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squijim · 1 year

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I always think of this comment by you about if Wally did come back. And like, I always would have wanted Wally storming away from everyone else and just ending up where else but….keystone city, feeling like he’s hit rock bottom but willing to dig and just so happens to run into Hartley Rathway and Linda Park and that’s when you realize he’s always gonna have that five year gap from his old friends but that doesn’t mean…he can’t truly start over.

And Wally’s powers have always had a element of clap if you believe to them so I think a part of him needs to get away from others to come into his weird speedforce powers, maybe run into Max or something. Like he needs to fight Zoom behind a Dennies, and uncover like 10 cults in 2 months like Wally does in the comics.

Plus, like Jesus Christ in heaven all I want is for Wally and Linda (and Hartley) to be known as besties again

i just want wally and the flashfam to be taken more seriously by the young justice writers. literally every single family unit in yj has had its moments in the sun; this last season had a big emphasis on the supers and martians, the previous season with the arrows, s2 with the atlanteans... surprisingly the batfam has had little screentime but dick has always been a main character and i think the batfam's strong presence in pretty much every other dc property makes up for it.

but the flashes?? i'm racking my brain. there was "coldhearted" in s1 which featured mary and rudy eating breakfast with wally. they showed up again in the season when the adults were sent to a different dimension,, and they showed up when wally died. bart had one conversation with jay about being an outsider but that wasn't even one-on-one. the flashes appeared here and there in season 2 when bart was first introduced and then nothing really happened, nothing about the tornado twins or bart's past or anything...

the flashes are all about family but when has that ever been represented? every single episode or scene featuring them aside from the wally + wests moments has had some element of tension. bart and jay's convo, bart's interactions with barry, even wally's interactions with barry, but they're supposed to be like father and son!!

and then you add the fact that the characters are never in central, the only flash villain (aside from Grodd who never shows up) who's around is Captain Cold but he barely has any lines and is never solo. there's been no zoom, no rogues, no trickster or reverse flash or weather wizard. max mercury has never showed up. no mention of hartley or linda.

i love spitfire and i love them together and i love wally's friendships but i want the emphasis on /him/. his origins were briefly discussed in the denial episode and in a comics attachment but we never talk about wally's insecurities, or his backstory, or why he retired, or his idolization of barry— all of the things that have been historically key to understanding Wally West. I'm still upset that every other character got a good therapy session with Dinah after "Failsafe" but Wally. Why deny the audience a chance to learn more about the serious sides of him only to make a joke about him being in denial which we already know?

Ugh.

I agree with everything you said, Anon. I want Wally to figure out who he is away from the others on the team. What place does he have in the world now? How much catching up is there to do? Can he still get his degree, his dream career? How does Wally, whose pride is so easily hurt, come back from these blows?

#my first ask :')#i love it please keep sending in your thoughts on wally in young justice #yj writers hire me challenge #wally west #young justice

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lacrimosathedark · 2 years

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You know what? Here is what I hope for the future of Batfam relationships

For Bruce, he is both Forever Alone and in multiple relationships.

He and Selina don't get married because she's a free spirit but they act like they're married whenever she stops by and she is essentially the Robin/Batgirl stepmother. And then they have Helena! She is such a good mom and Bruce is utterly smitten. She will also kick his ass when he's being dumb or emotionally constipated. Bonus.

He and Talia are amicable exes; they will always love each other but their lives are incompatible. Talia is very protective of Bruce's kids and she and Selina get on surprisingly well. Do not threaten Jason, Tim, or Damian if you want to live. Bruce cannot stop her and Selina will not.

(Bruce may or may not also have a vacillating relationship with both Lois and Clark. Lois is fucking awesome and Clark is his best friend like beyond measure)

Dick is with Babs, Kory, and Wally. Linda is nervous at first but she also loves Dick and they are besties and Jai and Irey adore him. Babs and Kory are jealous of each other at first, but they become friends through mocking the everloving shit out of Dick's dumbassery. Wally does nothing more than pat Dick's shoulder in sympathy because he's not arguing with the girls when they're right and it's fucking funny.

