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

[Kyer]

I'd have to dig out my Born to Run book (ladder, bottom of a pile of document boxes) but can't right now due to an injury that means Absolutely No Climbing Or Heavy Lifting. Can't afford to risk more off-duty days from work and, yes, up there was a stupid place to store my comics all things 20/20 hindsight considered.
However, the only thing I can recall there is that Wally thought Barry was kind of boring considering that he was told by Iris that Barry worked with the police. He was a kid expecting exciting TV action film police stuff, not chemical formulas. At least I don't recall Wally outright telling Barry he was bored stiff by him.

At any rate, I came into The Flash via the DCAU Wally. Discovered that I much preferred the comic book adult Wally West "I'm Wally West..." "Fastest man alive--from the neck down". That is the Wally that stole my heart. Not Kid Flash. Not DCAU Justice League Wally. Not a young kid. I've yet to want to buy The Teen Titans of any year as am simply not interested in kid characters.
So, no, how young Wally or nu-Wally act is not really of any importance to me. I miss adult Wally West. I miss Linda Park. I miss Wally's unique friends (Messner-Loeb) So far the only thing I see in this nu-Wally that I actually like is his darker skin. Even in that, I was fine with the fairer complexion too.

But good gravy do I miss the red hair/green eyes combo and the personality he had. So for a variety of reasons I'm really, really, not thrilled with his being introduced into DC52 this way.

[RedwingX]

No version is the "one true", get over that mentality.
Well, that's basically how the character appeared in Born to Run so I don't understand this comment.

What happened to not retelling the same story and that this is a new universe? Not to mention, this is a such steretype origin for this black Wally and It's offensive. A black kid who looks up to a criminal and sees him like a father..........

Seriously come on

[Rakzo]

What happened to not retelling the same story and that this is a new universe? Not to mention, this is a such steretype origin for this black Wally and It's offensive. A black kid who looks up to a criminal and sees him like a father..........

Seriously come on

It's not going to same the exact same story, there are different ways of writing now and the status of both characters is not exactly the same.

Plus, as I mentioned before, I don't see this as a black stereotype anymore since most of the black kids I have seen in media lately are from the geeky type.

[Kyer]

IMHO, the "This is a new universe" argument simply means "I happen to like this bit so don't even try to blow it for everyone who agrees with me by wanting it different."
It's a new universe that has an awful lot of old bits clinging onto it. Or looked at from another pov....it has not nearly enough old bits clinging to it.

All you can do is buy the DC52 stuff or not.
I chose not back in 2011 and have only been tempted to veer from that three times. (Practically for Free special sale books were the exceptions. However, now there is so little I even kind of like by DC that doubt I'll choose a free DC book to go along with the Marvel titles.)

[galaxygnome]

What happened to not retelling the same story and that this is a new universe? Not to mention, this is a such steretype origin for this black Wally and It's offensive. A black kid who looks up to a criminal and sees him like a father..........

Seriously come on

I have felt bothered by the stereotypical origin of the new Wally too - and also this idea Iris is pushing that he just needs good ol' [white] Barry to do some old fashioned mentoring & bring him back to the bright and happy world of justice. Feels hella white savior complex.

Earlier in the thread someone mentioned a connection to the show, and while I don't think it was mandated, I do think it was a smart (and exciting!) marketing decision to race bend Wally. I loved Linda, but we don't know if she's going to be the show and we certainly know Wally's got to be younger than tv-Barry, who is already pretty young. For a lot of people, this will be their first genuine introduction to the flash, or at least their first since JLU. What's going to happen if someone is watching this racially diverse cast and then goes to check out the book and everyone is white? What does that communicate? DC can't change Iris, they have already written her in, they'd need another re-boot. So we get Wally.

Basically, I was super-excited when I first heard about the change, and I really felt like it was a good decision in terms of drawing more people to the books/keeping a better public image. What I don't understand is the personality change, while with his race change had to come the attitude and the history of petty crime. This won't be book readers' - mostly familiar with Johns', Waid's, or JLU's Wally depending on their time reference point - Wally. And that's a real bummer. DC could have really used a kid that would functionally be DC's Miles Morales, hopeful, positive, inspiring, happy. It's not that there's anything deeply morally wrong with graffiti or anything like that, but it does seem to separate from justice league moral compass Wally, and it fits a stereotypical story about children of color we've all heard before. They could have done something radically different and exciting, but they chose not to...

I guess my main worry now is that this origin/wally was inspired by whatever they're going to do in the tv show. ughhh. don't need that stereotype floating around more than it already is.

[RedwingX]

IMHO, the "This is a new universe" argument simply means "I happen to like this bit so don't even try to blow it for everyone who agrees with me by wanting it different."
It's a new universe that has an awful lot of old bits clinging onto it. Or looked at from another pov....it has not nearly enough old bits clinging to it.

All you can do is buy the DC52 stuff or not.
I chose not back in 2011 and have only been tempted to veer from that three times. (Practically for Free special sale books were the exceptions. However, now there is so little I even kind of like by DC that doubt I'll choose a free DC book to go along with the Marvel titles.)

Jensen: I was excited about it. It's a great idea to bring the character in like that. No one wants to retread the same stories that we've already all read before. They are already collected in trades and this is truly an opportunity to put a new spin on those stories. That's the challenge and that's what's exciting about this.

[Güicho]

So if Barry ends up wearing the blue & silver?



Does that mean mentored Wally will be wearing the red & gold?



Or if he's going "back" to the past to change the future, does that get flipped?
So Wally ends up wearing that "future" costume and getting the power depicted there?

In older books, the colors of their civilian garb would often whimsically reference/hint at their costumed hero id.

Does Wally's civilian look here suggest a future in blue & silver.

[Hellpop]

I have no problem with non-white characters, but why couldn't they just introduce this new kid as the new kid flash or a different character? He will never be Wally West to me.

[Tandaemonium]

Not even close to a consolation. In fact, that rather angers me considering all. I'd think it would anger Barry fans too.

I hear you. I felt the same way pretty much until recently. I realized Barry, Wally, as well as many DC characters aren't in spirit or whatever you want to call it with who their past incarnations are. Like nuWally, they're all new characters that just utilize trademarks - it's made it easier personally for me to I suppose accept the state of things rather than repeatedly getting bummed or mad every week.

Barry is not as sarcastic as Wally.

JL/JLU Wally? Because, yeah, he was sarcastic. But comics-Wally? Nope. Pre-F but after all the hamburger-eating-emphasis Wally and N52 Barry are exactly the same dry delivery (though not sarcasm). They're both the same amount of pious and determined.

I miss that Wally too, but upon recently re-reading N52 Barry, I realized, oh hey...this is Wally I just have to call him Barry now. Forensics cop vs. blue collar/mechanic = upgrade. Neither has their wives/family, but they're exactly the same besides jobs and other cosmetic differences like Barry's tardiness.

[Derek]

It's never going to go back. People probably need to learn to accept change.

[new_onslaught]

Wally West, the best MAN alive!

[The Flash]

One of my favorite Bolland covers from Johns run

[Baron Samedi]

Wally West, the best MAN alive!

Gotta love the "i have given this a lot of thought" part.

[Trident]

Not reading this but I want to know.....has it been confirmed that this kid is 12? The way he is drawn he seems a lot older than that.....

[The Flash]

Not reading this but I want to know.....has it been confirmed that this kid is 12? The way he is drawn he seems a lot older than that.....

Yeah in Annual 3

SPOILERS
In one of the '20 years later' scenes, Barry mentions to Iris that it's his fault Wally isn't 32 years old, etc etc