Wally West in the NU52 will be African American?

[Jeff]

If this is true I'll be furious.  No, I'm not racist.  But this would not be Wally West, the character I love.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/01/27/fear-of-a-black-flash/

[Perry]

That guy is not around any longer. That's what I've been saying  

But ... I also, like you, have no issue with them wanting to incorporate more diversity into their universe and having another Flash/Kid Flash/Slow Flash come in that has more than just a W.A.S.P background makes sense towards that goal, but why change the actual "character"? I just don't get that.

It's like Miles Morales. We all can enjoy him as Spiderman, if any of us read that universe ... other than Nate  . We have no issues with a black character taking the mantle or the name, but if they made Peter Parker black, it just would not make sense.

You want a Hispanic Blue Beetle? Cool. BAM! A Hispanic Blue Beetle in Jaime Reyes, but does making Ted Kord Hispanic and making him a different race do anything? I mean changing the person inside the suit, does that do anything but make people scratch their heads?

I think with Earth 2 it was a little easier to take the changes. Alan Scott now doesn't have kids because he is gay now seems okay because that is not "our" world. I mean, why else would it be okay there?

EDIT - Man, I don't like how that came out. I don't mean it is okay that he is gay because it is on another world, I meant the change in general was okay because it didn't effect the prime DC world. Hope you know what I mean there.
 

Anyway ... Kinda weird I guess.

[Jimmy T]

That guy is not around any longer. That's what I've been saying  

And I can second that as well.


That's why I wouldn't be upset if this Wally is black. What I would still want at the core is the CORE of Wally West. A bit fun loving, hard working, basic kind of man striving to be more than he thinks he is (although, others really respect all he has done), but never gets full of himself.

I don't think that kind of man is restricted to being white, American, or straight.

If this Wally is totally brand new, and simply is called Wally West, well, that's the same thing as the Catwoman movie, where all they share is a title-and I don't need that kind of shit.

[Perry]

That's why I wouldn't be upset if this Wally is black. What I would still want at the core is the CORE of Wally West. A bit fun loving, hard working, basic kind of man striving to be more than he thinks he is (although, others really respect all he has done), but never gets full of himself.

I don't think that kind of man is restricted to being white, American, or straight.

Well I wanted to say that no-one thinks that, but sadly the world is a big place full of people that think that exact thing. I don't think anyone here does, and if they do, please say so we can eliminate you from every posting here again, but my thoughts on the "racial" change has nothing to do with color, but just the reasoning behind it. I mean ... WHY?

If you are starting over with a character and you want to change his sex, race, creed, whatever, I am fine with that. Make a character you want to go with that desire, but why change existing characters?

Do you think that everyone would be cool if they took a black character and made him white? How about taking a white villain and making him Hispanic? I am sure there would be no outcry from THESE changes. Imagine if you heard DC was going to make the Joker Asian.

All I am saying, again, is that if you want a more diverse catalog of characters, make more characters. I get that white America was once everywhere, and I am glad that is changing, but to what extent does it need to be? That you take established characters and totally change their makeup just because you want to change their history?

It's just the change for change I hate.

[Jeff]

Well I wanted to say that no-one thinks that, but sadly the world is a big place full of people that think that exact thing. I don't think anyone here does, and if they do, please say so we can eliminate you from every posting here again, but my thoughts on the "racial" change has nothing to do with color, but just the reasoning behind it. I mean ... WHY?

If you are starting over with a character and you want to change his sex, race, creed, whatever, I am fine with that. Make a character you want to go with that desire, but why change existing characters?

Do you think that everyone would be cool if they took a black character and made him white? How about taking a white villain and making him Hispanic? I am sure they would be no outcry from THESE changes. Imagine if you heard DC was going to make the Joker Asian.

All I am saying, again, is that if you want a more diverse catalog of characters, make more characters. I get that white America was once everywhere, and I am glad that is changing, but to what extent does it need to be? That you take established characters and totally change their makeup just because you want to change their history?

It's just the change for change I hate.

Yes - that's exactly how I feel.  I would love to see a black speedster.  Get to know him or her for who they are; learn their backstory, etc.

If they did that I would be on board and it would make no difference.  But taking a character I love and changing them like this just alienates me.  Because now there is no chance at all that I will ever see the character I love again.

[Perry]

WOW.
According to BC ...

Kind of a spoiler, but

DC found a way to bring back Wally yet not bring back Wally at all.

A true spoiler

20 years in the future?

and even more spoilerific -

And he died? (though with time and a Flash involved, that means that could be changed of course)

Opinion/Thoughts about the spoilers

Sure seems like a way to test the waters on this character, doesn't it? If the fan outcry is too loud, you keep him dead, but if the fans embrace the character, time is rearranged and BOOM, DC has a new Kid Flash

[Jimmy T]

Just read Flash #30 with the new team and

It has hints of Barry and Futures End (or whatever it is). He's got the blue suit, and he does have to go back and save Wally...who indeed is a young black man. What will this mean? You're right; Jeff. 'Our' Wally is gone. That's all we can honestly say about it.

[Perry]

Wally is a tough call for the "heads" at DC. It's just that DC stated it doesn't want any "double" characters. Or now they want it happening as little as possible. At first they wouldn't let James Robinson have any character on Earth 2 that already had a presence on the "Main Earth" (whatever they decided to call it ... if they decided on anything) because it was ...*ahem* ... too confusing.
 
They have since let a little of that stance fall away, but ... was it really that necessary? I get you're starting a new universe and all ... again ... for the 3rd time, but editorial mandates like that only stifle creativity. Is that what you really want to promote in a brand new universe?

Anyway ... that is why there was no Wally, nor Wonder Girl they didn't want what they considered doppelgangers running around this new universe.

Hence the black guy in a blue suit. No confusing this guy with a blonde haired white guy in a red suit right? No confusion. But Batman can have a young lad who he takes in and grooms, who then becomes a hero called robin, who then grows up to be a hero called Nightwing, after which Bats takes in another young buck in Jason Todd, trains him and he becomes Robin also but then dies and gets revived as the Red Hood ... *pant*... *pant* ...  all within a 5 year period? Oh and then this Tim Drake guy ... oh and Damian ... again, all in 5 years? Yep, no confusion.
 

[Jeff]

Sounds like I can go ahead and drop Flash from my pull.   

[EmeraldWarrior420]

I initially had the same knee-jerk reaction. But then I remembered Michael Clark Duncan's portrayal of Kingpin in Daredevil. So I'll give it a shot before I decide I don't like.