Impulse: Bart Allen 2020 Appreciation Thread

[Tzigone]

To use an example, there was an early Impulse comic where Mark Waid had Bart drive a car off of a cliff. And it was funny, because the entire book was funny. The world of the Impulse comic was one where things usually didn't have to be taken seriously. Fast forward to the Teen Titans series, which had spent the first few issues showing just how serious it was going to be. Then Geoff Johns had Bart drive a Batmobile off of a cliff. My reaction wasn't "This is funny", it was "Bart's recklessness is going to kill everyone".

I kinda think that was Max's reaction the first time Bart did it. Which is a good thing.

Though I absolutely did find it funny, it absolutely was the sort of thing that could get someone killed and Bart did a lot of things that could get someone killed (treating the world like a video game to a degree) and learning to not do those things was kinda the point. There was tons of that sort of thing in Impulse. He absolutely could be serious at times (Preston shot (grazed), Max in hospital, Arrowette hostage). Totally buyable, but he he needed to learn when to apply that. Him growing up is good. And yes, he was always going to have to learn when to take work seriously. But I am not interested in the personality-rewrite versions of that group of characters - some more than others just had new personalities pasted on (sometimes with horrible things to make it happen) and some were definitely not improvements.

[sifighter]

I mean I just saw that as a funny bonding moment about how Tim hid a Batmobile in LA and the friends went on a joyride.

[AdamFTF]

I mean I just saw that as a funny bonding moment about how Tim hid a Batmobile in LA and the friends went on a joyride.

Maybe it was me, then. Because I really wasn't prepared to think of anything in that comic as funny after the first few issues where it showed Bart getting shot in the knee and revealed that Deathstroke had killed his best friend and mounted his head.

[sifighter]

I mean you can have levity in serious comics, personally I think it’s perspective. You can either look at it as teenagers irresponsibly barreling to their doom or super powered kids who’ve been through worse joyriding a super car.

[WallyWestFlash]

Bart used to be one of my favorite characters and one of my first in general. First read about him in Flash Dead heat and then started collecting his solo series. He even surpassed Wally for me in the beginning. He was my age and he was such a fun and unique character. His comics had me rolling. He was also a big part of why I loved another one of my favorite series. Young Justice.

Then John's TT came and everything I loved about Bart was lost. Then came the New 52 abomination Bar Tor. So I unfortunately forgot why I loved the character so much and soon forgot about him altogether.

It actually took Bendis to bring Impulse in his YJ as his true self that it finally reminded me again why I love Impulse. Although he has yet to do something substantial with him.

With all that Bart is one of my favorite heroes and I'm glad he has an appreciation thread.

[WallyWestFlash]

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10char.

[married guy]

I do believe it was a mistake changing Bart from Impulse to Kid Flash - and he ABSOLUTELY lost his sense of fun because of it. (Again, argued against, but mandated by Dan)
Over time Bart just became a regular super-hero. The sense of fun or (heaven forbid) whimsy was completely removed.
His tenure as the Flash was a complete disaster. Not because he was the Flash, but because he was unrecognisable as Bart Allen.

[AdamFTF]

I mean you can have levity in serious comics, personally I think it’s perspective. You can either look at it as teenagers irresponsibly barreling to their doom or super powered kids who’ve been through worse joyriding a super car.

I'll just chalk it up to my own issues with that series.

In Bart's case, I think slavish devotion to "legacy" may not be the best idea.

[Frontier]

I mean you can have levity in serious comics, personally I think it’s perspective. You can either look at it as teenagers irresponsibly barreling to their doom or super powered kids who’ve been through worse joyriding a super car.

Yeah, Johns comics can get pretty serious but there are still fun moments.

[WallyWestFlash]

impulse60.jpg
About sums up why I love Impulse. Had such fun covers as well.

[Masterff]

Agreed, Max Mercury in particular. What a great character.

Actually Max Mercury exists in Rebirth.
He was in Flash Rebirth 4.

I do believe it was a mistake changing Bart from Impulse to Kid Flash - and he ABSOLUTELY lost his sense of fun because of it. (Again, argued against, but mandated by Dan)
Over time Bart just became a regular super-hero. The sense of fun or (heaven forbid) whimsy was completely removed.
His tenure as the Flash was a complete disaster. Not because he was the Flash, but because he was unrecognisable as Bart Allen.

I have to say that I liked the change to Kid Flash, because I prefer him and the entire generation to be taken seriously.
I like his Impulse Comics, but he, Conner, Cassie and Bart have outgrown their YJ Roles.

