Edited by Robert Beach
W’s superhero TV universe is, by a wide margin, the best live-action DC Comics adaptation since Dark Knight. It started rough with the early seasons of Arrow adopting the horrible aesthetic of gritty realism in the setting but cartoonishly grim and one-dimensional characterization; however, ever since the third season of Arrow and about ½ way through season 1 of The Flash, CW has been knocking it out of the park in their shows. Arrow has developed into one of the best Green Arrow adaptations where they still embrace the idea of Green Arrow as a bit of a Batman rip-off and now drawing from the highly underutilized era of ‘70s globetrotting Batman.
Meanwhile, The Flash
has turned into a powerhouse combination of engaging characters and superhero
adventure. In a lot of ways, The Flash ends up a rip-off of its own as
so much of the show is grounded in the style of ‘70s Spider-Man. Given that Spider-Man hasn’t been
good in 10 years, The Flash copying
his aesthetic and winning combination of melodrama and superhero action is fine
by me. Now, they’re
looking to rescue another hero as John Constantine has been confirmed to appear
in a crossover episode with Arrow.
