Why I prefer TAS. The Flash.

[MattL.]

Over the years, I've realize more and more that the TAS versions of the DC heroes and characters are becoming my favorites and/or prefered to the comics.
Sometimes its because the animated version of said character has a less complicated or cluttered backstory. Other times its because I like Timm and Co.'s take on their personality more. Sometimes its because they are done in a more classical way that the comics won't, can't or isn't hip enough to do. Sometimes they look cooler. Most of the time however, its all of the above.

With this in mind (and to see if there any others out there like me) I'm going to break down the Justice League heroes one by one and basically say why I have grown to prefer their animated version to their comics version. I'll save Superman and Batman for last because theres sooo much ground to cover.

So, for my first post on this subject:


THE FLASH!

Character Personality: Okay, first off I know its a real departure from the legacy minded zen-master of speed we've come to know in the comics. But JL Flash puts a smile on my face. I like that he's a smartass. I think his personality fits his power. He's a young guy whos enjoying the hell about of being a superhero. I also think the show has done a good job of showing that theres a heart beneath that smirk. Like the way he defended John Stewart or loudly protested what happened to Diana even when the rest of the team were content to be diplomatic. I think deep down Wally admires the other members of the team and truly considers them his freinds.

I also enjoy that he's the only Flash because it more allows this Wally West to have the name be his own. While I enjoy and respect the legacy aspect of the Flash mythos..I enjoy the simplicity more.


Function in the Group dynamic: Some Flash fans feel insulted that the Scarlet Sppedster is the comic relief of the show.

But you know, thats only a bad thing if your associations with the idea of a comic relief character is stuff like Jar Jar Binks.

When JL is working on all thrusters, its not only taking some of the best ideas from the JLA mythos but also from all the super team comics that have ever been. These groups have always worked well when having someone who was kinda that jester force of youthful energy. Consider Johhny Storm of the Fantastic Four.

But I feel that while that may in many ways comedy may be his function, he also contributes alot to the team and is one of the cooler characters. Also, unlike most "comedy relief" characters the Flash is actually funny. In terms of the team I think this is a better and much more natural fit than tacking on the Jim Carreyesque Plastic Man to the League.

I think Michael Rosenbaum actually plays this character much more naturally than he does Lex on Smallville since he he's not obligated to convey Dylan McKay style angst.

Powers: I can agree with most critics that this area could use a little work, but I dont mind that Flash is more sort of a nearly break the sound barrier type than a Speed Force type. Besides when you think about it, how much super speed does one *really* need?


Look: No one can argue that the Flash has one of the all time coolest comicbook superhero costumes ever. From head to toe the outfit exhudes the name "The Flash!". But I think Bruce Timm did it one better with whiteing out the eyes and redoing the lighting bolt to have one edge and a bold yellow circle. Makes it look less like the Shazam! icon.

In a word: "sweet!"

[Mynd Hed]

I think that in many cases, people get locked into this mentality that the first iteration of a character they were exposed to is THE way the character should be portrayed, always and forevermore. That's why you still get so many people getting a look at Batman: TAS and saying, "What's up with THIS? It's so dark! Where's the funny, cheesy dialogue and the 'ka-POW'? I don't like this!"
You take me, for example. The first exposure that I had to the X-Men was the old (pre-Evolution) animated series. My favorite character was Morph, I saw the first episode and I loved the idea of a wisecracking shapeshifter, although I thought the way they had him disappear for a long time only to turn back up again under Magneto's control was a little lame. When I found out later that Morph was just a character made up for the animated series without any comic continuity, I felt a little betrayed because most of my comic-loving friends had never even heard of my favorite X-Man.

