Hands-down, DC/WB”s upcoming movie The Flash is by far my most anticipated film of the year. The return of Michael Keaton as Batman! Supergirl! Dark Flash! The DCEU spin on the classic Flashpoint storyline! That KILLER trailer! The return of General Zod! It all looks fucking great.
Plus, say what you want about the guy, but I really like Ezra Miller as The Flash (or more specifically Barry Allen). I do think that when they’re done with Miller, because let’s be real his relationship with Warner Bros. as this character is going to be done after this film, they should make Wally West their new Flash, instead of just re-casting Barry Allen.
Wally West: The One, True Flash!
Alongside Barry/The Flash, It looks like the most important characters in the upcoming film, are Michael Keaton’s Batman and Supergirl. This reality’s twisted reflection of the classic The DC Trinity (Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman in the main DCU).
The Trinity from The Flash…
Which I am all about! Because I’ve loved everything I’ve seen about this new Supergirl and once again, give me some Michael Keaton as Batman ALL. DAY. LONG. Which brings me to today‘s topic. As some of you may know, I love me a good movie poster. I love a good movie poster almost as much as I love a good trailer. Well, that’s over stating things a little bit. However, I believe that movie posters are an art form. A great movie poster cannot only sell the shit out of a film, but it can be a work of art. I have countless books solely on the art of movie posters. Books collecting some of the classic movie posters of our time. A great movie poster can capture the imagination. Which is why I was excited to see Warner Bros./DC Studios premiere, these three, very cool character posters for their upcoming Flash film. Take a look.
All in keeping with the them of this universe’s DC Trinity. Speaking of Supergirl, I’m particularly happy to see her included in this film, because Zack Snyder actually set up her presence in the DCEU all the way back in Man of Steel. In the films first act, when Clark discovers the Kryptonian scout ship, he notices pods filled with the bodies of dead Kryptonians, except one of the pods was open, with no body inside. Implying that someone got out alive. Fans, of course, took notice of this and when asked about it, Zack Snyder insinuated that, that was indeed an Easter egg intended to set up Supergirl.
Anyway, as a big fan of Zack Snyder’s Justice League Trilogy, I thought this vide was cool:
James Gunn, the new co-head of DC Studios has repeatedly stated his “love” for The Flash film, calling it “one of the best superhero movies ever made.”. As the co-head of DC Studios and director of the upcoming Superman: Legacy, Gunn may be a little bias. However, Tom Cruise, who many credited with helping to save the moviegoing industry with last year’s mega hit Top Gun: Maverick, was asked by WB CEO David Szazlav to screen the film and give his thoughts. After a print was delivered to Cruise’s home and he watched the movie, Cruise not only “loved it’, but he was so impressed, he called director Andy Muschietti to rave about the film and told the director “This is everything you want in a movie. It’s the kind of film we need now.”. That is one HELL of an endorsement!
…And just to wrap things up, not for nothing, but the McFarlane Action Figures for The Flash and Keaton’s Batman for this movie look sick! Needless to say, there’s a lot of reasons to be excited for this film!
The Flash opens in theaters June 16th, 2023!
Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews for the podcast, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
On this exciting new episode of The World’s Best Podcast, we review Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania! Plus, I give my graphic novel recommendation for the week and much, much more! Thanks and enjoy! Listen here through the Speaker app: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/52884856 Or listen on…
Thanks for listening! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews for the podcast, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
The new season of The World’s Best Podcast is going on strong!, with 2 NEW EPISODES FOR YOU LISTENING PLEASURE! In our first episode, we go over some very interesting new developments with The MCU’s upcoming Armor Wars movie. Plus, Part 1 of my 2-Part freak out, regarding the serious dangers of ChatGPT. Then in Episode 2, I finish up my ChatGPT meltdown, as well as spotlighting the resurgence of Brendan Fraser and the highly anticipated new Indiana Jones movie! All this and much more on The World’s Best Podcast! You can check out both episodes below…
You can also listen and subscribe on Spotify, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Podchaser, Castbox, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts, & Apple Podcasts/ITunes…
Thanks for listening! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews for the podcast, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
At long last, James Gunn has revealed a significant portion of DC STUDIO’s 8-10 year plan, for their interconnected film, television, animation, and gaming DC Cinematic Universe. They’re calling this first chapter, Gods and Monsters (sick title!). Gunn was quick to point out that while these are the Chapter One projects they’re ready to announce, these projects don’t include every planned Chapter One release. So expect more projects to be announced in the months and years to come.
