Is DC still treating Wally West badly?

[Atlanta96]

I think most people who claim the majority of readers had no problems with the New 52 are projecting. They're usually in the small minority who actually liked the reboot in the end, and can't deal with the fact that their opinions are so unpopular.

[Waterfall]

I'm kinda waiting until this Rebirth stuff comes to a head. It's too early to answer OP's question in my opinion but it definitely feels like they were just throwing a bone to readers to accept N52 Wally (which worked). Notice that N52 Wally's characterization didn't develop as it was, Williamson retconned it into older Wally's personality for no reason. And that now makes confusion greater.

They very much want Barry- n52 Wally as the norm and relegate Wally's role in franchise to "Black sidekick". My heart hurts but that seems to be not changing anytime soon.

[gwangung]

Geez. It seems like Saturn Girl needs to teach a few classes on mind reading around here.

[JackDaw]

DC are almost certainly under-using Wally now, but I'm not sure they are using him badly. A strong role on Young Justice/ Teen Titans isn't a bad use, fully consistent with his wonderful history.

Being used badly, for example, would be be making him markedly less powered than Barry right now.

Like Buried Alien...for me...the end game has to be Barry and Wally working together...like they did back in the Silver Age.

But this time Wally can't be, must not be, cast as Barry's side-kick. DC has to give a lot of thought to how the future partnership will work, so they complement each other, rather than anything else.

Better to do it right than rush it, a lot of Barry's return has been messed up already.

[Assam]

DC are almost certainly under-using Wally now, but I'm not sure they are using him badly. A strong role on Young Justice/ Teen Titans isn't a bad use, fully consistent with his wonderful history.

Being used badly, for example, would be be making him markedly less powered than Barry right now.

Like Buried Alien...for me...the end game has to be Barry and Wally working together...like they did back in the Silver Age.

But this time Wally can't be, must not be, cast as Barry's side-kick. DC has to give a lot of thought to how the future partnership will work, so they complement each other, rather than anything else.

Better to do it right than rush it, a lot of Barry's return has been messed up already.

DC will never let that happen. At least, not the way it should be.

Even setting how badly they bungled Barry's return, Barry and Wally as partners, both as Flash, won't happen because it's a lose-lose situation for DC.

While Barry and Wally have completely different personalities, one's capabilities and speed far out class the other's.

However, they WON'T show Wally being as powerful as he should be, which is leagues more powerful than Barry, because the current people in charge love the Silver Age more than anything. And if a writer let Wally completely outshine Barry, he'd probably be ripped off the book.

And if Barry is shown to be equally powerful, or dare I say, even more powerful than Wally, Wally fans will throw start a shitstorm.

So yeah, Barry and RealWally likely won't ever be headlining a book together, or at least not for a very long time. DC's just gonna keep pushing Barry as the main Flash, with FakeWally as his token black sidekick.

Thanks DC

[Buried Alien]

Like Buried Alien...for me...the end game has to be Barry and Wally working together...like they did back in the Silver Age.

I always say: it CAN (and should) be done. Japan had it figured out with their superheroes as early as 1972:



Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[FishyZombie]

I think compromise is key for co-existence. You gotta justify both their existence and to do that, each have to offer something the other can't. Maybe Wally is faster but Barry gets all the tricks, fazing through matter, throwing lightning, time travel, stealing speed etc. Or the other way around, whatever.

[Buried Alien]

I think compromise is key for co-existence. You gotta justify both their existence and to do that, each have to offer something the other can't. Maybe Wally is faster but Barry gets all the tricks, fazing through matter, throwing lightning, time travel, stealing speed etc. Or the other way around, whatever.

You know how it worked with Kamen Rider 1 and Kamen Rider 2, who essentially had the same design and power set?

Kamen Rider 1 was referred to as the "Rider of Skill." He was *slightly* weaker physically than his later counterpart, but had the edge in terms of martial arts and combat skill.

Kamen Rider 2 was referred to as the "Rider of Strength." He was slightly stronger than Rider 1, but also slightly less skilled in martial arts.

On average, the two were around equal, and either one was capable of defending Japan from Shocker's mutant creatures on his own.

Together, though, as the Double Riders, they were twice as effective.

And like Barry and Wally, the second Rider replaced the first Rider for an extended period of time when the first Rider temporarily left the series (actor critically injured in stunt), but the first Rider returned to the starring role later (with second Rider then becoming occasional equal partner in periodic appearances). Since that time, they've generally appeared as a duo of equals.

