Wally West: The Flash Appreciation 2023

[BohemiaDrinker]

I just love Bart so, so much!

[Maxi]

spoilers:

Also, Irey went out as Impulse, but Bart and Ace had gone off without telling the others so Bart doesn't know. If he catches her in that costume I suspect he won't be pleased - maybe that's what finally prompts the debut of her new costume and codename?

end of spoilers

Irey was already using that costume in front of Bart back in the final arc of Williamson's run and he didn't say anything.

[dswynne]

I want to see a BRAVE AND THE BOLD series starring The Flash, where he teams up with different heroes. Why should Batman get such a consideration?

[Drako]

I want to see a BRAVE AND THE BOLD series starring The Flash, where he teams up with different heroes. Why should Batman get such a consideration?

Cause he is DC biggest seller.

[SanityOrMadness]

spoilers:

With that powerset, please don't tell me it's Megan Morse... Martians are telepaths and the Miss Murder codename is similar to Miss Martian.

end of spoilers

The Martian thought certainly occurred to me with the green skin. Bear in mind, any captives who the Fraction took *before* the arc started may well be from alternate universes or hypertimelines.

As for the whole "Batman Who Laughs" thing... no way that mask is a coincidence. Even if there is no IN-STORY link, they were looking for the likes of Rich to make the connection.

As for another character in this issue...
spoilers:

Is the kid rescued by Bart and Ace Bar-Torr? He's been gone since New 52. Bart won't be happy if it is him and he finds out he stole his name. Also, Irey went out as Impulse, but Bart and Ace had gone off without telling the others so Bart doesn't know. If he catches her in that costume I suspect he won't be pleased - maybe that's what finally prompts the debut of her new costume and codename?

end of spoilers

He wasn't connected to the Speed Force.

Irey was already using that costume in front of Bart back in the final arc of Williamson's run and he didn't say anything.

Well, technically SHE complained AT HIM!

[Ilan Preskovsky]

My one gripe with the story so far is that Wally doesn't seem nearly as crushed by Iris' "death" (I mean, come on) as he should be considering how close he has always been to her. Frankly, it's kind of surprising that she hasn't shown up more in the book, especially when Barry was off on his multiverse missions. But then, considering that Wally and Barry and Iris all seem to be the same age, maybe they're just trying to downplay that she's his aunt and Barry is his -

Ah, screwy comic book timelines. They really don't make a lick of sense do they?

[Dred]

Yeah I think there's some explicit awkwardness there that they're dancing around. It's like how Iris and Barry just ignored Wally's whole deal for ages when Barry was the lead -- Flash War into HiC into everything else.

I don't think the kid is a future version of Wally and Linda's. I mean he just got rescued, Jai and Iris were rescuing him in the future, not now. I think there's going to be some other connection. Also he doesn't have red or black hair.

[Refrax5]

I just love Bart so, so much!

Me too! This issue reminded me of why he was always a favorite of mine.

[Digifiend]

My one gripe with the story so far is that Wally doesn't seem nearly as crushed by Iris' "death" (I mean, come on) as he should be considering how close he has always been to her. Frankly, it's kind of surprising that she hasn't shown up more in the book, especially when Barry was off on his multiverse missions. But then, considering that Wally and Barry and Iris all seem to be the same age, maybe they're just trying to downplay that she's his aunt and Barry is his -

Ah, screwy comic book timelines. They really don't make a lick of sense do they?

Do the Legion of Super-Heroes have de-aging tech? If so, they could use it to explain Iris's youth, as Barry and Iris spent time in the future before the first Crisis, and by the time Iris came back she'd aged up significantly (she'd raised the Tornado Twins, who in turn became parents to Bart and his cousin XS, the latter of whom is a Legionnaire). Barry's youth can be explained by his death and resurrection - the same goes for Supergirl (who, like Barry, also died in the Crisis), who is supposedly 21 but should be older than Nightwing, who's about 30. Barry didn't age while dead and Wally therefore caught up to him. When Barry came back, maybe Iris used de-aging technology off panel? They really should've explained this at the time, considering Iris de-aged when Barry came back, and not because of the New 52 reboot. This problem dates back to Barry's resurrection 14 years ago.