This is some very exciting stuff. I love this slate of projects and I think they’re the perfect mixture of characters, films, and television series to give The MCU a run for their money. Check out James Gunn’s full announcement about DC Studios: Chapter 1 – Gods and Monsters, right here…
Very, very cool, right? Here’s the full slate of movies and TV shows announced for Chapter One:
This is an absolutely killer line up! There’s a lot here to be really excited about! Below, I’ve listed the top 4 projects that I’m most looking forward to…
As a die hard Green Lantern fan, it was impossible for me not to thrilled about Lanterns, starring Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Gunn described the series as an HBO prestige drama in the vein of True Detective, with Jordan and Stewart acting space cops on “Precinct Earth” (Along with a few other notable lanterns popping up here and there). The story centers on Jordan and Stewart as they uncover a horrifying mystery connecting to the larger DCU. This project has massive potential.
For a long time, one of the things I’ve most wanted to see in a Batman movie is the introduction of the “Bat-Family”. Characters like Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl, Red Hood, etc. Other orphans and vigilante’s Batman has taken under his wing and joined in his fights to protect Gotham City. So I love that our intro to this new DCEU Batman, will be through the film The Brave and The Bold, which will be heavily influenced by Grant Morrison’s classic Batman run. The story sees Batman training and contending with a whole new type of Robin, the biological son Bruce never knew he had, Damian Wayne. Son of Bruce and Talia Al Ghul, dauighter of R’as Al Ghul. Damian was raised and trained from infancy in his grandfather’s League of Assassins. So Batman has his work cut out for him as he attempts to mold his 10 year old assassin son, into a Robin that adheres to The Dark Knight’s ‘No Killing” code. This is territory that has never been covered in a Batman film before, so this will feel both fresh and fun. This is the beginning of “The Bat-Family” in The DCEU and it’s about time!
The Authority is one of the coolest, most groundbreaking comics I’ve ever read. When then The Authority first hit stands about 20 years ago, it rocked the comic book industry. I’m shocked and thrilled that this is hitting theatres. One of the craziest, most cinematic comics of the last few decades.This is the type of story that’s perfect for those audience members feeling superhero fatigue. THIS is something new, my friends!
A hardcore, Swamp Thing horror movie? Hell yeah. Swamp Thing is one of DC’s best and most unique characters. With classic stories from, creators like Alan Moore, Len Wein, Scott Snyder, Charles Soule, and Neil Gaiman, there are wealth of amazing stories for the film to draw from.
Well, those are the projects that got me the most excited, check out the full list of releases below.
What do you think of Chapter One: Gods and Monsters? What Projects are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below!
Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews for the podcast, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
While many would argue that pop culture has become oversaturated with superhero content, there are still some spectacular stories being told n that highlight the superhero genre still has more to offer. One of those projects is the Amazon Prime animated series Invincible, based on the comic book of the same name from The Walking Dead creator, Robert Kirkman. After only one season, Invincible has already cemented itself as one of the best superhero shows of all time. With stellar performances from an incredible voice cast, shocking twists, and visceral action sequences, Invincible has distinguished itself as the best of the best. Invincible is to superhero stories what Game of Thrones is to fantasy epics. Invincible is well aware that the audience has been exposed to over 20 years of superhero tropes and story beats from countless other movie and TV adaptations, and gleefully subverts those expectations with shocking results. It’s exactly the shot in the arm that the genre needs when even the biggest fans are starting to feel some superhero fatigue.
After Season 1 became a massive hit, Amazon Prime was eager to begin production on more episodes. The animated series was quickly renewed for a second and third season. Season 1 acted as a fantastic adaptation of the source material and having read the comic book series, I can say that we’ve only scratched the surface of Invincible‘s potential. If you think Season 1 was wild, wait till you see the some of the places this story goes next.
With so many fans excited for Season 2, the question on everyone’s mind is, when will we see new episodes premiere on the streaming platform? Well, as you’ll see in the very fun video below, we got our answer. Well, kind of. Take a look for yourself…
As Allen The Alien would say “OK, I’ll take it.“. Sure, would I like to see a Summer 2023 release date instead of a late 2023 release date? Absolutely. But animated series can often take a lot longer to make than live action shows, so I’m just happy that we’re getting Season 2 sometime this year. In the meantime, if you want to check out another unique and subversive superhero show, check out Amazon Prime’s other hit comic book series, The Boys. Invincible and The Boys are two of my favorite shows being produced right now, so odds are if you enjoy one, you’ll probably like the other. Plus, you can be sure that as soon as we have more information on the upcoming season of Invincible, you can count on World’s Best Media to keep you updated!
Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews for the podcast, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
With Phase 4 of The Marvel Cinematic Universe coming to a close, with either of The Guardians of The Galaxy Christmas Special or Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, depending on who you ask, Phase 5 (wow, Phase FIVE?! Jeez) ofThe MCU is ready to kick off. The whole thing is starting off with a bang, with Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania! Check out the new trailer below…
For those of you who don’t already know, Kang is a master time traveler, so multiple versions of him exist throughout the timeline and The Multiverse. In fact, we’ve already met a variant of Kang in The MCU when he appeared in Loki Season 1, as He Who Remains.
He Who Remains, from Loki Season 1
Reed Richards of The Fantastic Four, who was briefly introduced in Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness, is actual an ancestor of Kang. We’re going to be seeing a lot more of Marvel’s First Family in the near future. So it’ll be interesting to see how that affects any future MCU projects.
According to the producers, this film will have as large an impact on the future of The MCU as The Winter Soldier and Civil War. Which is a pretty big deal considering that S.H.I.E.L.D. fell in The Winter Soldier and The Avengers were broken, leaving them vulnerable to Thanos in Civil War. That just makes me all the more excited for this movie.
Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews for the podcast, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
UPDATE! Check out the First Teaser Trailer for Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny!
For my money, Empire Magazine has always been the premiere movie periodical. So I’ve been happy to see Empire transition gracefully into the digital age. They still manage to consistently get exclusive coverage of the most highly anticipated films. In their latest issue, Empire has the first details and images of 2023’s Indiana Jones 5!
In these exclusive images from Empire, we get our best look yet at the final adventure of Dr. Henry Jones Jr., the greatest action hero in cinema history.
I’m a MASSIVE Indiana Jones fan. The series is a big reason I fell in love with movies in the first place. I’ve probably seen Temple of Doom hundreds of times. Though heavily criticized upon it’s release, I’ve always enjoyed Indiana Jones The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull as a flawed, but solid entry in The Indiana Jones Saga. However, I still always wanted just one more film. Indy deserves a final kick ass movie, to send the series off with a bang. And it looks like that’s exactly what we’re going to get from the filmmakers of Indiana Jones 5, making it one of my most anticipated movies of 2023.
Notably, this will be the first Indiana Jones movie not directed by Steven Spielberg. Director James Mangold will be helming the as-yet-untitled Indiana Jones 5, with Spielberg staying on as producer. Mangold was the filmmaker behind 2017’s Logan, so he certainly knows a thing or two about sending an aging movie icon off for one last ride. Mangold was a genius pick for this project. I can’t think of a director better suited to take on Indiana Jones 5.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Indy’s god daughter
Mads Mikkelsen as Voller, the film’s big bad. Who Mikkelsen partially based on real life NASA engineer and ex-Nazi, Wernher von Braun
Even with the film months away from release, some of the more cynical audience members have regarded the very idea of an Indiana Jones 5, as pushing the franchise beyond it’s expiration date. Especially considering the negative reception the last installment received from a significant portion of the fan base. The common refrain from certain movie fans online about Indiana Jones 5, have all been some variation of: “An elderly Ford, still running around with his fedora and whip?” and “Isn’t he a little too old for this shit?” or “C’mon, how believable is it for an 80 year old man to make another, very physical, action movie epic like this?”. Well, as the great Tyrion Lannister once said “Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you.”. A sentiment that, director James Mangold, has certainly taken to heart. Lesser filmmakers may have tried to coast by, just cracking a few jokes old man jokes and hope the audience is willing to suspend their disbelief, Instead, when he was brought on board, Mangold decided to take these criticisms head on and make them the thematic heart of the film. A story about a lifelong adventurer coming to the end of his epic adventures. Mangold felt very strongly that Indiana Jones needed a movie to close out the franchise, to give it an ending. Mangold took what other saw as weaknesses and made them into strengths that are the thematic pillars of this movie. The director saw Harrison Ford and his character’s age, as an opportunity to give Indiana Jones a Grand Finale!
