Don’t worry, kid. He’s only trying to break the record for being dead.
According to a USA Today article, that’s what’s happening. While the article focuses on the Flash’s many upcoming TV and movie appearances, a throw-away comment is what has a lot of fans saying about time. However, please pardon the unintentional pun when I say…not so fast.
We know absolutely nothing about Wally 52 outside of his making his new debut in The Flash Annual #3 later this spring. And yet we can already guess a few things based on DC’s current track record. For example, no wife, no kids. That’s the DC way in the New 52. Wally is considered by some to be more interesting than Barry even before he started a family, one that grew naturally as Wally met Linda Park, they began a relationship, and later married. They had two kids, Jai and Iris, and fans got to see two new heroes come into their own.
However, the only family allowed in the New 52 is Animal Man’s and that comic is gone. Last I heard, Animal Man’s life was not in good states and one of his kids was dead. We’ll probably get a Wally West without a wife, much like Barry and even Jay (now on Earth-2 again) had their spouses taken away. Because in Dan DiDio’s eyes, heroes sacrifice everything, including families.
Oh, how I could go on.
And I do want to.
So having Wally back is great, but having what made Wally great the past few years is unlikely. Look how long it took to get him back. We even had a different Kid Flash…despite Wally appearing in the Young Justice cartoon. I’m also curious about Wally’s origins, since originally he was a fan of the Flash who turned out to be related to him and hit a double fluke by getting his powers in a similar way to Barry’s. I’d be surprised to see that here.
So on the one hand, it’s good to see Wally back. On the other, he probably won’t fare any better than the rest of the DC Universe under the banner of the New 52. Maybe he was better off.
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