knowledge will also be passed down to Clark from watchmenverse and wally .
Ultimately, we don't know what level wally is now. How far his abilities go? He isn't just a man anymore.i am looking forward to this. Its different. They are trying to do something with the character. Hopefully, it isn't nonsense like hic.

[phantom1592]

How is it crapping all over hal, barry and booster? Those guys where messing with things they had no control. Wally has manhattan powers of seeing the past, present and future. On top of the chair metron knowledge base. He has absolute command of speedforce.
The difference is plain simple. The guys you mentioned where humans trying to play god. Wally is now the everyman who became god(a dr manhattan parallel). A god with absolute knowledge of things. Wally has the ability to switch things around as he pleases. If manhattan has learned how meta verse works. That knowledge will also be passed down to Clark from watchmenverse and wally .
Ultimately, we don't know what level wally is now. How far his abilities go? He isn't just a man anymore.i am looking forward to this. Its different. They are trying to do something with the character. Hopefully, it isn't nonsense like hic.

Even back in the 90's I always stood by that if Zero Hour was told in Marvel.... Hal would have won. marvel has a long history of 'reseting' any bad universe changing catastrophies. Whether the beyonder, the infinity gauntlet... Whatever Deus Ex Machina they have on hand that says 'Bad things happened... Good guys undo that' has always worked. DC though? They tend to focus the OTHER way. Erasing the mistakes of the past... is not allowed for whatever stupid reason they decided to come up with.

If Metron was using his vast knowledge to unilaterally decide what was right and wrong for the universe... It would be considered bad. If/When Doctor Manhattan uses his godlike powers to remake worlds... it's a bad thing that the mortals should unite to stop.

Wally using Metron and Manhattan's powers... should be treated the same way. Just for consistency if no other reason.

And I still maintain Flashpoint was stupid beyond reason. Stopping evil Time travelers from changing history should NEVER be seen as 'a mistake'.