By
Billy Martel
Billy Martel
This month The CW and DC Comics rolled out the latest installment in their new interconnected Television universe. The Flash (2014, Berlanti, Kreisberg, and Johns) is many things: a spin-off of The CW’s hit show Arrow (2012 – present, Berlanti, Kreisberg, and Guggenheim), a new adaptation of a classic comic series, and a remake of an old series that most everyone had forgotten (one that I count among my guilty pleasures). Since the project has had such a long and complex history, it seems only fair to acknowledge some of that before making remarks on the product itself.
Origins
Origins
The comic book character “The Flash” was first introduced in Flash Comics #1 (1940, Fox, and Lampert). At this point, he was just another “dime a dozen” superhero that the comics industry was pumping out in the wake of the success of Superman and Batman. Our protagonist Jay Garrick was a college student who fell asleep in his laboratory one day and breathed in "hard water vapors" that gave him super speed. He was designed to look like the Roman god Mercury, given super speed, and that was the extent of his character. Then in 1956, when Superheroes were becoming popular again, the Flash was reintroduced in Showcase #4 (1956, Kanigher, Infantino, and Kubert) with a new costume, backstory, supporting cast, and even a new name. This version became the character that we know today.
Now called Barry Allen, this new Flash started out as a crime scene investigator, who was working late in his lab one night when a freak bolt of lightning struck a shelf of chemicals in his office, causing an explosion that gave him superhuman speed. Being a fan of the original Flash, Barry decides to take up the name himself and become the new Flash. This in turn has become the plot of both live action Flash series' pilots. Though the new series is not technically an intentional remake of the old, there are enough intentional references made to show that the creators of this new series were at least aware of the former and took some inspiration from it.
The Flash (1990)
The Flash (1990)
Most modern day comic writers think that the Flash’s origin story is a bit weak, saying he has no motivation to fight crime once he gains super powers. So both series have attempted to give the character extra motivation by killing a member of his family. In the original series, The Flash (1990 - 1991, Bilson, and De Meo), Barry (John Wesley Shipp) is prompted to use his powers for good after his brother, a police officer named Jay (in reference to the Flash’s 1940’s secret identity), is killed by a motor cycle gang.
The series was very indicative of the time in which it existed. It features a muscle suited Flash in a dark, yet brightly colored city, facing a new villain every week. The theme was written by Danny Elfman and the design elements very much inspired by the work of Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher on the Batman movies. At the time, the Batman franchise was still in full swing; superheroes had to be stylized, but also dark, and angry. Television still worked on an episode by episode basis. Long running story arcs were uncommon, making writers focus on creating a new threat for every individual episode. Therefore it made sense for Barry’s motivation to be something short term. Bad guy shows up and kills Jay; Barry captures him and decides to keep on fighting crime - end of story. The reason why big story arcs were considered bad was that once shows went into syndication there was no guarantee in which order they would be broadcast.
The series was very indicative of the time in which it existed. It features a muscle suited Flash in a dark, yet brightly colored city, facing a new villain every week. The theme was written by Danny Elfman and the design elements very much inspired by the work of Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher on the Batman movies. At the time, the Batman franchise was still in full swing; superheroes had to be stylized, but also dark, and angry. Television still worked on an episode by episode basis. Long running story arcs were uncommon, making writers focus on creating a new threat for every individual episode. Therefore it made sense for Barry’s motivation to be something short term. Bad guy shows up and kills Jay; Barry captures him and decides to keep on fighting crime - end of story. The reason why big story arcs were considered bad was that once shows went into syndication there was no guarantee in which order they would be broadcast.
The Flash (2014)
In the new series, following recent retcons in the comics (or "retroactive continuities," which refer to altering a story's canon without rebooting said story), Barry (Grant Gustin) is prompted to use his powers for good because of a long-running obsession with a ball of yellow light that killed his mother when he was a child and caused his father (also played by John Wesley Shipp) to be wrongly convicted of her murder. The series departs from the original in many other ways as well. It features a Kevlar inspired, tactical looking version of the Flash suit with heavily muted colors. The villains are dressed in normal everyday attire, and their powers are all directly connected to the Flash’s new origin story. Now the story is that the super-speed granting lightning bolt came through a portal to another dimension and also sent out an energy wave that hit several other people, giving them superpowers as well. The death of Barry’s mother presents a sci-fi mystery that the characters will have to solve throughout the course of the series. This is ideal as long-running story arcs are now the name of the game. Instead of syndication, most series get their second life in the form of online streaming through Netflix or Amazon or some other platform. Therefore season long stories are key to keeping viewers hooked enough to re-watch the show as soon as the full seasons are released online.
