Hopefully you’ve already read my review of this week’s FLASH episode, part 2 of the full-week “Invasion” crossover event for DCTV. Now that the full crossover event has concluded, I wanted to add just a few thoughts on the event as a whole…follow us after the jump to learn more!
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD
- The crossover started out as not-much-of-a-crossover, with a regular (and excellent) episode of SUPERGIRL that just included a few mini-breach appearances and one good scene with Barry and Cisco meeting Kara. Things really hit high gear with THE FLASH and the appearance of the Dominators.
- I was torn just a bit by the appearance of the Dominators. I realize TV shows won’t have the full CGI budget of a major motion picture, but these creatures were more than a little clunky during the battle sequences. The faces were spot-on, and the close up scenes outside of battle were well rendered, but the battle action was just above Nintendo Game Cube and not quite PS3. Still, that was the only drawback to a really good crossover event.
- FLASH, ARROW, and LEGENDS each did an excellent job in highlighting their respective stars without diminishing the rest of the gang. FLASH did a great job in setting up the threat, ARROW had a great “what if” setup, and LEGENDS had the great ending battle sequences.
- The crossover did a great job in balancing the brighter, more hopeful tones of SUPERGIRL and THE FLASH with the darker tones of LEGENDS and especially ARROW.
- And…THE HALL OF JUSTICE! Yes, it was a hangar and it has the S.T.A.R. Labs logo, but let’s be real, THAT was the Hall of Justice from Super Friends. Wonderful!
But, the best thing? This crossover actually has consequences. There are real turning points for the characters that will continue to play out over time. That’s something so few crossover events actually do…they promise “nothing will be the same”, but then things quickly revert to business as usual. Not here.
- We finally resolve Cisco’s issues with Barry…and not by some sappy conversation. straight out of a 70’s sitcom. No, this came about by Cisco’s own mistake in screwing up history, and realizing that the way he messed up was exactly what Barry had tried to do earlier. Seeing how and why Barry changed the timeline gave him a new perspective…and a way to restore the friendship that had been there before.
- More surprising was the introduction of a new character…Prof. Stein’s daughter! His reaction to this “aberration” is off-putting at first, and possibly a little sappy by the event’s end, but there are some real possibilities ahead if they continue to explore what his daughter can do with nano-technology.
- And, important for fans of this site, Wally finally gets to be a hero – if only for a brief moment. And, he gains a trainer – meaning we will (hopefully) see him in the yellow and red uni before long.
Certainly there were some plot holes…there always are in crossover events. That little device that sends Kara home provides an all-too-easy way to bring her back in at any time in the future…something not really needed if Cisco can vibe his way to he earth, but hey it was still somewhat cool. But in the end, what we got out of this crossover is everything we hope for in a big event…lots of action, a chance for every hero to shine, and some twists that will have a lasting effect for each series. Frankly, that’s more than what we saw in BvS, and for this review more than we got out of Civil War. This crossover was actually worth the hype – not perfect, but more than expected and truly entertaining throughout.
That’s just my opinion – what do YOU think? Leave your comments below!
You forgot that Ray has a cousin that looks just like Supergirl (grin).
I think I would have liked for the bomb to go off so to have an excuse in case other metahumans show up without constantly referring to the particle accelerator explosion. Also, I was glad to see Iris not around, she be doing her job instead of trying to smother Wally.
Did you mention the Crisis byline changed to Julie Greer?
That Supergirl episode was such a tease. Was not please that “four part crossover” meant the last thirty seconds of the first episode. On that note; Martian Manhunter and Superman would have been nice additions but I guess they have to save SOMETHING for next year.
I was really hoping that Wally would start growing on me after getting his powers. So far he hasn’t and really doesn’t feel like the Wally I know and love. I guess it makes sense that you’d have to accept a different version for the TV show but it’s still a bit of a bummer. Wish he would crack a joke or display at least some personality of his own. I guess I just like my Wally a dash more impulsive. I can live with it and it by no means ruins the show but I totally reserve the right to complain from time to time.
So, is one of the changes caused by Flashpoint now that Trump never became President in this new timeline? Go Barry!
So how long until we hear HR say “Run Wally, Run?”
As flawed as this Wally is…I am totally on his side. Barry, Joe, and Iris have shown zero faith in him, even after Team Flash has mentored several other metahuman youths (former criminals, even!) into becoming full-fledged superheroes. And he really hasn’t done anything to justify that kind of disrespect yet. Even his street racing was the result of a strong sense of responsibility rather than the lack of it. Remember when Barry told Joe he should just let Wally be a hero last season? That moment is ruined for me because of his actions this season. But there’s still hope. I can think of no better character to pair him up with than HR. Those two underdogs will make for a very interesting team.
What about Barry creating Gideon? Did It slip Cisco’s mind when he was on the wave rider or did flashpoint change that?
There were some neat interactions, but better than Civil War? Wow. No way.