One of the Flash's oldest and most original enemies had a pretty hot take on a particular type of character prevalent in the DC Universe. According to Captain Boomerang, "reverse" styled characters are just plain tired and lazy.
When it comes to evil spins on a hero, the Flash Family has more than their fair share. From the Golden Age all the way up to the Modern, every Scarlet Speedster has had a villain that takes their rival's theme and perverts it in their own despicable manner. Some, like Eobard Thawne have used their abilities to menace Barry Allen all throughout his life while Hunter Zolomon has attempted to make Wally West a better hero. This has even progressed to the point where Reverse Flash is Barry's arch-enemy in the Flash TV show. No matter the Flash/Reverse Flash relationship, everyone is extremely personal and nothing says it more than a villain corrupting a hero's beloved symbol. But one of the Fastest Man Alive's classic enemies is tired of seeing names and costumes being switched around.
In the story arc "The Dastardly Death of the Rogues", Barry Allen is accused of murdering a police officer in the future. The Renegades, a 25th-century-based task force modeled after the Rogues, travel back in time to arrest the Flash and force him to stand trial. Meanwhile, Captain Boomerang has escaped from prison and tries to prove his mettle against Barry with his new energy boomerangs. Things are already chaotic enough The Flash #4 by Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul as the Renegades try to apprehend the speedster. When lead officer Commander Cold tries to get Digger to stand back, the villain just mocks the not-Rogue saying "Blimey, you folks from the future really don't know how to make your own identities do ya?" Digger even points out the absurdity when he jokes about his own "reverse" take.
And this was only in 2010. More than a decade later, characters that switched around the moralities and identities of heroes and villains have only gotten more popular. The Crime Syndicate of America recently got their own six-issue miniseries, and who could forget about the indomitable staying power of Dark Nights: Metal's Batman Who Laughs? Captain Boomerang's comment sounds less like a glib insult and more a condemnation of a trend that's been slowly gaining popularity.
Sure, the idea of reversed morality character isn't new. Batman's had plenty 'reverse' villains over his long career, same with Superman and Green Lantern. But what Boomerang speaks to in his candor is the lack of imagination that comes with the archetype. It's easy to create a villain that's a palette swap of the hero, but it's harder to give them depth that makes them stand out from other, similar villains. In a way, Captain Boomerang is the perfect person to address this trend. A man who fights speedsters with boomerangs might seem silly at first, but while there's a handful of Reverse Flashes, Digger Harkness stands out with his own unique name and identity. DC might not get rid of opposite-themed villains anytime soon, but maybe they should take the words of Flash's over-the-top enemy into consideration.