@eggrollko
SUPERGIRL (Part 3) – Oh. My. God. The first two episodes of Elseworlds were an absolute blast, full of humor, heart, action and easter eggs. As enjoyable as they were, however, the actual plot of this crossover was still shrouded in mystery. For that reason, I was wary that all of the allusions to an impending crisis would be a fake out and that this crossover would be exactly like the comics of the same name: fun and action packed with no real impact on the universe moving forward and I couldn’t have been more wrong.
As the conclusion of “Elseworlds,” this final episode abandoned much of the humor and fun of the first two episodes (though not all of it, as Evil Cisco is always a blast) and ramped up the stakes, tension and drama instead. There were some emotional moments between the Danvers sisters and Barry and Oliver confronting the Monitor was amazing to watch. The fight between the black suit Superman and the Superman of Earth 38 was also awesome, but once Green Arrow confronted the Monitor, who then revealed that any victory would come with a steep price, the rest of the episode had me filled with dread. Fortunately, the Monitor gave Oliver an arrow with the means to destroy the book of destiny and finally save the day, only for the ending to reveal what the cost of this victory was.
In the final scene, Dr. Destiny was in a cell next to Psycho Pirate, who uttered the line, “Worlds will live, worlds will die, and the universe will never be the same.” For those of us who’ve been around DC Comics for a long time, we recognize that as the tagline of the biggest comics event of all time, Crisis on Infinite Earths. For those unfamiliar with that comic, however, this episode didn’t hesitate to clarify on the meaning of that statement, immediately announcing next year’s Crisis crossover title. It was announced to be in the fall of 2019, which is earlier than when the Arrowverse crossovers normally take place; it makes me wonder whether this will launch the next phase of CW TV shows and leaves me with about a million questions.
Given that this seems to be the result of Oliver’s conversation with the Monitor, could this mean the end of Arrow after Season 7 with his story to conclude in Crisis and be replaced by a Batwoman TV show? Could this mean that the crisis Barry disappears in could be pushed forward from 2024 to 2019? Could The Flash or Legends of Tomorrow be replaced by a Post-Crisis Justice League show? And given how many different versions of some of the main characters have played roles on other shows within the Arrowverse, could we see multiple versions of each hero? Could we see John Wesley Shipp alongside Grant Gustin as the Flash, Melissa Benoist alongside Helen Slater as Supergirl, and Tyler Hoechlin alongside Dean Cain, Brandon Routh — and maybe even Tom Welling — as Superman? Could we finallly see the introduction of Batman?
Next year’s event could be the end of an era for the Arrowverse, much in the same way Avengers: End Game will be for the MCU and I’m beyond excited to see what comes next, both in the build up to and the aftermath of Crisis. 2019 is shaping up to be a hell of a year for us geeks.
Elseworlds Part 3 = 4.25/5 Bibles of Destiny
Elseworlds Crossover = 4.75/5 Bibles of Destiny
-Kevin Palma
@RobBex2
THE FLASH (Part 1) – With the holidays right around the corner, it’s that special time of year most superhero fiends look forward to. That’s right– it’s crossover time! And while missing from the slate are the Legends ofTomorrow, this first episode in this CW mega-mash-up is that level of excellency the channel is capable of when at their best. Elseworlds, Part 1 is fun, cheeky, geeky, sweet, full of heart, and most of all, intrigue. There’s an actual plentiful amount of humor in this ep, from Oliver puffing his chest in front of Clark, to the Flash team not having a clue at all what’s going on, to Grant Gustin and Stephen Amell merely oozing legitimate fun with the super-role flip-flop. This episode and the CW crossovers in general show just how great the chemistry is between the entire CWverse cast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRKOz61v_ps
When a Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) gives Dr.John Deegan (Jeremy Davies) the book of destiny, Barry Allen and Oliver Queen get their lives switched around. In order to prove just who they are, they travel to Earth-38 to get Kara to prove just who they are. In a hilarious callback to the first crossover, Green Arrow and Flash have to figure out what makes the other tick in order to understand their powers. We also get to see a superb Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) when everyone is on the Kent Farm, and a true mainstay villain in A.M.A.Z.O. for the first time; a terrific adaptation with a slight nod to the animated Justice League.
Elseworlds is full of easter eggs. Earth-90 (after 1990) has John Wesley Shipp’s Flash, Captain Cold, LoT’s Firestorm, Justice Society’s Stargirl and Smallville’s Green Arrow. Speaking of, when we first get to Earth-38 Smallville’s theme “Save Me” plays while we visit the Kent Farm from that very show. Flash’s quick sketch of Cisco’s Vibe was drawn by Jim Lee. Now, next episode — reviewed just below by Keith Justin Dooley! — sees the new team going to Gotham City where we finally get to meet Batwoman. 5/5 Bexar Bibles.
-Robert Bexar
@Keith_Dooley
ARROW (Part 2) – It’s beginning to look a lot like a Crisis in the second part of the Elseworlds crossover. With the Monitor and red skies continuing to portend doom and gloom for our heroes in this newest episode of Arrow, we’re treated to a team up of heroes both brave and bold. Team Arrow assists Supergirl and a body-swapped Flash and Green Arrow as they travel to Gotham City in search for a mysterious book and come face to face with Batwoman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCt8G4U1PJs
That first appearance of Kate Kane a.k.a. Batwoman in the CW-verse was a perfect amount of tease for a future show featuring Bruce Wayne’s cousin. Ruby Rose had the right amount of confidence and the look befitting her comic book counterpart. The nods to Bat-lore in the Wayne Foundation and Arkham Asylum scenes were plentiful and will turn Bat-fans (like me!) giddy for more CW Bat-family fun.
This episode of Arrow, like the previous Elseworlds chapter in Flash, had the correct balance of humor and comic book allusions to make the most diehard or casual fan have a blast from beginning to end. These shows’ characters genuinely care for each other and the stakes seem even higher than the previous team-ups between these worlds’ finest heroes. This episode truly has me excited for the outcome of this Crisis and the huge effect it will have on heroes both old and of the Bat persuasion. 4/5 Bat Bibles.
-Keith Justin Dooley
We’ll have our review of Elseworlds, Part 3 (Supergirl) tomorrow!