With wanting to expand more of the content we give you guys that follow us here at The Comic Lounge, I figured covering TV/Film would be a good start. What better than talking about the CW's 'Arrowverse' crossover CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS. As a huge DC fan, there was a lot of cool things to be excited about and I'm gonna dive into what made it cool and maybe what could have been done different.
When this was first announced, I just about lost my shit. I never, and I mean NEVER, thought we would ever see this story done in live action. But with as much success as the 'Arrowverse' shows have had, I had a lot of faith that the showrunners would do a good job.
I've been following the shows since the first season of "Arrow". Now I'm a huge Green Arrow fan and I immediately loved this new 'Batman Begins' inspired take on the character. It was so awesome to see one of my favorite characters get the spotlight and actually succeed. Over the next 8 years, we got 'The Flash', 'Supergirl', 'Legends of Tomorrow' and more recently 'Black Lightning' & ' Batwoman'. While 'The Flash' was the only other show I followed religiously, and the crossovers of course, I loved what they did with this new 'Arrowverse'. Yes these shows can. be campy sometimes, or villain of the week centric, but they are full of so much heart. Which made this crossover even more special.
Since last year, we all knew that Ollie (Green Arrow) was set to die, but it was the journey to his inevitable fate that was at the heart of this story. It was only right that he was the main focus, since he started it all. Stephen Amell captured every fans heart with his take on the Emerald Archer, the growth that his character has gone though over 8 seasons is nothing short of amazing. While there were some bumps along the way, it was still one of the best comic book shows ever made.
Along the way we got to visit countless "Earths" where we got to see some amazing stuff. From returning to the Kent Farm from SMALLVILLE, to the Earth 66 where we see Burt Ward/Robin from 60's Batman show, and even Kevin Conroy (the voice of Batman from Batman: The Animated series) as a live action Bruce Wayne. While I couldn't help but have a smile when I heard Conroy's voice, it was another cameo that stole the show for me, Brandon Routh as Kingdom Come Superman. See I always liked Superman Returns, even though it had a lot of problems and was happy Brandon reprised his role. Not only did he do a great job, but he delivered the best lines in the show. When Earth-38's Lois Lane asks Superman why he wears a black House of El emblem, as opposed to the traditional yellow. Superman responds, "Even in the darkest times, hope cuts through. Hope is the light that lifts us out of darkness". It perfectly encapsulates what makes the Man of Steel so great.
Of course we can't forget about The Flash, who was supposed to give his life as well. Grant Gustin as Barry Allen has been a fun ride these past 6 years. He emulates everything that makes Flash so great, to perfection. Even when faced with death he faces it head on. Gustin conveys so many emotions and really breathes so much life into the character. Flash's bond with Ollie is tested when all hope is lost but he must run into the Speed Force to gather the remaining heroes to save the Multiverse. I wont go into to many more details, but while I. The Speed Force he runs into Ezra Miller's Flash from the DCEU. It was definitely a "Holy Shit" moment.
In the end, Ollie comes back as the Spectre and gives his life to save the Multiverse, resetting the Multiverse. New Earths are born, while Supergirl's and Black Lightning's earths merge with Earth 1, creating Earth Prime. After one final battle, are heroes form a new team and the future has never looked brighter.
Coordinating 5 different shows with such a massive cast can't be an easy thing to do, and they did a great job. Every actor/actress did such a phenomenal job as well. While this story isn't a faithful adaptation of the comic, nobody can argue that it was amazing. This is a story none of us thought would ever be adapted. They have raised the bar with this one and I can't wait to see what the future of the 'Arrowverse' has in store for us.