Origins
Why did I write No Trust, No Respect?
I've been thinking a lot about Wally and Bart's relationship lately and comparing it to Bruce and Tim's and in adjunct Clark and Kon's.
And I find it sadly hilarious weird that the solitary Dark Knight is the only one that really connected to his protege. Uses Robin as a partner, even when Tim's doing solo work.
Clark and Kon? I've only got the ret-cons to work with on Kon's origin, and really only read the Superboy series. So I'm not sure if they tried to do the whole partner thing, but I get the feel from the Superboy comics that Kon's sort of the middle ground. Not exactly a partner since he's not there that often but yet not a sidekick either. Superboy #70: "It's like your my... younger brother. The one who gets to have all the fun."
Wally and Bart? Wally was against it from the very start. Wally tried to make it work, but again, he was firmly in the 'sidekick' mentallity. Bart's in the 'equal partner' mentallity. Flash #94: "I don't do sidekicks."
Just how creepy is that?
But I think what really helped this story canonically were these two scenes:
JLA: World Without Grown-ups
Basic synapsis: A child unleashes a genie that grants the boy's wish to get rid of the grown-ups from the world. Bedlam (the child takes on a super-villian name) creates a second Earth slightly out of sink with the real Earth and teleports all of the worlds adults there, including the JLA. This leaves Earth's children without any supervision except for the younger heroes. And thus the following scene as the JLA realises these facts:
Green Lantern (Kyle): Hey, that's right! I forgot that the Titans'll be there to restore some order... And they've got Robin...
Superman (Clark): Superboy is there... And the new Wonder Girl!
Flash (Wally): Oh, no! Nononononononono!
Aquaman (Arthur): Wally? What is it?
Flash (Wally): Bart...!-- --They've got Bart!
*---*
Teen Titans: A Kid's Game
Basic synapsis: Vic's recruiting Tim, Bart, Kon, and Cassie to form another Teen Titan group.
Flash (Wally): Bart Allen is not a fast learner. And he's just getting started at Keystone City High.
Jay Garrick: Which doesn't take place on Saturday or Sunday. Besides, Joan and I could use the weekends off. Being the guardian of the fastest boy alive isn't as breezy as it sounds.
Flash: I realize you started the Flash legacy, Jay. Before me. Before Bart. And I appreciate what Vic is trying to do, bring the new generation back together, but the Teen Titans are my history. I helped found them. And now one of our founders, one of my best friends, is gone.
Jay: You don't blame Bart.
Flash: No, I don't. But I don't think he really understands what happened. He still sees life as a video game. When I was Kid Flash I took it seriously. And now I've grown into my role as the Flash. Impulse never will.
Skip a few panals.
Jay: You hear that? He has so much potential. He can do what no other speester can.
Flash: If you want to give him the invitation, fine. He can join the Teen Titans. I like Bart, he's a good kid-- --But I don't know how much I believe in him.
*---*
And really, if that's not bad, Bart actually overhears that last conversation.
The writers set it up and then they just left it. As far as I know they're has been either little or no exploration into Bart and Wally's relationship cannonically since Bart got his own monthly. And I do believe that's the reason I *had* to write that fic.
I've been thinking a lot about Wally and Bart's relationship lately and comparing it to Bruce and Tim's and in adjunct Clark and Kon's.
And I find it sadly hilarious weird that the solitary Dark Knight is the only one that really connected to his protege. Uses Robin as a partner, even when Tim's doing solo work.
Clark and Kon? I've only got the ret-cons to work with on Kon's origin, and really only read the Superboy series. So I'm not sure if they tried to do the whole partner thing, but I get the feel from the Superboy comics that Kon's sort of the middle ground. Not exactly a partner since he's not there that often but yet not a sidekick either. Superboy #70: "It's like your my... younger brother. The one who gets to have all the fun."
Wally and Bart? Wally was against it from the very start. Wally tried to make it work, but again, he was firmly in the 'sidekick' mentallity. Bart's in the 'equal partner' mentallity. Flash #94: "I don't do sidekicks."
Just how creepy is that?
But I think what really helped this story canonically were these two scenes:
JLA: World Without Grown-ups
Basic synapsis: A child unleashes a genie that grants the boy's wish to get rid of the grown-ups from the world. Bedlam (the child takes on a super-villian name) creates a second Earth slightly out of sink with the real Earth and teleports all of the worlds adults there, including the JLA. This leaves Earth's children without any supervision except for the younger heroes. And thus the following scene as the JLA realises these facts:
Green Lantern (Kyle): Hey, that's right! I forgot that the Titans'll be there to restore some order... And they've got Robin...
Superman (Clark): Superboy is there... And the new Wonder Girl!
Flash (Wally): Oh, no! Nononononononono!
Aquaman (Arthur): Wally? What is it?
Flash (Wally): Bart...!-- --They've got Bart!
*---*
Teen Titans: A Kid's Game
Basic synapsis: Vic's recruiting Tim, Bart, Kon, and Cassie to form another Teen Titan group.
Flash (Wally): Bart Allen is not a fast learner. And he's just getting started at Keystone City High.
Jay Garrick: Which doesn't take place on Saturday or Sunday. Besides, Joan and I could use the weekends off. Being the guardian of the fastest boy alive isn't as breezy as it sounds.
Flash: I realize you started the Flash legacy, Jay. Before me. Before Bart. And I appreciate what Vic is trying to do, bring the new generation back together, but the Teen Titans are my history. I helped found them. And now one of our founders, one of my best friends, is gone.
Jay: You don't blame Bart.
Flash: No, I don't. But I don't think he really understands what happened. He still sees life as a video game. When I was Kid Flash I took it seriously. And now I've grown into my role as the Flash. Impulse never will.
Skip a few panals.
Jay: You hear that? He has so much potential. He can do what no other speester can.
Flash: If you want to give him the invitation, fine. He can join the Teen Titans. I like Bart, he's a good kid-- --But I don't know how much I believe in him.
*---*
And really, if that's not bad, Bart actually overhears that last conversation.
The writers set it up and then they just left it. As far as I know they're has been either little or no exploration into Bart and Wally's relationship cannonically since Bart got his own monthly. And I do believe that's the reason I *had* to write that fic.