The Official Flash thread

[Aristotle]

No. They cannot coexist. The way that every writer in the DC stable, and every character in the DCU, talks about Barry Allen, the Flash title would/will go to Barry Allen. Honestly, from Dan DiDio's recent comments, I'm already resigned to the fact that Wally will be stuck in Titans while Barry gets the Flash book and the JLA slot for the next 20 years.

**** Barry Allen. To borrow a phrase from Batman, the only time I've cared about Barry Allen is when he was dead.

 

[hippie_hunter]

No. They cannot coexist. The way that every writer in the DC stable, and every character in the DCU, talks about Barry Allen, the Flash title would/will go to Barry Allen. Honestly, from Dan DiDio's recent comments, I'm already resigned to the fact that Wally will be stuck in Titans while Barry gets the Flash book and the JLA slot for the next 20 years.

I think it's downright dumb to form any idea what's going to happen with the Flash title now that Barry is back and personally I have a feeling that Bart will be back soon in the Legion of Three Worlds mini.

But the current Flash title really isn't Wally's anymore. It's more like the West Family plus Jay Garrick on the side. For all we know, it could be Jay, Barry, Wally, Bart, and the West family. All coinciding together. Or maybe it is like you fear and Wally will get pushed aside.

Not only that, but I think Wally's spot is safe in the JLA title. Afterall there will be two Justice League titles and Barry would be more suited to fight alongside Ollie, Hal, and Ray Palmer in Robinson's Justice League than fighting alongside Roy, Black Lighting, John Stewart, Firestorm, and Hawkgirl.

**** Barry Allen. To borrow a phrase from Batman, the only time I've cared about Barry Allen is when he was dead.

I would be more skeptical but since DC has handled Hal's return very well, I have faith in them handling Barry's return well. I'm hoping that DC is going to revitalize the Flash book in the manner they've successfully revitalized the Green Lantern line.

 

[Aristotle]

I think it's downright dumb to form any idea what's going to happen with the Flash title now that Barry is back and personally I have a feeling that Bart will be back soon in the Legion of Three Worlds mini.

DiDio accidentally on purpose said as much already. But come on. You know it's going to happen, the Barry thing.

But the current Flash title really isn't Wally's anymore. It's more like the West Family plus Jay Garrick on the side. For all we know, it could be Jay, Barry, Wally, Bart, and the West family. All coinciding together. Or maybe it is like you fear and Wally will get pushed aside.

Peyer was bringing it back around to Wally. Under Waid, I grant you, it was not Wally's title. But Peyer was bringing it back to where it should have been, and I'd rather have a Wally title than a Barry title.

I would be more skeptical but since DC has handled Hal's return very well, I have faith in them handling Barry's return well. I'm hoping that DC is going to revitalize the Flash book in the manner they've successfully revitalized the Green Lantern line.

And I'm just sad to see that the Green Lantern and Flash that I grew up on are being relegated to bit players in the DCU.

 

[The_Mystery]

^I totally agree with your last statement. I was never a fan of Hal Jordan or Barry Allen. I grew up with Wally West and Kyle Rayner and I they are being pushed to the back so that Didio can try and capture "lightning in a bottle" again with all these Silver Age characters. DC likes to perpetrate that they are all about the "legacy heroes", but then they shoot themselves in the foot by bringing back charcters who are past their time. Hell, I would have been okay with Dick Grayson taking over the Batman mantle. Just think they could have a whole 2nd generation JLA:

Superman (still Clark, Conner would have needed more time)
Batman (Dick Grayson)
Wonder Woman (Donna Troy)
Flash (Wally West)
Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)
Green Arrow (Conner Hawke)
Aquaman (Garth)
Martian Manhunter (still J'onn)

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I would be more skeptical but since DC has handled Hal's return very well, I have faith in them handling Barry's return well. I'm hoping that DC is going to revitalize the Flash book in the manner they've successfully revitalized the Green Lantern line.

