The Official Flash Thread

[Timstuff]

I think Wally's story is one that people can better identify with, and it also has a touch of wish fulfillment tempered with a real-life sense of responsibility. He was an unpopular geek at school who idolized his favorite superhero, and ultimately ends up becoming him. Also, the father/son dynamic between Wally and Barry is interesting, because one could interpret it as Wally idolizing The Flash because he subconciously sees his uncle in him, who is the other hero in Wally's life. It's sort of like in Spider-Man how Mary Jane knows that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, even though it's not conscious, and that's part of why she is drawn to both of them.

Ultimately though, Wally is a more fun character IMO. The real Wally is not as wild and reckless as the Flash from JLU (who, as Kevin Smith is always quick to point out, gets his personality mostly from Bart), but he is somewhere in between Barry and Bart which IMO is a good balance for a leading character. He's funny and can get in a fast quip if he wants to (and it makes sense that the fastest man alive should have a fast mouth), but he's not a dumb ass who doesn't know when to shut up.

 

[Webhead2006]

I still think it would be best to start from the begining with barry. Have wally play an intregal and supporting role in the film series. So we can lead to or have him also become the flash in 2nd or 3rd film. What ever the case may be. Heck for all we know maybe that would happen. Or maybe the actor picked for barry decides he doesnt want to do another movie so there you go you have wally already to go and be the flash. Now i dont know much on the flash characters myself besides tv/animation and looking online about said characters.

But i rather it start with barry, some how include jay saying in the movie he is either a real person, a comic book character, or maybe a tv hero dude or something. Then have wally in there. So they can play up the uncle/nephew stuff. Which i think would be best if they are at least a decade apart in age. Then like i said in other posts, i would like to see each character develop and be defined as themselfs. There is no need to go merging or mixing either of them together or what not. Each is a good character on their own.

 

[MadVillainy]

why is it best?

 

[Mr. Earle]

The comic book Flash I guess is technically Barry and I understand your point in your final paragraph

Thank you.

I mean you could say that ppl aren't giving Wally a chance either

Indeed.

i mean, to me, it's about reasonable. I do like Wally a lot though because I think Barry (so far) has always been a straight laced character, while Wally is almost the Peter Parker/Human Torch type character for DC.

And this is why i said that Barry would be like Hal or Clark, but with a different set of powers. Instead of having a grown up, wise Flash, just like we will have Hal and Clark and Bats, Wally could provide a movie franchise with a different feel and that would be its appeal.

 

[Mr. Earle]

I think Wally's story is one that people can better identify with, and it also has a touch of wish fulfillment tempered with a real-life sense of responsibility. He was an unpopular geek at school who idolized his favorite superhero, and ultimately ends up becoming him. Also, the father/son dynamic between Wally and Barry is interesting, because one could interpret it as Wally idolizing The Flash because he subconciously sees his uncle in him, who is the other hero in Wally's life. It's sort of like in Spider-Man how Mary Jane knows that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, even though it's not conscious, and that's part of why she is drawn to both of them.

Ultimately though, Wally is a more fun character IMO. The real Wally is not as wild and reckless as the Flash from JLU (who, as Kevin Smith is always quick to point out, gets his personality mostly from Bart), but he is somewhere in between Barry and Bart which IMO is a good balance for a leading character. He's funny and can get in a fast quip if he wants to (and it makes sense that the fastest man alive should have a fast mouth), but he's not a dumb ass who doesn't know when to shut up.

Nice post. Could you elaborate on Bart?

I still think it would be best to start from the begining with barry. Have wally play an intregal and supporting role in the film series. So we can lead to or have him also become the flash in 2nd or 3rd film. What ever the case may be. Heck for all we know maybe that would happen. Or maybe the actor picked for barry decides he doesnt want to do another movie so there you go you have wally already to go and be the flash. Now i dont know much on the flash characters myself besides tv/animation and looking online about said characters.

But i rather it start with barry, some how include jay saying in the movie he is either a real person, a comic book character, or maybe a tv hero dude or something. Then have wally in there. So they can play up the uncle/nephew stuff. Which i think would be best if they are at least a decade apart in age. Then like i said in other posts, i would like to see each character develop and be defined as themselfs. There is no need to go merging or mixing either of them together or what not. Each is a good character on their own.

I dont think that it will work. This is not a tv series that you can take your time. I'd love it if they went through all the Flashes slowly but we'll be lucky if we get a trilogy. And this is why they need to choose a Flash, stick with him and tell his story.
I personally like Wally but i am also a sucker for mentor-student relationships and i know that Wally had that with Barry and Jay, so i am very interested in seeing that. That's why i liked the first Zorro movie or doctors Greene and Carter in ER.

And now that i think about it, it is just like that. Those of you that watched ER will know that when Greene died, he gave his blessing to Carter, passing the leadership to him. Lets imagine that he didnt die but he went into a coma and after 10 seasons with Carter as the leader, Greene recovers. Yeah he was legendary in his time, but now he is shoehorned in the story suffocating the new guy.
Barry would have a chance of being THE Flash if he had come back after a couple of years. But after 20 years, Wally has stood on his feet and he's even breeding his successor Flashes. In a few years we'll have Wally passing the mantle to his successors and instead of giving him his chance to become a legend, they bring back his predecessor to steal his thunder. What the hell is Barry doing here?

 

[Kevin Smith]

Ok, i admit i've only read a few issues with Flash so i wouldnt know much about him.

That has a lot to do with why your vision of Flash would not work, no offense. A lot of studio execs have that in common with you.

But i know that he and Bats dont get along so well. And i have watched JLU and i liked their version of things.

I liked JL/JLU, even tho it was not the truest to the comics in terms of the big seven (sans the trinity). It was good because it was consistent and worked in its own world, all the characters played off each other. They had good team dynamics.

Imho Wally was no token dumb guy, he was simply the spiderman of the show.

Spider-Man, in all his depictions, is much more intelligent than the JLu Flash. Whether you see it that way or not, that's what he was to the show, the producers intentionally made Flash that way, the one note jokey guy. Even on the commentary to the episode "The Great Brain Robbery", Bruce Timm and Dwayne McDuffie comment on why their Flash doesn't vibrate his molecules and do all the things the Flash in the comics does, they said it's because it would "end the show if Flash had half the brain of an average human", so yeah, sounds like they made him the token dumb guy. While he wasn't as smart as Barry, even comics Wally could do other things than run fast, he even found a way to use his powers when he lost his legs in one story if I remember correctly, so yeah, if you think JLU Wally is the comics Wally you will be disappointed.

