Who is your favourite Flash and Why?

[Lightning Rider]

Wally, for reasons very well-stated by others. He really transformed as a character, not in a forced re-boot or re-imagining way, but in a natural progression from boyhood into heroic maturity. And his role in the Flash legacy is like no other, nobody else has quite inherited their mentor's mantle with the same success. Also, on a personal level, he's very relateable. He's not an angry bitter type but he has a hot streak to him, and he gets angry and defensive when his loved ones are involved, like I imagine most of us would be. He gets frustrated and enveloped in his own super-speed thought processes, he zones out, he struggles with his own identity as the next Flash in several ways, he grows tired of his teammates personal flaws, etc.

I like the rest of them too though.

I like Barry's simplicity. Someone said they prefer him as a monumental memory than an actual ongoing character and while that's harsh, there is some truth to it. Barry never had the benefit of modern story telling until maybe towards the end of his life (before being brought back, which hasn't been a success IMO). At the same time though, there's something refreshing about Barry's plainness. He's not (originally) someone who had their parents killed or suffered some existential tragedy; he was just a good guy who chose to do the right thing because it was the right thing, and used his methodical brain to help him do it. He didn't need a character trope like childish wit or darkness to remain important either. I think Alex Ross put it very well through the eyes of Bruce Wayne in Justice when he said "Barry Allen is the kind of man I would have hoped to be, had my parents not been killed". And his ultimate sacrifice, I mean, what else needs to be said? One of if not the most important deaths in DC history, back when it actually meant something to die, and for decades, the writers respected that, while still giving us tidbits of story, either through his past or in Wally's speed force adventures.

Jay is great just because he's the perfect grandfather figure for the Flash family. He's an awesome mentor and a natural co-leader in the JSA. His helmet is awesome, his vibrating face from the early years was awesome, he's just great. He and Barry both also deserve credit for pioneering the multiverse in "The Flash of Two Worlds" (which is more plot heavy of course but those two were the perfect characters to play the story through).

Bart is another one who went through a natural evolution. His stories with Max were great, he was a great member of the next generation of titans, and he was an important part of Wally's development as a mentor too. He grew up from Impulse to Kid Flash without losing his youthful edge, and by the time he wore the red suit and sacrificed himself, it didn't feel odd at all for his character to be as matured as he was, but also as lost as he was, never really finding his place in the aftermath.

I do love the current Flash TV show though, which is Barry, but let's face it, they're pretty much doing 'What if Peter Parker were Barry Allen' with the show.

Exactly my thoughts. I can't stand it, even though I watch the show out of some sense of obligation.

[Herowatcher]

Barry Allen

When I first got into Flash comics through the William Messner-Loebs run, I loved Wally West and I still do to this day. However, after realizing my tastes were skewed toward Silver Age stories and characters, I began to look into the Cary Bates Barry Allen run. I saw how intricate the stories and characterization from that era were and it quickly became my favorite Flash run, thanks to Buried Alien recommending it to me. Barry's job as a forensic scientist was really original before the days of CSI and made him stand out as a character. I could relate to a guy who's a bit reserved, but loves comics and is inspired to be a better person because of them. It's sad that the Nu52 version of the character just doesn't feel the same to me.

The last few sentences hit home with me.

My two favorite:
Barry Allen
Jay Garrick

[FlashingSabre]

I go Wally, Jay, Bart, then Barry. Wally is my favorite superhero ever (with only one real competitor, the even more abused Rich Rider). I like Jay as the elder statesman, fatherly guy of the DCU. Bart is just fun. Barry has tons of potential, but I haven't read a single story which used him well enough to justify his return. I'm hoping the Bates stuff will be good enough to fulfill my expectations for such a mishandled character.

[K. Jones]

Oh god, it's like asking "who is your favorite creator and why?" Each Flash has their own O.G. run with their own vibe, their own supporting cast and villains.

I will say that Wally West is The Flash in the bulk of my essential favorite stories. This doesn't always necessitate favoritism, though. Kyle Rayner is Green Lantern in most of my favorite stories but my favorite Lanterns are Gardner and Stewart.

I can't claim Wally ownership based on the JLA cartoon because essentially in that show wasn't he a CSI lab tech? I mean he was already half-Barry. But I did love Wally in YJ.

