A Comics' Fan's Take on Seeing the FLASH Movie at the Theatres

 Recently, I managed to drag Tom and our friends Dave and Laurie to see the "Flash" Film at the theatres ( I don't like going to theatres, btw). I did NOT like Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash in the Justice League movie and well, I equally didn't like him in his own film. Today's blog explains why as a comics fan of over 45 years, I didn't care for this film.

(Image: Supergirl, the Flash and Batman from the Ezra Miller "Flash" movie) 

  But, I'm going to back up here a bit-  I've been reading DC Comics since the mid-1970s and love the characters (sorry, Marvel - I like your characters, but not your comics). I really loved the super-speedster hero known as the Barry Allen character also known as the Flash in comics, and in the 1990s TV series portrayed by John Wesley Shipp and the recent 9-year series where the Flash was portrayed as Grant Gustin. 

(Image; Grant Gustin as the Flash of Earth 1 and John Wesley Shipp as the Flash of Earth 2 from the Flash TV Series on the CW Network- THESE Guys are the best). 

THIS FILM WAS A "C MINUS" -. Mostly because it also resurrected Michael Keaton's Batman, and had quick cameos of most DC TV and movie superheroes.  If Not for the cameos,  I thought the film a "D." 

DUMB OPENING SCENE - The opening scene with the Flash trying to eat before rescuing (only) 6 babies from a crumbling hospital was absolutely stupid. PLUS, the entire hospital collapsed and he saved 6 infants, 1 nurse and a dog . What about the other thousand people? the Building?  DUMB. (It made me think of Superman III where the director brought it comedian Richard Pryor and had all kinds of dumb "accidents" to try and be funny. Sadly, it wasn't.)

NOTHING LIKE THE GRAPHIC NOVEL -  the director DID NOT stick anywhere NEAR the "Flashpoint" storyline of the comics. He simply used the premise of going back in time to prevent Barry's mother's death  - which changes everything- and it's Absolutely NOTHING like the comic books.

WRONG VILLIANS -  to toss in General Zod in the mix, and omit Aquaman and Wonder Woman as enemies in the timeline was ridiculous... as was all the gratuitous explosions and killings. 

(Image: Someone appropriately doctored the words on this cover of a Flash Comic book from the 1970s)

WRONG CHARACTERS -  Barry Allen of the comics is a blonde-haired, great forensic scientist in his own right, always late, and married to a red-headed Caucasian woman, Iris Allen. The director opted to race-swap for no reason.  Iris was an attractive black woman,  Barry Allen was depicted as a dark-haired, goofy, irresponsible, daffy, Hispanic man. Supergirl is blonde in the comics, too.  There's no reason for it, and that's NOT what comics fans want. We want to see our comics come to life. Not some alternate reality. 

BOTTOM LINE - If you want to see it, wait until it comes out on a streaming service. I will not buy it on dvd and will not watch it again, sadly.

SCENE POST CREDITS- It was as dumb as the rest of the movie and not worth staying for, even if you like the Aquaman character. 

Go See Justice League at the Movies!

Wow. What a great follow up to the amazing Wonder Woman film from this past summer. GO SEE "JUSTICE LEAGUE."  This is a film that I've been waiting for since 1974 when I first read the Justice League of America comic book in 1974. It features so many favorites. 
   - If you loved Wonder Woman, you'll really like Justice League. If you thought the film "Batman Vs. Superman" was too dark (as I did), this is a LOT lighter and has humor relief from the characters of the Flash and Aquaman. I WILL get this on disk when it comes out. I LOVED IT      5 OUT OF 5 STARS.
   So, here are my thoughts on a character by character breakdown:
   Wonder Woman has a fantastic opening scene against terrorists in London. I was almost cheering, because that was truly the way Wonder Woman should be depicted. She's a True highlight.
    Batman - Ben Affleck's Batman was a bit dark, but that's what Batman is supposed to be! Dark, brooding, and analytical. He played the character perfectly.
    Cyborg - I confess, not one of my favorite heroes, and to me he will always be a member of the Teen Titan (because that's what he was developed for in the early 80s). The characterization was flat and I didn't care about the character (although he has some cool abilities)
    Flash - Before I saw the film I thought "Barry Allen/Flash is a blonde Police CSI, super smart - so why did they pick a young dark-haired actor?" - but the actor really pulled it off. Funny, making it light-hearted and was a treat to watch.  I wanted to see more of him.
   Aquaman - Like Flash, I thought it was an unusual casting, but turned out really appealing. Arthur Curry/Aquaman is a well-groomed, blonde-haired, muscular guy without tattoos. However, the actor cast had a shaggy head of dark hair, beard and moustache, and lots of  tattoos. There was a version of Aquaman in the 1990s that had that mountain man look (and I hated it). However, the film showed off the character's strength, and even had a sense of humor, which made him more appealing. The scenes of  him in Atlantis with Mera (his later wife) were well-done. 
   SUPERMAN!!! - Yes, by now everyone knows he is resurrected. Every single scene with Henry Cavill were favorites.  (Of course, when he came back to life and was shirtless for about 5-7 minutes, Tom finally stood at attention, as I did!- Henry is HOT).   **The interaction between Lois (Amy Adams) and Clark (Henry Cavill were fantastic and will bring tears to your eyes (well, it did to me).
   The Villain "Steppenwolf" and the "Parademons" - They made for an army of bad guys to fight, and the story was good. Of course, they hinted at Darkseid (a villain I'm tired of), but he didn't show. 
   Over all- Every single character was well-done in Comic-book style. The story was fast-paced, and I can't wait to see it again. I'm sure there were things I missed.  - Rob
(Note: Tom, not a superhero fan thought it was okay to good). 
https://youtu.be/r9-DM9uBtVI

2 Amazing Novels (part 1 & 2) The FLASH:Haunting of Barry Allen and Arrow: Generation of Vipers

I just finished reading 2 books that are part of the same storyline that involve 2 of my favorite The Flash:Haunting of Barry Allen and the second part is "Arrow: A Generation of Vipers." 
superheroes from the CW Television network shows. The first part is
Both are outstanding and both are by Clay and Susan Griffith.
BOTH get 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion as a superhero fan for the last 35 years.
   Both the Flash and Arrow stories are outstanding. The plot and really complements all of the characters on the CW Network TV programs. The villains presented were interesting, appealing and engaging. There was some twists and it was a page turner.
  I read the Flash book in 4 days and Arrow in the same amount of time. I found them Both hard to put it down.   If you love the Flash and Green Arrow, and the television shows, this is the novel for you. I'm currently reading part two, Arrow's "A Generation of Vipers" and enjoying that just as much. I hope this team of authors writes many more.

Great Classic Comic Collection; Showcase Presents the FLASH Vol 1

Being a huge fan of the superhero The Flash, I (Rob)  bought and enjoyed this massive collection of classic silver age Flash comics.  The Flash was originally a character in the 1930s and 40s and revamped in the 1950s as the Flash we know today (on the CW Network TV show). This volume collects the relaunch of the character from the episodes in DC Comics "Showcase" series to the Flash's own comic which picks up from issue #105. (The Flash of the 1940s stopped at issue #104).

  This features over 500 pages of classic adventures in black and white.  The Fastest Man Alive stars in these fantastic tales from late 1950s and into the 1960s! This collection features The Flash in battle against the Mirror Master, the Trickster, Captain Cold and many other villains. Well-worth getting and enjoying this. This will forever be in my library!