The younger, less serious, more naive and optimist of the gang, and that episode i referred to earlier showed why even Bats loved him after all they ve been through.

Did you watch New Frontier? Cuz barry is pretty much like that in NF, the truest adaptation of Barry to date. And again, if you've ever read Wally's stories you know he isn't like that. You aren't talking about the guy who whines about trying to live up to his dead uncle (fans would call him "Wally the weenie").

I wrote this a while ago about the JLU Flash for people who only know Flash from that show, I hope it helps with you questions:

Spoiler

The JL/JLU Flash was a combination of the 3 Flashes. They used Barry Allen's story, Wally West's name and appearance, and Bart Allen's impulsive personality.

Barry Allen's story elements: He lived in Central City, was a forensic scientist who was hit by lightning in a lab (Barry's origin), he has Barry's job, all his silver age foes, status as being the first scarlet speedster and co-founded the Justice League - all Barry Allen's story. The REAL Wally West doesn't have a single alternate media appearence that he can call his own. When have they ever delved into the "legacy" and Wally's origin and his history as Kid Flash that makes him so "special" and movie worthy? Not even once. I don't even think Keystone City was mentioned.

The Wally West elements were his name and appearance. That was about it. Oh, and Linda Park appeared in an episode and the speed force was referenced once. That about rounds out the Wally West elements of the JL/JLU Flash - kinda sucks if you were expecting the guy from the comics.

Bart Allen elements: The impulsive personality. It was a less punkish Bart Allen. The creators were even going to use Impulse when they originally pitched the show so there would be some kid memebers in the JLA. They were pitching to Wb originally, and WB likes shows with kid protagonists over adult ones. But they actually ended up using The Flash, as we all know, but they kept that personality. Wally West in the comics is much more intelligent than the JL/JLU Flash and acts more like Anakin Skywalker. A lot of this Flash was how the creators of the show wanted to characterize him and not necessarily how he was displayed in the comics.

That is especially true in the case of John Stewart, Hawkgirl, and The Flash. John Stewart in the comics was a black stereotype for a long time, and the marine, hardass, by-the-books, no onsense angle they added to him and has since become part of the comics. Same with Hawkgirl, she was kind of a ***** on the show, not quite how she was in the comics either.


So, in short:

They used Barry's story because it's the simplest to "get", i. e., not bogged down by legacy continuity and grew up with Barry/were most familiar with him, they used Wally's name and likenes at the end of season two because he was The Flash in the current comics which were very popular at the time because of Geoff Johns, and they used Bart's impulsive personality because they were originally going to use Impulse in the JLA instead of Flash because they were pitching the series to WB and WB likes mostly kid/teen characters in their shows. When they sold the show to Cartoon Network with a phone call they decided to use The Flash because he's such of a staple in the JLA and because they were doing CN and they don't mind cartoons with more adult protagonists, but they kept the personality so young kids would have someone to identify with.

So the JL/JLU Flash is really just a red haired, idiotic Barry Allen.



Quote:
Clearly, there is a divide in the fanbase over which Flash they should use, which is why IMO thye should honor both characters by doing the movie as a "passing of the torch" story.

This is the type of thing that will drive away new audiences and exactly why the creators of JL/JLU gave Wally Barry's story in the first place:

From http://jl.toonzone.net/flash/flash.htm

Quote:
Fundamentally the Flash is a difficult character to adapt, as his history from the comic books draws heavily from what has become known as the “Flash Legacy,” a mythos that has become both a blessing and a curse for the character. Here, Wally West is the third man to take up the mantle of the Flash, with Jay Garrick (the Golden Age Flash) and Barry Allen (the Silver Age Flash) coming before him…and this doesn’t even take into account the presence of Johnny Quick, Max Mercury, Jesse Quick, Impulse—a literal army of speedsters that spans hundreds of years, with each of them connected to the Speed Force, a fundamental energy source that all speed-related individuals tap into. While it is true that this mythos does provide a rich tapestry for writers to draw upon, it also holds the character back, as most modern-day Flash stories seem to be mired in it (in the comics, Wally West fights crime as the Flash in memoriam of Barry Allen, who died in 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths series, and is constantly in his shadow). As a result, readers often see the current Flash as nothing more than an extension of the mythos and not as an individual character; as he races through the pages of his monthly comic he drags his back-story behind him.

That is exactly what a movie about a character most people have never even heard of does not need - a long ass, strings attached, mountainous continuity. A continuity, that, according to the way you want to do things what with just having Barry die at the beginning and then shoe-horning Wally into his suit, isn't even there because Barry is so un-established. Recipe for disater because no one will care.

Let's read on:

Quote:
To combat this, the creative team took a big risk by severing Wally West’s ties to the Flash Legacy. On Justice League Wally is the only superhero to ever bear the identity of the Flash, and this distance from the mythos allows the character the chance to be something that he has never been able to be in his previous incarnations: unique. He doesn’t have to operate in the shadow of two prior incarnations; he is free to live his life without being compared to another hero. And while comic fans have complained about the absence of Jay Garrick and Barry Allen, their omission provides Wally the opportunity to be his own man.

That's exactly what is needed for the first movie; an interesting character who is self contained that can support his own movie. Wally West does not have that, Barry Allen does, which is why the creators used Barry's story instead of Wally's on JL/JLU.

Quote:
In keeping with the concept of Wally West being the only Flash, it should come as no surprise that, without a mentor in Barry Allen or the presence of the Teen Titans to hone his skills with, the creative team decided to make his character fill the category of “the rookie” in the team’s dynamic. Portrayed as still learning the full range of his abilities and being inexperienced in terms of sacrifice (his bewilderment over Wonder Woman’s banishment in "Paradise Lost," his inability to comprehend leaving a teammate behind in "The Savage Time" or in "Hearts and Minds"), the Flash provides an interesting contrast when compared to his more seasoned teammates, who have been doing the job for years (and, in some cases, for centuries). In truth, the character is more Kid Flash than regular Flash, and the opportunity to see his evolution as a hero sans Barry is a new wrinkle for an old, Silver Age character. In addition, his lack of a mentor provides Wally with a measure of uncertainty when it comes to what his powers are actually capable of—as shown in "Only a Dream," the thought that his powers may one day lock him into super-speed mode permanently is one that will keep him awake at night for years to come.

