Wally West Returns To THE FLASH Under New Creative Team

After Barry Allen changed the DC Universe during Flashpoint, certain DC mainstays disappeared; most prominently Wally West, Allen’s former sidekick and the successor to the Flash title. As a result, for over two years we’ve had fans shouting on message boards and comment sections all over the Internet “Bring Wally back!” Well, it’s been a hell of a long wait, but Wally fans can rest easy now, for the prodigal son has returned!

DC spoke with USA Today about how 2014 would be the year they push Flash into the mainstream. Among reiterating that he would star in his own television pilot and appear in the animated movie Justice League: War, they announced the Flash comic book’s new creative team. Consisting of writers Robert Veditti and Van Jensen and artist Brett Booth, the team will debut on April 23 in issue #30, and a week later Wally will reappear in The Flash Annual #3.

The Flash Annual #3

Wally joins Stephanie Brown among the characters who disappeared when the New 52 started but are making a comeback. The team didn’t elaborate on the circumstances of Wally’s return, but Venditti did comment on how Flash’s abilities make him such a unique character.

From a very young age, one of the first things you want to be able to do is run fast. You don’t want to fly, you don’t want to have a ring that makes constructs out of light. It’s just a simple, basic thing: ‘I want to be able to run fast.

The Flash #30

I’m probably not as excited about this as many Flash fans are since I grew up reading Silver Age collections and Barry Allen is my Flash. Still, I’m glad they’re bringing such a cherished character back into the mix, although I won’t lie to you folks, we probably won’t be seeing the pre-Flashpoint Wally appear. Because the New 52 shortened the DC Universe timeline, Barry has always been The Flash and hasn’t had a sidekick during that time. There’s been a Kid Flash, but that’s the New 52 Bart Allen and he’s not even related to Barry in this continuity. See that atrocious Teen Titans series for more details on “Bart’s” origins.

Judging from the picture of The Flash Annual #3, I’m guessing that Wally will end up being a Flash from an alternative universe who ends up on Main Earth. While it would be cool to have Wally be a remnant left over from the pre-Flashpoint universe, I’m glad that DC is finally acknowledging his popularity and bringing him back, even if there are a few alterations to his character.

As for the new creative team, Venditti and Jensen have been doing a pretty good job on their Green Lantern books, and Booth’s art in Nightwing is superb, so I have high hopes the series will churn out just as good content as it did under Francis Manapul and Brian Bucellato. Forget the Year of the Horse. With a new creative team, Wally’s return and a potential TV series, this will the Year of The Flash!

SOURCE: USA Today