Jason and Roy may as well be married. Lian loves Jason, especially since he helped her as an amnesiac teen (I just love the idea, the Strays are in Alleytown which is in/by Park Row it's in "his territory" and Jason gets the while street orphan thing so yes). Jason and Jade hate each other but are willing to tolerate each other for Lian because Lian is Lian and deserves anything she fucking wants and she wants to know her mom. Lian also loves having badass adoptive grandmas. Selina is her favorite because she took her in, but she adores Dinah and Talia is so cool. And she gets to see Uncle Dick all the time and Jason pretends he isn't happy to see him but he is (after he works past insecurity about Dick's collection of redheads because can I just keep this one Dick holy shit Roy's mine now fuck off). Bruce and Ollie fight over who is best grandpa. Lian's family is the best. Jason and Roy date nights consist of blowing shit up, makeouts, and then going home to snuggle with their daughter.

Tim and Kon are together FINALLY and lowkey co-parenting Bart. They made joke adoption papers and hang it up on the wall. Cassie claims the title of wine aunt. Everyone else thinks they're ridiculous but They Are Family. Everyone mocks them for not realizing they were in love sooner. Like, Kon's existence pre-New 52 screamed "gay crisis shouting "no homo"" and Tim's sanity is directly tied to his relationship with Conner, like??? Tim how did you just realize you were bi you absolute dorkweed. They also both had bicon girlfriends, like??? Morons. Adorable.

Tim and Steph will always love each other, but they didn't really work as they were and are happier with other people. They have a sort of romantic friendship. Steph actually conspired with Cass to get Tim to confess to Kon because boi both of you are idiots.

Stephanie and Cass (Cain) are happily dating and the most functional relationship in the Batfam. They don't need to talk to communicate. Cass has her abilities, but Steph can read Cass specifically almost as well. Not that they don't talk; Cass is comfy enough with Steph that sometimes she will just talk for hours. So in love and so comfy together.

Damian is either dating or in a queerplatonic relationship with Jon Kent. They are best friends and always have each other's backs and love each other so fucking much. They live together on the farm and Damian has a whole ass animal sanctuary and Jon helps him care for the animals and it's beautiful and nothing hurts.

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hartrathaway · 3 years

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Hii I'm interested in Hartley's story but I know literally nothing about him except that he was Wally's gay bestie in the 90s, what's his deal? Do you have any comic recs for him?

HI IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!!!!!!!!

Okay, so really brief, his dealio is: born to ‘incredibly rich’ parents (we never get a specified ballpark, but Hartley states that he was ‘born with two silver spoons in [his] mouth’ if that helps context wise), Hartley’s deaf! His parents had him get cochlear implants when he was a child, which ‘medically healed him’. (His deafness has been treated extremely ablest by writers who actually remember he’s deaf, I need to warn you of this now.) He’s a music and sound waves guy, a former villain (it’s an on again off again relationship, but a lot of his character is defined by his time as a hero) and he’s very leftist. Gay best friend in the AIDS crisis turned Wally West from a midwestern conservative to a leftie as well. (Wally’s wife, Linda Park, was a major contributing factor, but we’re focusing on Hartley for this, so I’m gonna talk about him.)

I’ve got a mix of good reading from all over, so I’m gonna break this into sections, and do my best to describe which is which. (all my screencaps are from this website right here, because i do not own all the back issues and it would have taken much, much longer to do this post, and as such, some of them are not sized or formatted correctly) Click the read more if you’re interested! Please note: I am not a 100% authority figure on Hartley, and I know there’s a few stories I have left out (the story with Bart Allen’s first appearance is a good one that Hartley is in), but these are the gist of who is he, what he’s been up to, and what is the family drama.

So for New Earth (otherwise known as post-Crisis on Infinite Earths), is where Hartley actually becomes Wally’s friend, and is a hero! I’m going to focus on this section first. Unfortunately, due to being a minor character, a lot of stuff is broken into small stories, or things that are happening behind the scenes, so there’s no real issue x - y that’s gonna help much.