All that fits perfectly with Barry, as he was 24 when he became Flash/got his superpowers and had ZERO experience at what he was doing. Truthfully, Wally West had much more experience at being a superhero than Barry when he became The Flash because he was a superhero most of his whole life! Unlike Barry, he had been a sidekick since he was a kid. He had all this experience, yet anything Barry did still dwarfs Wally. Speaks volumes about the characters, I think. t:

So if you want a Flash on screen similar to JL/JLU you want Barry, not Wally.

And tell me about comics John Stewart. I've only seen him in the Sinestro Wars so i wouldnt know much about his comics version. In JLU he was badass though.

I love JLu John Stewart, even tho, like Flash, they gave him a lot of hal's elements, but as far as characterization goes I prefer that version. It was so successful they have actually incorporated that personality and some of the background into the comics. before, when John was first created, he was basically a sterotypical angry black guy. It wasn't until JL/JLU where people finally got how to write him, IMO anyway.

On another note, if you ask me, bringing Barry back was a dumb decision.

Of course, but then you're the same guy who only knows Flash from JLU.

He's been dead for about a decade (if i am not mistaken) so his death has already sunk in, and here we are with Wally, a great character, who now has a speedster son (so we are already going forward to the future) and BAM Barry is back to pull the carpet under his feet. Imho they re taking advantage of the fans' nostalgia, instead of developing the new guy. Its lazy imho.

Barry has been dead for over a decade, and did you know after Wally Bart was Flash? They killed Bart and Wally came back to "pull the carpet out from under his feet", so your argument pertains to Wally just as much as it does Barry. You should just say "I like Wally" if you don't know what you are talking about. And honestly, before you knock something, READ it so you at least know what you are talking about. I can say whatever I like about Wally West because I have read just about all his stories. Pick up Flash rebirth or Blackest Night.

Finally, could you point me towards the post that explains why the Zorro treatment wont work? There is no way i can find it in 107 pages.You cant be serious.

Mask of Zorro and Flash are two completely different animals. Mask of Zorro worked because the story and the characters were taylor made for that specific film and they fit that specific story. In order to cram all the (over 30 years long) Flash "legacy" in the first movie, major retooling/reinventing/rewriting is required, so much so that the characters will be their comics counterparts in name and likeness only, which defeats the purpose of trying to do this story in the first place, as many people have demonstrated with their ideas. The Flash was not created to be a "legacy" character and therefore will not work as one if they adapt it the wrong way.

 

[Kevin Smith]

I think Wally's story is one that people can better identify with, and it also has a touch of wish fulfillment tempered with a real-life sense of responsibility. He was an unpopular geek at school who idolized his favorite superhero, and ultimately ends up becoming him.

First, Wally was always the "cool, young guy" (similar to Kyle Rayner), the "unpopular geek" pertains to Barry more than anything, Barry was the slow kid, kinda introverted kid who was always late and LOVED comic books (even as an adult, hell it's in his FIRST appearance), Barry was the unpopular geeky guy.

I can't identify with Wally West: full time superhero, been one since I was a kid. I can identify with Barry Allen, the man; always late, GF giving him *****, people walking on him, feeling out of step with everyone else. Barry Allen the man. Wally West doesn't have that. Even as Kid Flash when he had a secter identity. Wally and Flash are the same; whereas with Barry, Flash is just something he does, Barry is the real guy. People will find that more relatable.

Also, the father/son dynamic between Wally and Barry is interesting, because one could interpret it as Wally idolizing The Flash because he subconciously sees his uncle in him, who is the other hero in Wally's life. It's sort of like in Spider-Man how Mary Jane knows that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, even though it's not conscious, and that's part of why she is drawn to both of them.

That is interesting, and they should explore that, but only AFTER Barry has been established. Do it in a Titans film. use all the characters to their fullest potential.

He's funny and can get in a fast quip if he wants to (and it makes sense that the fastest man alive should have a fast mouth), but he's not a dumb ass who doesn't know when to shut up.

My god that is Barry Allen. Are you reading Blackest Night?! What Barry stories have you read? WTF. Wally was more whiny and angst-ish, trying too hard to be "hip", especially under Waid's pen.

 

[Mr. Earle]

Spider-Man, in all his depictions, is much more intelligent than the JLu Flash. Whether you see it that way or not, that's what he was to the show, the producers intentionally made Flash that way, the one note jokey guy. Even on the commentary to the episode "The Great Brain Robbery", Bruce Timm and Dwayne McDuffie comment on why their Flash doesn't vibrate his molecules and do all the things the Flash in the comics does, they said it's because it would "end the show if Flash had half the brain of an average human", so yeah, sounds like they made him the token dumb guy. While he wasn't as smart as Barry, even comics Wally could do other things than run fast, he even found a way to use his powers when he lost his legs in one story if I remember correctly, so yeah, if you think JLU Wally is the comics Wally you will be disappointed.

They didnt use the Flash's full potential because there wouldnt be much for anyone else to do. That's also why he only went into god mode once (against Lex-Brainiac) That doesnt have anything to do with his intelligence. If i am not mistaken he is nerfed in the comics JL as well because there wouldnt be much for the others to do there as well.

John Stewart in the comics was a black stereotype for a long time, and the marine, hardass, by-the-books, no onsense angle they added to him and has since become part of the comics.

Goddamnit comics, even a kid's show can be better at times. If they stopped worshipping Hal for a while, they could have developped Kyle and John. But no, Hal is like the Harry Potter of the GLs. The others are there just for decoration while Hal for some reason is the greatest one. He destroys the universe once in a while but who cares?

He had all this experience, yet anything Barry did still dwarfs Wally. Speaks volumes about the characters, I think.

We are not talking about real people with real potential, but about characters at the whims of their writers. This also reminds me of Hal. Most writers are obsessed with him, Alex Ross refuses to draw any other GL, so how is any of his successors even gonna compare?

Of course, but then you're the same guy who only knows Flash from JLU.

Mostly yes. I've read a few issues with him, but not enough to have an educated opinion. But that doesnt change the fact that we have a hero coming back from the dead to dethrone his successor after 20 years. How is Wally ever gonna measure up to Barry? See what i mean about the writers? Also see the ER example i gave in my previous post.

They killed Bart and Wally came back to "pull the carpet out from under his feet", so your argument pertains to Wally just as much as it does Barry. You should just say "I like Wally" if you don't know what you are talking about.

1) What exactly happened?
2) What is Bart's relation to Barry and Wally?
3) Bart died, Wally took over. They didnt bring Wally back from the dead after 20 years with Bart still alive.

