TV SUPERHEROES,
Arrowverse battles Nazis in crossover among 4 CW shows
Who needs “Justice League” when we have the Arrowverse?
In a crossover spanning four series and two nights, CW unites the casts of “Supergirl,” “The Flash,” “Arrow” and “DC's Legends of Tomorrows” (starting with “Supergirl” and “Arrow” tomorrow night at 8 p.m., concluding Tuesday at 8 p.m. with “The Flash” and “DC's Legends of Tomorrows.”)
It will take all these heroes and perhaps a few more to handle “Crisis on Earth-X.”
Inspired by a now classic two-parter in “Justice League of America” that ran back in 1973 (and a favorite of this writer), Earth-X is a parallel world in which the Allies lost World War II — and Nazis rule the planet.
CW only released the first hour for review, making it impossible to render a full judgment. However, based on this installment, if the subsequent shows can keep up the pacing, fans are in for a thrilling ride.
As “Supergirl” opens on Earth-X, the resistance is about to make its last stand with a device they think can turn the tide. Then a masked archer attacks and annihilates everyone, including a hero with a familiar face.
If you can't guess the identities of the masked archer and, later, the masked flying woman, you really have been watching too many Marvel films. It bodes ominously for our heroes.
On a brighter note, everyone is coming together for the wedding of Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) — also known as the Flash — and Iris West (Candice Patton).
Barry and Oliver (Stephen Amell) get some quality bro time in as Barry frets about his wedding vows: He's already written 38 pages. Ollie realizes how together Barry is. “I'm supposed to be the all-knowing mentor,” he grouses.
Barry and Kara also reaffirm their super-friendship as he asks her to sing at the wedding, because Kara — and star Melissa Benoist — is awesome, and there's no denying it.
Two characters from different shows hook up. It's funny and fits with their arcs.
With help from Team Flash, Professor Stein (Victor Garber) thinks he has a solution to separating from the Firestorm entity and can't understand why Jax (Franz Drameh) is so upset.
Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) proves once again she is the worst person on any world.
Mick (Dominic Purcell) realizes he should probably sit on the bride's side since he did try to kill the groom a couple of times.
Interrupted weddings are a staple on prime-time TV, but who expects a Nazi invasion? This one makes “Dynasty's” notorious Moldavian Massacre look like a tipped over lemonade stand.
Coordinating the casts and the stories across four series must be a logistical nightmare, but executive producer Greg Berlanti and his team seem to have it down to a finely honed metahuman science.
Back in 1973, when the original DC comics came out, we knew Nazis were vile. Today, apparently, that's a topic for debate. This four-parter might even spark some useful conversations amid the fisticuffs.