The Flash (2014) Review.

Cool logo. Simple, but with a touch of flair to it.

I bet you’re all wondering how The Flash held up. I’ll let my new special guest field that one. Barry?

In a word, Awesome. “City of Heroes” is a great introduction to both me as a civilian and me as a fledgling superhero. You want to handle the recap, Mickey?

I do, but don’t call me Mickey.

Noted.

City of Heroes could also have been titled “Brief History of Barry.” We’re shown brief snippets from Barry’s life. We’re shown the tragic death of Barry’s mother. To call it a subtle hint that it was at the hands of Zoom the Reverse-Flash would be to like calling Barry’s nine month coma an afternoon nap.

Where is that SOB?

He’s trying to resurrect your comic in a parallel universe so he can eventually enjoy another thirty years of you out of the picture. That’s not important now. Jump forward a dozen years, and we get to see Barry as he is just nine months before the show starts. He’s a good natured slow poke, brilliant and noticeably eccentric. I guess since they don’t want to mention Jay Garrick in this continuity they decided to just make him interested in the Paranormal and the unexplained.

Its a really good costume design

Not a bad substitution, really.

Not at all. After getting a brief look at Barry life, his relationship with his surrogate Father Joe West and his secret-to-no-one-except-her crust Iris West, we jump to the main event, the STAR Labs Particle Accelerator. Barry briefly explains the ground breaking importance of the machine before it’s switched on. Less than an hour later it malfunctions, and fires off the lightning bolt that gives Barry his electrochemical bath.

Nine months later, he wakes up to see a lot of things have changed. A number of people, Joe West’s partner included, died in the STAR Labs explosion, visionary scientist Dr. Harrison Wells (the guy behind the Accelerator) is washed up and in a wheelchair, Barry himself can move at superhuman speeds, and most horrible of all, Iris is secretly dating her dad’s new partner “Eddie” Thawne. Hey, it’s most horrible for Barry. Especially given who the heck Thawne really is.

I’m gonna hit him so freaking hard next time I see him for this one. Not even going to let him finish an evil monologue. I see yellow and red, I’m high speed smacking it.

Good on ya, Barry. Also, after clashing with a criminal who could seemingly manipulate the weather, Barry finds out that the lab explosion also dispersed a number of exotic and formerly theoretical elements into the area in and around Central City, creating a number of Meta-Humans. DC Mutants for those just joining us. Barry shaken by an argument with Joe, and a later argument with Dr. Hammond who claimed Barry was “just a kid struck by lightning,” Barry takes a jaunt over to Starling City and gets a pep talk from buddy Oliver Queen, aka Green Arrow. After their talk, Barry is reinvigorated, returning to Central City to get his first costume, stop the storm-maker, and get found out by Joe West.

Eh, I’m just starting out in this one. We can’t all be like Ollie, continually finding improbable ways to keep our ID’s under wraps. Besides, Joe’s a good man and they do go to pretty decent lengths to show that I’m like a son to him. I doubt you could find a man that would rat out a son’s secret ID to anybody.

So the guy that use to play me is now playing my Dad?
That's some Doctor Who weirdness right there.

Very true. What’d you think of the cast, Barry?

Grant Gustin is an excellent choice to portray me. He’s got a lot of energy, a lot of heart, and I for one really believe that he could be the fastest man alive. But that's just me. Candice Patton as Iris was a little surprising. At times she came across as a little too ditzy to be Iris, but she does seem to put the spell on Gustin like Iris puts on me. God, I’m a fool for that woman.

That’s true for most people and the person they are crazy about. Jesse L. Martin as Detective Joe West was also very good as the stern but still enabling father figure. Though in all honesty I felt like he was still really Ed Green from Law & Order who just decided to change his name. Tom Cavanagh is great as the humbled great man Dr. Wells. You really feel both his frustration at losing everything and his desire to make that huge lasting difference that the Particle Accelerator was supposed to do.

Rick Cosnett is pretty believable as “Eddie” Thawne, in that I want to punch his face. Repeatedly. At the speed of light. They give away just enough to make you interested in the guy and yet make it clear that he’s probably not what he seems. They didn’t go so far as to make his face clear when the other Barry has a flashback to the Reverse-Flash attack, but there is just something about him that screams Colossal Jerk. He doesn’t come across as the psycho we all know he is, he’s just so smarmy and smug that you can’t help but hate him. Especially when he’s kissing the actress portraying my wife.

And the Prison Break guy is going to be Captain Cold?
Almost makes you wish he could win, doesn't it?

Yeah, that’s got to put a burr in your tights.

You have no idea.

What are your thoughts on Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin Snow?

She’s good. Icy like her name sake, but still likeable in a way. Given her backstory, fiance killed in the Accelerator explosion, it'd be shocking if she wasn't a little Frosty. And even though show execs claim that she won’t become Killer Frost, I’d still like to warn the other me to watch his back around her. You can never be too careful in my line of work. Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon is pretty cool too. A loveable, dorky genius. I’d like to see him get a version of the Vibe costume, it’d be fun.

I really liked the special effects on this show. Those slow-mo shots, the lightning effects when you run, and the storm effects were almost movie quality at times. They must have real confidence in this show. And with good reason. You can tell that this is a show that will be an interesting reinterpretation of the source material.

And despite the fact it is a reinterpretation, I for one think it’s going to really honor the source material where it can. Like making me and Ollie buddies. That’s just a great nod.

Now all you need is Hal Jordan and you guys are golden.

That would be SOOOOOO awesome. Hey, Studio people, find us a Hal! Pretty please?

Any closing thoughts Barry?

I just want to thank everyone that may watch this show, and hope that it doesn’t disappoint old fans and makes a few new ones. That’s all an ol’ speedster like me can ask for. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go smack Reverse-Flash around. Peace!

Barry Allen everybody. And if you can’t tell by the color of the text, odds are I won’t have Deadpool on at the same time as him, if Barry ever stops by again. Overall, I’d say this is a great start and can’t wait for more. Next time…. I’m still working on that one, but you’ll most likely see it Friday. Have a good night everybody.

 http://moviepilot.com/posts/2014/05/13/first-look-at-the-flash-in-action-logo-1420234?lt_source=external,manual

 http://www.dccomics.com/tv/the-flash-2014-present

 http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/watn-photos/cheesy-90s-tv-stars-gallery-1.89443?pmSlide=1.92121