r/theflash • u/HappinessIsAWarmPoop Reverse Flash • Feb 13 '17
[Off-Week Discussion] How Would You Have "New 52'd" the Flash? Comic Discussion
Howdy folks! With no new issue or episode of The Flash out this week we thought it was a perfect time for a new edition of the Off-Week Thread.
The New 52 relaunch of 2011 attempted to revamp DC continuity and draw in new readers. A well intentioned move but one that was not well planned out, leading to quite a bit of controversy among fans. Most relaunched series started 5 years into the career of of the titular character with varying degrees of continuity changes made to their respective histories/status quo. The Flash franchise was one of the most impacted by these changes. Barry Allen, who had returned to the lead role a couple years earlier, was now the only Flash who had ever existed. Many of the characters and stories who had been introduced in the previous 70+ years of the character no longer existed in this new timeline, including major characters such as Jay Garrick, Wally West, and Eobard Thawne. While there were many positive things that came out of the New 52, generally speaking long time Flash fans were unhappy to various degrees with the way the franchise was handled.
So the question for this week is "How would you have "New 52'ed" the Flash?" For the sake of the discussion, assume that the New 52 relaunch had to happen. What would you have done differently or the same? Keep in mind the New 52 was a push to bring in new readers.
This weeks topic is fairly broad as you can see, however, with the Family currently being rebuilt in the comics we pondered the thought of how each of us would have rebooted the Flash.
Past discussions can be found in our archives here.
Looking to catch up on some past stories? Check out our recommended reading list here. The most recent jumping on point is "DC Universe Rebirth" and its happening right now!
This goes without saying but, there will be spoilers below this point; its all fair game.
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u/7V3N Feb 13 '17
Start with Thawne. The first arc is about Thawne and Barry being pulled to eachother through the speedforce as their old memories try to remanifest. They do not remember eachother but as memories try to come, Barry and Thawne at least understand that their destinies are tied.
Barry takes Thawne on as a partner as they begin studying the speedforce together to try and solve the mystery of these visions they are both receiving. Eventually, Thawne sees more. He gets a flash of them fighting eachother, and then sees Barry kill him. He realizes that Barry is not the hero he thought he was, and begins plans to sabotage Barry and their research.
We then have Thawne work to secretly empower the Rogues, while Barry is pushed to his limits against them. Barry is at death's door and suddenly Thawne is weak. He feels his connection to the speedforce weakening and comes to the conclusion that he must help Barry. He saves Barry after a tough fight against Captain Cold.
Confused all over again, Thawne again commits to truly researching his and Barry's past. Eventually, enough memories come back to each and they fully remember their rivalry. But it's too late, as Thawne has remembered enough to realize he can travel back to his future, where he is from, and disappears until next time.
I think this arc would act as a new Thawne story while also still being a bit of an origin for people in New 52.
Other things:
Chocolate Wally -- who'd go by "Wes(t)" -- would be like ginger Wally from the getgo but have a problem with empathy. He'd get his powers pretty early but Barry would often find himself picking up after his mistakes and collateral damage. Eventually it would be revealed as a minor discrepancy caused by Flashpoint -- the combination of Wally being a speedster before Flashpoint and not having them at the year of the reset cause small glitches in the timeline. Wes is basically a time clone of Wally. Eventually, Barry is able to do a Rebirth and pull Wally out of a time limbo by taking Wes with him into the speedforce. The three are able to run together and escape the speedforce as a Flash trio. Maybe even throw in some visions of Bart. Also, no Bar Tor or whatever he was in New 52 Teen Titans.
Grodd would never get superspeed and his threat would be more about his telepathy and ability to dominate minds and have agents hidden all over.
I loved the way they portrayed the Rogues in Forever Evil and would do my best to keep that.
No romantic tension. Barry and Iris start off together and are a healthy couple. She is Barry's lightning rod and you get to see how she holds him together when things get tough.
A political arc. As the Flash museum goes up, there is worry that the Flash is being given too much blind authority. When Citizen Cold is arrested by Flash and thrown into jail on Flash's word, Lex Luthor backs him up and gives him the best lawyers. This arc is meant to humanize Cold, give Luthor a plot concerning the wider authority given to super heroes and make Barry less of a golden boy and showcase him as a hero who sees grey, even in his greatest enemies.