Warning: contains spoilers for The Flash #781!
Many DC fans were dismayed when the publisher seemingly attempted to replace The Flash's Wally West with a younger character of the same name, only to reveal they were different people who would now co-exist as speedster superheroes. However, as Wally and Wallace actually spend some time together, The Flash is proving that they're actually an amazing team with fun chemistry worth exploring further.
Originally Kid Flash, Wally West inherited the title of Wally back into existence. Things were confusing at first as there were two different Wally Wests existing with similar powers, but the second iteration eventually found his own place alongside the Teen Titans.
However, with Barry Allen's adventure out into the multiverse, Wally West is DC's main Flash once again, and Flash #781 - from Jeremy Adams and Fernando Pasarin - sees him bonding with Wallace West's Kid Flash on a high-speed day of adventures. At first, Wallace is standoffish with his older counterpart, but the two share a unique bond as they both had Barry Allen as a mentor. Rather than have to team up to face off against a villain, Wally and Wallace spend their time merely reflecting upon what it means to be a hero next to the original Flash's example, and how best to grow up and become heroes of their own.
This lesson from Wally actually lifts the spirits of Wallace, who is in a bad mood from the start of the story. It also has the ironic effect of explaining the situation to fans, laying out a clear relationship between two versions of what was once a single person. While Wallace is coming to an understanding of his place in the universe, so is the reader, and Flash successfully defines his place among DC's speedsters in a way some once thought would ultimately prove impossible.
Flash #781 shows that was once a tangle of continuity is now far clearer, and that Wally and Wallace can not just co-exist, but get the best out of each other in shared stories. The original dynamic between the two was a mess, especially as Wally was dealing with trauma such as the kind he faced in Heroes in Crisis. But since Wally's taken up the mantle of the Flash, he and Wallace have forged a much more enjoyable bond, which has allowed them to step into their own identities and out of the shadow of the other.
The Flash #781 is available now from DC Comics.