The Flash Vol 2 #31, #32 Quick summary: In issue 31, supervillain here is killing homeless people, Hartley has been helping these same people get up on their feet by helping them get squatter’s rights. They skip the fighting because a kid asks if they’re going to fight for a half hour and then team up, and go right to the team up. They get Linda Park in, supervillain ends up backfiring his powers. In issue 32, Wally, Hartley, and their pal Mason officially move to Keystone city. Hartley’s folks are in trouble while the three of them are trying to freeload (off of Hartley’s parents, his and his parents’ relationship is better now than it had been, for a multitude of reasons), Wally and Hartley rescue Hartley’s parents, we also meet Jerrie, Hartley’s sister, and all is resolved there. Yay, the family loves each other again!

(issue 31)

(issue 32)

The Flash Vol 2 #53 Special mention this is the issue where Hartley comes out and also has to inform Wally that Wally cannot tell who is a homosexual. Also Wally’s an IRS agent here, for shame Wallace. At least Hartley gets to cosplay Wally at the end, so that’s fun. Content warning for this issue specifically is some casual homophobia, just so you know that going in.

(issue 53)

The Flash Vol 2 #170 In 170, Hartley’s being contacted by his father to call in ‘a favor’ that Hartley owes him. The main plot line includes (one of) Wally’s ex(es) showing up, a former hero and teammate, Frances Kane, otherwise known as Magneta. A person has been found murdered at Keystone Motors, and supervillain Goldface begins rallying union workers (which seems to just be a poorly timed coincidence). The story itself (170 - 173) in and of itself is really fun, but I’m only going to talk about Hartley, or else I’ll be here all day.

(issue 170)

The Flash Vol 2 #174, #175, #178, #179 And here we get some drama! I’m grouping all of these together, since it’s all the same chunk of the story for Hartley, but since it’s the Flash, Wally’s center stage. In 174, the people who were living with the Rathaway family aren’t exactly big fans of Hartley. They know he’s changed his ways, he’s a hero now, but it’s just… something feels off. There’s loud music sounds, and bam! Suddenly Hartley’s there and oh boy is this gonna be a hot mess. In issue 175, we see some footage, and Hartley’s the lead suspect in his parents’ murder, considering that the footage has Hartley onscreen. 178 rolls up, and after Wally’s getting Gorilla Grodd taken care of (and that fight is a doozy), Wally gets to find out Hartley’s been arrested for the murder of his own parents, and Hartley confesses on-screen to his parents’ murder (Also Hartley’s got a beard now, that’s how you know he’s depressed.) 179 opens with Hartley being processed. Linda and Wally go to see him, and although Hartley confessed, he said “I think I did.” (emphasis is mine; in the panel Hartley says “I think I did.”) Joker? He’s got some Joker-fied people, and poor Hartley gets it too :( Hartley straight up nearly kills Captain Boomerang (it’s okay, Wally stops him), and surprise! Welcome back to Iron Heights Hartley. Gonna have a fun time :)

(issue 174; this is the least messy part of the panel, but it was intended to be that way)

(issue 175)

(issue 178)

(issue 179)

The Flash: Iron Heights Brief interlude from the main comic line, we’ve got a one-shot that’s taking place in Iron Heights. This takes place before Hartley gets arrested, presumably (since, y’know, they’re breaking in and all). Fun one-shot honestly, keeps me on my toes the whole time. Hartley’s a main character, and it’s less personal drama and very story driven. You don’t need this to enjoy Hartley regardless, but I enjoy it!

(The Flash: Iron Heights, which you can read here.)

The Flash Volume 2 #189, #190 189! Now we find out how Hartley’s parents were actually murdered! No spoilers, but we do get a prison breakout. This is where we get some origin story! Don’t read this first though, because you’re going to be spoiling yourself the plot of his arrest. In 190 we get more origin, including the way DC treated his deafness. (It’s ablest, and I’m still mentally grappling how you wouldn’t notice your child being deaf for two years, but okay Rachel and Osgood, you keep being bad.) The story goes on for now, with Hartley on the run from… well, everyone.

