Where do we go from here with the Wally West of the new 52 ?

[Hatestorm]

You use convergence to undo the damage(to not just this character), and bring Wally back.

You also never bend to the will of SJWs ever again.

[Ascended]

Not only that but he was a MAJOR character for decades. You can't take a well known and liked character who has been around for so long and alter him so severely as to be nothing at all resembling in any way from the character everyone already knows, and expect it to be successful.

Frank Millar's Batman would like to have a word with you. At the time Dark Knight Returns was published, Batman hadn't been a dark and edgy character for decades.

As for this Wally, the skin color is a non-issue. Being white never defined Wally, so being black wont define him now (other than perhaps in the eyes of some fans) The bigger problem is fan expectations. Wally, no matter what he looked like, was never going to be accepted in the 52 because Wally was so dependent on the continuity of post-Crisis. Unlike many other characters, Wally was deeply defined by his own history, rather than just the idea of it. With most major characters you can change the details and they remain the same. Superman is still Superman whether the Kents are alive or not or whether Krypton was art-deco or full of weird crystals and people in starched dresses. Wally however, requires his history to be the same character (he's very much an indie type character in that sense). And that history no longer exists. The closest you can get is a rough approximation, and that's only going to appease some people (such as with the Young Justice cartoon).

If DC really wants to "fix" this Wally, they need to start his character development. Right now he's in a pre-origin phase; Wally, depending on the version, came from a troubled home. That, along with the stuff with Daniel and the trauma Central City has suffered, explains 52 Wally's bad attitude. So DC needs to have him move past that by embracing Flash as an idol to look up to. He already is building a friendship with Barry so that part of things is already covered. Have him get speed powers and a costume that very, very, very much resembles the comics' version of Kid Flash (that similarity will help offset the race change and keep the primary visual intact). Basically, write him like a young version of classic Wally (most of the community hasnt actually read those old stories), and people will begin to get over the skin color. I personally would also like to see him aged up somehow so he's closer in age to Nightwing and Cyborg, but that's not really a must; it would just get him more in-line with the version fans remember best.

And red hair. Red hair is, outside of the costume, Wally's most defining feature. It's as important as Superman's spit curl. Wally doesnt have to be white but he does need to be a red head.

[Cmbmool]

DC wanted wally to be in no way a threat to Barry being the flash,and let's be real here wally is light years ahead of Barry in abilities.

I like miles morales,and Val Zod,those might be the most notable new black or mixed race characters,this new wally is a thief,hhe took another great characters name,bbut none of his personality or history,tthat is the very definition of thief.

Loyalty to a long standing character is not a bad thing,disregarding all that just to make the PC or SJW crowd happy says a lot more about u

If you believe that. I mean Wally surpassed Barry in ways that not even possible.

[Cmbmool]

Frank Millar's Batman would like to have a word with you. At the time Dark Knight Returns was published, Batman hadn't been a dark and edgy character for decades.

As for this Wally, the skin color is a non-issue. Being white never defined Wally, so being black wont define him now (other than perhaps in the eyes of some fans) The bigger problem is fan expectations. Wally, no matter what he looked like, was never going to be accepted in the 52 because Wally was so dependent on the continuity of post-Crisis. Unlike many other characters, Wally was deeply defined by his own history, rather than just the idea of it. With most major characters you can change the details and they remain the same. Superman is still Superman whether the Kents are alive or not or whether Krypton was art-deco or full of weird crystals and people in starched dresses. Wally however, requires his history to be the same character (he's very much an indie type character in that sense). And that history no longer exists. The closest you can get is a rough approximation, and that's only going to appease some people (such as with the Young Justice cartoon).

If DC really wants to "fix" this Wally, they need to start his character development. Right now he's in a pre-origin phase; Wally, depending on the version, came from a troubled home. That, along with the stuff with Daniel and the trauma Central City has suffered, explains 52 Wally's bad attitude. So DC needs to have him move past that by embracing Flash as an idol to look up to. He already is building a friendship with Barry so that part of things is already covered. Have him get speed powers and a costume that very, very, very much resembles the comics' version of Kid Flash (that similarity will help offset the race change and keep the primary visual intact). Basically, write him like a young version of classic Wally (most of the community hasnt actually read those old stories), and people will begin to get over the skin color. I personally would also like to see him aged up somehow so he's closer in age to Nightwing and Cyborg, but that's not really a must; it would just get him more in-line with the version fans remember best.

And red hair. Red hair is, outside of the costume, Wally's most defining feature. It's as important as Superman's spit curl. Wally doesnt have to be white but he does need to be a red head.

Then explain Kyle of the Green Lantern corps/Ion/the White Light in the new 52 ?

[Sirzechs]

Then explain Kyle of the Green Lantern corps/Ion/the White Light in the new 52 ?

Because Hal Jordan still ended up as Parallax in the new52 and Rayner was a result of Hal as Parallax.

[Starchild]

Make no mistake. Wally is supposedly 'light years' ahead of him, because Barry sacrificed himself to save the universe. If it wasn't for that. Wally wouldn't be a thought in anyone's head.

[4sake Baned]

Frank Millar's Batman would like to have a word with you. At the time Dark Knight Returns was published, Batman hadn't been a dark and edgy character for decades.

