The Flash: a quick review

Colin Slark
Team Member

C Comics’s properties haven’t been

fun for a while. The Christopher Nolan
Batman movies and Man of Steel were grim
and gritty, and their comics have lacked the
sense of adventure and optimism they once
had. Luckily, the CW’s new superhero TV
show, and Arrow spinoff, The Flash is here to
change that.

The biggest thing I was worried about when
it came to this show wasn’t the acting or

the writing, but how the central character
would look in action. The 1990s incarnation
had a silly costume and unconvincing special
effects, but the visual effects team has done
a good job here. Some of the visual effects
that have to do with the super villain of the
week aren’t the greatest, but when The Flash
himself is running around, it looks great.
There are some great touches, like the streaks
of lightning and flashes of red as he speeds
around, and since we see an awful lot of

running, it’s good that it is pretty convincing.

The writing is fairly mediocre. Most
characters not named Barry Allen (The
Flash’s secret identity) are one-dimensional
stereotypes. I could have done without
another overeager yet socially awkward
computer whiz and a best friend who
doesn’t recognize the protagonist’s
romantic feelings. However, a lot of the
bad characterization is made up for by how
fun the show is. We get to see a fledgling
superhero learning how to use his new

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powers, which leads to some really cool
moments. There are also some genuinely
compelling mysteries to be solved, which will
help draw viewers back week after week. For
fans familiar with the comics, there are some
subtle nods and Easter Eggs, but they aren’t
shoved in your face or incredibly obvious.

The Flash is a fun show with great action. It’s
not perfect, but has enough content to keep
an audience’s interest. 1 would recommend
that any fan of superhero media give it a shot.