 

[Kevin Smith]

I still think it would be best to start from the begining with barry. Have wally play an intregal and supporting role in the film series. So we can lead to or have him also become the flash in 2nd or 3rd film. What ever the case may be. Heck for all we know maybe that would happen. Or maybe the actor picked for barry decides he doesnt want to do another movie so there you go you have wally already to go and be the flash. Now i dont know much on the flash characters myself besides tv/animation and looking online about said characters.

But i rather it start with barry, some how include jay saying in the movie he is either a real person, a comic book character, or maybe a tv hero dude or something. Then have wally in there. So they can play up the uncle/nephew stuff. Which i think would be best if they are at least a decade apart in age. Then like i said in other posts, i would like to see each character develop and be defined as themselfs. There is no need to go merging or mixing either of them together or what not. Each is a good character on their own.

webhead doesn't even read the comics and he knows this. That should tell you something.

 

[Kevin Smith]

They didnt use the Flash's full potential because there wouldnt be much for anyone else to do. That's also why he only went into god mode once (against Lex-Brainiac) That doesnt have anything to do with his intelligence.

It was why they dumbed him down, among other reasons.

If i am not mistaken he is nerfed in the comics JL as well because there wouldnt be much for the others to do there as well.

Depends on the writer of course, but that isn't the case at all.

Goddamnit comics, even a kid's show can be better at times. If they stopped worshipping Hal for a while, they could have developped Kyle and John. But no, Hal is like the Harry Potter of the GLs. The others are there just for decoration while Hal for some reason is the greatest one. He destroys the universe once in a while but who cares?

They developed Kyle and John, and still are. Hal is the iconic GL, and Parallax destroyed that stuff, not Darth Vader Hal.

We are not talking about real people with real potential, but about characters at the whims of their writers.

The same can be said for Wally West.

This also reminds me of Hal. Most writers are obsessed with him, Alex Ross refuses to draw any other GL, so how is any of his successors even gonna compare?

But that's the thing. They weren't created to be "dead guys" and have successors. They were created to be THE Flash and THE Green Lantern, which is why they will always come back.

Mostly yes. I've read a few issues with him, but not enough to have an educated opinion. But that doesnt change the fact that we have a hero coming back from the dead to dethrone his successor after 20 years. How is Wally ever gonna measure up to Barry? See what i mean about the writers? Also see the ER example i gave in my previous post.

Again, in the comics, Wally has already "moved past" Barry's shadow, and now is his "own man", Wally would want Barry back more than almost anybody I would think (Iris 1st, then Hal, then Wally, then Bruce). So they are two developed, seperate characters. i don't see what the problem is, you can read Wally, I can read Barry, we can all read our fave Flashes and GLs. I can't help it if my guy is considered the "iconic" one.

1) What exactly happened?

After Wally disappeared with his wife and kids, an older Bart became The Flash. He was murdered by the Rogues and Inertia, and Wally and fam (kids now older) came back in the Lightning Saga in JLA (where Bruce shows his "disappointment" that it wasn't Barry).

2) What is Bart's relation to Barry and Wally?

He is Barry's grandson from the 31st century and Wally's cousin. (even more confusing I know)

3) Bart died, Wally took over. They didnt bring Wally back from the dead after 20 years with Bart still alive.

Bart's death was never supposed to be permanent, and this was all to pave the way for Barry's return (or so they say).

 

[Webhead2006]

yea i might not know enough about any of the flashs besides some basic history and info and all that. But really this is how i see it should go.

Though i been saying this for awhile this is a problem for characters like gl/flash for example when multi guys have been the character. Which one is should be used, which one shouldnt be used. Its alot easier for the likes of spidey/bats/supes were for most of its history it was only one person and all that.

 

[Kevin Smith]

So why is Barry so great anyway?

I got 18 reasons why Barry Allen is the greatest Flash:

1. Barry Allen is the DEFINITIVE Flash

Barry Allen is all about speed which is what The Flash is supposed to be about. He matches the powers. Everything about him literally is about speed and its related forms. His whole life is about speed. That's the premise of his comics, and in the age of technology where everyone wants everything instantly, instant communications, etc, speed is an incredibly relevant concept. Barry Allen is slow, The Flash is fast. That is the character.

Now I know that people like Wally West because he took over for Barry (and acts like a less jerky Anakin Skywalker) and I don't mean any disrespect to the character because frankly, despite my Barry fandom, I do like Wally too, but The Flash was never supposed to be about a guy trying to fill a dead guy's boots (which is a cool concept, it works for Wally and Bucky and will probably work for Robin, but honestly, what else were they gonna do with the "legacy" characters?). The Flash was always supposed to be about speed. That's what the character is supposed to be about, that's what the book was always supposed to be about (which is a fact I think people have forgotten or are just completely oblivious to with Wally and the legacy aspect so prevelant in the last few years), and that's what the Flash book needs to be about: the fastest man alive. And that man is Barry Allen.


Had he not been late for work/everything else, he would not have had to work late in the forensics lab to make up for lost time the night he got hit by lightning/electrically charged chemicals (at age 24) and gained superspeed. Barry Allen is essentially fast because he is slow. He goes from being the guy everyone is waiting on to the guy waiting for everyone else. In a more complex sense, this is like how Jon Osterman became Doctor Manhattan in Watchmen, because he was a watchmaker and could reassemble things. That is what makes Barry Allen the definitive Flash , it's not his accomplishments, it's not his emoluments, it's not the fact that he was The Flash longer than anyone else, it's not that he's the iconic/greatest Flash that makes him the definitive Flash, Barry Allen is the definitive Flash because he is the only one who is all about speed. He is fast because he is slow. He's all about speed. No other Flash has that. Not Wally. Not Bart. Not Jay. Barry Allen is to Flash as Hal Jordan is to Green Lantern .

2. Barry Allen is the only MAJOR DC characters to have powers because of an accident

Look at every other major DC character (the big 7). None of them are formed by acts of randomness. Yes, I know Wally has an origin similar to Barry's but it's lame. First, Wally was a sidekick, second, his "origin" is a complete ripoff of Barry Allen's. Like the accident that gave Barry his powers would suddenly just re-occur in the exact same place Barry got his powers and it would work on a kid. Hokey and stupid. Done once it makes sense, twice and it only works in a comic book (barely) and is unoriginal. They should have done something else.

