A very different Wally West coming soon.

Okay this was originally just supposed to be Deanpool talking about the idea of having a Flash TV show, much less a CW television series. But nonetheless, here's a NewsFlash that actually centers around The Flash!

Now Deanpool's even learned that Wally West will be making his debut in the New 52 universe! It's kind of weird to think about Wally West being completely absent from the New 52 comics. Jay Garrick is getting a lot of spotlight in Earth 2 as the Earth-2 Flash. Bart Allen is sporting the Kid Flash costume in Teen Titans as the speedster from the future (and grandson of Barry Allen, the current Flash). And Barry Allen is the New 52 Flash. Wally West fans will remember his time as the original Kid Flash who eventually inherited the role as The Flash for a good amount of time. Even in the animated series, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, Wally West was the one behind the Flash mask, not Barry Allen. Heck, Wally was even featured in the animated series Young Justice as Kid Flash. So it's safe to say that Wally has a pretty good fan base for himself as the nephew of Iris West, Barry's love interest pre-New 52.

Cover to Flash Annual #3

Back to the point, Wally is making his New 52 debut! The picture above is said to be the cover of The Flash Annual #3. Now Bleeding Cool does a more in-depth analysis of why Wally may be featured in this issue but not necessarily this electric blue looking fellow in the center of the cover. Even more so, they believe that Wally West might be African-American in the New 52!

In the age of comics where publishers are trying to be more open minded and show more diversity (featuring more diverse heroes like Teen Titan's Bunker being a Mexican homosexual or even Alan Scott, Earth-2's Green Lantern, is homosexual as well), Wally is going to be a case of a radically changed character who had an established identity in the DC universe before the New 52. Wally is likely to be featured in the third annual issue of The Flash and there are rumors suggesting he may be black.

In the image on the right (which is a zoomed in section from the cover's lower right), we are led to believe this may not necessarily be Wally West but perhaps just some young kid. But the article Deanpool got this from makes a point that the hands are a bit too white, as if they are actually gloves.

All this ties back in with the Flash TV pilot that will be coming out soon. It was leaked that the character description for Detective West and his daughter Iris West were both African-American. This is likely to show that Iris' nephew Wally may be African-American as well. It's possible that the comic series could be trying to reflect the upcoming television series by recreating Wally West into the New 52 universe as an African-American as well.

Then Deanpool read this. And if you'll consider that page as enough verification like Deanpool does, then you should expect a young, black Wally West in the near future to both the comic world and the television. The page also brings up some other interesting possibilities such as making the role even more diverse by recreating Wally as a female character too, or more humorous theories like keeping Wally a ginger even as an African-American. All fun speculation with some pretty funny images to go along with them like the one below.

In other Flash television related news, Rick Cosnett and Danielle Panabaker have been casted for the roles of Detective Eddie Thawne and Caitlin Snow, respectively. Keen DC fans will notice those are the identities of Reverse Flash and Killer Frost. Based on the article, it seems that their origins will hold true to their canonical origins as well.

Thawne's "past is a mystery and harbors a dark secret." Well it's interesting that he'll be playing a detective, especially if it's alongside Barry Allen at the police department. But in the comics, Eobard Thawne (a.k.a. Professor Zoom a.k.a. Reverse Flash) is actually from the future 25th century and was a big fan of The Flash. He wanted so desperately to meet him that he recreates the accident that gave Barry his super powers and travelled back in time to meet him. It should be noted he even had surgery to make himself look like Barry. However the time travel disoriented his mind, and his trip to the past reveals that he will one day die at the hands of his idol. As far as the television adaption, well the name change to Eddie is appropriate to blend in with the times. The mysterious past: he's from the future, how ironic. Dark secret: he may know every event that will unravel in Barry's life but who knows how he'll choose to confront it.

Caitlin Snow will be "a highly intelligent bioengineering expert who loses her fiance in a S.T.A.R. labs explosion." Caitlin Snow is the New 52's Killer Frost and has only been around since June 2013 in her first appearance in Fury of Firestorm #19. There's nothing in the comics about her having a fiance, but the highly intelligent bioengineering expert matches as much as we know about her. In her origin story from the Villains Month issue, Caitlin Snow was a bright, young scientist asked work in a S.T.A.R. lab in the Arctic. Her main assignment was a thermodynamic engine that could surpass Newton's Second Law and achieve perpetual motion. But due to H.I.V.E. influencing her colleagues, they were forced to take action when she was able to get the device to work. This led to Snow tampering with the engine's coolant system which consequently fused with her body and biological system turning her into Killer Frost. With what's given from the article, it's not easy to say that it'll go that exact path too. Caitlin might be portrayed as an appealing character or possible love-interest of Barry at first until she is eventually transformed into Killer Frost. Though Killer Frost is typically a foe of Firestorm, it's interesting to see if she'll be a key character in this television series.

A speedster and a girl that could manipulate cold and ice as the enemies for Flash. Not terrible choices. Deanpool is especially excited for the Reverse Flash story, but is still a bit reluctant about the television series.
As for the Wally West appearance, Deanpool doesn't care much for the whole race thing. It's more exciting to anticipate what role he'll play in the issue and if we'll see more of him beyond just the Annual issue.

The gang's all here.