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

[Waterfall]

I like Rocafort's Wally...

[Atlanta96]

I certainly understand the frustration, but I still have faith in Abnett when it comes to Wally. He's been anything but shy when talking about how big of a fan he is of the character.

Love of a character does not equal ability to write that character. I'm a vocal Wally fan and that doesn't mean I could write great stories with him, although I could probably weite him better than he's actually being written just because of how bad it is right now.

[Waterfall]

I understand what Abnett is trying to do:

Again, I was very amused by some of the comments that came out like I clearly don’t like Wally. “Wally is an encumbrance, because there are too many Flashes.” But no, they’re missing the point. This is all about trying to show how important Wally is and the fact that he is not a redundant, duplicate character. That’s just how he feels about himself. He is in a DC Universe where Barry [Allen] exists and there is another Wally West. Is he really superfluous? This is about him finding out whether or not he is, even when he’s not got the ability to even be The Flash anymore.

Problem is that I don't think this is something you can write well in a team comic...All the more reason proving Wally needs a solo book.

[Kyer]

One of the reasons I found Flash: Rebirth so unpalatable (one, mind you) is that Barry came back all mopey issue after issue. Wanted to slap him (or better yet the writer.) I don't want a 3+ story with Wally crying in his beer being all Act Of God. We've been without for far too long to go months with a compromised red head.

Best art was around the time Wally was living in California and fought Neron<sic> Well proportioned, decent (for pre-digital) coloring. Shiny noses, straggly hair, long eyelashes on guys....really narrow chins.... Nope. Never going to like that style.

Did we ever get to see Manupal draw Wally1 ?

[Waterfall]

We never did besides the picnic scene right before Flashpoint, which is a heinous crime.

I love Minkyu Jung's Wally the best so far in Rebirth.

[Kyer]

Oh yes! I liked his style a lot. Such art would go a long way to forgiving some idiotic plot points. (though not the pacemaker.)

[Waterfall]

I just don't see what kind of plotline Abnett has in his mind about Wally. This is a lame team book and no way the pay off will be grand.

[Rend20]

Love of a character does not equal ability to write that character.

That obviously goes without saying. Though outside of the crossover where he was one of three, I've actually really enjoyed Abnett's characterization of Wally and thought the first arc of Titans was a pretty good Wally-centric story. Then again, I might be the only one in that boat.

So while I'm not a fan of the pacemaker idea, Abnett has built up enough trust with me to wait and see how it plays out before I get overly critical of it. I'm also a big fan of character work and am interested to see him explore Wally's beyond being the Flash in the Rebirth universe even if the usual amount of dread is mixed in. It might not work, but I do believe Abnett has the best of intentions when it comes to Wally. This being a team book certainly does make a story like this harder to pull off.

[Atlanta96]

That obviously goes without saying. Though outside of the crossover where he was one of three, I've actually really enjoyed Abnett's characterization of Wally and thought the first arc of Titans was a pretty good Wally-centric story. Then again, I might be the only one in that boat.

So while I'm not a fan of the pacemaker idea, Abnett has built up enough trust with me to wait and see how it plays out before I get overly critical of it. I'm also a big fan of character work and am interested to see him explore Wally's beyond being the Flash in the Rebirth universe even if the usual amount of dread is mixed in. It might not work, but I do believe Abnett has the best of intentions when it comes to Wally. This being a team book certainly does make a story like this harder to pull off.

Abnett's Wally is incredibly weak. He's written as a generic good guy with little to no flaws, no attitude, no sense of humor, no everyman vibe, and no reason to exist besides hanging out with the Titans. I don't think this writer cares much about the character, 12 issues in and he still hasn't shown us much of Wally besides "vaguely important good guy". Pretty much every writer to tackle Wally (except for Priest) has done a better job.

This is not the writer who is going to show us who Wally West truly is, he barely understands the character at all. This company does not want this character to succeed.

[Rend20]

Pretty much every writer to tackle Wally (except for Priest) has done a better job.