It’s also been revealed that the upcoming movie opens with a massive flashback, action sequence, bringing us back to the era of Raiders of The Lost Ark. This sequence will feature the most cutting edge version of the de-aging technology we’ve increasingly seen on the big screen over the last several years, allowing Ford to play Indy in both time periods. However, the flashback opening with a younger Indy isn’t just for fun, the sequence taking place in 1944 connects directly to the film’s main story, taking place in 1969. Very little is known about the film’s plot, other than it involves the NASA Apollo Missions and Indy once again dealing with his most despised adversaries, Nazis. However, I think it’s pretty safe to say that the movie will involve a lot of glob trotting, adventuring to exotic locations, and the search for some sort of legendary, archaeological artifact. Possibly even supernatural in nature.
Boyd Holbrook as Klaber. Voller’s henchman.
Indiana Jones 5 opens in theaters June 30, 2023
Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews for the podcast, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
We have a lot of cool stuff to bring you on this week’s episode. Arguably the most exciting piece of news this week is, the possibility of Steven Spielberg directing the new Superman film. With the recently announced return of Henry Cavill as Clark Kent, so a lot of interesting stuff is out there right now about a big superman project on the horizon. I discuss it in depth in this weeks episode. I also wanted to mention and recommend Quentin Tarantino’s new book, I from there we touch on House of The Dragon, AMC’s new Interview with The Vampire series, and more!
Thanks for listening! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews for the podcast, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
The Final Trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has just dropped and this looks like one hell of an exciting film! In addition to the new trailer, which you can check out below, Wakanda Forever is introducing quite a few new characters and concepts into The MCU. With the movie’s release fast approaching, it seemed like a good idea to give you all a much better look at two of the new characters making their MCU debut in the film: Namor The Submariner and Riri William a.k.a. Iron Heart. In this article, we dive into how these exciting new characters affect the world of Wakanda, as well as the rest of The MCU. But first, watch the new trailer, right here:
As we’ll get into later in the article, to bring the character of Namor and his world to life, South American culture and mythology were huge influences for the filmmakers when it came to costumes, set design and more in the new film. Something you can see on display in the beautiful image below. Them gorgeous cover for this month’s issue of the excellent Empire Magazine, features (from left to right) Queen Ramonda, Shuri, and Namor.
NAMOR: THE SUBMARINER
Namor is one of Marvel’s oldest characters. Often featured in comics fighting alongside Captain America in WWII. He’s basically Marvel’s Aquaman, if Aquaman were a massive asshole who blurred the line between hero and villain.
Namor from a recent issue of Avengers
Like Aquaman, Namor is usually portrayed as the King of Atlantis. However, in Wakanda Forvever, while Atlantis still exists, Namor (played by Tenoch Huerta) will be the king of a different lost undersea kingdom called Talocan from Aztec mythology. This change takes nothing from the character, while adding a whole lot of potential. The filmmakers have created the opportunity for Namor himself, set design, costumes, VFX, and more to be inspired by Mesoamerican and South American mythology. From what we’ve seen in trailers and photos released from the film. The costume design and visuals for Namor, his people, and his kingdom, have looked spectacular. Wakanda was so richly and beautifully brought to life for these films, so it’s only appropriate that they attempt to do the same thing with Wakanda and Black Panther’s South American, antagonistic, counterpart. This has the added benefit of helping Namor stand out against the already successful and well established big screen version of Aquaman over at DC. We’ve already had a very successful Aquaman film with it’s own unique visual language, and by adding these beautiful flares to Namor’s world, it helps differentiate the two characters.
Namor
Namor and T’Challa arguably have one of, if not, the greatest rivalries in The Marvel Universe. The characters have a long history of animosity and bad blood, which is just another reason it’s a shame that we won’t see T’Challa appear in this film.
Until recently, it was unclear if one major part of Namor’s backstory would be translated into The MCU. However, it was recently revealed by Namor himself, actor Tenoch Huerta, that like his comic book counterpart, the Namor of The MCU is a Mutant. In the comics, Namor has often been referred to as one of “the first mutants”. His mother was Atlantean and his father was human, who passed the X-Gene on to him. Atlantean’s are already born with enhanced abilities from evolving at the ocean depths. The combination of his Atlantean heritage and his mutation, make Namor extremely powerful character with abilities far beyond those of normal Atlanteans. Namor is without question one of the heavy hitters of The Marvel Universe. Anybody who can go one on one with The Hulk is not to be taken lightly.
