"Fast Money" (part one)
I was more than ecstatic when Wally West returned after disappearing during Infinite Crisis. I was really put off by Bart Allen as the Flash and was pretty happy when Wally and his wife, Linda, were brought back to the mainstream DCU. The big twist? They have the twins who have a problem of accelerated growth. I rather enjoyed what Mark Waid did establishing a Fantastic Four type feel during his “Wild, Wild Wests” storyline, and I was really looking forward to the new direction of Wally West. However, the new direction of Wally West has taken a turn for the worse. I thought that last issue’s fill-in story by Keith Champagne would be just that, filler, but the general ideas of the last issue come back into play this month.
Wally West as the Flash has always been about the legacy of the character, a humorous approach to being a super-hero not unlike Spider-Man. Flash has got one of the greatest rogues' galleries in all of comics and the speed force. While I think making Wally a father was a unique and potentially fantastic move, it’s been poorly executed. Wally should be teaching his kids everything he’s about. They should be learning about the intricacies of the speed force, traveling through time as a way of learning history, helping Wally defeat the Rogues, and of course, learning about their Great Uncle Barry. That would be extremely compelling and really help Wally evolve as a man and a father. His kids may become elderly overnight, so he should be taking advantage of the time he has with them, even racing through time trying to find a cure. Could you imagine Wally getting help from Einstein, Barry Allen and characters from the future, to help cure his kids, even creating time stream problems along the way? As a father, that’s what Wally should be doing, but in this latest issue, Tom Peyer butchers Wally's character to try and create relatable problems. Like trying to save your kids from a life-threatening disease isn’t relatable. It's strange because Peyer’s writing is solid, everything is coherent, and the plot makes sense although it’s a little lame. The characterization is just off the mark.
So the basic problem that the Wests face is Wally’s unemployment. There’s no money coming to support the family. Here are a few problems with this right off the bat. First, they have a pretty nice house with a lot of high tech equipment in the basement. Second, Linda was a major TV news reporter, and a good one at that. I'm sure she could get a job doing that. Hell, since she is “the world’s leading authority on velocibiology (or the speed force)” shouldn’t she be teaching quantum physics at a university? Something doesn’t fit with that puzzle. Oh and Wally was working for the Keystone Police Department, that was kind of a big deal and he had one hell of a supporting cast, shouldn’t they be brought back? Then there’s the biggest problem of them all. Wally is the Flash. The Flash is friends with Batman. Batman is Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne would happily help Wally out without him asking. Essentially, I have a lot of problems with this story right off the bat. I don’t think it’s too well thought out and there are many more compelling stories that can be developed.
So what happens to Wally? Well his “relatable problem” is lack of income and he makes a comment about it after helping with damage relief on a museum attacked by a new villain. Wally makes a comment about the super-hero gig not paying; suddenly one of DC’s most important characters is taken completely out of context and turned into a jerk. Of course, the media goes into an uproar about what Wally says and he becomes one of Keystone’s most disrespected citizens. I was also put off when Wally is searching for a job on Craigslist on a massive computer in his high-tech basement. Again, Linda should be a TV reporter or college professor and Wally should call his friend Bruce. In creating new “family problems” for Wally, he comes off completely out of character and the whole appeal of this series’ concept takes a major hit.
I kind of like the new villain featured in this issue, but he’s still a far cry from the type of villains that fill out Flash’s Rogue’s Gallery. I like what he can do, and the whole reality manipulation with the TV monitor face and the name Spin is a nice touch. I just think his motivation needs a bit more development, this is early in the arc so that may come, but he’s a lot more silly than he is dangerous.
I really do like Freddie Williams II’s artwork. It’s consistent, it’s detailed and it is unique. His artwork is definitely one of the top reasons to even consider buying this book right now. I only have a few complaints to file about the artwork. First, I think the West children’s heads are way too big for their bodies. I also think that Linda’s overall anatomy is great in some scenes, but is awkward in others. Aside from that my only complaint is the red outline around Wally when he is the Flash. I really think he would stand out more if his outline was black like everyone else. But those factors really do not detract from the overall appeal of Williams II’s artwork.
On the whole, I’m wary of the direction of this title. It’s trying to do what Fantastic Four and The Incredibles do, but it’s also trying to be different while keeping a more light-hearted tone. There are definitely some problems with what’s happening in this story-arc. I think Peyer’s writing is solid; he just needs a better overall story and conflict for Wally.
What did you think of this book?
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