3. Barry Allen is the only MAJOR DC character to have his powers because of his FLAWS

Hal Jordan has the Green Lantern ring because he is brave and honest, because of his good character traits. Barry Allen has super speed because he is lazy/late for everything, and by extension uncommited or easily distracted (a classic attribute of the absent minded professor syndrome), he has powers because of his character flaws. He is fast because he is slow.


4. Barry Allen is the most self contained Flash.

Barry Allen isn't bogged down by years of continuity and a legacy to scare new readers. He is his own person, you don't need to know Wally or Bart or some other character to know Barry.

Why aren't there any new Star Trek fans? Because Trek for the longest time has had its doors closed to regular people. If you weren't there from the start, then you missed it. The Flash is a similar case. It isn't simple for people and the overwhelming continuity/legacy, frankly, doesn't attract newcomers. "Well he was the Flash before this Flash and he was the Flash before this Flash and he was The Flash before this Flash, etc" scares newcomers and makes their heads spin. They need something quick and self contained as a jumping on point, the foundation/definitive version of it all, and that is Barry Allen.

5. Barry Allen is the only Flash who has a PERSONAL LIFE

Does Wally even have a job now? Wally ( REAL Wally ) is a full time superhero, no one can relate to that. Barry is more of a person than he is a super character. He didn't have powers for most of his life like Wally, Barry was the most inexperienced when he became Flash. Wally had years of training and had been Kid Flash before he became Flash, so did Bart, yet none of them have surpassed Barry Allen. A personal life is what The Flash needs so people can identify with the character. If people want a character with a public identity and super kids they can read Fantsatic Four.


6. FORENSICS are COOL

Does anyone really need proof of this? Barry Allen is even more relevant not just because of the popularity of shows like "CSI" but because the forensics technology itself has advanced so much. It would me a mistake to pass up the chance to have a superhero in a comic with a job this cool, and the great part is that barry was doing it waaaaay before everyone thought it was "cool", before most people even knew what it was.

7. Barry Allen is the GREATEST Flash

Let's see he:

- He co-founded the JLA, even suggested the "Justice" part of the moniker.


- Created the legacy that Wally and Bart carry as The Flash


- Discovered the Multiverse, a HUGE part of the DC mythology


- Sacraficed his life in Crisis on Infinite Earths, saving the universe


- Without him, there would be no Wally West (nephew (or at least a superpowered Wally West anyway)) or Bart Allen (grandson from the future), they are related to him and are wearing his suit


As a publication material, Barry Allen jump-started the Silver Age and saved comics. If we are to speak in biblical terms, Superman would be Adam, the first man, but Barry would be Noah, the preserver of mankind. Barry as The Flash reignited interest in superheroes; had it not been for him there would never have been:

Green Lantern Hal Jordan and by extension the GL Corps
JLA
Fantasic 4
Spider-Man, Iron Man, and all the other current and major Marvel heroes
Science Fiction would not have been a major focus in superhero stories if not for The Flash
Was the Flash longer than anyone else (Barry was Flash for 30 + years, Wally was Flash for 22 years, Jay was Flash for 11, and Bart was Flash for 1 year and a month)

If it weren't for him, we'd probably still be reading comics about romance or cowboys or horror stories. Also, I think he's important because he stayed dead longer than any other mainstream, A-list superhero, even if he has returned, this is still true. I can't imagine any other major character staying dead as long as he did. So that's why Barry Allen is important to comics as a publication material.

8. Barry Allen is the FASTEST Flash

I don't care what anyone else's opinion is on this. I don't care what some update lacking site that you or anyone else runs says. Barry is the fastest Flash, that is a Flash Fact . Fastest Wally has ran is slightly over the speed of light. I've read all the comics, I know. Fastest Barry ran before COIE was TEN TIMES the speed of light with minimum strain. He went OVER 100 times faster than the speed of light in Crisis on Infinite Earths, I don't care how many times Mark Waid or someone puts on panel "Wally is faster" because it's ********. It's the equivelant of how many times they told us Kyle Rayner was "better" than Hal Jordan with the ring. Wally's never gone that fast.

9. Barry Allen is the most INTELLIGENT Flash

He's the smartest. There's no question. Dude's been to college and is a forensic scientist. He deals with things in scientific terms. He's not just smart because of that, it's his whole approach to things as The Flash.

10. Barry Allen is witty and serious

This is a balance that will be needed in The Flash movie to keep it from being a complete joke as the suits at WB wanted to make it. Barry has a good sense of humor. He is sarcastic. He doesn't make himself look like a jackass like Bart and Wally occasionally, he makes other people look like jackasses. Barry is fun to be around, but when things get serious, so does he. He has the perfect mix.

11. Great supporting cast

(almost like the Daily Planet roster. Who does Wally have, besides wife and kids? Chunk?)

12. Great Rogues Gallery

How many of Wally's "Rogues", enemies that he didn't "inherit" from Barry or enemies that aren't derived from Barry's Rogues do you know of that are "great" and "iconic" as far as comics go? Magenta? Cicada? Tar Pit? Murmur? Girder? Double Down? Peek-a-Boo? Fallout? Brother Grimm? Do any of these guys even compare to Barry's classic Rogues Gallery?

Wally wasn't even allowed to fight any of Barry's Rogues for the longest time because of the stupid DC editorial mandate that "everything old isn't cool". It wasn't until Johns got on the book, Johns, who had read all of the silver age Flash stories and new what great potential the Rogues had that they really got interesting. He brought them all back, even if there were some new faces under the garb like Captain Boomerang and Mirror Master. He really wanted to use Zoom but DC said he couldn't, so he asked if he could create a new Zoom, and so he did. Now Johns has complete access to ALL the characters he wanted to write originally but couldn't and he no longer has to write characters derived from them.


13. Barry's blue eyes just look better in the red and gold suit than green or yellow eyes. I'm serious. It goes perfect.

14. Barry Allen has been The Flash LONGEST

Barry was Flash for over 30 years and is adding to it. Wally was Flash for 22 years, Jay 11, and Bart 1.

15. Barry Allen is in the same league (pardon the pun) as Superman, Batman, and Hal Jordan. No sidekicks here.

16. Barry Allen is the most compatible for movies and the way DC is doing things

17. HE IS AWESOME

18. Barry Allen is The Flash who has been used most in alternate media in terms of story and character

^^ shee it! I think that deserves its own thread, don't you?

