Yes
No
Depends on the character
Ok, I think it would be a bit out of nowhere, but to me a Legacy character is a way to look into characters from another perspective. I believe that, because the Legacy character for a better or worse has a different personality and history from the core characters. So when they are put into the position of the core character they would provide a certain PoV that might be can't be used in the core characters, providing with a new story that might be getting used by core characters later by another writers. So, to me Legacy characters are used, especially in comic, not as the replacement but as a lens to see through another view of the brand. But, then again, it depends on the story. If the power that might be are making a good honest story that play into the Legacy characters well, then it might be fantastic in way of Jane Foster's Thor, Miles Morales' Spider-Man, Kamala Khan's Ms. Marvel, Otto's Spider-Man, and Sam Wilson's Captain America.
So if you ask me then that dependes not on the characters, but on story. Because to me how characters will live are depends on the whim of the creators and stories that they told.
Kind of an overrated concept, honestly.
I guess it works for Flash, never really considered GL a traditional legacy character outside of the brief time in the 90s with Kyle, but never got this desire to try and apply it wholesale on characters where it's always been the same one person (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman), aside from intended temporary stopgaps.
I’m a world where wards and sidekicks exist I think exploring legacies makes sense. It doesn’t even have to always mean replacing the original characters (though you can have fun stories with that). The side characters can retire, they can adopt new identities, they can exist alongside the main characters just used to tell different stories. It’s really up to the writers and editors to want to find new ways to explore them.
Its completely overused and stretched too far today. Has been since Rebirth when they wildly overcorrected on the New 52 dropping a lot of it.
"They can be a great people Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you. My only son." - Jor-El
Yes, an argument can be made that due to the concept not changing much between Jay and Barry and the circumstances for Wally being right at the time made that a more natural legacy. But the Silver Age GLs were petty removed from Alan and were established as having multiple members from the get go. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Captain Marvel are the same people that they were in the Golden Age; those are tied to the specific characters, they mostly aren't mantles we could pass to someone else permanently. Superman in particular is 100% Clark Kent and won't stop being Superman if he is in character, especially if we go by the takes where he's either ageless or ages extremely slowly.
The belief that Batman needs a Robin and therefore the mantle needs to be passed along once Dick becomes Nightwing arguably doesn't do Dick and favors. Dick either remaining Robin as an adult or the mantle vanishing once he becomes Nightwing and we just have him and Batman as peers either way would have been better. The Robin Boy Band cannibalizes each other now.
Wally has Iris and Bart(and I guess Jai, now, as of Finish Line). He was the first one with his own legacy, as Bart predates Damian (the closest thing Dick has, as Tim is certainly not), Cassie (who would be Diana's instead of Donna's, anyhow, but still) or...well, Garth and Roy don't have one since Lian never got her chance and Emiko is based on Oliver, not Roy. Same situation with Kal'durahm, who isn't based off Garth.
Wally is the ONLY one who got his own legacy, really, if you count Damian as more Bruce's protege than Dick's as a lot of people do.
Wallace is not Wally's legacy. Wallace is about as far from a legacy to Wally as you can get. He's a replacement.
Last edited by Dred; 09-20-2020 at 01:25 PM.
Opening Post Question -
It depends on the character and their intro storyline, IMO.
"So you've come to the end now alive but dead inside."
I think legacy is something that DC can and SHOULD utilise to separate itself from Marvel.
DC has a long history. Why not take advantage of it? Use it to tell some kick arse stories.
It's already there. Flash, Blue Beetle. Green Lantern. Green Arrow - stop trying to erase it and embrace it!!
"My name is Wally West. I'm the fastest man alive!"
I'll try being nicer if you try being smarter.