I can't believe it, but it's really been almost seven years since DC Comics' controversial storyline, Heroes in Crisis. I when this book first came out, and I have to say, I don't know if time has made it better.

got Heroes in Crisis, a book that still stands out as one of the most controversial entries in this beloved era of DC Comics.

Heroes in Crisis Was a Doomed Storyline from the Start

And No One Suffered More Than Fan-Favorite Flash, Wally West

Heroes in Crisis was written by Tom King, who was riding high from books like Vision and Omega Men (not to mention Batman, which he was writing at the same time). King worked with Clay Mann, who did not slouch on art duties in this book, nor did other artists such as Travis Moore, Lee Weeks, Mitch Gerards, or Jorge Fornés. Heroes in Crisis, ittedly, had an interesting idea, and introduced Sanctuary, a shelter for heroes to work on their mental health. Unfortunately, this idea was introduced alongside a massacre of DC Universe heroes right at the start.

The only survivors of the massacre are Booster Gold and Harley Quinn, who have no memory of what happened, and both of whom blame the other for the tragedy. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman investigate the crime while Booster and Harley both try to prove their innocence. Eventually, the two settle their differences and team up, discovering that the corpse of Wally West left in the massacre is actually from the future. And this is when Heroes in Crisis really pissed off a number of DC Comics fans.

...Wally lost control of the Speed Force and created a burst of energy that killed its other patients.

Wally was the perpetrator behind the massacre, though it was an accident. The Flash had been struggling with the trauma of losing his family after being lost in the timestream and broke into Sanctuary under the misguided belief the facility was made for him out of pity. Unfortunately, while looking into Sanctuary's AI to analyze other heroes’ trauma, Wally lost control of the Speed Force and created a burst of energy that killed its other patients. The Flash apologized for causing the massacre and vowed to atone for his crimes.

Heroes in Crisis' Strengths Were Heavily Outweighed by Its Flaws

I Mean, Did They Really Have to Give Wally West Such a Raw Deal?

There's a lot of elements in Heroes in Crisis that fell flat. I'm not even going to get into the fight scene between Harley Quinn and the team of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, where Harley manages to escape the Trinity (but trust me, it's wild seeing it happen). There's also a moment where Lois exposes the existence of Sanctuary to the public. Yeah, she's a journalist, but she wouldn't do something like that to the community she knows extensively. But nothing in this story was worse than what its creative team decided to do with Wally West.

In case you don't , Wally disappeared during the New 52 after becoming lost in the Speed Force. By the time he got out, his marriage to Linda Park was erased, and his children were nowhere to be found. He was already going through hell, and then they decided to make Flash's situation worse by making him a murderer? Granted, they make it clear that it was an accident, but it was a story-telling decision that was rightfully criticized by Flash fans who couldn’t believe how DC Comics was continuing to treat the beloved speedster.

...they decided to make Flash's situation worse by making him a murderer?

Here's the thing: Tom King is a good writer, and while there are elements of this story that work, the overall story is less than the sum of its parts. A mental health facility where heroes can work on their mental health? Great idea! A murder-mystery centering on Booster Gold and Harley Quinn? Unconventional, but I like the idea of it. A story centered on Wally after his extended absence from comics? Sure! But when all these things were combined, what we got was a story that not only didn't feel gratifying, it made Flash suffer for no reason.

Heroes in Crisis' Swings Just Didn't Pay Off

'A' For Trying, But It's Better Left Behind

I'll it, I do like seeing creators aim for the fences and there were some decent ideas within Heroes in Crisis. Unfortunately, its execution left a lot to be desired. While Wally's character did eventually recover, this story didn't do him any favors at a time when the Flash was most vulnerable. As we look back on this controversial DC Comics story, let's all just be grateful that whatever the story's featured characters went through is over now.