"The Flash Is Not About Tragedy": Wally West Appreciation! (NO NUWALLY BASHING!!!)

[Rafa-Rivas-2099]

I can't believe this thing is still a popular post. I have been away about two years.

A lot has happened since then.

The Elongated Man is finally back (something smells fishy, I hope they don't kill Sue off or make her a villain). Apparently, the Flashpoint thingy with Barry's mom somehow altered Sue's genetics and made her a light-brunette. But hey, I'm telling you. Wally is black now. Are we even allowed to comment on that? I think the proper reaction should be the same as if Jimmy Olsen became black-haired. We all know that's not the traditional look, and we'd probably want a comeback for the next continuity, but it's not a big deal as long as we get the right characterization. With light-brunette Sue, I can just hope somebody paints her hair.

Anyway, I do hope at some point this wally gets to be the only Flash for a long season.

[Atlanta96]

I can't believe this thing is still a popular post. I have been away about two years.

A lot has happened since then.

The Elongated Man is finally back (something smells fishy, I hope they don't kill Sue off or make her a villain). Apparently, the Flashpoint thingy with Barry's mom somehow altered Sue's genetics and made her a light-brunette. But hey, I'm telling you. Wally is black now. Are we even allowed to comment on that? I think the proper reaction should be the same as if Jimmy Olsen became black-haired. We all know that's not the traditional look, and we'd probably want a comeback for the next continuity, but it's not a big deal as long as we get the right characterization. With light-brunette Sue, I can just hope somebody paints her hair.

Anyway, I do hope at some point this wally gets to be the only Flash for a long season.

Welcome back. So, Ralph and Sue have returned. When did that happen? I guess it's only a matter of time before Plastic Man finally returns!

I've never been against changing the race of characters, but I hate when it's done to popular redheads. It's too jarring a change. I wouldn't want Jimmy or Wally to be white blondes or brunettes either. Black Donna Troy? Cool. American Indian Raven? Cool. Black Johnny Storm? Cool. But please let the popular gingers be gingers!

Actually, if they wanted to make Wally a different race to increase diversity, I wouldn't mind if they made him an Asian kid who dyes his hair red, or gains red hair from the speed force or something. I've seen redheaded Asian men and women in videogames and stuff who look cool.

[Kyer]

Welcome back. So, Ralph and Sue have returned. When did that happen? I guess it's only a matter of time before Plastic Man finally returns!

I've never been against changing the race of characters, but I hate when it's done to popular redheads. It's too jarring a change. I wouldn't want Jimmy or Wally to be white blondes or brunettes either. Black Donna Troy? Cool. American Indian Raven? Cool. Black Johnny Storm? Cool. But please let the popular gingers be gingers!

Actually, if they wanted to make Wally a different race to increase diversity, I wouldn't mind if they made him an Asian kid who dyes his hair red, or gains red hair from the speed force or something. I've seen redheaded Asian men and women in videogames and stuff who look cool.

I'm big on foundations. If Wally started white/red haired male then he should remain so. Also a hero. And a speedster. Those are parts of who Wally is personality and physical makeup. A permanently villainous Wally would be just as wrong to me as a...well, a NuWally.

If John Stewart started black then he should remain so. Also a hero. And a Green Lantern. (Okay, his remaining a GL isn't so big as that's a job. You can change jobs. You can dye your hair. But some things are just plain fundamental and shouldn't be messed with. Others can be messed with, but only if there is a darn good reason. So I can see John dying his hair blue (if he's lost his mind ) and going for a teaching position, but if they make him Asian I'll be almost as ticked off as I am about NuWally. The 'almost' is merely due to the fact that Wally is my favorite.

If they remade the TV show Flipper into a movie called Flipper, but it starred Gentle Ben with the name Flipper....I'd be feeling fan rage about that too and for the same reason.

That's my two cents anyway.

[dan12456]

Welcome back. So, Ralph and Sue have returned. When did that happen? I guess it's only a matter of time before Plastic Man finally returns!

