DC's Flash....huh? (Possible spoilers)

[Gay Titan]

I must admit that when the current Flash series started, I was optimistic. Bart was a decent Kid Flash and Teen Titan. A likable character. But this series quickly plummetted in art and writing. I couldn't finish the first arc. Ugh!!!

On a whim and curious to see if the hype was true, I purchased issue #13. Wow!!! I was floored by the actual characterization of Bart. I kept reading page after page and was truly saddened by the end. Yes, Bart is DEAD. I was dumbfounded.

Yeah, given the events of JLA #10, I knew something was going to happen, but did NOT expect this.

Long live Bart Allen....may he rest in peace.

[Elliot Kane]

I think DC are getting very kill-happy these days, and most of the time it's pretty unnecessary. Just over the last year or so, they must have killed hundreds of minor characters in casual and nonsensical ways.

I think it's a terrible shame that so much of their rich history is being squandered like this.

Craziest of all is the constant killing of anyone wearing a Flash outfit. 'World's fastest trip to the grave' these days...

[Gray Lensman]

I think DC badly screwed up when it comes to the Flash.

In the first place, why even get rid of Wally? He's a perfectly good lead character in the right hands. I can understand wanting to explore the idea of someone else in the role, but the way they wrote him out just left me scratching my head. Doubly so after the job Geoff Johns did with him.

On the other hand, what they did to Bart Allen annoys me. I feel like he was more interesting as Impulse. The early issues of his solo series under Mark Waid were brilliant. The concept of a hyperactive speedster with zero attention span or impulse control was great. Had they left it at that, there would be no problem with me.

Sadly, I felt that Bart went wrong the minute Johns drafted him into the Titans. I didn't really care for making him Kid Flash, but I could have dealt with that if he'd stayed that way. But then DC aged him for no reason other than to have a new Flash, then killed him off when they realized nobody liked the change. It's clear they were trying to repeat the way that Wally replaced Barry Allen, except with Bart it was shoddily executed. This is another example of how not to replace an existing and popular character.

What DC should have done is gone for a slow and gradual adjustment into the role. Which, funnily enough, is how Wally got accepted into the role of the Flash. Wally's growth into the Flash was natural evolution. Bart, sadly, was shoehorned into the role. And the really sad thing? Bart might have worked as a replacement for Wally if the execution had been better.

Live and learn, I guess...

[hector]

gaytitan said:

Long live Bart Allen....may he rest in peace.

Or inside Brainiac 5's lighting rod, waiting ready for the next crossover.

Either way works.

[Elliot Kane]

Mark Waid's back - and a very good first issue, too

Best Flash writer ever, IMO. Not that I read much Flash, granted, but I really like Waid's take on the character

[Gray Lensman]

Heh. I liked the way X-Axis described the whole thing... "the fastest backpedal alive". ;D

Anyway, I picked up All-Flash and found it a good start. There's a fair amount of exposition involved, but rather needed considering how much Flash continuity that Waid is dealing with here. I loved the way Wally dealt with Inertia, and also seeing him as a father... shows him as a good, multifaceted character.

Good so far, and very much needed. This franchise could use a boost. Hopefully Waid will turn it back around.

[Elliot Kane]

Waid's last run proved it's easily possible to write a family-oriented hero as both interesting and entertaining. There's a few writers could learn from him on this one, I think. This looks like more of the same, which is what I was hoping.