So before I pose my question, some of you may know this from reading comments I’ve made, but I have a sizable DC pull list at my LCS, so I’m current on all the characters’ status quo’s. I’m going to try and stay away from spoilers, but I also know I’d have to blur a great deal of this post if I got specific, so forgive some lack of detail as I try and avoid spoilers.
So a great many people are not fond of the current storylines for Dick Grayson and Wally West respectively. I understand that, and can agree, I wasn’t on board with “Ric” and what happened with Wally in Heroes In Crisis. But being as how I’m current with what’s on the shelves, I recently read Nightwing 74, Batman 99, and literally just finished Death Metal: Speed Metal, and I’ve been inspired to pose a question.
By the end of Nightwing 74 and Speed Metal, it seems as though the status quo of two of our favorites has been restored. Now, I won’t go into detail for those who keep up with the titles a year behind here on DCU (soon to be six months) but I’m very pleased with these happenings. It seems there has been a return to form, and I’d LIKE to think, what has transpired with these two was a result of long form story telling which was the plan all along. I’d LIKE to think that. I obviously don’t have any inside info.
So here’s my question. As comic fans, do we sometimes jump to conclusions and trash a certain character’s arc too soon, before we get the pay off? I’m going to say yes. But I’d be curious to hear what others think. By the end of the “Ric” debacle, it seems to me the point was to show even without his memories as a crime fighter, Dick was always there. I think the point was to show that was who he is as a person is who he always WAS, before restoring him to what we all recognize and love. Wally also seems to have reclaimed his place, no spoilers, and seems to be in a good place character wise. So, as much as the journey can be what we don’t want, I believe that journey makes the pay off hit all the RIGHT spots in our hearts and minds even more, because we had to go through rough patches with our characters. It’s art imitating life.
Jurgens has been writing Nightwing for the majority, if not the entirety of “Ric”. Tom King wrote HIC, Lobdell wrote Flashforward, and Williamson wrote The Flash and Speed Metal. So one writer is certainly responsible for bringing it all home with Dick( Tynion is writing Batman, so some credit there) but a case can be made for two other writers course correcting Wally. Should we let the story play out before we jump to conclusions about writers ruining characters, or is it a case of more times than not, someone else steps in and rights the ship?
It’s to be noted, you may not be able to make up your mind about this if you aren’t current with what’s on the shelves, but when Nightwing Joker War tie-ins, and the entirety of Flashforward, and the Speed Metal one shot become available on the service, I highly recommend reading them if you’ve NOT been happy about the direction of Dick and Wally