RIRI WILLIAMS: IRON HEART
Namor isn’t the only new character to make their debut in Wakanda Forever, Riri Williams a.k.a. Iron Heart (played by Dominique Thorne)will also apppear in the film, with her own Disney+ show to follow. A much more recent addition to The Marvel Universe, the character was created by Brian Michael Bendis in the pages of Invincible Iron Man. Riri is a teenage prodigy and a genius on par with Tony Stark or Shuri. While attending MIT, she reverse engineered the Iron Man armor and build her own armor out of materials taken from the MIT campus. She’s mentored by characters like Pepper and goes on to team up with other young heroes like Kamala Kahn’s Ms Marvel and Miles Morales.
A brief glance at the Iron Heart armor from the new trailer
She was shown briefly in the 1st trailer for Wakanda Forever, working alongside Shuri in her lab. There are a few quick shots in this new trailer, showing her working own her suit and flying into battle. Considering that the character is from Chicago in the comics, I suspect she’ll have begun working with Shuri through one of the Wakanda Outreach Programs T’Challa implemented at the end of the first Black Panther. Below we have the best look yet at the Iron Heart armor Riri will be wearing in the movie. Like a lot of superhero movie/TV reveals, this one came from promotional material for toys connected to the movie. You’d be surprised how often we get our first look at major comic book characters on film through toy advertisements.
Here’s Marvel’s official synopsis for Wakanda Forever: In Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. Introducing Tenoch Huerta as , king of a hidden undersea nation, the film also stars Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena and Alex Livanalli.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters November 11th
Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews for the podcast, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
If you watch any of the DCEU films, the DC Animated Movies, or The Flash TV series, the man behind The Scarlet Speedster’s mask is Barry Allen. However, that hasn’t always been the case. Multiple heroes have carried the mantle of The Fastest Man Alive over the years. In fact for an entire generation of fans, their definitive Flash is another character entirely. A character who blows Barry Allen out of the water, as the greatest hero in DC history to call themselves The Flash: Wally West. The time has come for DC Entertainment, from the comics to the movies, to put Barry Allen aside and put the spotlight back where it belongs, on Wally West.
Barry Allen AKA The Flash II
Let’s backtrack a little. While the first costumed hero to call himself The Flash was technically Jay Garrick, Barry Allen was really the first incarnation of The Flash as we recognize him today. Both characters have super-speed, but that’s more or less where the similarities end. This new version of The Flash, Barry Allen, was rooted in Silver Age science fiction. This was a Flash for The Space Race age.
Left to Right: Barry Allen, Wally West (still a sidekick, going by Kid Flash), Jay Garrick (The 1st Flash)
DC has always loved sidekicks. Marvel has a lot of young heroes like Spider-Man, but they have relatively few sidekicks when compared to DC. Which makes sense, because DC may not have created the idea of superhero sidekicks, but they certainly perfected it. Robin is the archetypal superhero sidekick. Every kid sidekick in DC Comics is variation of Robin (at least when they were first created). Green Arrow had Speedy, Wonder Woman had Wonder Girl, Aquaman had Aqualad, Superman had Superboy, Supergirl, Krypto, and The Flash had Kid Flash. With a popular comic book series like The Flash, it was only a matter of time until he got his very own young boy to dress up in spandex, and put in mortal danger on a near constant basis (it was a different time, folks). This is where Wally West comes in. Wally West was the young nephew of Barry Allen’s wife, Iris West. In a ridiculous coincidence (or is it?), Wally experiences the same freak accident that gave The Flash his powers. The teenager gains super speed by tapping into The Speed Force, just like his mentor Barry Allen. Wally uses his abilities to fight crime alongside The Flash as his sidekick, Kid Flash.
In 1985 DC Comics published the seminal story, Crisis On Infinite Earths, This was the mother of all “Event Comics”. A multiverse spanning epic with consequences that still reverberate through the DC Universe to this day. In Crisis On Infinite Earth #8, Barry Allen heroically sacrifices his life to save The Multiverse. In the wake of his death, Wally graduates from sidekick to full blown hero, taking up the mantle of his fallen mentor and becoming The Flash.
The Death of Barry Allen
Death is revolving door in superhero comics. Major and minor characters routinely die, only to be resurrected through a convoluted set of circumstances shortly thereafter. Barry Allen was the exception to this rule. He was one of the few characters to be killed and actually stay dead for nearly 30 years. In that time, several generations of readers and superhero fans came to know Wally West as their Flash. The best and one, true Flash.
Wally West follows in his mentor’s footsteps and becomes THE FLASH!
When Wally West took over as The Flash, talented creators like Mark Waid, Grant Morrison, and Mark Millar all did excellent work with the character. However it was two projects in particular that cemented Wally West as the undisputed, modern incarnation of The Flash for a generation: Geoff Johns’ 5 year run on The Flash comic book series for DC and Justice League: The Animated Series and it’s sequel series Justice League Unlimited.