I've never been against changing the race of characters, but I hate when it's done to popular redheads. It's too jarring a change. I wouldn't want Jimmy or Wally to be white blondes or brunettes either. Black Donna Troy? Cool. American Indian Raven? Cool. Black Johnny Storm? Cool. But please let the popular gingers be gingers!

Actually, if they wanted to make Wally a different race to increase diversity, I wouldn't mind if they made him an Asian kid who dyes his hair red, or gains red hair from the speed force or something. I've seen redheaded Asian men and women in videogames and stuff who look cool.

The new Secret Six.

[Spider-Ham]

Williamson on Wally West :

Nrama: Speaking of people Barry has mentored, will Wally West play a part in your Flash story?

Williamson: Yes, definitely. I wanted to use Wally, it was really important to me to use him, and I love writing him. I can’t say too much other than that.

Can't wait to read his book !

[Winghead]

The only thing anyone has said about Barry post Rebirth is mentor and teacher. I wonder if the book will cast Barry as the Obi-Wan with pre New52 Wally as the main star of the book. Or at least there will be 2 Flashes. Can't see what all the secrets are about otherwise.

[Rafa-Rivas-2099]

Welcome back. So, Ralph and Sue have returned. When did that happen? I guess it's only a matter of time before Plastic Man finally returns!

I've never been against changing the race of characters, but I hate when it's done to popular redheads. It's too jarring a change. I wouldn't want Jimmy or Wally to be white blondes or brunettes either. Black Donna Troy? Cool. American Indian Raven? Cool. Black Johnny Storm? Cool. But please let the popular gingers be gingers!

Actually, if they wanted to make Wally a different race to increase diversity, I wouldn't mind if they made him an Asian kid who dyes his hair red, or gains red hair from the speed force or something. I've seen redheaded Asian men and women in videogames and stuff who look cool.

Ralph was undercover as part of the new Secret Six. It has been established that Superman knew him s Ralph, so the basics might still be there. However, nothing is as basic as his mysteries, his friendship to Barry and Wally or his team-ups with Batman, and we still have to see about that.

Asian red-haired would work. Hmmm There are an option that would give him character in his current situation: https://www.google.com.mx/search?q=r...d+black+person

I'm big on foundations. If Wally started white/red haired male then he should remain so. Also a hero. And a speedster. Those are parts of who Wally is personality and physical makeup. A permanently villainous Wally would be just as wrong to me as a...well, a NuWally.

If John Stewart started black then he should remain so. Also a hero. And a Green Lantern. (Okay, his remaining a GL isn't so big as that's a job. You can change jobs. You can dye your hair. But some things are just plain fundamental and shouldn't be messed with. Others can be messed with, but only if there is a darn good reason. So I can see John dying his hair blue (if he's lost his mind ) and going for a teaching position, but if they make him Asian I'll be almost as ticked off as I am about NuWally. The 'almost' is merely due to the fact that Wally is my favorite.

If they remade the TV show Flipper into a movie called Flipper, but it starred Gentle Ben with the name Flipper....I'd be feeling fan rage about that too and for the same reason.

That's my two cents anyway.

I think I still prefer the regular look. For the same reason I wouldn't like a white Cyborg, I guess. Once it has been established that there are many continuities, it becomes less noteworthy.

[JBatmanFan05]

I think if we ever see the real wally ever again it will.be through a multiverse tale,not in the Flash series sadly.DC is all in for the nuWally,their not gonna backtrack to make any of us happy.hopefully by the end of the year we get a multiverse book where wally can be

This better not be true. Old Wally better be back or a lot of fan division will probably continue.

[upgrayedd]

This better not be true. Old Wally better be back or a lot of fan division will probably continue.

I wish there was a "like" button. June isn't getting here fast enough.

[stephens2177]

This better not be true. Old Wally better be back or a lot of fan division will probably continue.

They dont care about what the actual ppl who buy comics want,only what looks good in our PC progressive state we have got ourselves stuck in.

