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

[Frontier]

Titans have had teenagers before. Argent and Damage on Grayson's Titans, Danny Chase on The New Titans, and some others as well.

I know, but there also hasn't been another teen branch of the group going on at the same time like there is now and where Kid Flash was already a member.

Most likely, but not in this arc. And if it IS in this arc, then we run the problem of having EVERYTHING be about Wally for the umpteenth time, even during a bloody arc called "Rise of Troia."

Well, at least it would be consistent .

[Assam]

I know, but there also hasn't been another teen branch of the group going on at the same time like there is now and where Kid Flash was already a member.

True. ( Though Young Justice did exist at the same time as Titans) And pulling double duty on teams isn't unheard of either.

[Sam]

I originally called him Fake Wally in the same vein that I used to call Nu52 Bart FakeBart (before he was revealed to not actually be Bart) or how I still call Nu52 Babs FakeBabs. Namely, a character who has a character's name but isn't them in anyway shape or form. And that's what Wally II was when he first appeared. There were NO intentions of bringing back Wally when he showed up. But when Wally did come back, the explanation was given for how they're separate people, and I started liking how he was being written in Teen Titans? I switched to calling him NuWally. But now the more it becomes apparent that while Wally will obviously come back and stick around, DC wants Wally II to be the main Wally West...I'll go back to NuWally the instant I feel Wally is getting equal treatment to him.

That doesn't make calling him Fake Wally not problematic. He's not a fake character. Even if the original Wally hadn't come back, it's a dismissive and insulting way to talk about Wally II.

[Frontier]

True. ( Though Young Justice did exist at the same time as Titans) And pulling double duty on teams isn't unheard of either.

I doubt he'll be pulling double duty. This is likely just a one-time-arc thing.

[Assam]

Even if the original Wally hadn't come back, it's a dismissive and insulting way to talk about Wally II.

Yes it would be and I would feel just as justified as I do when I call Nu52 Barbara Gordon FakeBabs. I've got zero problem insulting a character when I feel my reasoning is just. It's insulting a character because of their race, orientation, or all the other things half the Marvel fanboys love to b**ch about that I've got a problem with. If NuWally/Fake Wally/ Wally II/ Bob had been introduced with Wally's personality, I would have been pissed that Wally was back to being Kid Flash, but I'd have called him Wally.

[Sam]

Yes it would be and I would feel just as justified as I do when I call Nu52 Barbara Gordon FakeBabs. I've got zero problem insulting a character when I feel my reasoning is just. It's insulting a character because of their race, orientation, or all the other things half the Marvel fanboys love to b**ch about that I've got a problem with. If NuWally/Fake Wally/ Wally II/ Bob had been introduced with Wally's personality, I would have been pissed that Wally was back to being Kid Flash, but I'd have called him Wally.

Yes, and calling those characters Fake is often a way people attack characters on the basis of race, orientation, and such. That may not be your intention in this case, but it still comes off that way.

[sakuyamons]

I thought this was a No NuWally bashing page

Anyways, around the time Irma hit, I got a pair of trades with me to read while I was bored, and one of them was Waid's Wally that I had but hadn't read yet. I liked the Born to Run arc, I thought it was a simple yet effective backstory! But the rest of the run felt a little...slow for me, even if it finished in a cliffhanger. I've heard book two is better and it contains return of Barry Allen, should I get it whenever I get the chance?

Also, does everyone know that Wally is Flash or does that get retconned?

[Assam]

Anyways, around the time Irma hit, I got a pair of trades with me to read while I was bored, and one of them was Waid's Wally that I had but hadn't read yet. I liked the Born to Run arc, I thought it was a simple yet effective backstory! But the rest of the run felt a little...slow for me, even if it finished in a cliffhanger. I've heard book two is better and it contains return of Barry Allen, should I get it whenever I get the chance?

Glad you were safe during Irma, and yes, you should get book 2.