[Buried Alien]

Oh god, it's like asking "who is your favorite creator and why?" Each Flash has their own O.G. run with their own vibe, their own supporting cast and villains.

I will say that Wally West is The Flash in the bulk of my essential favorite stories. This doesn't always necessitate favoritism, though. Kyle Rayner is Green Lantern in most of my favorite stories but my favorite Lanterns are Gardner and Stewart.

I can't claim Wally ownership based on the JLA cartoon because essentially in that show wasn't he a CSI lab tech? I mean he was already half-Barry. But I did love Wally in YJ.

The animated universe Flash was Wally West in name and general appearance, Barry Allen in professional orientation (though it was so briefly and infrequently alluded to that it hardly counts), and Impulse-era Bart Allen in characterization.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Waterfall]

Wally West.
I don't think a more complete life has ever been shown in comics. He starts out a kid sidekick, then a boyfriend and teammate/student, then a bit of a frat boy hopelessly stuck in the shadow of his mentor, next a first class hero and respected member of the greatest team of all time, finally a husband, father, and mentor himself. It really was a life in motion.

Perfectly put.

[colonyofcells]

I don't care much about personalities so I probably won't mind if one of the villains like Daniel West becomes the main Flash of earth 0. Pre coie Barry, Pre flashpoint Barry and New 52 Barry probably have different personalities.

[Pharozonk]

Exactly my thoughts. I can't stand it, even though I watch the show out of some sense of obligation.

I stopped watching after the second episode after it became clear that they were taking the "realistic" approach to the characters. All the villains have very generic "costumes" and I can't tell them apart from the thugs on Arrow. Plus, I don't like this Marvelization of Barry Allen into Peter Parker, which is antithetical to what attracted me to the character in the first place.

[BohemiaDrinker]

Wally.

Legacy made me a DC guy.

[andersonh1]

Wally West.
I don't think a more complete life has ever been shown in comics. He starts out a kid sidekick, then a boyfriend and teammate/student, then a bit of a frat boy hopelessly stuck in the shadow of his mentor, next a first class hero and respected member of the greatest team of all time, finally a husband, father, and mentor himself. It really was a life in motion.

Well said. This and his relationship with Linda are why I like Wally so much. He is without a doubt one of the best developed characters in comics, which is why it's so irritating that DC still views him as nothing more than a malleable sidekick that can be regressed back to being an undeveloped kid again. But then they did the same thing to Jay, so it's not just Wally who's had his development tossed aside. It's the development and character growth that made me a fan, and I'm not willing to take that journey again.

[deadboy80]

Love the old universe Barry(1970`s-80`s). However Wally is my favorite. He did the most growing as an individual, not just a super hero. Long live Wally West(old universe)!!!!

[JamesBCrazy]

Long live Wally West. The real Wally, not the walking stereotype.

[Buried Alien]

Pre coie Barry, Pre flashpoint Barry and New 52 Barry probably have different personalities.

Yes and no. I think with Barry, we're seeing the same *kind* of dude in two distinctive eras of American social history. When first published, Barry Allen was an "every man" American for the Eisenhower/Kennedy era, and he pretty much *continued* being that guy up through his demise in COIE (though he did evolve a bit to fit the Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan eras). Barry since his FINAL CRISIS return is more an every man for the Obama era, but he's still essentially the same guy.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[BohemiaDrinker]

Yes and no. I think with Barry, we're seeing the same *kind* of dude in two distinctive eras of American social history. When first published, Barry Allen was an "every man" American for the Eisenhower/Kennedy era, and he pretty much *continued* being that guy up through his demise in COIE (though he did evolve a bit to fit the Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan eras). Barry since his FINAL CRISIS return is more an every man for the Obama era, but he's still essentially the same guy.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

Well, Rebirth to Flashpoint Barry is kind of an emotionally distant pain in the ass, which is not what i usually think when I think of Barry. Other than that period, I agree.

[Mister BoMan]

Barry Allen is my favorite. Loved Barry Pre-COIE, Pre-Flashpoint, and now loving him the New 52.Fan of the 1990's television show and the current show on CW. I really loved seeing Barry in JLA: Year One and seeing Barry as a leader. I would love to see that with Barry again. I do like Wally and Jay, but Barry is my favorite.