The hand on the Rebirth cover is probably not wally either,but damn would that be great.

Like i said before all of us classic wally fans need to keep screaming for a Multiverse book,cause that is the only way we are gonna see our wally again.after Flashpoint wally has only been convergence,which was a multiverse story,so i will not get my hopes up.

[Kyer]

They dont care about what the actual ppl who buy comics want,only what looks good in our PC progressive state we have got ourselves stuck in.

The hand on the Rebirth cover is probably not wally either,but damn would that be great.

Like i said before all of us classic wally fans need to keep screaming for a Multiverse book,cause that is the only way we are gonna see our wally again.after Flashpoint wally has only been convergence,which was a multiverse story,so i will not get my hopes up.

IMHO, PC stands for Patheticly Compliant. There is a huge gap between PC and the 'classical' Do onto others as you would have them do onto you.

Apparently, Didio & Co are hoping that ten years from now the new editorial team will twisttheir favorite character into something they despise in the name of modern expediancy in pandering to the 1% over the 99%?

[skyvolt2000]

They dont care about what the actual ppl who buy comics want,only what looks good in our PC progressive state we have got ourselves stuck in.

The hand on the Rebirth cover is probably not wally either,but damn would that be great.

Like i said before all of us classic wally fans need to keep screaming for a Multiverse book,cause that is the only way we are gonna see our wally again.after Flashpoint wally has only been convergence,which was a multiverse story,so i will not get my hopes up.

Oh no-the PC crowd did NOT want this. They did not want Wally West replaced by a kid who was introduced to every stereotype you could think of.

Folks wanted actual POC used MORE like Vixen or Static or XS.

Believe I want diversity but not like this. This was just lazy writing by folks who didn't want to do work in building up a minority.

[Atlanta96]

Oh no-the PC crowd did NOT want this. They did not want Wally West replaced by a kid who was introduced to every stereotype you could think of.

Folks wanted actual POC used MORE like Vixen or Static or XS.

Believe I want diversity but not like this. This was just lazy writing by folks who didn't want to do work in building up a minority.

I'm a pretty big diversity proponent as well. Heck, if I was in charge of DC, I might racebend some characters myself. That American Indian Raven from Teen Titans Earth One, I wouldn't mind making her the main Prime Earth Raven. And I hate it when characters who are POC or biracial have their ethnicity downplayed to the point that no one knows they're POC. I only recently found out Kyle Rayner was half Hispanic, and I was p*ssed off that I didn't know sooner.

But Wally West is the absolute last character who should have been changed in any way. After downgrading him to "the other Flash" pre-Flashpoint, and then erasing him from existence Post, DC should have made Wally as recognizable to fans as possible. But instead, they used it as an opportunity for lazy, forced diversity that ended up insulting both sides of the PC debate. Writing Nu-Wally with old Wally's personality isn't enough, we just need the old character back.

[colonyofcells]

My guess is Geoff Johns is bringing back both white Wally West and Jay Garrick in Rebirth. It is just not Rebirth without white Wally West. White Wally West is probably the biggest missing character on post flashpoint prime earth.
http://www.comics.org/issue/824286/cover/4/

[Pohzee]

I'm a pretty big diversity proponent as well. Heck, if I was in charge of DC, I might racebend some characters myself. That American Indian Raven from Teen Titans Earth One, I wouldn't mind making her the main Prime Earth Raven.

So it's only okay to racebend the characters that you want to?

And I hate it when characters who are POC or biracial have their ethnicity downplayed to the point that no one knows they're POC. I only recently found out Kyle Rayner was half Hispanic, and I was p*ssed off that I didn't know sooner.

I actually prefer when a character is written in a way that they are not walking racial stereotypes. Race is afterall just superficial, like hair color. I understand that the disparity between the treatment of some races may lead to different experiences in upbringing, but everyone is raised differently and has different experiences. I don't know how you expect someone to act black or hispanic without engaging in stereotypes.