For many fans, when they think of The Flash, they think of Justice League: The Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited, which both aired on Cartoon Network. The character was an immediate fan favorite and this was where a lot of us fell in love with The Flash. This was before DC brought back Barry Allen, so The Flash of Justice League: The Animated Series and JLU was Wally West. The Flash became one of the breakout stars of these now classic superhero shows. Hypothetically, if you watched Ezra Miller’s live action take on the character and you’re only familiar with The Flash through Justice League: The Animated Series or Justice League Unlimited, I’d argue that most people would assume that he’s playing Wally West.
Then there’s Geoff Johns’ character defining work on The Flash Beginning in 2000, Johns’ 5 year run on The Flash is arguably the definitive work on the character. This run was the bedrock on which all future Flash stories were built. This comic book series along with Justice League: The Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited shape The Fastest Man Alive for a generation. This run was were Johns explored Wally’s blue collar roots and over the course of the story Wally evolves from a cocky smart-ass to a responsible hero and family man.
Impressively, during his time on the book, Johns’ took The Flash’s goofy villains and turned them into a rouges gallery rivaling Batman’s. He even gave Wally his own archenemy. Barry Allen had Reverse-Flash and Wally West had the deadly and terrifying Zoom.
If you’ve never had a chance to read this classic run, it’s a MUST READ for any comic book fan!
Theses were the gateways were fans discovered the Wally West they know and love. He likes to joke around. He’s quick with a quip and doesn’t take the hero gig quite as seriously as some of his peers, like Batman. He can be cocky and overconfident, which could get him in trouble sometimes. Where Barry Allen was a scientist, Wally West is a mechanic. He’s a blue-collar, working class guy. The peoples hero of Keystone City. He fights for the city and the people he loves. While he’s viewed as the guy who likes to slack off, by his peers in The Justice League, he’s just as heroic and selfless as his teammates. No matter how grim things became, he never lost his greatest asset: compassion. These were the things that made Wally unique and inherently more interesting than his bland predecessor.
For whatever reason, DC decided it was time for a resurrection. In the pages of 2008’s Final Crisis, written by Grant Morrison with art by J.G. Jones (a killer duo), Barry Allen returned to the land of the living and jumped i into the fray as one Earth’s protectors once again.
Darkseid
In Final Crisis, Darkseid finally finds The Anti-Life Equation and uses it to conquer and enslave Earth. Those who aren’t affected by The Anti-Life Equation, or are able fight off it’s influence, are hunted by monsters and Darkseid’s cunning, vicious, and terrifying lieutenants. What’s left of Earth’s heroes and even some villains, come together in attempt to free their world from Darkseid.
The Return of Barry Allen, out running Death itself. (Final Crisis #2)
When Barry Allen made his return, It wasn’t something fans were clamoring for, in fact, the exact opposite. The problem with Barry Allen is… Dammit, I honestly can’t think of a modern term that describes the character better than, he’s a “Square”. He’s a goody two shoes, with a stick permanently up his ass. The kind of guy who would stand up in front of the whole class at school and remind the teacher that she forgot to assign homework. At the time Wally West was still a beloved hero among comic book fans Who were reluctant to get behind DC’s to focus on Barry Allen in the future.
The Flash: Rebirth
A massive amount of DC fans were and still are upset at the way DC has used his character in recent years. Wally West has always a character that people had been invested. They can’t just say “We know love Wally West, but he’s glowing on the backs builder for awhile. Here’s Barry Allen. Like him now.”. It doesn’t work that way. For a long time Wally had been cast aside. There was even a significant period of time where he was completely absent from The DCU. When he finally returned, he was treated like a second fiddle.
With all of the controversy surrounding Ezra Miller, it’s guaranteed that the character will be re-cast after (and if) The Flash is released. Personally, I really hope we get to see it. Despite Ezra Miller’s personal problems, word is that the movie is pretty damn good. They have a great director with Andy Muschietti and the film features Michael Keaton’s return as Batman. Instead of casting a new Barry Allen, this is the perfect opportunity to introduce Wally West into The DCEU and make him The Flash of their cinematic universe movie forward.
Wally hasn’t been The Flash at the center of the DC universe in some time. So let’s put Barry Allen off to the side for awhile and put Wally West at the center of The DCU where he belongs.
Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews for the podcast, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
World’s Best Media 