(issue 189)

(issue 190)

This is pretty much it for New Earth Hartley up until Countdown.

I don’t like Countdown at all. I’m much happier pretending that Countdown doesn’t exist (both because of how it treats Hartley for a multitude of reasons, and how Thad Thawne is treated leading up to Countdown). More happens with Hartley’s storyline in Countdown, but I hate it with such a passion that I wouldn’t recommend it at all. Countdown leads into Final Crisis, and I’m not a fan of either. However, should you wish to read and make your own opinions, here’s Countdown and here’s Final Crisis. Please note, Countdown’s issues are done in reverse order (so from issue 51 to 1, rather than 1 to 51)

And now I’m going to tell you the gospel truth:

I do like New 52 Hartley! A lot. Unfortunately, he’s not as much in the n52 Flash run as I would like (but I’m biased, as obvious by my url). What you need to know is that Hartley’s a musician now, like orchestra director, and he’s in a relationship with Barry’s boss, David Singh. (power move, honestly) Unfortunately, we don’t get a whole lot in the main line. Also at this point, the Wally West of New Earth hasn’t transitioned to the n52. Wallace West of n52 is an entirely different character, and that’s a whole other issue for another discussion. Wally West as we know him from New Earth doesn’t come back for a while. Wally and Hartley haven’t talked since before Flashpoint, and that’s a shame.

So read the Crimes of Passion Anthology he’s got please I’m begging you. The only downside is that the artist gave him a haircut.

(Crimes of Passion: Secret Admirer)

I haven’t read anything DCeased related, and while I know Hartley gets his time to shine and kiss David, I can’t tell you much beyond that. I’m pretty sure there’s other people who can tell you more, but it’s not me I’m afraid. (This is me saying guys, please tell me about Hartley in DCeased, someone tell me about my fictional lavender marriage husband.)

#Anonymous #ask #hartley rathaway #pied piper #pied piper dc #dc #(for my own records)#i'm biased and i hope the read more keeps the worst of this off of my followers' dashes #hope this helps!!!!

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jostenneil · 3 years

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I know this is a wallylinda lane, but I wish dc would remember how much Wally’s friendship Hartley was important to his development of a person. Like frankly? Hartley was a closer friend (and better friend lol) to Wally than the Titans.

Like i wish lowkey Wally could gain his non Titans friends back like Hartley but also Kyle Rayner and Connor Hawke. (Roy can stay because he’s dilf and him and Wally are dilf solidarity and lian is besties with the twins.) oh and Jesse being a main flash family member again would be wonderful (I’m still mad we got robins and not Jesse quick series).

Like let Wally AND linda have their friendships back.

oh no worries i wholeheartedly agree! this is a nitpicky thing but like one thing that always confused me was why dick was wally's best man and not hartley. like i know dick had known wally for longer bc of the titans but i also feel like hartley got to be way closer to wally than dick ever did bc dick had multiple friendships within the team to maintain and hartley had the one, plus his focus and wally's was more closely aligned during their time together in keystone. and yes omg! wally's friendships with kyle and connor were so sweet, like in general i think wally got to have better built relationships with the jla than he did with the titans outside of idk roy and sometimes dick. you could also reason part of it was bc of how much he idolized people like hal and barry, so maybe he didn't feel so awkward around that generation of heroes bc he grew up hanging out with them by proxy anyway, and he didn't necessarily feel as anxious about breaking away and making an independent name for himself as the other titans did (that's one thing that actually interests me a lot tbh. out of the original fab five he was definitely the one most invested in the idea of carrying on a legacy). i would also love love love for jesse to be brought back i'm so sad she lost out in that round robin thing. her dynamic with wally, bart, and max was genuinely really fun and i love her angle as a superhero historian like that's something that i think would be of more value within such a universe. but alas :/

#wally west #dc #mine:meta #asks

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