Once again the Flash is coming on the coat tails of a successful Batman Franchise. But while the 80’s franchise was about being stylized and angry the Nolan Batman franchise is about building a legend to hide insecurity. (for more about the Nolan Batman movies check out this article: http://www.cinemablography.org/batman.html). All of DC’s latest efforts have followed the philosophy that the characters that we see on screen are not the characters as we have seen them in the comics, but the characters as they really would be. The comics, they seem to say, are mythology; these are the real people who became myth through the legends people told about them. The dialogue is peppered with people telling the hero how great they will be one day, while our hero himself broods and worries about his self-worth, feeling in over his head. The music is heavily inspired by Hans Zimmer. The city is dirty and realistic looking. Everything is made to look as normal as possible except for the obvious sci-fi elements that periodically appear.
Once again the Flash is coming on the coat tails of a successful Batman Franchise. But while the 80’s franchise was about being stylized and angry the Nolan Batman franchise is about building a legend to hide insecurity. (for more about the Nolan Batman movies check out this article: http://www.cinemablography.org/batman.html). All of DC’s latest efforts have followed the philosophy that the characters that we see on screen are not the characters as we have seen them in the comics, but the characters as they really would be. The comics, they seem to say, are mythology; these are the real people who became myth through the legends people told about them. The dialogue is peppered with people telling the hero how great they will be one day, while our hero himself broods and worries about his self-worth, feeling in over his head. The music is heavily inspired by Hans Zimmer. The city is dirty and realistic looking. Everything is made to look as normal as possible except for the obvious sci-fi elements that periodically appear.
Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin in the episode of "Arrow" where Gustin first appeared as Barry Allen.
Of course the series is also a spin-off of the very successful series Arrow. So the series borrows a lot of elements from that show as well. After the lightning bolt strikes Barry, he falls into a coma for several months giving him the “you’ve been gone a long time” plot that made up most of the story in Arrow’s first season. Instead of starting off the series with Barry already in a relationship with his comic book girlfriend Iris, the series shows her in a relationship with a character who will probably become a villain later, again much like the romantic subplot of Arrow’s first season. There is also a cameo by the protagonist of that other series Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), who tells Barry that he should become a superhero and essentially gives the show his blessing for all the Arrow fans out there, much like Patrick Stewart’s cameo in the pilot of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993 - 1999, Berman, and Piller) or Deforest Kelley’s cameo in the pilot of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987 - 1994).
As I said the series is very indicative of the time for which it has been made. One might almost call it standard. The show's feel is that of a standard CW sci-fi action show. Smallville (2001 - 2011, Gough, and Millar), Supernatural (2005 - present, Kripke), even Arrow have all had a fairly consistent formula: attractive cast, a monster-creating machine built into the plot, a personal vendetta or mystery involving the death of a close family member, an estranged love interest, and of course a story arc with enough un-answered questions to last several seasons. The Flash also feels like a standard, post 2000, comic book adaptation: Kevlar inspired suit design, brooding, awkward hero, angry speech making mentors, comic relief that make constant references to the source material, an estranged love interest, and a story arc with many questions that will probably never be answered. Saying that it is a very “standard” show does not mean that it is not good; nor does it mean that it will not be successful. It just means that the series has been constructed on a tried and true formula which is very popular now. It is definitely banking on the popularity of comic book adaptations and the iconic nature of the main character to help it stand out from the crowd. From what I’ve seen, I think it has every possibility of success.
As I said the series is very indicative of the time for which it has been made. One might almost call it standard. The show's feel is that of a standard CW sci-fi action show. Smallville (2001 - 2011, Gough, and Millar), Supernatural (2005 - present, Kripke), even Arrow have all had a fairly consistent formula: attractive cast, a monster-creating machine built into the plot, a personal vendetta or mystery involving the death of a close family member, an estranged love interest, and of course a story arc with enough un-answered questions to last several seasons. The Flash also feels like a standard, post 2000, comic book adaptation: Kevlar inspired suit design, brooding, awkward hero, angry speech making mentors, comic relief that make constant references to the source material, an estranged love interest, and a story arc with many questions that will probably never be answered. Saying that it is a very “standard” show does not mean that it is not good; nor does it mean that it will not be successful. It just means that the series has been constructed on a tried and true formula which is very popular now. It is definitely banking on the popularity of comic book adaptations and the iconic nature of the main character to help it stand out from the crowd. From what I’ve seen, I think it has every possibility of success.
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