Thoughts On The Flash?

thoughts on the Flash?

Which one? Giving the "main" contenders their proper due would require separate posts for each, so I'll just give my thoughts on the franchise as a whole.

Of the main two, Wally was the first Flash I knew - he was in the DCAU, his comics were collected in trades at my library so they're some of my first comics - and is still "my" Flash, but I've grown fond of Barry as well. Sad that a franchise defined by it's momentum has been hamstrung over fighting between which of the two of them should be the "main" Flash. At the height of the Flash's popularity we could have easily gotten two Flash books, one for Barry, and one for Wally, Johns was even setting that up to be the case before the New 52 reboot hit and everything got scrapped. Damn shame too because if the way the Flash CW show took off is any indication, Flash has it in him to be up there with the Trinity in popularity, something I attribute to the strength of the franchise's main hero, supporting cast, fellow heroic family members, and Rogues Gallery being severely underrated.

Conceptually the Flash is DC's answer to Spider-Man despite preceding him by a decade or so. Both Barry and Wally are Everyman figures at heart, both were superhero fans growing up as kids who idolized the Flash, both achieved the nerd fantasy of getting their idol's powers, and both got to eventually become the next iteration of their idol. The Flash is therefore a relatable figure despite the extravagant nature of his speed, because that core concept - alongside the powers - attracts people to his books. In our current world where everyone is hooked on superheroes, what could be more endearing than a superhero who starts out as just as much a fan of superheroes as we are? Certainly helped Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel find an audience!

The emphasis DC places on legacy can often strike me as insincere, the Trinity are likely always going to be Clark, Bruce, and Diana as the main holders of the mantles, but Flash is one of the DC franchises where legacy is undeniably central to the concept. Jay may be the original Flash, but Barry was the one who reinvigorated the title, as did Wally afterwards. From Jay we get the name and concept. From Barry the Multiverse and time travel as a franchise storytelling tool, the Reverse-Flash and many other Rogues debuted with Barry as well, and of course Wally and the concept of "Kid Flash" originated here too. From Wally came the Speed Force, the Flash being characterized as the jokester/quipster of the JL (another connection to Spider-Man), the larger Flash Family getting involved and being a part of the DC Community, the Flash's Rogues being more "blue-collar" and organized than other Rogues Galleries, etc. If you were to remove one of the Flashes from the picture the whole franchise would change, which is exactly how many people felt when the New 52 erased Jay and Wally. All of the Flashes build on each other to help make for a stronger whole.

Add in one of the best superhero costumes - with the Flash franchise as a whole pretty consistently coming up with great new costumes bar Wallace's silver New 52 suit - and the versatility of their powerset allowing for a wide variety of stories from street crimes to cosmic catastrophe to Multiverse exploration, leaves little surprise that Flash in the right hands offers great entertainment. DC of course has completely failed to capitalize on the Flash's popularity every time there's been a surge of interest in the character, but Flash is a franchise that tends to surprise you with how often lightning strikes again. Under the new management, and with just the right amount of luck, Flash may yet breach the success barrier to stand alongside the Trinity as an equal.