Are we strictly talking about in Rebirth? Because he was basically the 'generic good guy' who gave Nu Wally the heart speech in Williamson's Flash issue, he was essentially a joke machine in his team up with Nightwing, and I think Seeley/Percy wrote him for about two pages which is hardly enough to go on. Has anyone else besides Johns in the issue that launched Rebirth written Wally?

Abnett's Wally is naturally a little off-center given everything he has been through, but I do think the core aspects of his character have shown through when the situations have allowed it.

I enjoyed Wally being a bit of a smartass when he was trapped with Speed Force Linda, I enjoyed his humor in the annual and elsewhere, I enjoyed how his infiltration of Meta-Solutions was him being a cheeky showoff, I enjoyed him getting into it with Roy on the streets of Manhattan, and his compassion/determination has been highlighted since the beginning of the series as he has been portrayed as the heart of the group following what Johns had set up.

Circumstances dictates how a character acts and behaves. Wally's attitude as you call it has certainly been tempered by all of the depressing stuff tossed his way, but I don't think he has been nearly as bland as you think he has been. I'm not saying I think Abnett's Wally has been perfect, but I haven't seen anything to make me believe he doesn't have a pretty good understanding of the character outside of the crossover.

[Atlanta96]

Are we strictly talking about in Rebirth? Because he was basically the 'generic good guy' who gave Nu Wally the heart speech in Williamson's Flash issue, he was essentially a joke machine in his team up with Nightwing, and I think Seeley/Percy wrote him for about two pages which is hardly enough to go on. Has anyone else besides Johns in the issue that launched Rebirth written Wally?

Abnett's Wally is naturally a little off-center given everything he has been through, but I do think the core aspects of his character have shown through when the situations have allowed it.

I enjoyed Wally being a bit of a smartass when he was trapped with Speed Force Linda, I enjoyed his humor in the annual and elsewhere, I enjoyed how his infiltration of Meta-Solutions was him being a cheeky showoff, I enjoyed him getting into it with Roy on the streets of Manhattan, and his compassion/determination has been highlighted since the beginning of the series as he has been portrayed as the heart of the group following what Johns had set up.

Circumstances dictates how a character acts and behaves. Wally's attitude as you call it has certainly been tempered by all of the depressing stuff tossed his way, but I don't think he has been nearly as bland as you think he has been. I'm not saying I think Abnett's Wally has been perfect, but I haven't seen anything to make me believe he doesn't have a pretty good understanding of the character outside of the crossover.

Those guys only got to write the character for one issue. They didn't have the time to do the complex character work that Abnett SHOULD be doing right now, they picked a couple traits to focus on and it worked. Abnett's Wally is a massive disappointment, there's nothing special about him. He doesn't carry a story the way this character should. I want him out of Abnett's hands as soon ASB possible.

[Waterfall]

I think Abnett's Wally is on point. It's the perfect Johns/Waid mix in maturity.

Everything before Lazarus was solid in my opinion. Abnett would do a great Flash solo, he's just not clicking well with the rest of Titans. It really feels like he'd prefer only writing Wally at times.

[WallyWestFlash]

https://coolsandiegosights.files.wor...-the-flash.jpg


Wally is that you???

Lol, No I know its just Conan O'Brain but still, closest were gonna get.

[acnblj]

I just recently read COIE, Flashpoint, Flash Rebirth (Johns) for the first time, and also have the first 3 Volumes of John's Flash run with Wally that I've only just started. So I know what happened with Barry, but what happened to Wally that he disappeared? When did it happen and where can I read it?? I honestly don't know. I also read the Rebirth one shot and had such high hopes for Wally's return. Kind of sad people are so disappointed with it.

[Lee]

So I know what happened with Barry, but what happened to Wally that he disappeared?

After Flashpoint, the history of the DC Universe was altered and became the New 52.

In the New 52 Flash #1, Barry had been operating as the Flash for a few years. Flash #0 showed his updated origin.

In Rebirth and the new Titans series, it was revealed that Wally West was active as Kid Flash in the years between Flash #0 and Flash #1, but Abra Kadabra trapped him in the timestream and made the world forget he ever existed.