With a show like The Flash, there is the whole DC Comics Universe element to it with Easter Eggs, nods to famous DC storylines, and the addition of other superheroes and supervillains. Whether you are a comic person or not, how do you think this show has handled that aspect?
Andy Behbakht: I think they have done a terrific job with making sure that not only does the show services the comic book audience great, but also to people that may never have picked up a single Flash comic book, or a comic at all for that matter. The mythology of The Flash is a bit bigger than certain comic book characters, when you are dealing with aspects such as the Speed Force and his way of time traveling. It’s important that you introduce some of these elements nice and easy, which is exactly what they have done. Sometimes I have had minor concerns that the amount of Easter Eggs and winks that we get might be too much, but every time that I thought they would overdo it, the show has then never crossed that line.
Jasef Wisener: I mentioned it before, but I really think that The Flash has handled the universe element better than really any other comic adaptation on television so far. Even Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., with all of the backbone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, hasn’t been able to integrate itself into a larger universe in the way that The Flash did in a single season.
Nick Hogan: I think that there’s only one good way you can handle that kind of thing, and that is with the utmost respect. The Flash has done that. They’ve taken great care not to fall into traps that other shows have fallen into in that regard. They don’t treat it like a ratings boost, but rather a cool payoff for dedicated fans. I like that they don’t distract from the story; they’re just icing on the (very rich and fulfilling) cake.
Laura Schinner: Like I previously said, I have no knowledge of the comics. That being said, the crossovers between Arrow and The Flash have been an absolute delight to watch so far. I love the fact that they do have the whole DC Universe to play with, and that they let all of these character interact. Whether it’s Cisco fanboying over Laurel, Felicity and Caitlin becoming fast friends like we knew they would, Diggle expressing his confusion over Barry’s super speed, or Quentin Lance and Joe West working a case together, these characters work so well together and having the shows crossover has benefited them both (even if it doesn’t make sense why Team Arrow doesn’t just call Barry anytime they need help–he has super speed, you guys).
While I might not have been able to appreciate Grodd or Captain Cold or any of the other villains like comic book fans have, that doesn’t mean I enjoyed them any less. In some ways, it’s just as exciting for me to be introduced to these new characters and get to know them, having no previous knowledge of who they are or what they’ve done. With Legends of Tomorrow coming out soon, I’m excited to see more of some of the characters introduced in The Flash. My only complaint is that, especially with Arrow, these shows can’t just be about launching other shows (I’m looking at you, Ray Palmer). The DC characters introduced have to make sense to the story and be compelling if they want non-comic viewers like me to get excited about them. Overall, I think The Flash has done a good job with this but as Arrow has proven, that isn’t always easy, and they should be careful going forward in the future.
Randy Dankievitch: While it’s fun to have new heroes and villains popping up all the time, the announcement of Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow‘s addiction to masking characters in Season3 has me a little worried for the growing convolution of the DC universe (there’s also CBS’s Supergirl and TNT’s Teen Titans to consider, as well). The more stories and characters that are introduced, the weaker and less developed everything becomes; the strong emotional thoroughlines of The Flash‘s first season stand in direct contrast to the overstuffed third season of Arrow, which became a nonsensical exposition fest by the time it limped into the finale. That being said, The Flash‘s finale was an orgasm of DC Easter Eggs and featured one of the coolest sequences in recent memory. It all takes a careful balance, and how inconsistently Arrow‘s been able to maintain that, always keeps me hesitant towards The Flash and how deeply it gets involved with its source material.
Araceli Aviles: The Flash has by far done the best job of seamlessly incorporating different comic book heroes, villains, and concepts of any other superhero show currently on the air. The producers and stars have said that nothing is put in by accident, nothing is random. Even characters who could have been “one and done” have been incorporated into larger parts of the storyline, which means even guest stars have huge moments to shine
Tiffany Chang: I think that the show has handled it perfectly. I didn’t even know that the golden mural of some of the Olympian Gods and Goddesses at CCPD actually represents members of the Justice League and that Ferris Air was the Green Lantern’s place of employment. I did notice, however, in the premiere episode that Cisco wore a t-shirt that said “Bazinga!” the catch phrase of one Dr. Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory.
Blaise Hopkins: I think that they have done great with it. They gave comic readers the Killer Frost tease in the finale; they also revealed that Cisco will have some sort of powers going forward, which I won’t say anything more about. The creators and writers know what the people want. They already incorporated F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. into Season 1, which was a great decision. I think that if they do pursue the Cisco plot, that should take place over an extended period of time, because I don’t want the show to feel overstuffed with heroes like Arrow is. Arrow is great, but it really felt like there were too many heroes in this season.
Chris King: While I don’t mind Easter Eggs or nods to the comics at all (even though I’m not a comic reader), I think The Flash has sometimes pandered a little too much to the comic book audience at the show’s expense. For example, in the penultimate episode of Season 1, it may have sounded cool and fun in concept to have Oliver, Ronnie, and Barry fighting Wells together, but that moment messed with the continuity of both The Flash and Arrow and caused even more confusion regarding the timeline of the two shows.
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