Yeah, try to tell a Kyle fan how well Hal's return has been handled. Or a Connor fan how well Ollie's has been handled. Or an Aquaman fan how well the Aquanewb's introduction was handled. People can talk about how everyone can coexist happily all they want, but when two characters bear the same name, one always gets short shrift. We've seen it happen again and again and again.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Yeah, try to tell a Kyle fan how well Hal's return has been handled. Or a Connor fan how well Ollie's has been handled.

Can I respond to a sucks to be them? Honestly though, Conner could have been handled very good with the way Smith and Meltzer treated him but Winick really screwed that one up.

Or an Aquaman fan how well the Aquanewb's introduction was handled.

As an Aquaman fan I can tell you that I'm more disappointed in DC for not letting Williams at least finish his story with Aquaman and Aquanewb and see how he would have taken that. Also I kinda felt that Joseph was going to be eventually pushed aside for Orin eventually so it really didn't bother me too much.

People can talk about how everyone can coexist happily all they want, but when two characters bear the same name, one always gets short shrift. We've seen it happen again and again and again.

Okay you got a point there

 

[Aristotle]

And that is the point. Before Rebirth, Kyle was always a better character than Hal had ever been, and there's no reason that all of what Johns has done since couldn't have been done with Kyle as the centerpiece rather than Hal. Bringing Hal back was not necessary. I'm not saying that there haven't been great stories for Hal since then, but I'd still rather have Kyle be the centerpiece of the GL franchise. I can tell you right now, I will always feel that way about Kyle and Wally. It was their turn, and now it's been snatched away from them.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Can I respond to a sucks to be them? Honestly though, Conner could have been handled very good with the way Smith and Meltzer treated him but Winick really screwed that one up.

Well, Smith and Meltzer certainly did a better job of it, but Connor was always just a supporting cast member. That's what the current mantle-bearer becomes when the one perceived as the "main" mantle-bearer returns and, frankly, that's beneath Wally at this point. He's very much a star character in his own right, and he deserves his own book, not to be shoved aside for Barry to take center stage or to be relegated to the Titans ensemble cast.

As an Aquaman fan I can tell you that I'm more disappointed in DC for not letting Williams at least finish his story with Aquaman and Aquanewb and see how he would have taken that. Also I kinda felt that Joseph was going to be eventually pushed aside for Orin eventually so it really didn't bother me too much.

I'm an Aquaman fan too, and I agree. The feeling that Joseph would be pushed to the supporting cast when Orin returned only started happening for me when Williams came onboard, though. Busiek, I think, intended to continue with Joseph as the star of the book. At least, I didn't get any indication from Busiek's run that the Dweller would regain his memories and normal powers. Granted, I'd be glad if Orin returned and Joseph got pushed aside, but I wouldn't want to be rid of Joseph entirely. I actually liked what G. Willow Wilson did with Joseph and Metamorpho in Five of a Kind a lot. That would've been a great place for him if not for the upheaval with the new Outsiders.

 

[Flash Facts]

Okay not to break up your discussion on how legacy characters are getting shafted because of returning characters whose time is up because I wholeheartedly agree but I'm confused about something and was hoping that someone here could clear things up.

I just read Flash 242 (more meh) and Rogues' Revenge (Awesome) and am confused about when they are supposed to happen chronologically.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Flash #242 occurs before Rogues Revenge. The Rogues are still gone in the Flash and Barry Allen hasn't come back yet in that title. As a matter in fact unless Barry Allen gets specifically mentioned in the main Flash title, I'd place all the Flash stories that are published during the Final Crisis event (with Rogues' Revenge being the exception) before Final Crisis.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, I'm assuming all the comics that aren't directly tied into Final Crisis are happening before it. It makes sense, since FC is a big enough event that I'd expect some status quo shift by the end of it.

 

[Flash Facts]

But how is that possible when

Spoiler

The Flash Museum is burnt down and Inertia is removed from it in 241 and Iris dies in 242

?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Spoiler

The Flash Museum can always be rebuilt pretty quickly, and I doubt Iris is going to stay dead.