 

[Mr. Earle]

Mask of Zorro and Flash are two completely different animals. Mask of Zorro worked because the story and the characters were taylor made for that specific film and they fit that specific story. In order to cram all the (over 30 years long) Flash "legacy" in the first movie, major retooling/reinventing/rewriting is required, so much so that the characters will be their comics counterparts in name and likeness only, which defeats the purpose of trying to do this story in the first place, as many people have demonstrated with their ideas. The Flash was not created to be a "legacy" character and therefore will not work as one if they adapt it the wrong way.

You said it yourself in your post that Wally can never be his own man due to his legacy. Why cant we pick up at the point when he steps from sidekick to the main hero as Barry dies? Do they have to tell every little detail about the flash legacy or go through every little detail of Barry's life? You know a lot about Flash so i trust your judgement that it wouldnt work, but i'd just like you to elaborate why they cant pick up at that point and keep going.

And again, if you've ever read Wally's stories you know he isn't like that. You aren't talking about the guy who whines about trying to live up to his dead uncle (fans would call him "Wally the weenie").

I can understand that. Dick Grayson is going through that right now as a successor to Bruce. But if it lasts more than a year, it gets irritating. And its lazy writing. Because what started as a normal phase that the character would go through, but eventually get over, would become a defining characteristic because hack writers dont know how to develop a character. If Wally was like that for a year, i can justify it. If he's been always like that, then he's a guy with inferiority complex.

While it is true that this mythos does provide a rich tapestry for writers to draw upon, it also holds the character back, as most modern-day Flash stories seem to be mired in it (in the comics, Wally West fights crime as the Flash in memoriam of Barry Allen, who died in 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths series, and is constantly in his shadow). As a result, readers often see the current Flash as nothing more than an extension of the mythos and not as an individual character; as he races through the pages of his monthly comic he drags his back-story behind him.

I thought that having a heritage is a mostly a good thing. Yes it sets a precedent you must follow, but look how Dick is becoming his own man as Batman. His change of suit design and headquarters underlines that. So while Wally can be a Flash in a line of Flashes, he could be his own man with his own personality and modus operandi.

That is exactly what a movie about a character most people have never even heard of does not need - a long ass, strings attached, mountainous continuity. A continuity, that, according to the way you want to do things what with just having Barry die at the beginning and then shoe-horning Wally into his suit, isn't even there because Barry is so un-established. Recipe for disater because no one will care.

We didnt know much about Zorro either. We only knew he was a legendary superhero. I dont need to see Barry save the world a thousand times to accept him as a legend. The admiration of his city, Wally, the JL, and a few flashbacks could provide that. Hell, he could die at the end of the first film or in the second and not at the start of the first.

That's exactly what is needed for the first movie; an interesting character who is self contained that can support his own movie. Wally West does not have that, Barry Allen does, which is why the creators used Barry's story instead of Wally's on JL/JLU.

Good point in general. But what more do i need to know about Barry other than he is a legendary superhero with this specific set of powers? And as i said, he could die at the end of the first film and not at the first scene.
Also, since i dont know all this Flash history, changing that wouldnt mean so much to me. So we could get the modern Flash, Wally, with a few changes to his story. For example he could be a teenager Kid Flash as Barry's sidekick who didnt finish his training, thus giving us the inexperienced Flash from JLU. It was certainly fun for me to watch him mature.
But in your post you say that Barry went through that phase while Wally was the Flash for all his life. So i am basically asking for a Wally with Barry elements. Maybe, but at least i am giving the modern Flash a movie which could help his comics sales instead of dealing with a character who's been dead for 20 years and is suddenly shoehorned back into continuity.

 

[Mr. Earle]

I can't identify with Wally West: full time superhero, been one since I was a kid. I can identify with Barry Allen, the man; always late, GF giving him *****, people walking on him, feeling out of step with everyone else. Barry Allen the man. Wally West doesn't have that. Even as Kid Flash when he had a secter identity. Wally and Flash are the same; whereas with Barry, Flash is just something he does, Barry is the real guy. People will find that more relatable.

I believe that that was the point. There was no point in replacing Barry with an identical character and that's why Wally is so different.
With this quote of yours i got to like Barry, and yeah Wally's origin is inferior by comparison, but its not bad either. As you say, he is the flash, its not something that he does. Its something that he always wanted to be. Its interesting as well.

That is interesting, and they should explore that, but only AFTER Barry has been established. Do it in a Titans film. use all the characters to their fullest potential.

If you re gonna adapt Wally faithfully, then yeah, you need Barry. Or like i said, they could rewrite.

They developed Kyle and John, and still are. Hal is the iconic GL

I dont have a problem when someone is the better one of his bunch. I have a problem with Mary Suism. Like in Harry Potter that a little student deals with the greatest evil in the world and there is no wizard army to deal with it. Hell, his professors are even scared to say the name Voldemort and he deals with him in a monthly basis. Nobody dares outshine Hal in a GL comicbook. He even punched the goddamn Batman without using his ring. I can suspend my disbelief but not that much. You dont just punch the goddamn batman.

But that's the thing. They weren't created to be "dead guys" and have successors. They were created to be THE Flash and THE Green Lantern, which is why they will always come back.

I can understand that, but after some years there wont be anywhere else to take them and that's where the successors come in. Their stories will remain for anyone who wants to read them. At some point even Bruce will have to pass the mantle. Can you imagine fans in the year 2100 still reading about the goddamn batman catching the goddamn joker and kissing the goddamn catwoman? Goddamn!

Again, in the comics, Wally has already "moved past" Barry's shadow, and now is his "own man", Wally would want Barry back more than almost anybody I would think (Iris 1st, then Hal, then Wally, then Bruce). So they are two developed, seperate characters. i don't see what the problem is, you can read Wally, I can read Barry, we can all read our fave Flashes and GLs. I can't help it if my guy is considered the "iconic" one.

From your posts i got the impression that Wally never stepped out of the shadow. I have no problem with Barry so i am not dissing him, and i have no problem with him coming back, as long as that doesnt put Wally in the sidelines.
Remember that Batman Beyond episode that Bruce uses the lazarus pit and becomes middle aged again? Terry said "i am not wearing the robin suit" and i agree with him. Bruce is my favourite superhero but the whole point of Beyond was moving on, so thank god he went back to being old.

 

[Mr. Earle]

Btw, are you the real Kevin Smith?
I am being naive, but who knows, you could be.

