The flash all of them know your universe comicstorian | The Comic Lovers

Here comes The Flash once more. except as none of us know him. He is a completely different man dressed in a very different clothing and sees the world quite differently.

Based on Geoff Johns's 2011 comic tale created with Andy Kubert's artwork rebooting the DC Universe into The New 52, tonight's season 3 opener was dubbed "Flashpoint." (That's an early Easter Egg, sometimes referred to as "#DCTV Secret" around here. More is on store!

By the way... Channel 52 (where we first encounter the "Flashpoint," Flash) provides explanatory information-dumps in the CW DTV Universe, clearly tying back DC's love of the number 52.

This episode teaches us Barry Allen is no longer the Flash. Rather, the Flash is an African-American speedster with an open headgear and a yellow suit. One thing about this Flash variant is that he is quite, quite competent at his work. Barry has a very cordial, good working relationship with the CCPD and vibrates his face continuously to hide his identity when he first meets him. Barry performs this in half-measures, therefore clearly begs the issue: Is this a better Flash?

Let's review some of the main changes in this episode before we sprint across the globe and respond:

Barry Allen and Iris West do not know each other from the first seconds of "Flashpoint." I'm sorry, West/ Allen lovers; undoubtedly this is a terrible blow. The fact that their connection develops in microcosm instead of having to learn about how it grew over the course of a long lifetime is really amazing, though. The start of their courting reminds me of the hesitant, charming Barry Allen we all fell in love with at his Arrow premiere.

Like his relationship with Iris breaking down, Joe West is likewise conspicuously gone in Barry's life. The degree of Detective West's life's descent into the gutter clearly has ramifications. From the guy people know and love—including even his Earth-2 counterpart—this is a far cry from Having Barry be the steady one elevating Joe and persuading him of his value in this world marks a really interesting paradigm change. If The Flash ever veers down that route, Barry would seem to be a fine parent in his own right.

The Allen family is entire whilst the West family is in disarray. Barry does, however, become somewhat of a shut-in with two live, loving parents. He lives at home, even as a professional working man in his 20s; Henry and Nora are eager to drive him out of the nest.

This is a classic instance of failure to launch; around roughly the middle of the show, you truly begin to see how much Barry's life has been positively affected by becoming the Fastest Man Alive.

Then things truly get rather strange. Recall before, when I argued for a better Flash in "Flashpoint?" Beautifully, Flash is WALLY WEST! If you are a child of the 90s, like myself, Wally West was THE Flash, and even if nobody seems to take him seriously (the moniker "Kid Flash" is used liberally throughout the episode), there is definitely some childhood dream fulfillment in seeing Wally, in the classic Teen Titans-style costume, in live action.

Actually, it's even better when Wally and Barry combine up and we get another "Flash of Two Worlds" moment when they defeat Rival.

Rival is currently another #DCTV Secret in and of itself. John Broome and Joe Kubert developed him as a villain for Jay Garrick, which may be relevant later in the season. For the sake of "Flashpoint," he was a fantastic story device to team Barry and Wally up and the first rogue to be hired by Alchemy (which most likely alludes to Doctor Alchemy a.k.a. Albert Desmond, developed by John Broome and Carmine Infantino to oppose Barry Allen).

Having the idea of an old school DC Comics villain as a major rogue this season and have it not be a speedster was incredibly interesting. On the show, speedster villains have been superb; it's fantastic to see Matt Letscher reprising baddie duties this season! Really, how amazing is he?) and some really interesting narrative may result from Barry branching out and needing to combat rogues he does not naturally know.