The following article contains spoilers from Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1, on sale now.
In the wake of the Justice League's death, other heroes have begun the process of replacing them. Among them, is the Flash, Wally West, who made an interesting statement about his place in the DC Universe. In Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis (by Jeremy Adams, Rosi Kampe, Matt Herms, Josh Reed), Wally called himself "the hope guy" -- an interesting claim to make when he lives in the same world as Superman.
This isn't just Wally shooting off his mouth, though. Hope is about persevering through the toughest times and holding on to the belief that tomorrow will be better. Sure, Superman represents this, but Wally embodies it. In recent years, he has endured personal blows that would have broken a lesser man. Yet, he endured it all and returned to being a hero, even regaining what he lost in the process. In contrast, Superman only espouses holding on to hope, never truly having to live through the kind of troubles that plague more vulnerable people like Wally.
Wally has only recently gotten his life back. His children and wife are alive and well, and remember who they are. This wasn't always the case, Wally was trapped in the speed force following the flashpoint, and when he returned, very few people knew who he was. As the timeline restored itself, Wally began reconnecting with his loved ones, but not the people who mattered most.
His wife, Linda Park, did not remember who he is, even worse, their children no longer existed. Even if Wally could rekindle a relationship with Linda, there seemed to be no chance of getting his kids back. The grief of this realization culminated in what he believed to be a pent-up burst of speed force energy that killed several heroes and close friends. Later adventures would reveal this to be untrue, but Wally was traumatized by these events.
The one thing he held on to was the hope that his family could be reunited somehow. Fortunately, he was right. He found his children lost in the multiverse and restored his wife's memories of their lives together. Once his innocence had been proven, Wally settled back into his life as a father, husband, and hero. Looking back though, no one would have been able to blame Wally for giving up. The odds against him seemed impossible to overcome, yet he did just that.
This is what makes him such a better representation of hope than Superman. He has been through those dark moments, where it seemed like everything he ever cared about was lost forever, where he couldn't even trust himself. In contrast, Superman always saves the day. He always pulls people back from the brink before it's too late. He's never once gone through the isolation, loss, and guilt that Wally has.
Adding on to this, other realities have shown that when put in a similar situation, such as the Injustice universe, Superman actually folds under the pressure rather than rise above it. The simple truth is it's easy for the Man of Steel to preach about hope when he's invulnerable to most forms of harm. He can travel across the planet in a second to protect those he loves. Wally, on the other hand, is far more human, he doesn't have the luxury of near god-like power to keep those he cares about safe. Yet, when push came to shove, it was Wally who rose above the darkness to find his better tomorrow, not Superman. Now he has the opportunity to take the Man of Steel's place. Having hope is one thing, but inspiring it in others is much more important.