Why do people hate Barry Allen?

[Vic Vega]

that literally isn't true there were plenty of Flash fans who wanted Barry Allen back

If the Barry Allen Flash had been selling well, they wouldn't have opted to kill him off in Crisis.

Remember they specifically chose Super Girl and Flash to kill off because their books were not selling well.

While Wally's book sold well up to the point where they gave him kids.

They hobbled a successful book and character for Silver Age nostalgia. And they still are doing it from the looks of things.

[superduperman]

BECAUSE HE'S NOT THE REAL FLASH!!!!!1111111oneoneone

WALLY FOREVER!!!!!!!1111111oneoneone

ANYONE WHO DISAGREES HATES FLASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111111111111111oneo neone

In all seriousness, I think it's because that's the version they grew up with. Especially if you grew up with the JL cartoon. There's also a backlash to the idea of editors just using the main canon as their own personal fan fiction. Bringing back Barry just because that's the version that the editors grew up with is considered an abuse of power in some circles.

[Hatut Zeraze]

He knows what he did.

[SiegePerilous02]

What it boils down to for the most part is that he is not Wally West. It's a case of subjective nostalgia vs. subjective nostalgia.

But it isn't simply fanboy biases at war with each other either. If the worst that happened was Barry came back and Wally and his family got sidelined (but were otherwise unharmed), Wally fans would understandably be pissed but ultimately they would just have to suck it up for a bit. Merits of the narrative aside, Wally had 20 years in the role while Barry fans had to listen about how their favorite was better off dead and he was always boring anyway and Wally was the best. That's never fun to be on the receiving end on.

But following Barry's return, they not only sidelined Wally, they obliterated the poor bastard. First his continuity then his character in HiC (essentially Emerald Twilight 2.0; it sucked then, it sucks now). Barry got treated better in his death scenario than Wally (or Hal back in the 90s), so there is a clear difference. But that still isn't the best excuse to go to some of the extremes of bashing Barry the character that we sometimes see.

[captchuck]

I grew up with Barry, so I like Barry. I always thought he was bland, but he was The Flash and had odd villains.

[Dboi2001]

If the Barry Allen Flash had been selling well, they wouldn't have opted to kill him off in Crisis.

Remember they specifically chose Super Girl and Flash to kill off because their books were not selling well.

While Wally's book sold well up to the point where they gave him kids.

They hobbled a successful book and character for Silver Age nostalgia. And they still are doing it from the looks of things.

And bringing back Wally isn’t hobbling for Bronze age nostalgia? I can guarantee you if Wally ddi Flashpoint and Wally was rebooted as the one and only Flash who was a police scientist no one would care

Wolfman was against killing Barry because he was still fairly popular. Trail of the Flash sold well before it got dragged out and yes people ddi petition for being Barry back

I’m going to be upfront if it wasn’t for Flash Rebirth or Green Lantern Rebirth I probably wouldn’t read DC outside of anything Batman or Justice League related

[Dred]

And bringing back Wally isn’t hobbling for Bronze age nostalgia? I can guarantee you if Wally ddi Flashpoint and Wally was rebooted as the one and only Flash who was a police scientist no one would care

Wolfman was against killing Barry because he was still fairly popular. Trail of the Flash sold well before it got dragged out and yes people ddi petition for being Barry back

I’m going to be upfront if it wasn’t for Flash Rebirth or Green Lantern Rebirth I probably wouldn’t read DC outside of anything Batman or Justice League related

Please tell me where you found these Trial of The Flash sales numbers.

Because Flash sales were notably declining long before Trial. That's why they killed Iris.

Wally's run isn't from the Bronze Age. Barry was The Flash for the Bronze Age. I feel like you just seriously do not know what you're talking about.

[Jekyll]

And bringing back Wally isn’t hobbling for Bronze age nostalgia? I can guarantee you if Wally ddi Flashpoint and Wally was rebooted as the one and only Flash who was a police scientist no one would care

Wolfman was against killing Barry because he was still fairly popular. Trail of the Flash sold well before it got dragged out and yes people ddi petition for being Barry back

I’m going to be upfront if it wasn’t for Flash Rebirth or Green Lantern Rebirth I probably wouldn’t read DC outside of anything Batman or Justice League related

Congrats and if it wasn’t for Wally and the strong legacy characters of the 90s I wouldn’t be reading DC comics. Those characters and the original golden age/legacy JSA characters are the only reason I pick up DC books.

[Dboi2001]

Please tell me where you found these Trial of The Flash sales numbers.

Because Flash sales were notably declining long before Trial. That's why they killed Iris.

Wally's run isn't from the Bronze Age. Barry was The Flash for the Bronze Age. I feel like you just seriously do not know what you're talking about.

And Wally says were declining too yet everyone thinks it is a conspiracy that DC wanted Wally gone. Just because a series falls off doesn't mean people hate the character

Fine then isn't bringing Wally back is hobbling for Dark Age nostalgia?

[Dred]

And Wally says were declining too yet everyone thinks it is a conspiracy that DC wanted Wally gone. Just because a series falls off doesn't mean people hate the character

Fine then isn't bringing Wally back is hobbling for Dark Age nostalgia?