What worked for Kamen Rider in 1972 can work for the Flash today, as long as fans are willing to step back from extreme, uncompromising positions.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[darkseidpwns]

Flash and GL franchises are a mess aren't they. Just focus on Rogues and Sinestro DC.

[ayanestar]

Like some pointed out many fans were actually fine with the idea of New 52 but we also know how horrible it turned out. It was simply a mess overall especially for the writers who didn't knew what was going on lol of course there were also some good stories and not everything was bad but it wasn't enough to please the majority of the fans because so many books were horrible and the timeline not only confused fans but also their own writers.

Anyway I think there are still some parts and characters missing for Rebirth so it will take time till the next big event starts, which hopefully will give Wally (and the Titans) an important part in the story alongside the JL. Also it is kinda stupid to have two Wally's running around I mean I get it they couldn't kill off the new kid it would have caused more harm than good but change his name or smth? For now I'm fine with Wally in the comics, at least he is in a decent book, alive and still the Flash, not Barry's side-kick. Other Flash characters have it worse. I do however expect smth big for him in the future, I would be really angry if Rebirth ends and Wally dies again or some BS.

[Atlanta96]

I think compromise is key for co-existence. You gotta justify both their existence and to do that, each have to offer something the other can't. Maybe Wally is faster but Barry gets all the tricks, fazing through matter, throwing lightning, time travel, stealing speed etc. Or the other way around, whatever.

That would've been the ideal solution from the start. Unfortunately DC still lacks interest in showing those 2 characters with any semblance of equality. To be fair there's not much reason to since Barry is dominating all outside media, so the problem lies just as much with them.

I still think the only hope for Wally at this point is a role in the DCEU. And since the Justice League Barry seems to have borrowed a bit of Wally's character (I believe he was written as an amalgamation of the two, Again.), the only way we can get them both in the Flash film is if they change Barry's characterization from the JL film. It's a long shot, but not impossible.

[JackDaw]

As I plodded round countryside today, walking the dog, brooded on what my preference for Wally/ Barry relationship would have been.

I think my preference would have been to do Barry's comeback very differently: to build on the promise that Barry was always going to come back from the future a third time to help Wally in his hour of greatest need.

So..Wally faces a crisis, Barry comes back...and the"old team" see it through. To some extent the action drains Barry, so at end Wally carries on as main Flash, and Barry moves into mentor/ support role...and starts researching the speed force. In effect to have a similar set-up to Ted Knight/ Jack Knight in the James Robinson Starman run.

Not gone that way, but..to be optimistic..I think Buried Alien has suggested a first-rate way forward that could be used in light of way things have now gone.

[gwangung]

As I plodded round countryside today, walking the dog, brooded on what my preference for Wally/ Barry relationship would have been.

I think my preference would have been to do Barry's comeback very differently: to build on the promise that Barry was always going to come back from the future a third time to help Wally in his hour of greatest need.

So..Wally faces a crisis, Barry comes back...and the"old team" see it through. To some extent the action drains Barry, so at end Wally carries on as main Flash, and Barry moves into mentor/ support role...and starts researching the speed force. In effect to have a similar set-up to Ted Knight/ Jack Knight in the James Robinson Starman run.

Not gone that way, but..to be optimistic..I think Buried Alien has suggested a first-rate way forward that could be used in light of way things have now gone.

Yeah, I think so, too.

Actually, I would think Wally has a bit more in raw abilities (being able to steal speed and impart it), but he's not nearly as analytical or methodical as Barry is. That actually makes Barry more dangerous in a battle...and if he's allowed a second chance, he'd be almost Batman like in being able to prep.

Too, Barry is much more of a teacher. That would mean he'd take on more of the Max Mercury role, except from a scientific approach as opposed to the more spiritual or philosophical approach Waid used.

[The Darknight Detective]

I think compromise is key for co-existence. You gotta justify both their existence and to do that, each have to offer something the other can't. Maybe Wally is faster but Barry gets all the tricks, fazing through matter, throwing lightning, time travel, stealing speed etc. Or the other way around, whatever.

I agree, though Barry would almost certainly be the faster one and Wally would have the tricks instead.

[Assam]

I agree, though Barry would almost certainly be the faster one and Wally would have the tricks instead.

Admittedly I haven't read any of Barry's appearances post-revival, but does he have any feats that come close to Wally's running at 13 trillion times the speed of light? Cause I know Pre-Crisis, he most definitely did not.