Wally West: The Flash Appreciation 2022

[PennyDreadful]

Same goes for Bolt, who is a Teen Titans Academy student who's never been in a Flash comic. She hasn't even interacted much with Ace, who was also at the Academy.

And why is that? I ask because the speedsters are underutilized outside the Flash book. For instance, why haven't they appeared in any YA graphic novels? The Lanterns, the Arrow family, and the Aqua family are all featured prominently in anthologies, mini-series, and YA content. Why have the speedsters been ignored?

I remember, for instance, the Festival of Heroes, DC's tribute to Asian characters. The Flash has several interesting Asian characters. Aside from a pinup including Jai and Irey, none appeared. It's especially odd given that the Arrow family got three stories and the Flash family didn't get any.

[D.Z]

I liked Walter West's costume.

[9th.]

And why is that? I ask because the speedsters are underutilized outside the Flash book. For instance, why haven't they appeared in any YA graphic novels? The Lanterns, the Arrow family, and the Aqua family are all featured prominently in anthologies, mini-series, and YA content. Why have the speedsters been ignored?

I remember, for instance, the Festival of Heroes, DC's tribute to Asian characters. The Flash has several interesting Asian characters. Aside from a pinup including Jai and Irey, none appeared. It's especially odd given that the Arrow family got three stories and the Flash family didn't get any.

The Speedsters have GL syndrome where there's too many characters except they don't actually get any books.

[All Star Superman]

Re-read carefully what you replied to, please.

My apologies. That's what late-night computer viewing does at my age.

Honestly, these attempts at solutions remind me of when they try to "fix" DC continuity, they just end up breaking it even more...

I don't want a suit that reminds me of the worst era in Wally's life.

True.

It's Dan DiDio. The man has a well-documented history of wanting to bring Barry Allen back to prominence by burying Wally West at all costs. He spent almost two decades trying to erase Wally's legacy.

Danny must have had some dirt on WB higher-ups to have gotten that job and kept it for so long. The man did damage that may be truly irrevocable, especially to Wally.

At the end of the day, I think the best option is one I saw suggested somewhere: move Barry his pre-COIE status quo, maybe with adjustments like forming a new team of heroes in the future or exploring time/space/Multiverse/everything. He keeps his classic uniform. Wally, meanwhile, goes back to that beaut of a suit designed by the great Greg LaRocque. Barry earned his red and yellow and Wally has MORE than earned his red and gold:

Flash by Mark Waid Book Two-183.jpg

[Dred]

That may have been their sentiment, or it may have been they just wanted to lean into attributes that are uniquely Wally's. Either way, Wally also wasn't allowed a real honest effort at the time because the publisher didn't like him. If you give the character an honest effort to where he isn't held back, give him his own comic, give him his own suit (which he already actually has, and in my opinion, it is at least as good as Barry's), and make all of that great, then you can get rid of that sentiment. Case in point, Harley Quinn used to go around looking like a court jester all the time and gained huge success with that look, but someone tried something new and it clicked. It doesn't have to be, "This is the way it is and success can't be achieved any other way." That's just limiting thinking in my view. Wally doesn't need Barry's hand-me-downs to thrive.

Why doesn't Barry get his own name? Barry doesn't need Jay's hand-me-downs to thrive.

[Maxi]

I suppose Wally returning to prominence after nearly decade and a half of blatant mistreatment just when DiDio leaves DC is nothing but a massive coincidence.

[BohemiaDrinker]

I suppose Wally returning to prominence after nearly decade and a half of blatant mistreatment just when DiDio leaves DC is nothing but a massive coincidence.

Well, I do find it funny that Wally absorbed Doc. Manhattan powers, sat in Metron's chair, looked at what was wrong with the multiverse, exclaimed "I CAN FIX THIS!" and 2 days later Didio was fired;

[Maxi]

Well, I do find it funny that Wally absorbed Doc. Manhattan powers, sat in Metron's chair, looked at what was wrong with the multiverse, exclaimed "I CAN FIX THIS!" and 2 days later Didio was fired;

Not even Grant Morrison could have dreamed of doing such a meta comic

[D.Z]

They're gonna have to change up Barry and Wally's colors. Both can be Flash and wear the cowl though.

[Drako]

Sometime ago i made a edit on Brett Booth's Rebirth Suit to put a cowl and the lens on it. IMO it would work very well for him and you could still know right away which person was behind the mask.

I made another one with the image that got posted here. I didn't do much, just changed so it would look more like the 2009 Rebirth suit with some elements of the 2016 one. Not really sold on the blue\silver, but we can't have everything. Original image was here: https://community.cbr.com/showthread...=1#post6191266

[D.Z]

Maybe Barry can have green or white instead of red.

[The_Sneezing_Stormtrooper]

Perhaps they can add some more ugly New 52 lines to Barry's costume to help differentiate them

Seriously though, I used to be in the camp of giving Wally the DC Rebirth suit but since we've had him back in his 90s Flash costume it has just felt right. It would be hard to let it go again and now that he's the main Flash in the book I think he should have the iconic Flash look.

[Maxi]

The most sensible compromise for a Wally costume change would be 2009's Rebirth suit, darker red but taking from the 2016 costume the silver instead of gold. That plus the white lenses are more than enough to differentiate both characters. That's what they planned back then and that's what it should be done if both characters are going to co-exist IMO. I suppose it will be done at some point and I don't think DC's current management has any intention to bring him back to something resembling 2016's look nor changing his main color, so I see them doing that. I would always prefer gold but we can't have it all.

[BohemiaDrinker]

Wally already is in the '09 Rebirth suit. Not my absolute fave, but good enough to do the job.

[Refrax5]

Why doesn't Barry get his own name? Barry doesn't need Jay's hand-me-downs to thrive.

Barry didn't just mini-me Jay's costume, though. Wally should certainly be the Flash, but it seems lame of him to still just be cribbing Barry's look. It never made much sense for him to do so beyond corporate branding. People always talk about him growing out of Barry's shadow and being his own man, but somehow feel like him actually having his own costume is some kind of demotion. It's bizarre thinking to me. There's a mindset that he's entitled to and earned another guy's costume and it feels so awkward in practice. Dressing up like your childhood idol just seems kind of sad. Shouldn't he be creating his own legend? Barry's costume didn't become iconic by ripping off someone else.