DC has severely mishandled The Flash as a character since they initially ended Wally’s run. I wouldn’t have minded their rapid-fire aging of Bart had the explanation for Wally’s absence seemed so arbitrary. I thought the Bilson/DiMeo portrayal of Bart was kind of hokey but Bart as Flash was really starting to grow on me after Marc Guggenheim took over (although, I do tend to agree with Kelson regarding Guggenheim’s writing of the Rogues– quite out of character– he gets an A from me for how he wrote Bart but a D- for how he wrote the Rogues).

I wanted Barry to stay dead… not because I dislike Barry, but because his death meant something as long as he remained dead. His sacrifice meant something it gave the whole Crisis on Infinite Earths an added weight that seems to have lessened substantially in Barry’s recent resurrection.

Oh and just a question to anyone who chooses to tackle it– Since Eobard Thawne is from the 25th Century originally and Hunter Zolomon is from the 21st Century wouldn’t that make Zolomon Zoom I and Thawne Zoom II? How exactly does that work?

On one hand I agree with this– what more would the writers put Wally through. The poor guy has been through the ringer a few times during his tenure as The Flash maybe he deserves a break– some time to step back and spend time with his family (like he wanted to do back when his title initially ended… before it was brought back again).

On the other hand I see it as a cop out for a lack of creativity. No more stories to write for Wally? That’s ridiculous!

In the long run I’d like to see Wally and Bart team up and Barry team up with Iris/Impulse II. Parents and grandparents tend to be too close to their own kids/grandkids to be objective. By Bart continuing as Wally’s sidekick and Iris becoming Barry’s sidekick there’s an interesting new dynamic thrown in….

But I think that’s looking ahead to 2011 or farther at this point.

“because, why, exactly?”

Because DC didn’t think The Flash was selling to its potential with Wally or Bart.

I, and many other Wally fans, understand that Barry is back. It would be easier (and more fun) to deal with it if the elevation of Barry wasn’t accompanied by a simultaneous denigrating of Wally, both in-story and from real-world people. That’s the part of this that has irritated people, it’s unnecessary, especially from real-world people.

I’m definitely not saying this is a natural progression for Wally’s character. Far from it. I’d have been totally happy with Wally’s series continuing. But still, Wally’s always viewed Barry as something to strive for. Always looked up to him. To me, this is more of how it’s always been, not a downgrade.

It’s a downgrade in how often we’ll see him, at least for a while, but not as a strong character for DC.

Are you actually reading what you’ve written?

From a creative point of view, they want to get Barry back as the main Flash, it’s true, so that’s why we’re getting Barry as our Flash fix for this year. They do want him front and center like he was for 20 some years prior to his death. He’s the main Flash. We’re going to have to deal with it. Wally was his side kick and even though he’s grown beyond side kick status, Barry is still his better.

Same situation with Dick, Donna, Roy, and Garth. They’re no longer side-kicks, but not up to par with their mentors.

Why does it have to be viewed as a downgrade of his character? I see it as just bringing back his mentor, the person who helped him to run fast. Wally is still Wally, but now his uncle is back. If we want to look at it in terms of the story, let’s just say he’s spending more time with his family now, like he’s been talking about.

No?

So, when DiDio says Barry is our Flash fix for 2010, we’re misreading that? We’re misreading the cancelling of the Wally back-up feature and the Kid Flash book?

When we’re told that Barry IS the speed force, that doesn’t relegate every other speedster to second-best? That they wouldn’t have their power if it wasn’t for Barry?

When the Rogues say they have a plan for when The Flash returns, it’s not supposed to mean they didn’t consider Wally The Flash?

It’s just a coincidence that Barry is always drawn a step ahead of Wally?

Wally fans are supposed to accept this deliberate downgrading of the character?

No, many people are disappointed and justifiably so.

The less this is mentioned, the better.