 

[Mr. Earle]

8. Barry Allen is the FASTEST Flash

I don't care what anyone else's opinion is on this. I don't care what some update lacking site that you or anyone else runs says. Barry is the fastest Flash, that is a Flash Fact . Fastest Wally has ran is slightly over the speed of light. I've read all the comics, I know. Fastest Barry ran before COIE was TEN TIMES the speed of light with minimum strain. He went OVER 100 times faster than the speed of light in Crisis on Infinite Earths, I don't care how many times Mark Waid or someone puts on panel "Wally is faster" because it's ********. It's the equivelant of how many times they told us Kyle Rayner was "better" than Hal Jordan with the ring. Wally's never gone that fast.

I have heard many times that Wally is supposedly the faster because he is in touch with Speed Force more than anyone else. Also, i've heard that he once was in a race against a guy with a teleporting machine that would read his mind and teleport him there instantly. Wally run to the end of the universe in that one second it took his opponent to think about it for his machine to work.
Anyway, this is like comparing penis sizes. If their powers come from the speed force, they should be equal in speed. Who cares if one is 1000 times faster than the speed of light and the other is 1001 times faster than the speed of light? It would only result in meaningless nerd fights.

10. Barry Allen is witty and serious

This is a balance that will be needed in The Flash movie to keep it from being a complete joke as the suits at WB wanted to make it. Barry has a good sense of humor. He is sarcastic. He doesn't make himself look like a jackass like Bart and Wally occasionally, he makes other people look like jackasses. Barry is fun to be around, but when things get serious, so does he. He has the perfect mix.

Yes that would be the recipe for success. But WB doesnt know subtle, do they?

12. Great Rogues Gallery

How many of Wally's "Rogues", enemies that he didn't "inherit" from Barry or enemies that aren't derived from Barry's Rogues do you know of that are "great" and "iconic" as far as comics go? Magenta? Cicada? Tar Pit? Murmur? Girder? Double Down? Peek-a-Boo? Fallout? Brother Grimm? Do any of these guys even compare to Barry's classic Rogues Gallery?

I believe that they went from Barry to Wally to rejuvenate the franchise. What's the problem with keeping the old villains? Its a simply a new flash against those villains.

13. Barry's blue eyes just look better in the red and gold suit than green or yellow eyes. I'm serious. It goes perfect.

I counter this shallow arguement with the equally shallow: "but wally's suit is cooler".

 

[solidsnake86]

^He's not, but he does know his stuff I would like to point out these points from his post. Its some of the most sense someone has spoken on this board.

Clearly, there is a divide in the fanbase over which Flash they should use, which is why IMO thye should honor both characters by doing the movie as a "passing of the torch" story.

This is the type of thing that will drive away new audiences and exactly why the creators of JL/JLU gave Wally Barry's story in the first place:

From http://jl.toonzone.net/flash/flash.htm



Quote:
Quote:
Fundamentally the Flash is a difficult character to adapt, as his history from the comic books draws heavily from what has become known as the “Flash Legacy,” a mythos that has become both a blessing and a curse for the character. Here, Wally West is the third man to take up the mantle of the Flash, with Jay Garrick (the Golden Age Flash) and Barry Allen (the Silver Age Flash) coming before him…and this doesn’t even take into account the presence of Johnny Quick, Max Mercury, Jesse Quick, Impulse—a literal army of speedsters that spans hundreds of years, with each of them connected to the Speed Force, a fundamental energy source that all speed-related individuals tap into. While it is true that this mythos does provide a rich tapestry for writers to draw upon, it also holds the character back, as most modern-day Flash stories seem to be mired in it (in the comics, Wally West fights crime as the Flash in memoriam of Barry Allen, who died in 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths series, and is constantly in his shadow). As a result, readers often see the current Flash as nothing more than an extension of the mythos and not as an individual character; as he races through the pages of his monthly comic he drags his back-story behind him.


That is exactly what a movie about a character most people have never even heard of does not need - a long ass, strings attached, mountainous continuity. A continuity, that, according to the way you want to do things what with just having Barry die at the beginning and then shoe-horning Wally into his suit, isn't even there because Barry is so un-established. Recipe for disater because no one will care.

and this

6. FORENSICS are COOL

Does anyone really need proof of this? Barry Allen is even more relevant not just because of the popularity of shows like "CSI" but because the forensics technology itself has advanced so much. It would me a mistake to pass up the chance to have a superhero in a comic with a job this cool, and the great part is that barry was doing it waaaaay before everyone thought it was "cool", before most people even knew what it was.

Its easy as comic book fans to think wally and this legacy business would make a great movie, and it might, but frankly they've been trying to streamline these properties and thats why it will be barry and stay that way.

The CSI angle, with the popularity of those shows and career as a whole over the past 10 year is something that the folks over at DC probably noticed and already had a character which was killed, and thought to themselves, well thats stupid. Its funny how on JL/JLU they gave wally barry's story. Ive said it before but if you went to WB and pitched a movie one on barry and one on wally to an executive who doesnt read comics which do you think they would go for.

 

[Mr. Earle]

Who cares about Barry's job? I mean, sure its cool, but the movie will not be about him examining crime scenes and processing evidence. We ll just see him working there for a few scenes, so what? Is it really that big a factor?

Also, Smith said that Wally doesnt have a job and he is a full time superhero. So i have to ask:
1) How does he support his family?
2) How is that interesting? How could they erase his personal life and job?

And i think that Smith is wrong when he says that Wally has no supporting characters because he does have Jay and his family as well as his own. But i've only read a few flash comics, so i could be wrong.

 

[Webhead2006]

yea i still say if flash is indeed the next up after the hal jordan green lantern movie, its more then likely going to be barry. But you dont have to not include wally at all. I am sure they can easily write the character in to have a meaningful and supporting role in the film.

 

[Kevin Smith]

You said it yourself in your post that Wally can never be his own man due to his legacy. Why cant we pick up at the point when he steps from sidekick to the main hero as Barry dies? Do they have to tell every little detail about the flash legacy or go through every little detail of Barry's life? You know a lot about Flash so i trust your judgement that it wouldnt work, but i'd just like you to elaborate why they cant pick up at that point and keep going.

First, thanks for trusting my judgment. It wouldn't work because you need to have Barry dying, establish how Barry got his powers and how Wally got his, who Wally is, etc. It's not even about telling every little detail of The Flash legacy, I was talking about a streamlined version of it, Wally is all about the legacy, taking over for Barry, that's the whole point of using him. If we don't see Wally try and become his own man (this wasn't just when he stopped being Kid Flash when Barry died, for YEARS Wally was always (and still is) compared to Barry, he always had that hanging over his head, and the bulk of any actual good Wally West story, IMO, was him trying to deal with the fact that he isn't Barry Allen; it isn't his costume and people will always compare him to Barry, it was the journey to become hiw own man, so if we start out where he is now, when he's become his "own man", he basically becomes the poor man's Barry Allen. So once that story is told what will you do next? Tell second rate imitation brand Barry stories where he fights the Rogues, gets a Kid Flash and Reverse Flash of his own, gets married to a reporter, etc, which is, again, why Barry should be used in the first place.

