Yes, it's exactly what Wally needs
No, he's been underused
CW TV FLASH's Wally West is different from any other depiction of Wally we've ever seen.
Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)
Buried Alien - THE FASTEST POST ALIVE!
First CBR Appearance (Historical): November, 1996
First CBR Appearance (Modern): April, 2014
Well they could have gotten the basis of his character right for one. Original Wally is typically portrayed as a relatable friend with a witty sense of humor. TV Wally isn't really relatable, friendly, or witty. Or charismatic, but that's another issue. The cartoons made their changes to Wally but they still got the basis of his character right. CW Wally is something else.
I don't think anyone will deny that.
And they're the only versions of the character with a criminal backstory. And his transition into Kid Flash was a redemption arc as opposed to a depressed kid's wish fulfillment.
Last edited by Atlanta96; 04-11-2017 at 02:51 PM.
ORIGINAL Wally, as depicted in the Silver Age, was difficult to distinguish in terms of personality from original Dick Grayson, original Donna Troy, original Roy Harper, and original Garth. Like their mentors, the generation who would become the original Teen Titans all had nondescript, cookie-cutter personalities. Such was characterization during the Silver Age.
The first writer who really gave Wally (and his peers) a distinct personality was Marv Wolfman with the NEW TEEN TITANS. Though few remember Wolfman's Wally with much nostalgic warmth, it was nevertheless the first stab at distinguishing Wally as an individual from both his mentor and his peers. When Wally got his own FLASH title after COIE, Baron, Messner-Loebs, Waid, etc., would continue building around the original mold.
Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)
Buried Alien - THE FASTEST POST ALIVE!
First CBR Appearance (Historical): November, 1996
First CBR Appearance (Modern): April, 2014
I'm aware of the characters history and his evolution. You'll probably agree that my description fits more versions of the character than anything else, and that the TV version isn't very similar to any previous version either. But the one trait that linked all those versions, from Wolfman to Waid to Johns, was that Wally was an everyman. The show missed that aspect, it failed to capture his most important and consistent trait.
Yeah, one man's "Everyman" could be completely unrecognizable for another man. I like CW's Wally, but if the FLASH TV show had been made in the 1970s or 1980s, we'd probably be looking at a very different portrayal of the character.
Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)
Buried Alien - THE FASTEST POST ALIVE!
First CBR Appearance (Historical): November, 1996
First CBR Appearance (Modern): April, 2014