 

[Flash Facts]

That doesn't make sense either though because

Spoiler

in 241 Inertia hasn't been out of suspended animation since Wally put him in it and he is regretting his decision but in RR Inertia's escape in broadcast on the news and I doubt Wally would regret it after he killed those people plus at the end of 241 Iris is older and in RR she is still young.

On a side note anyone else find it a tad ridiculous that Wally would regret what he did to Inertia after what he did yet constantly say he wants to kill Grod in the next issue for doing way less?

 

[hippie_hunter]

That doesn't make sense either though because

Spoiler

in 241 Inertia hasn't been out of suspended animation since Wally put him in it and he is regretting his decision but in RR Inertia's escape in broadcast on the news and I doubt Wally would regret it after he killed those people plus at the end of 241 Iris is older and in RR she is still young.

It makes sense. Flash #241 obviously occurs before Rogues' Revenge. The return of the Rogues and Barry Allen aren't even mentioned yet those are big enough events to be mentioned in a Flash comic if they happened after and Inertia is still frozen yet in Rogues' Revenge he's been unfrozen.

It's obvious that Iris is going to be cured.

Spoiler

On a side note anyone else find it a tad ridiculous that Wally would regret what he did to Inertia after what he did yet constantly say he wants to kill Grod in the next issue for doing way less?

A tad. But he thinks his daughter is dead so it is reasonable at least for him to act that way.

 

[storyteller]

Probably similar to superman Chris Kent situation. Their are stories that take place later then the current event but someone didnt get the memo. Or its just that iris will be fine when this is all over.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

A tad. But he thinks his daughter is dead so it is reasonable at least for him to act that way.

Besides which, I don't think Wally's actually going to kill Grodd anyway. Grodd's too big a character, for one thing, and although Wally supports the death penalty, he's never been okay with someone playing judge, jury, and executioner in the heat of the moment.

 

[Aristotle]

OK, Flashfacts, slow yourself down.

The Inertia situation: Simple enough. In Flash, Inertia has, as the book says, not been removed from suspended animation yet.

Flash Museum: Didn't burn down, it just got burnt a little.

Iris dying/young/old/thing: Different Iris. Clearly a different Iris.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Oh, he thought Wally's aunt Iris in Rogues' Revenge was Wally's daughter Iris?

 

[WompuM]

No, I think they show a young Iris at one point in RR, which means it would happen before she gets old and dies (assuming she stays dead, which she wont).

 

[Kitsune]

Can I respond to a sucks to be them? Honestly though, Conner could have been handled very good with the way Smith and Meltzer treated him but Winick really screwed that one up.





Okay you got a point there

It's Well .... good is and adjective not an adverb.... sorry I'm hearing the voice of my mother the English teacher here.

 

[Aristotle]

No, I think they show a young Iris at one point in RR, which means it would happen before she gets old and dies (assuming she stays dead, which she wont).

I reread it last night. They do not show Wally's daughter in RR. Flashfacts confused the two Irises.

 

[FOG3]

Sorry to jump in randomly. I haven't visited these boards in a while and haven't been reading much Flash either, but I picked up the last few issues along with RR, and I'm thinking Corpulent1 is right on the money

Spoiler

Near the end of the book, Iris is asking Jai (unless he got a lil' girlfriend or something) how he can sleep from the bed next to him. Im pretty sure all this happens after whats going on in Flash right now

 

[Mr. Green]

So has this title ever started to get good or does it still suck?

AND what would you guys say are the top 2 or 3 Flash stories (preferably collected in tpb or HC form)?

Flash has always been one of my all-time favorite characters so I started getting the title when it restarted with #1. Needless to say I didn't buy it anymore after that. But alas, I need my Flash fix!

 

[Aristotle]

Sorry to jump in randomly. I haven't visited these boards in a while and haven't been reading much Flash either, but I picked up the last few issues along with RR, and I'm thinking Corpulent1 is right on the money

Spoiler

Near the end of the book, Iris is asking Jai (unless he got a lil' girlfriend or something) how he can sleep from the bed next to him. Im pretty sure all this happens after whats going on in Flash right now

Yeah, true. When I re-read, I somehow missed that sidebar.