I can understand that. Dick Grayson is going through that right now as a successor to Bruce. But if it lasts more than a year, it gets irritating. And its lazy writing. Because what started as a normal phase that the character would go through, but eventually get over, would become a defining characteristic because hack writers dont know how to develop a character. If Wally was like that for a year, i can justify it. If he's been always like that, then he's a guy with inferiority complex.
I thought that having a heritage is a mostly a good thing. Yes it sets a precedent you must follow, but look how Dick is becoming his own man as Batman. His change of suit design and headquarters underlines that. So while Wally can be a Flash in a line of Flashes, he could be his own man with his own personality and modus operandi.

I've actually enjoyed Dick as Batman, but it's so damn circular because the real guy is going to come back, best you can do is tell an interesting story with what you got. The legacy thing is a one note story, because it can only go on for so long until the character becomes just like the predecessor. And that's great for characters who are supposed to be legacy characters, like the Phantom or Dr Who, but with characters where there was only supposed to be one of in the first place it does not work and you will always get the original, most well known version back in suit.

We didnt know much about Zorro either. We only knew he was a legendary superhero.

Well, technically, for any Zorro diehard, we did, because the "old" Zorro had a fondly remembered tv series and many films, so they could reasonably pass the torch to a NEW character that they created just for that purpose in the film. That legacy worked on film because it was created for film, therefore no retooling necessary. You wanna do The Flash 'legacy" you have to retool and rewrite a lot of things,, which, again, defeats the purpose in the first place. Do it right or don't do it at all.

I dont need to see Barry save the world a thousand times to accept him as a legend. The admiration of his city, Wally, the JL, and a few flashbacks could provide that. Hell, he could die at the end of the first film or in the second and not at the start of the first.
Good point in general. But what more do i need to know about Barry other than he is a legendary superhero with this specific set of powers? And as i said, he could die at the end of the first film and not at the first scene.

You mentioned JLA, Barry needs to be Flash if they do an origin flick. They need Barry if they EVER wanna do a Wally flick. Barry is the most compatible with the films, he is an interesting character, he is the current Flash, everything you liked about the JLU Flash comes from Barry...so why not do Barry? What does Wally have that Barry doesn't? Nothing good.

Also, since i dont know all this Flash history, changing that wouldnt mean so much to me. So we could get the modern Flash, Wally, with a few changes to his story. For example he could be a teenager Kid Flash as Barry's sidekick who didnt finish his training, thus giving us the inexperienced Flash from JLU. It was certainly fun for me to watch him mature.
But in your post you say that Barry went through that phase while Wally was the Flash for all his life. So i am basically asking for a Wally with Barry elements. Maybe, but at least i am giving the modern Flash a movie which could help his comics sales instead of dealing with a character who's been dead for 20 years and is suddenly shoehorned back into continuity.

Barry is the "modern" Flash so all that is irrelevant. Barry...who was a forensics scientist before it was "cool" and never had a mullet (re: nineties Wally). And since millions of other people who don't know or care about The Flash will be exposed to him in this film, it would be better to go with Barry because he has a whole "realistic" side to him that Wally doesn't. Wally is a superhero story, Barry is a sci fi, time travelling character, and people will like that. Perhaps you're the one not in touch with the times, because it sounds like you're rather oblivious to the current comics.

 

[Mr. Earle]

That nobody will buy real estate on a continent made of radioactive meteor rocks? t:

Barry is the "modern" Flash so all that is irrelevant. Barry...who was a forensics scientist before it was "cool" and never had a mullet (re: nineties Wally). And since millions of other people who don't know or care about The Flash will be exposed to him in this film, it would be better to go with Barry because he has a whole "realistic" side to him that Wally doesn't. Wally is a superhero story, Barry is a sci fi, time travelling character, and people will like that. Perhaps you're the one not in touch with the times, because it sounds like you're rather oblivious to the current comics.

Imagine Bucky staying in the role of Captain America for 20 years and then Steve coming back. I would imagine that Bucky would be more up to date and more tailored to the culture/needs of the modern audience than a character that died 20 years ago. That's why i said that Wally is the current Flash. Maybe Barry will still be relevant, you'd know that better than me, but to an outsider like me, its like the equivalent of Alan Scott becoming the main GL again or bringing a 1980ies car to a car race in the present. If the current car (wally) is less relevant to our times and tastes than the 1980ies one (barry), then they did a poor job developing it.

In the end, Barry's story has been told. All this stuff about his life being about time, his personal life, etc has been told. Where are they going to take the character now?

 

[Webhead2006]

well we dont know right now.

 

[Octoberist]

In the end, Barry's story has been told. All this stuff about his life being about time, his personal life, etc has been told. Where are they going to take the character now?

That I disagree with, because he barley has came back into continuity and he's being shaped up (not as smoothly as Hal Jordan) by Geoff Johns. His story has just begun. again.

 

[flash13]

I wouldn't mind it being a Barry film as long as Wally was featured in some way and as long as he got the Teen Titans movie also. Btw Geoff Johns did give Wally a job as a police mechanic in what I consider to be the best era of Flash comics ever after Wally had Hal Jordan(who was still the Specter) erase everyone's memory of his identity (which was done way better than Spider-Man Brand New Day btw).

6. FORENSICS are COOL

Does anyone really need proof of this? Barry Allen is even more relevant not just because of the popularity of shows like "CSI" but because the forensics technology itself has advanced so much. It would me a mistake to pass up the chance to have a superhero in a comic with a job this cool, and the great part is that barry was doing it waaaaay before everyone thought it was "cool", before most people even knew what it was.

In my opinion every CSI show sucks, the British do mysteries so much better than us.

 

[Flash Facts]

Mr. Earle if you want to learn about The Flash I suggest you do your own research. IMO any information Smith gives is colored to say the least.

Also I disagree with the impression that many seem to be under that The Flash in JLU personality is more like Impulse than Wally form the comics. He seems to more like Wally during the Baron/Loebs era minus the experience he would have gained from a mentor.