Side note: Some friends and I were watching an episode of Justice League after a BBQ dinner one night, back when Justice League was really, really new. (I think it might have been the first time they reran the pilot episode.) One of my friends, who hadn't ever seen it before, kept on going on and on about what a cool show this was, and especially how much he liked the Flash. He said he'd heard of some of the characters, of course, but he'd never read the comics or seen any of the previous animated series growing up. (Was he raised in a box?)
Later on, another of my friends, a big comic fan, pulls me aside and says, "Man, I just don't get why Josh was all into Justice League and the Flash back there. It's not the worst I've ever seen, but personally I think the show kinda sucks, and the Flash was a joke in it."
I reminded him that Josh was really just getting his first real exposure to superheroes. He doesn't know that there are better shows and better characters out there-- he's just enjoying it for what it is.
Everybody has their favorite superhero as a kid-- mine was Batman, I've got a friend who's a Spider-Man kinda guy, and another who's obsessed with Superman. Josh was just then, child-like, discovering his favorite superhero. And you know what? I bet that, no matter how many other superheroes and how many other versions of The Flash he sees, the Justice League Flash will always be his favorite. Somehow, that first character who really brings you into the world of superpowers always holds that special place in your heart.

Well, that was really long and rambling and probably pointless, but I guess the moral of the story is that it's all too easy for a jaded superfan to judge every new iteration of a character in the light of all his/her previous iterations. But if you look at things from the perspective of somebody who's never seen that character before, sometimes you can find a lot more to like.

[MattL.]

I understand what you are saying. But the TAS versions of the characters certainally are not the first ones I was exposed to. I've actually been reading comics since I was five years old and saw Superman the movie when it was in theatres. First movie I ever saw in my life actually and still my favorite.

Also during my childhood a read collections of the older stories and I was at ground zero for and pretty much the target age for the Post-Crisis revamp of the DCU.

I'm not one of the comic fans thats quick to dismiss anything that came before 1986 (or before 2001) as silly and dumb because its older.

Even with my experience and perspective in mind, I still feel the way I do about the TAS versions of the characters.

[Mynd Hed]

Oh, I wasn't referring to you in that long, rambling post of mine... your post just got me thinking, that's all. I found your post on why you prefer some TAS characters to their comic counterparts to be unbiased and well thought out. I wasn't talking about you, just about people in general.

[Final C yourgod]

When I was a "little" kid I used to love the Flash. I had the toys, "cloths" etc. As I got a little older I moved on to Sonic the Hedgehog and Anime. Now starting with Static I am back into the DC comics and shows.Anyway the first Superman I saw was the old black and white one. I was never really a fan I just watched his shows. I am more of a Batman/Static/Spiderman fan.

[DCU Bat]

Actually It's interesting what you said, MattL. Because when I first started reading comics, I hated superheroes with legacies because they're too confusing! And I was major Flash junkie back then. I once missed a couple of issues of "Crisis on Infanite Earths" and later on when I picked up the next Flash comic I was going "Huh!? since when did Wally become the new Flash!?!?".

Some DC heroes like Batman, Superman, Wonderwoman and Green Arrow seem to be the only Heroes with fixed Identies, however the rest of them have legacies. You realise how hard is to explain when my friends ask me "Who's the Flash?"

However other Legacies like Robin and Green Lantern I've grown accostumed to (Since Tim and Kyle are my favorite versions of them.)

As for the Flash, there were some problems I had with his mythos like the fact that the DCU has too many damn Speedsters or the whole Speed Force thing, Back then I just saw Flash as a guy with some kind of sub-atomic anomaly.

So, I do Like JL's version of The Flash, Wally would've been a much better choice over Barry (I love Barry too but C'mon you have to admit, the guy's a bit of a stiff.) And besides, Wally could start his own legacy. It would be too confusing to start all the way from Jay Garrick.

The only flaw with this version is what made Wally so speacial is that what drove him to become The Flash is that he wanted to honor his uncle. Well, it's obvious that we don't have that anymore. I don't think he should become the Flash because he wanted fame (I think that's Green Arrow's department IMHO :)). So he should take Barry's drive but there's no Jay Garrick to inspire him except for the Streak, whom he didn't seem to recognise.

Here an Origin Idea I thought up, After Wally's electro-chemical accident he decides to fight crime since he was inspired by a Speedster in WWII, only later on to find out that the Speedster was actually himself!! (During the events from "The Savage Time"). Yeah, I think this would really cool if it happened.