[dornwolf]

Excuse me I’m just going to sit here and bask in the greatness that is this character and current run. Don’t mind me

[BohemiaDrinker]

But then, considering that Wally and Barry and Iris all seem to be the same age, maybe they're just trying to downplay that she's his aunt and Barry is his

In all fairness, they're like, 27 and 35, right?

When I was a kid in the distant era of the 1980's, there indeed was a noticeable difference between 27s and 35s. Today, it feels like you only start aging at 50;

[Refrax5]

In all fairness, they're like, 27 ad 35, right?

When I was a kid in the distant era of the 1980's, there indeed was a noticeable between 27s and 35s. Today, it feels like you only start aging at 50;

Barry would probably only be in his 30s, but Iris raised adult children in the future and looked older back in the original run of Wally as Flash. Then again, its not really clear if that's still in continuity, so maybe she is still only in her 30s.

[BohemiaDrinker]

Barry would probably only be in his 30s, but Iris raised adult children in the future and looked older back in the original run of Wally as Flash. Then again, its not really clear if that's still in continuity, so maybe she is still only in her 30s.

Her raising of Don, Dawn, Jenni and Bart has to be still in continuity for the sake of Bart's existence. But they may play Iris' youth a few different ways if they want to.

- Remain with the continuity of Flash Rebirth and claim that she got rejuvenated by Barry's resurrection.
- Handwave it and say that she's just a really good looking 60s something.
- Say that although all of that stuff in the future happened, it hasn't happened yet. Barry and Iris haven't gone to the future yet, haven't had kids yet, etc. This is my preferred one, because it allows for a future version ofd Barry to have actually raised his kids (something I see as a deep character flaw since his return). This would require adjustments to the continuity we know, of course, but then again, right now what doesn't?

[The_Sneezing_Stormtrooper]

This has been my favourite arc of what has already been a really good run. This is what I wanted back in 2008 when Barry came back. Big arcs like Waid used to do involving the whole Flash family but only now we have an even bigger team of speedsters to pull from. Ace and Bart are a pair I never thought I would enjoy reading so much.

I really enjoyed the whole backstory of how the Fraction became how they are and I'm interested to see how they develop as villains. I like the Rogues, Grodd and Reverse Flash but it feel genuinely refreshing to have a threat that feels new like this that actually feels like they could have recurring appearances.

Yeah I think there's some explicit awkwardness there that they're dancing around. It's like how Iris and Barry just ignored Wally's whole deal for ages when Barry was the lead -- Flash War into HiC into everything else.

I don't think the kid is a future version of Wally and Linda's. I mean he just got rescued, Jai and Iris were rescuing him in the future, not now. I think there's going to be some other connection. Also he doesn't have red or black hair.

My theory is that it's the kid Barry and Iris are going to have in the present day. They started the arc off talking about potentially having kids again soon and having that kid show up would let us know that Iris is going to be alive again soon.

[BohemiaDrinker]

This has been my favourite arc of what has already been a really good run.

The Ace and Bart pairing working so well attests to something I always said here: establish characters as they are in their best form, and then make them play of each other. This applies to costumes, characterization, continuity, the whole of it. Bart and Ace worked so well here because Bart was Bart and Ace was Ace (well, it was Jeremey Adams' Ace, but I think that the character only found his voice under his pen, so it applies) and they played of of their strengths and weaknesses, instead of trying to work around some "redundancy" fear because they're from the same gen. Same applies for Wally and Barry or, I don't know, any 2 green lanterns.

This is what I wanted back in 2008 when Barry came back. Big arcs like Waid used to do involving the whole Flash family but only now we have an even bigger team of speedsters to pull from. Ace and Bart are a pair I never thought I would enjoy reading so much.

Yeah. They basically undid Wally, demoted Jay and Max, forced Irey and Bart further into roles they didn't fit, put Jesse in that ridiculous outfit, topped it off with making Barry sad, and then wondered why it didn't work so well as they hoped,.¯\_(ツ)_/¯