Flash #785 Spoilers/Discussion (Read Before Dark Crisis #4).

[married guy]

Wasn't that bad. It wasn't as if Linda were whaling on him and cursing him out. She just needed to wake him up, something that Wally should have done, but didn't because his respect for Barry prevented him from doing what was necessary.

The scene raises an interesting question: how well have Barry and Linda come to know each other? For years, Linda only knew Barry as the uncle whom Wally worshiped and couldn't stop talking about. Her first meeting with Barry (nearly thirty years ago now in real time) was actually Eobard Thawne impersonating him, and she didn't get to meet the real Barry properly until Barry returned in FINAL CRISIS. However, we haven't really seen Barry and Linda interact much in the fourteen years since FINAL CRISIS. Their interaction in # 785 is as much interaction as we've really seen between these two important figures in Wally's life.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

That's a bloody good point! Definitely another story avenue worth taking. Wally would definitely want both of them to get along.

[Frontier]

Wasn't that bad. It wasn't as if Linda were whaling on him and cursing him out. She just needed to wake him up, something that Wally should have done, but didn't because his respect for Barry prevented him from doing what was necessary.

The scene raises an interesting question: how well have Barry and Linda come to know each other? For years, Linda only knew Barry as the uncle whom Wally worshiped and couldn't stop talking about. Her first meeting with Barry (nearly thirty years ago now in real time) was actually Eobard Thawne impersonating him, and she didn't get to meet the real Barry properly until Barry returned in FINAL CRISIS. However, we haven't really seen Barry and Linda interact much in the fourteen years since FINAL CRISIS. Their interaction in # 785 is as much interaction as we've really seen between these two important figures in Wally's life.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

I think it was the execution, especially the punch, that made it come off as a bit excessive.

[Dred]

Wasn't that bad. It wasn't as if Linda were whaling on him and cursing him out. She just needed to wake him up, something that Wally should have done, but didn't because his respect for Barry prevented him from doing what was necessary.

The scene raises an interesting question: how well have Barry and Linda come to know each other? For years, Linda only knew Barry as the uncle whom Wally worshiped and couldn't stop talking about. Her first meeting with Barry (nearly thirty years ago now in real time) was actually Eobard Thawne impersonating him, and she didn't get to meet the real Barry properly until Barry returned in FINAL CRISIS. However, we haven't really seen Barry and Linda interact much in the fourteen years since FINAL CRISIS. Their interaction in # 785 is as much interaction as we've really seen between these two important figures in Wally's life.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

Barry has practically no interaction with any of Wally's cast. He was immediately distant from all of them so there's absolutely no relationship built on page, but every now and then it gets implied off screen that there is one. Linda appeared on all of 1 page after Flash Rebirth, in the background, after Barry came back to life after all. And by the time she was allowed to appear recently, Barry was already off with the JL Incarnate.

[Batgrayson]

Another fun great issue.

Weird thing is on Ace's party, Emiko was there last issue, but on this was she was replaced with Avery, and she is Ace's wife. During Williamson 's run, I never got the impression he likes her in that way.

[Buried Alien]

Barry has practically no interaction with any of Wally's cast. He was immediately distant from all of them so there's absolutely no relationship built on page, but every now and then it gets implied off screen that there is one. Linda appeared on all of 1 page after Flash Rebirth, in the background, after Barry came back to life after all. And by the time she was allowed to appear recently, Barry was already off with the JL Incarnate.

This really needs to get rectified. When Barry first returned, one thing I was looking forward to was his meeting and interacting with the newer characters who emerged in the DCU (beyond even the FLASH cast that grew around Wally Post-COIE). Fourteen years into Barry's second lease on life, we still have precious little of this.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[married guy]

This really needs to get rectified. When Barry first returned, one thing I was looking forward to was his meeting and interacting with the newer characters who emerged in the DCU (beyond even the FLASH cast that grew around Wally Post-COIE). Fourteen years into Barry's second lease on life, we still have precious little of this.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

It's massive missed opportunity storywise isn't it??
The reason why is obviously the mandate at the time, but it's definitely something which should be explored now.
It irks me that we haven't seen Barry spend any time with the Flash Family. You think upon his return he'd be keen to spend some quality time with his wife, nephew, grandson, Jay & Joan.
I'm not talking a 6 issue storyline, but an issue, a panel here or there showing that Barry is actually connecting with friends and family.

[Buried Alien]

It's massive missed opportunity storywise isn't it??
The reason why is obviously the mandate at the time, but it's definitely something which should be explored now.
It irks me that we haven't seen Barry spend any time with the Flash Family. You think upon his return he'd be keen to spend some quality time with his wife, nephew, grandson, Jay & Joan.
I'm not talking a 6 issue storyline, but an issue, a panel here or there showing that Barry is actually connecting with friends and family.

One gem of a moment from BLACKEST NIGHT was when Barry and Hal were talking, and Barry mistakenly referred to Robin as "Dick" (Grayson), forgetting that Dick wasn't Robin anymore. Hal had to correct Barry that a new young man named Tim Drake was the current Robin (though ironically, Tim would soon be supplanted by Damian). Barry had a LOT of catching up to do.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Digifiend]

Wasn't Damian already Robin by then? You're talking about 2010, and the Bat family shuffle that changed the mantles of Dick (Nightwing to Batman), Tim (Robin to Red Robin), Steph (Spoiler to Batgirl), and Damian had happened the year before.

Another fun great issue.

Weird thing is on Ace's party, Emiko was there last issue, but on this was she was replaced with Avery, and she is Ace's wife. During Williamson 's run, I never got the impression he likes her in that way.

Maybe editorial pointed out that Ace and Emiko were on the rocks in Teen Titans Academy? Perhaps plans for Emiko elsewhere (her next book is the Stargirl mini) meant they needed to change it?

[Refrax5]

Wasn't Damian already Robin by then? You're talking about 2010, and the Bat family shuffle that changed the mantles of Dick (Nightwing to Batman), Tim (Robin to Red Robin), Steph (Spoiler to Batgirl), and Damian had happened the year before.

Maybe editorial pointed out that Ace and Emiko were on the rocks in Teen Titans Academy? Perhaps plans for Emiko elsewhere (her next book is the Stargirl mini) meant they needed to change it?

I think Damian had only just become Robin. There's a pretty good chance Hal wasn't aware Tim was going by Red Robin at that point.

[Dataweaver]

Yeah; the Dick-as-Batman/Damian-as-Robin/Tim-as-Red-Robin/Stephanie-as-Batgirl thing happened in 2009 and lasted right up to Flashpoint in late 2011; exactly two years, if I remember correctly. Blackest Night was 2009–2010, and ironically coincided with the time that it was widely believed that Bruce was dead.

It's also worth noting that when Barry died, Dick was already Nightwing; and Jason was the current Robin.

[Refrax5]

Yeah; the Dick-as-Batman/Damian-as-Robin/Tim-as-Red-Robin/Stephanie-as-Batgirl thing happened in 2009 and lasted right up to Flashpoint in late 2011; exactly two years, if I remember correctly. Blackest Night was 2009–2010, and ironically coincided with the time that it was widely believed that Bruce was dead.

It's also worth noting that when Barry died, Dick was already Nightwing; and Jason was the current Robin.

Yeah, Barry and Hal are lamenting the death of Bruce Wayne in-universe at the beginning of Blackest Night, so it JUST happened. So Dick becoming Batman and Tim becoming RR was brand new and Hal probably hadn't heard.

As for Dick being Nightwing when Barry died, Barry was going through a lot during his last years before COIE and he probably forgot or didn't notice in the first place.