![\"Flash:](\"http:\/\/onceuponageek.com\/images\/flash_rebirth.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nI have no doubt these\u00a0comics will be well-written\u00a0and be drawn excellently.\u00a0 I’m envisioning a sort of superhero version of “CSI: Central City”.\u00a0 My issue is with the lack of necessity in bringing Barry Allen back from the dead and the impact on Wally West.\u00a0 I feel that bringing Barry back after being gone for 22 years is simply to satisfy the writer’s sense of nostalgia, rather than a story that grew naturally from the recent plotlines in the DCU.\u00a0 Wally West was a very strong character that made an excellent Flash.\u00a0 There is no denying that he was handled poorly since Infinite Crisis, but\u00a0just like any other comic book problem it could have been fixed.\u00a0 Instead now Barry Allen is going to take the spotlight as the primary DCU Flash, while Wally and Jay take a back-seat.<\/p>\n
This really bums me out as the character of Wally West spent the past 20 years growing out of\u00a0the shadow of Barry Allen and trying to live up to the heroic ideal that Barry represented.\u00a0 Now with Barry back, Wally’s hero will once again\u00a0be the Flash.\u00a0 Why would\u00a0Wally continue to be the Flash,\u00a0and in the same costume as Barry?\u00a0 Will Wally retire and simply raise his kids?\u00a0 Will he continue on as the Flash and look like a carbon copy of Barry?\u00a0 Will Wally change his codename and\/or costume?\u00a0 Will he become the Nightwing of the Flash family?\u00a0\u00a0 Or will he be more like Connor Hawke; same superhero name, but different costume than his namesake.\u00a0 For me personally, any of\u00a0these options are a\u00a0disappointment.\u00a0\u00a0Wally represented growth in the DC Universe.\u00a0 Here was a young hero\u00a0suddenly left on his own to make his way.\u00a0 He\u00a0idolized Barry, strived to be like Barry, and eventually surpassed Barry in abilities (at least that is how he was portrayed during Mark Waid’s initial run).\u00a0 Wally’s journey to become a hero was a fantastic tale to follow.\u00a0 Now with Barry returning to the primary Flash role, it feels that Wally’s journey was simply clocking time.<\/p>\n
I also get the sense from reading interviews with Geoff Johns and Grant Morrison that they feel Barry Allen “deserves” to be the Flash more than Wally.\u00a0 That statement hasn’t been in print, it’s just my gut instinct from reading their interviews.\u00a0 It’s like they feel that Barry is the “real” Flash, while Wally has simply been keeping the legacy alive. \u00a0I take issue with\u00a0Barry “deserving” to be the Flash more than\u00a0Wally.\u00a0 As I mentioned above, during\u00a0Mark Waid’s initial run Wally\u00a0surpassed Barry in abilities.\u00a0 Does that mean Wally deserves to be the Flash more than Barry?\u00a0 If you base the decision\u00a0solely upon publication history, then it’s not really clear.\u00a0 Yes, Barry obviously came before Wally as the Flash.\u00a0 However, the amount of time each of them have been the\u00a0primary Flash has been\u00a0very similar.\u00a0 See below…<\/p>\n
\n- Barry Allen had a 247 issue run; Flash (volume 1) 104-350.<\/li>\n
- Wally West has had 242 issues so far as the Flash (and will go at least a few more); Flash (volume 2) 1-242 (and still going).<\/li>\n
- Barry Allen was the Flash from 1956 to 1986 = 30 years.<\/li>\n
- Wally West has been the Flash\u00a0from 1986-2008 = 22 years.<\/li>\n
- Barry Allen was a member of the Justice League for 232 issues; Justice League of America (volume 1) 1-232.\u00a0 While Barry wasn’t in every issue, he was around for the majority of issues.<\/li>\n
- Wally West has been a member of the Justice League\u00a0as the Flash for\u00a0205 issues; Justice League Europe 1-68, JLA 1-125, and Justice League of America (new series) 12-23 so far.\u00a0 While Wally wasn’t in every issue, he was around for the majority of issues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you’ve been following the recent “Flash: Rebirth” thread over a THE UNIQUE GEEK<\/a>, you can see several sides to this.\u00a0 My buddy Michael Bailey and I are pretty much in-synch on this issue.\u00a0\u00a0 My friend Terry believes that a title can carry multiple characters as the Flash.\u00a0 While I agree conceptually, the title will eventually select one individual to be the lead character.\u00a0 As of right now, that looks to be Barry Allen.\u00a0 So Wally West and Jay Garrick may continue to call themselves “The Flash”, but DC comics will be pushing Barry Allen as the primary Flash character.\u00a0 Another alternative would be to launch a “Flash Corps”-like title, but I’m not sure that would be successful.<\/p>\nOkay… I’ll get off my soapbox now.\u00a0 Truth is, I’m going to buy the\u00a0“Flash: Rebirth” mini-series and the subsequent ongoing.\u00a0 I’m probably\u00a0going to love\u00a0both because Geoff John’s\u00a0is a brilliant comic book\u00a0writer.\u00a0\u00a0 I’m even over my previous issue of Barry being boring.\u00a0 My friend Terry convinced me that is the fault of previous writers, rather than a fault with the character.\u00a0 While I’m sure I will enjoy Barry’s new adventures,\u00a0I’ll always be sad that Wally has lost his place as the premier Flash in the DCU.<\/p>\n
Tell the world about ONCE UPON A GEEK:<\/h3>