Voice writes...

Greg responds…

You're assuming Wally's in the loop. He's not. Obviously, the destruction of an entire mountain in Rhode Island made the news, so Wally showed up to find out what the hell was going on! But he's not receiving a daily briefing. His job in this is to go about his life, as if he's mourning his dead girlfriend. Not, literally, running around, fighting crime.

Nightwing did not invite Kid Flash to participate until the briefing that took place just before "Summit". Obviously, as soon as Nightwing called, Wally was there.

Besides, I don't see Wally moping around on the show, saying some equivalent of "Sympathize with me! Why aren't any of you sympathizing with me?!" So I'm not sure where all this attitude towards him is coming from.

Can I just say, you sound really judgmental. I'm not sure you mean to, and I'll grant that the internet both encourages this and makes tone hard to truly decipher. But that's definitely how you come across to me. I would hope our series generates a more nuanced response.

Response from a fan:

… except that it doesn't?

His hometown was nuked.

The Earth got a second moon. Blue Beetle was on the news fraternizing with the enemy. Even if it was an under-cover operation, Wally has pretty darn strong opinions how effective those are!

He "wasn't happy" with this from the beginning. "He shouldn't need you."

Dick blew up a mountain. He had the opportunity to ask to be let into the mission, and he didn't take it.

How does "you delivered my girlfriend into the hands of someone I suddenly assume is a traitor" count as not complaining?

He is leaving her in the hands of someone he doesn't trust and doesn't even OFFER to help, even at a tactical level.

I should "kill you for putting us through this"? Of course he's not actually going to kill her, but how is that not complaining??

All of those sentences are talking about the world as something that HAPPENS to him, that other people are DOING to him, like he has no ability to contribute himself.

Before this all happened, all he wanted was to go to school and keep his girlfriend safe. This, of course, doesn't make him a monster.

After an alien invasion and again, I reiterate, the nuking of his hometown, he wants exactly - exactly - the same thing. He didn't even change in the middle of that and then go back.

If he was so eager to be there "as soon as Nightwing called" then why did he put up a fuss when Artemis was called?

I'm sorry but that smacks of a double standard.

What kind of real person doesn't change after that?

What kind of real person - particularly those who have the skills to do so - doesn't want to help?

Is he really that self-absorbed? Does he really only care about one thing worth mentioning in the show?

Real people care about more than one thing.

Real people are changed by global scale events in the world around him.

With all due respect - and I mean that I have an enormous amount of respect for Greg, Grandon, and this show - I'll be more nuanced in my reaction when Wally is more nuanced in his characterization.