[Sam]

I thought this was a No NuWally bashing page

Anyways, around the time Irma hit, I got a pair of trades with me to read while I was bored, and one of them was Waid's Wally that I had but hadn't read yet. I liked the Born to Run arc, I thought it was a simple yet effective backstory! But the rest of the run felt a little...slow for me, even if it finished in a cliffhanger. I've heard book two is better and it contains return of Barry Allen, should I get it whenever I get the chance?

Also, does everyone know that Wally is Flash or does that get retconned?

Yeah, the unfortunate fact of the first Waid trade is that while the main run as is fantastic, they bog the trade done with a whole bunch of early stories and annuals that Waid did, which were kind of just okay. It really cuts the momentum of that first trade, which is unfortunate. The better stuff is to come, if you liked Born to Run, you'll probably like what is down the pipeline. So you should definitely get book two. It also has the Christmas issue, One Perfect Gift, (#73), which I think might be Wally's best single issue ever.

Also, don't expect that cliffhanger to be resolved. That was a tie-in to the big Eclipso: The Darkness Within even that was running through all the annuals that year, so the story would continue there, not in Waid's Flash run.

And yes, Wally's identity as the Flash is public at this time. Something changes way down the line during Johns's run (not sure if you've read that), but it isn't a recon.

Anyway, it's cool you are reading it for the first time. Out of curiosity, how much of Wally's time as Flash have you read?

[sakuyamons]

Anyway, it's cool you are reading it for the first time. Out of curiosity, how much of Wally's time as Flash have you read?

Well, this is my first time reading something Flash related and I've heard Waid's run was one of the best runs of Flash, so I decided to check it out, maybe after I finish reading Waid's I'll take a look at Johns run, because I've heard he does a pretty cool job with the rogues

[Jekyll]

Hey! I read comics during Irma too! : ) Waids run is what got me into comics. It keeps getting better and better so stick with it! Plus you get to see my favorite flash, Jay The man Garrick, and many other loveable speedsters that help Wally throughout his time as well.

[Assam]

Well, this is my first time reading something Flash related and I've heard Waid's run was one of the best runs of Flash, so I decided to check it out, maybe after I finish reading Waid's I'll take a look at Johns run, because I've heard he does a pretty cool job with the rogues

I know you know me as a Johns hater, but I DO really like some of his work when it deserves it, and there are two other Wally runs I can say I'd recommend before Johns': Messner-Loebs, who came before Waid, and, not so much a "run" as a consistent status quo, but I'd also recommend over Johns' run the Iris and Jai era, the last part of Wally's book which sees him, Linda and his kids going on adventures.

Hey! I read comics during Irma too! : ) Waids run is what got me into comics. It keeps getting better and better so stick with it! Plus you get to see my favorite flash, Jay The man Garrick, and many other loveable speedsters that help Wally throughout his time as well.

Yup, this is where the Flash Family we all miss came to be. You'll see Bart and Max a lot, Jesse quite a bit, Johnny less so, but you'll still see him, and even Jenni gets to pop in. It's a great ride.

[Sam]

Well, this is my first time reading something Flash related and I've heard Waid's run was one of the best runs of Flash, so I decided to check it out, maybe after I finish reading Waid's I'll take a look at Johns run, because I've heard he does a pretty cool job with the rogues

Cool. I guess I assumed you had since you mentioned reading at least some of Impulse that you had read some Flash too. Well, it is a great run of comics so you are in a great treat. Keep us updated as you go, I'd be interested to hear what you think.

And Johns does do a cool job with the rogues, but he also does a great Wally, which I think people forget.

[sakuyamons]

Cool. I guess I assumed you had since you mentioned reading at least some of Impulse that you had read some Flash too. Well, it is a great run of comics so you are in a great treat. Keep us updated as you go, I'd be interested to hear what you think.

And Johns does do a cool job with the rogues, but he also does a great Wally, which I think people forget.

Well, I have read a few issues of Impulse...and I did read Flashpoint, if that counts as something Flash related I will try to check the 2nd book as soon as I can, even if i have quite a bit long list of things to read

[Assam]

even if i have quite a bit long list of things to read

Like more Impulse!