Wally sales were going up when they cancelled him.

Sure. Though I've never criticized nostalgia personally. I just don't believe most of the fans these days were nostalgic for the Pre-Crisis comics. I doubt they'd be very popular today. The vast, vast majority of Barry readers have just only known Barry. Which was hilariously not the case with Wally because Barry was mentioned constantly during Wally's run, so most Wally fans knew and appreciated Barry. The majority of Flash readers' first taste of Wally was...Venditti and Van Jensen's racist caricature.

[superduperman]

He knows what he did.

And he's never apologized for it, either!

[Dboi2001]

Wally sales were going up when they cancelled him.

Sure. Though I've never criticized nostalgia personally. I just don't believe most of the fans these days were nostalgic for the Pre-Crisis comics. I doubt they'd be very popular today. The vast, vast majority of Barry readers have just only known Barry. Which was hilariously not the case with Wally because Barry was mentioned constantly during Wally's run, so most Wally fans knew and appreciated Barry. The majority of Flash readers' first taste of Wally was...Venditti and Van Jensen's racist caricature.

Up compared to Flash: The Fastest Man Alive? Not a very high bar now is that?

I assume you mean people under the age of 20 and millennials? You act like it is impossible for people to read non contemporary or recent comics when plenty of comic shops sell older comics for cheap. I'm very certain New 52 readers were aware of Wally before the New 52

[Dred]

Up compared to Flash: The Fastest Man Alive? Not a very high bar now is that?

I assume you mean people under the age of 20 and millennials? You act like it is impossible for people to read non contemporary or recent comics when plenty of comic shops sell older comics for cheap. I'm very certain New 52 readers were aware of Wally before the New 52

When they originally cancelled Wally that was before Fastest Man Alive. Everything after that is literally DC just tossing crap into a pot waiting for a good time to bring back Barry.

I didn't say anything about age. I assume most people who came in on the Barry train don't dig back 5-25 years for comics about a character they don't know or care about.

I mean they know who he is now but even then not really. I can't count how many times I've seen people outright be confused that Wally isn't black because of the one two combo of New 52 Wally and the show.

[Dboi2001]

When they originally cancelled Wally that was before Fastest Man Alive. Everything after that is literally DC just tossing crap into a pot waiting for a good time to bring back Barry.

I didn't say anything about age. I assume most people who came in on the Barry train don't dig back 5-25 years for comics about a character they don't know or care about.

I mean they know who he is now but even then not really. I can't count how many times I've seen people outright be confused that Wally isn't black because of the one two combo of New 52 Wally and the show.

And I've seen people confused as to why Nick Fury and Iris West weren't black or why Starfire is sexualized in most movies or comics (even disregarding Lobdell's take on her) what's your point? Movies and shows will obviously change the general view on them since they get more exposure. Like for the longest time I didn't even know Young Justice was a comic and it was nothing like the show. Hell for a while I thought Zatanna was Dick Grayson's love interest when she was more Batman's love interest and she and Dick never had a connection not mention my confusion when I found out that Kaldur and Artemis were created for the show. People assume Fury is black because of the MCU and Starfire is a doe eyed naive dame from Teen Titans and in fact DC then made attempts to make her more like that version specifically with her solo run where she was basically a 180 of Lobdell's take. Like it's pretty damn funny that despite technically being the same person Starfire gets confused when her friend tells her she looks like a stripper and is "releasing the hounds" when she had her shirt unbuttoned when in RHatO she is basically a sex puppy and would probably go "I know". Then in Rebirth they made her more like the DCAU movies where she hits a middle ground between unhinged nymphomaniac and a doe eyed innocent and naive fish out of water

It is fairly common for comics to mimic a tv show or movie that is out around the same time for better or for worse

I really don't think the CW had plans on introducing Wally at first and it was just a coincidence that Iris was played by a black woman despite the fact Iris was always white (though I guess they could've made him biracial like the comics). They even made Wally 17 and Iris' brother. Also Wallace in the New 52 really didn't act anything like CW Wally and has kinda changed to fit more or less in line with the show even trading out his silver and red suit (which I liked in its own right) for the classic red and yellow Kid Flash suit which he wore in the show. CW Wally has more in common with ginger Wally than Wallace

It isn't the first time a comic character has changed race. I'm sure if Wallace was well written people wouldn't have cared

I can only speak for myself but after reading Green Lantern and Flash Rebirth I absolutely dug around to find info about their histories and pick up older comics. I even bought the Mark Waid and Geoff Johns Omnibuses of Wally because of Flash Rebirth (granted that was a few years later)

[Agent Z]

And I've seen people confused as to why Nick Fury and Iris West weren't black or why Starfire is sexualized in most movies or comics (even disregarding Lobdell's take on her) what's your point? Movies and shows will obviously change the general view on them since they get more exposure. Like for the longest time I didn't even know Young Justice was a comic and it was nothing like the show. Hell for a while I thought Zatanna was Dick Grayson's love interest when she was more Batman's love interest and she and Dick never had a connection not mention my confusion when I found out that Kaldur and Artemis were created for the show.

Artemis wasn't created for the show. She existed in the comics since the late 80s. Where did you get that information?