The Flash (1990) Blu-ray Review: John Wesley Shipp Series Gets HD Release

Before 2014’s The Flash with Grant Gustin, Barry Allen was valiantly played by John Wesley Shipp. Originally airing on CBS, the show started off strong with a movie-sized pilot that drew in 22 million viewers but couldn’t keep the momentum and was canceled after 22 episodes. Now The Flash (1990) Blu-ray is available, compiling all the episodes in HD for the very first time and it’s easy to see why the series still has a cult following to this day.

“Who-o-o-o-osh! The origins and exploits of the crimefighting DC Comics superhero come your way in this 22-episode live-action series. John Wesley Shipp portrays Barry Allen, a police crime technologist endowed with sudden talents after a fluke lab accident. He pledges to use his new powers for good, powers that include ultra-speed reflexes and the ability to vibrate his molecules so rapidly he can pass through solid walls. Amanda Pays is medical researcher Tina McGee, who monitors Allen’s accelerated metabolism and guards his secret identity. The Tricksters, Captain Cold, the Ghost, mad inventors: Central City is rife with criminals. Now there’s a hero to keep pace with them. He’s called The Flash. And in our era of instant communications, he’s more in step with the times than ever,” says the synopsis.

Upon watching The Flash (1990) Blu-ray, you’ll notice a lot of the direction was clearly in the mold of Tim Burton’s Batman, which came out a year prior. For example, the muscle suit that Shipp wears looks similar aesthetically, and Danny Elfman even handled the series’ score alongside Shirley Walker, who would later do a great job on Batman: The Animated Series as well. It’s not quite as weird as Burton’s take, though, as it winds up being a more grounded superhero series than its The CW counterpart or most superhero fare. Of course, there’s still plenty of wackiness as The Flash takes on many over-the-top baddies, such as Captain Cold and a clone of himself, but it all comes together to make a breezy and still watchable show that is fun for any DC fan.

I want to give a special spotlight to the set’s visuals as this is the first time the series has been seen in HD. Warner Bros. did a 4K scan for this 1080p release and the show looks fantastic as a result. The picture and sound are both crisp and leagues better than the DVD. Of course, the special effects couldn’t be redone, but it all holds up pretty darn well and has a stylized look that works in the show’s favor. Props to Warner Bros. for giving this a good treatment for the Blu-ray release and not just doing a quick upscale.

The Flash (1990) Blu-ray is a six-disc set, but it’s more functional than flashy in its packaging (apologies for the bad pun). There’s no slipcover or giant box set. Instead, it’s in a regular-sized Blu-ray case that does a wonderful job of packing in all six discs without getting bulky or putting them at any risk of getting scratched. Episode titles are on the discs themselves, so it’s easy to know what you’re about to watch or find a specific episode.

The only bummer about this set is that there aren’t any extras. While it would’ve been fun to have some commentaries on the pilot or finale or at least some interviews, you’re still getting a great value with all 22 episodes being remastered. It’s just that one small missing touch that would’ve made this a spectacular set.

The Flash (1990) Blu-ray Review: Final Verdict

The Flash (1990) Blu-ray features 22 episodes of a show that has stood the test of time better than I would’ve initially thought. Shipp is a lot of fun in the role, the show has a definite charm to it, and there are quite a few DC Easter eggs throughout the series that fans will get a real kick out of. It goes to show that The Flash has long been one of DC’s better live-action television properties, well before The CW series launched.

Disclosure: ComingSoon was sent product from the publisher for our The Flash (1990) Blu-ray review.