Dan Didio on the Flash...

[ScottWilliams]

Ok, so Barry Allen is going to be the Flash again. As much as Dan Didio swears up and down to Newsarama that it won't be at the expense of Wally West, judging from what he said to me at the DCU Panel at MegaCon I tend to think otherwise.

I asked Dan if we might be seeing Wally West take on a mentorship role to the newly returned Barry. Which in my mind makes perfect sense. Barry has been out of the game for twenty plus years and Wally has become one with the speed force and learned to do more than just run fast with those powers.

Dan Didio's reply was... "The other way around."

What can Barry teach Wally that he doesn't already know? I mean seriously. This just sounds a bit off to me. Wally can reach people through the speed force and pull himself to them or vice versa - like he's done with his kids. I've never seen Barry do that. Wally can travel through time by pure speed alone - no cosmic treadmill like Barry had to use.


...find what made him the most unique Flash of the bunch – and not at the expense of the other Flashes.

Sure sounds like it's going to be at the expense of Wally to me. If Wally get's punked into becoming "Kid Flash" again... I'm sooooo dropping this title.

[SebastianPiccione]

Well, Barry has been a part of the Speed Force itself for twenty years, so I assume he must have picked up a few things about speed. :D

[Troy]

I've never really read the Flash all that much, but with Johns picking up the helm again I think I'll start :)

[ScottWilliams]

Well, Barry has been a part of the Speed Force itself for twenty years, so I assume he must have picked up a few things about speed. :D

Where did you read that Barry was "a part of the speed force for twenty years"? From what I can tell, he's just been running from that Black Racer guy. He never said anything that I've noticed about "being in the speed force" this whole time.

[MattGrant]

Ditto what Seb said, but I've long thought that they've given Wally a disservice when he was on his own, even-- When I still read JLA, there was an issue with him and Wonder Woman, I think they were fighting the queen bee or some crap (I'm so sick of the Queen Bee) and Wonder Woman (I'm realizing initials wont help me here) talked to Wally like it was his first day out of the Titans. He'd been the Flash for 20 years (our time, anyway) or more.

I saw similar stuff in Identity Crisis.... and just all around. Its weak for the character. The dude has earned his boots 1000 times over.

So, that said, hopefully if they do do this, they do it in a way that's not insulting to Wally or Flash fans. I have faith in Geoff Johns to do things right, so we'll see.

I do think it might be odd, even giving the circumstances, that Wally would be a mentor to Barry. If Barry needs to come back, he needs to come back in charge. I can dig that.

As far as differences. I really hope they are able to bring back the scientific side of Barry. Keep him level headed and analytical. That might play well off of Wally who's a little more head-first, figure the rest out later, into the action. Especially if its done in tandem.

All I know is that my Flash Rebirth poster from WonderCon... is bad asprin, and I'm pretty pumped and excited to see what they're gonna do... at least they're doing SOMETHING with the character.

[Dingo]

Caveat: I'm a Marvel zombie, so my knowledge of DC is limited.


I can't see how either Flash could take on the roll of mentor without hurting the other. If the stories are to not be at anyone's expense, then they'd have to be equals. Friends even.

Given that DC has already brought back Barry, the best they could do for Wally and his fans is to take him off the board for a while. Wally's fans may not agree, but given that DC is going to push Barry for a while, I don't see how Wally can come out of this well.

[MattGrant]

I'd like to see them each get their own books, frankly-- but they're too similar I think. They're really going to have to expand on the differences to make them work together.

[Dingo]

I'd like to see them each get their own books, frankly-- but they're too similar I think. They're really going to have to expand on the differences to make them work together.

Another good reason to take him off the table.

[SebastianPiccione]

During the Johns Run, the Waid run, and in Infinite Crisis, when Barry shows up confused as to why the speedforce let him out for a temporary emergency.

[ScottWilliams]

Guess I missed that. Meh... Hal Jordan's return was pretty good. I guess I'll reserve judgement until I see what happens with Flash.

[Dingo]

Guess I missed that. Meh... Hal Jordan's return was pretty good. I guess I'll reserve judgement until I see what happens with Flash.

Multiple Green Lanterns was already set up though.

But of course we should always reserve judgement until we see the result.