Who best ran Wally ragged during his time as the Flash?

Waid by a few universes ahead.

Waid, but the initial Geoff Johns / Scot Kolins run was good too.

Waid by a mile.

I liked Waid and Johns both a lot - but Waid was able to transition wally from the rude womanizer that the previous writer displayed to a mature hero you could root for, so he gets my vote.

I'm with Ross. Both were good on the title, but Waid wins. Plus, Johns went all dark and hit his "cruel" writing era with Wally before he left the book.

I'd say Messner Loebs was already doing that.

The Flash series up to Waid's departure work pretty well as a character arc, from Baron's asshole to Waid's true hero. Messner Loebs provided the bridge.

Mike Baron got me to buy a Flash comic for the first time ever.I was a fan of his at the time,and his stepping in as writer (along with Wally replacing "boring ol' Barry") was all the reason I needed.But,as Baron himself has said,it wasn't his best work.I have to agree.

Wm. Messner-Loebs is a fine writer,with a gift for characterization other comic book writers should aspire to.But his plots for The Flash were often dull,even confusing.Don't think he was cut out to write superheroes.No shame in that;Hemingway probably would've been bad at writing superheroes too.

Grant Morrison and Mark Millar had a great year's run on the book;it had some of their best writing.But it came to a thud with the Black Flash story (which Millar wrote solo.Coincidence?) Ham-fisted art didn't help.

Which leaves us Waid and Johns.Both were great,both made the title one of the most consistently entertaining comics of the time.But Waid gets the prize.He stepped aboard when the momentum from the TV show had died down and brought it up to speed.Credit Johns with keeping up the pace,and putting his own spin on things.His only fault:He didn't stay on.After he left,everything went to hell.

This poll makes me happy.

Waid - but only his first run