As for this Wally, the skin color is a non-issue. Being white never defined Wally, so being black wont define him now (other than perhaps in the eyes of some fans) The bigger problem is fan expectations. Wally, no matter what he looked like, was never going to be accepted in the 52 because Wally was so dependent on the continuity of post-Crisis. Unlike many other characters, Wally was deeply defined by his own history, rather than just the idea of it. With most major characters you can change the details and they remain the same. Superman is still Superman whether the Kents are alive or not or whether Krypton was art-deco or full of weird crystals and people in starched dresses. Wally however, requires his history to be the same character (he's very much an indie type character in that sense). And that history no longer exists. The closest you can get is a rough approximation, and that's only going to appease some people (such as with the Young Justice cartoon).

If DC really wants to "fix" this Wally, they need to start his character development. Right now he's in a pre-origin phase; Wally, depending on the version, came from a troubled home. That, along with the stuff with Daniel and the trauma Central City has suffered, explains 52 Wally's bad attitude. So DC needs to have him move past that by embracing Flash as an idol to look up to. He already is building a friendship with Barry so that part of things is already covered. Have him get speed powers and a costume that very, very, very much resembles the comics' version of Kid Flash (that similarity will help offset the race change and keep the primary visual intact). Basically, write him like a young version of classic Wally (most of the community hasnt actually read those old stories), and people will begin to get over the skin color. I personally would also like to see him aged up somehow so he's closer in age to Nightwing and Cyborg, but that's not really a must; it would just get him more in-line with the version fans remember best.

And red hair. Red hair is, outside of the costume, Wally's most defining feature. It's as important as Superman's spit curl. Wally doesnt have to be white but he does need to be a red head.

Great points

[Ascended]

Then explain Kyle of the Green Lantern corps/Ion/the White Light in the new 52 ?

Explain what about him? How he fits into Lantern history now? I imagine in about the same way he did before. Hal was Parallax, Kyle took over. Barry Allen however, never died in a Crisis or, from what we know, spent any substantial time away during the five year gap. Wally's most defining moment never happened. Kyle's did.

Or do you mean something else?

[Ascended]

Make no mistake. Wally is supposedly 'light years' ahead of him, because Barry sacrificed himself to save the universe. If it wasn't for that. Wally wouldn't be a thought in anyone's head.

I disagree. Wally surpassed Barry's ability because writers moved Wally away from just running fast and into a realm where he was manipulating kinetic energy. The twenty-something year journey of being the main Flash probably had something to do with it too. And Barry was around for 29 years, from debut to death. That's only a few years longer than Wally's tenure as Flash.

Had Barry remained as Flash (and assuming he maintained a similar level of popularity, cultural immersion and sales) Wally would likely be in the same boat as Nightwing or Arsenal; less popular than he ended up actually being, but still a major force within the DCU and a staple of the Titans generation. Let's not forget that Wally debuted in 1959 (the same year as Hal Jordan) and had more history than most characters to draw from.

[GlennSimpson]

DC did not make Wally West black. They made a black kid Wally West. There's a difference.

The black kid was going to be in the story no matter what. Naming him Wally West was an afterthought.

The point being, there most likely wasn't going to be a "regular" Wally West turning up any time soon. So I don't think anybody is any worse off now than they were before.

[BohemiaDrinker]

DC did not make Wally West black. They made a black kid Wally West. There's a difference.

The black kid was going to be in the story no matter what. Naming him Wally West was an afterthought.

Actually, no. DC made Wally black to synch up with the TV show (can find quotes for that, just not right now.) There wasn't going to be a black kid in the story, also. Bi-racial, 12 year old Wally West was an specific DC request to the writing team that wasn't part of the original pitch. It was also the reason behind the choice of Booth as artist (can also find quotes on that)

The point being, there most likely wasn't going to be a "regular" Wally West turning up any time soon. So I don't think anybody is any worse off now than they were before.

Again, relative. One can say that non-existence is better than this version. Also, the "possibility" of a properly rebooted Wally is way better than the lack of possibility brought by the introduction of this character.

[colonyofcells]

New 52 Wally West should work out just fine post convergence.

[BohemiaDrinker]

As for the OP:

I can't really say I care about Wally now being black, I don't. With this particular version, however, it bothers how they dug almost every possible negative stereotype possible in order to make him. It's like Falcon origin from the 70's or something. That's the problem with the racial component to me, which is magnified by the fact that they are all new traits, implanted into the character at the same time he's turned black. The implication, of course, is that the criminal tendencies and lacking father and all that are there because he's black. It may not be intentional, but it's a racist portrayal.

Now - speaking as a Wally fan, not a bi-racial man- the fact that he's 12 is a deal breaker to me. His fandom haven't been asking for "Kid Flash" to be back for the last seven years. If he isn't to be top dog, do something else, not turn him into a nobody.

So, what DC will do, I have no idea. If it was up to me they could Rip Hunter all this crap out, to be honest; put him back in his proper generation (Dick and Roy, not Damian) and be done with it. Not going to happen, though.

[colonyofcells]

Using the post convergence loose continuity, should be easy to have Nightwing, Arsenal, Changeling, Raven and Wally West about the same age. Probably even possible to have Nightwing and Damian Wayne look like they are about the same age.

[BohemiaDrinker]

Using the post convergence loose continuity, should be easy to have Nightwing, Arsenal, Changeling, Raven and Wally West about the same age.

It's easy now; they're doing time travel left and right. They won't do it because they don't want to, not because is hard. No point in avoiding that fact.