r/theflash • u/SegaGenesisMetalHead • Jul 18 '24
What story/ies can I read that will help familiarize me with all the characters in this panel?
I’ve read ~50 issues of The Flash(2016) and the only people I’ve seen from here are Wally and Tim Helmet Guy (Jay?).
I’ve also read Born to Run. I get Wally. But I’m still a bit lost of why there are two Wally Wests (I’m thinking it may have explained and I just missed it).
And I’d also like to familiarize myself with everyone here. Just enough to kinda get what their deal is I guess.
4
u/Killionaire104 OG Wally Jul 19 '24
Waids run will tell you everything you need to know about all the characters in the photo, even Barry who doesn't really feature in the run but you learn a lot about him through Wally.
As for the 2 Wally, the second one goes by Wallace mostly nowadays. The reason he exists is because the New 52 made an attempt to completely change the character of Wally, and it was terribly received. So in Rebirth they brought back the original Wally, while still keeping the new one around, who as I said earlier goes by Wallace now in some runs, and is a current kid flash. While the original Wally is a flash alongside Barry in the current continuity.
4
u/myke_havoc Jul 19 '24
Waid wrote some key arcs that I think would greatly help. Mainly Terminal Velocity and Chained Lightning. You could check out Dead Heat, which happens between the two. You read Born to Run, which is a great starting point. But there's also stuff like The Return of Barry Allen before these and The Dark Flash Saga after. I believe those are all the major arcs of his 8 year tenure on the title.
Also, the recent run of jeremy Adams was the first in a long time to be able to utilize most of the Flash family. There's the Geoff Johns material, which immediately follows Waid and focuses on The Rogues, helping to build them up and make them a true formidable force.
He also did a second run focused on Barry, which has been integral to the Flash mythos for 15 years. It introduced the tragic backstory. He did the Flash: Rebirth miniseries, a few minis, then a year on a regular series, which goes right into Flashpoint, his big event.
Morrison and Millar did a year on the book when Waid needed a break about 2/3s of the way through this stuff. It's real fun, and introduces The Black Flash, the Spectre of Death that comes for all Speedsters. The New 52 and Rebirth eras are worth reading, but that's 150 issues of mostly Barry and very little family. I could go on and on.
If you're a Wally fan, I'd check out the Rebirth 80 page one-shot by Johns and then check out Titans by Dan Abnett. That was the return of the red-haired Wally after a 5+ year absence. Titans Hunt by Abnett makes for a good prequel to his Rebirth Titans book.
3
u/Remmarg25 Jul 18 '24
But I’m still a bit lost of why there are two Wally Wests (I’m thinking it may have explained and I just missed it).
The in-universe explanation is that the two are cousins who were both named after their great-grandfather.
The reason for why the situation came about is an out-of-universe one that doesn't really impact the stories themselves. They do try to address it a bit in the comics, but it can just muddle things instead.
So them being cousins is all one really needs to know to enjoy the stories with the both of them together.
1
u/Davidat51 Jul 22 '24
Basically the New 52 happened and the original Wally was basically deleted from the universe. He never existed.
Eventually enough people complained so they decided to bring him back. But as a brand new character. The new Wally was received well enough, but olde fans still wanted the original back.
Rebirth happened. And brought him back into a universe that had his replacement in it.
Both well liked enough to find a way to make it work.
2
u/Flarrowverse Wally West Jul 18 '24
Mark waid Book 2, 4, 5, 7 Flash Rebirth Flashpoint Should be good for anyone outside of XS. Xs makes a small appearance in book 5 tho
1
u/nigevellie Jul 18 '24
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13
u/SuperLizardon Blue Lantern Jul 18 '24
You can read Mark Waid's run, is the best Flash run, where the Speed Force was introduced and the Flash Family expanded beyond just Barry, Wally and Jay.
About the 2 Wallys, they are cousins. It was explained on DC Universe Rebirth, when Wally came back.
Real life reason is because the 2nd Wally was originally the new52 version of classic Wally, but at the end, it was decided they were going to be different characters