So, here's hoping for "The Flash : TAS" if it ever get's made, in fact the only reason why I watch "The Brave and the Bold" over and over is so I see the Open chase scene again! Yeah, I know he could've caught up with the truck but someone once metioned that he just having fun with it and it would've been pointless if he just stopped it right there and I agree with him.

[HelloKittyKat]

Look: No one can argue that the Flash has one of the all time coolest comicbook superhero costumes ever. From head to toe the outfit exhudes the name "The Flash!". But I think Bruce Timm did it one better with whiteing out the eyes and redoing the lighting bolt to have one edge and a bold yellow circle. Makes it look less like the Shazam! icon.

In a word: "sweet!"

His eyes were white before. In fact, I have no idea why DC changed Wally's mask to be more like Barry's in recent years.

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,


His eyes were white before. In fact, I have no idea why DC changed Wally's mask to be more like Barry's in recent years.

Well, it was obviously to match the Animated Age version of the character, just like EVERYTHING in the DCU these days.

Hey, wait a second ... D'OH!!!

No, wait, I got it. It was easier for an artist to draw eyes and such instead of ... um ... big white circles. D'OOOHHHH!!!

OK, OK, OK, I got it now. 80's NOSTALGIA! Just like that whole Battle of the Planets/GI Joe/Thundercats/He-Man thing going around.

(Realizes Mark Waid started on the Flash in the mid/late 80's, where the white eye covers got started.)

Gah. I give up. Maybe it's another "tribute to his uncle."

Personally, I like the Animated Age versions of these characters because it gives the writers a chance to reboot without all that ugly continuity mess that accumulates over 50+ years when you try to write a character continuously without having anything truly substantive happen to him/her.

-- Ed/Ace

[SimonMoon5]

Some DC heroes like Batman, Superman, Wonderwoman and Green Arrow seem to be the only Heroes with fixed Identies,

Yeah, Connor Hawke is the only Green Arrow ever, and Hippolyta (or is it Artemis?) is the only Wonder Woman ever.

[Fernus]

Yeah, Connor Hawke is the only Green Arrow ever, and Hippolyta (or is it Artemis?) is the only Wonder Woman ever.


No. Green Aroow had a son, who became the second Green Arrow. Hippolyta made a daughter, who became the second Wonder Woman.

[Space Cadet]

He said he'd heard of some of the characters, of course, but he'd never read the comics or seen any of the previous animated series growing up. (Was he raised in a box?)


Actually, that's me with the exception of not reading the comics. Although the last time I bought or read a comic was when I was seven and it was a Spawn comic which my mom did not like and went on T.V. complained how violent and racist it was, but I digress.

[Drachentöter]

Yeah, Connor Hawke is the only Green Arrow ever, and Hippolyta (or is it Artemis?) is the only Wonder Woman ever.

This is sarcasm.

[Anthonynotes]

The only flaw with this version is what made Wally so speacial is that what drove him to become The Flash is that he wanted to honor his uncle. Well, it's obvious that we don't have that anymore. I don't think he should become the Flash because he wanted fame (I think that's Green Arrow's department IMHO :)). So he should take Barry's drive but there's no Jay Garrick to inspire him except for the Streak, whom he didn't seem to recognise.

Here an Origin Idea I thought up, After Wally's electro-chemical accident he decides to fight crime since he was inspired by a Speedster in WWII, only later on to find out that the Speedster was actually himself!! (During the events from "The Savage Time"). Yeah, I think this would really cool if it happened.



Admit I don't much like the "Speed Force" (or at least the idea of applying it to every other speedster besides Wally) either...

Wally's personality in the ANimated Series more closely parallels his "won the lottery/womanizing" persona in the late 80's comics than the current ones...

As for TAS-Wally's origin for his superhero identity:
Well, hmm... that is a tought one. I suppose he could've come up with the costume on his own (somehow). As for how he came up with the name: could've just been something made up or inspired by the press (in "Showcase #4", a reporter notes to Barry that "he caught [the Turtle Man] in a flash"...).

-B.