I can't agree. But then I don't like Impulse becoming Flash one day, either. He was his own person, and they even talked about how his code name reflected that. I think anyone giving up their (non-kid-lad-girl) code name to take someone else's hand-me-down name is a demotion/downgrade. I think they should make their own names as synonymous with "hero" and "greatness" as those first-genners did. Didn't like Steph giving up her own identity to take orders from Babs with her old name (a technically grown woman if she was 18 taking on a name with "girl" in it when she already had a perfectly good name that could age with her also wasn't great). I really, strongly prefer everyone forge their own identities instead of getting hand-me-down-ones. I know a lot of people love legacies, and I understand them from a business perspective, but I like all (at least adult, I've given up on Robin) heroes to have their own names. Reducing fan "teams" and infighting, clearer on tag searches, and doesn't reduce code names to a job title that can be anyone.

I just really hate the idea that "being Batman/Flash/Superman" is deemed the height of aspiration for all these young ones instead of making their own names just as great. Not to mention, the ages really don't work out - Bart is only 10ish years younger than Wally. So he goes by "Kid Flash" for 20-60 years until Wally's ready to retire (which is ridiculous), Wally dies young so he can get the role just as Barry did (wasn't a fan of it for either Barry or Wally), or he then picks another code name after Kid Flash and after 15+ years of using it, it still just isn't as "worthy" or "awesome" as The Flash (kind of an insult to Bart's accomplishments there) and he discards it for Flash when Wally retires.

Not really...

I agree with you if its a Code-Name like Nightwing, Steel, Miss Martian, Vixen, Static etc. etc. which you can use all the time, but Impulse is actually a name which was given to him by Batman and it has the connection to his behaviour, so its a Code-Name which has a more kind of negative connection for me and I am more in favor of another Code-Name.

Actually it was a natural progress for me to let him become Kid Flash, because he also became more mature at this time, learned etc.

Besides:
1. Sorry, but Kid Flash has just a longer history and is therefore more known than Impulse and it feels strange that Wallace has this Code-Name even Bart had it before him...
2. In Sins of youth Bart was aged and while I really loved Cassie and Conner as the Sins of Youth Versions I absolutely didnt like the grown up Impulse.
I really didnt like the Costume or the Name for him as older person...

I prefer other future Versions like the Dark Tomorrow Flash Bart Allen..

But I would be ok, if he, Conner, Tim and Cassie age and choose new Code-Names...

So for Bart I would prefer a new Code-Name (Godspeed would have been cool, but its already taken) like Red Jaguar or so....

[James Hunter]

Bart used to be one of my favorite characters and one of my first in general. First read about him in Flash Dead heat and then started collecting his solo series. He even surpassed Wally for me in the beginning. He was my age and he was such a fun and unique character. His comics had me rolling. He was also a big part of why I loved another one of my favorite series. Young Justice.

Then John's TT came and everything I loved about Bart was lost. Then came the New 52 abomination Bar Tor. So I unfortunately forgot why I loved the character so much and soon forgot about him altogether.

It actually took Bendis to bring Impulse in his YJ as his true self that it finally reminded me again why I love Impulse. Although he has yet to do something substantial with him.

With all that Bart is one of my favorite heroes and I'm glad he has an appreciation thread.

Obviously mileage will vary but I can't say I felt Bart lost any of the element of fun when he became Kid Flash under Johns, look at his role in the LEGION OF SUPER HEROES/TEEN TITANS one-shot for a role when he was fun (he also kept an element of fun in Titans Tomorrow, more o then the rest of the other future Titans at least, not that it was hard to be less grim then Tim Batman, Conner Superman or Raven there!)

I absolutely agree that Bar-Torr was an abomination (and I'm glad he seems to have been erased) but I don't agree that Kid Flash lost the element of fun.

All that said I do like having Bart back in the Impulse identity in Bendis' YOUNG JUSTICE.

[Digifiend]

I mean I just saw that as a funny bonding moment about how Tim hid a Batmobile in LA and the friends went on a joyride.

Why did Tim even need to steal a Batmobile anyway? He used to have his OWN car, the Redbird.

[Jekyll]

Actually Max Mercury exists in Rebirth.
He was in Flash Rebirth 4..

Two things.

1. Flash Rebirth was almost a decade ago now and Max hasn't been seen since. Except, maybe a brief cameo flashback in Flash War.
2. Flash Rebirth was NOT in the DC Rebirth which came afterwards.

[AdamFTF]

I have to say that I liked the change to Kid Flash, because I prefer him and the entire generation to be taken seriously.
I like his Impulse Comics, but he, Conner, Cassie and Bart have outgrown their YJ Roles.

I'm going to firmly disagree with this. There are more than enough serious superheroes. The world of superheroes needs more comedy!