'The Flash' Series Premiere Review: Superheroes Done Right

The other day, I was driving through Los Angeles and I saw a little girl with her mother waiting at a bus stop. The girl couldn't have been more than five or six years old, but she was absolutely transfixed by the ad for "The Flash" plastered on the bus stop bench.

She traced her hand along Flash's lightning-bolt speed streak, and kept pointing at it in an effort to get her mother to notice. I couldn't help but hope that "The Flash" would turn out to be a show that this young comic book fan (whether she knows she is or not) could enjoy.

After seeing the premiere of the new CW series, it's pretty safe to say that there's something in "The Flash" for fans of all ages to enjoy.

The show wastes almost no time in showing off Barry Allen's speedy superpower, which is good considering there's some backstory we have to get through before Barry becomes The Flash. This is a pilot, after all.

This version of the story has Barry as a CSI, doing "Dexter"-like analysis of crime scenes, minus the whole serial killer thing. We're also introduced to Iris West, and the love interest bells are already ringing.

Between that relationship (currently being interrupted by a convenient love triangle, not to mention Iris' dad, Detective Joe West) and the day job, there should be a good day-to-day on this show, giving a backbone on which to build the superhero stuff.

Tom Cavanaugh also gives a great performance as Harrison Wells, who ends up making a big reveal at the end of the episode. We won't spoil it for you in case you haven't seen the episode yet, but it sets up an interesting arc and some foreshadowing for the season.

The series starts off with a bang, as Barry even has to deal with his first superpowered enemy in Clyde Mardon, aka Weather Wizard, who was in fact a villain from the comic books as many others in this series will be. In fact, we even get an easter egg for Gorilla Grodd in this pilot!

Also interesting is the handling of Flash's identity: unlike some other DC superheroes, Barry has already revealed his identity to a number of people, Joe West being one of them. Joe has told Barry to keep it a secret from Iris, but we're betting that won't last the season.

All in all, there's enough substance here to keep the adults on board week to week, and enough flashy action to keep kids on board as well. The other plus for the younger audience is that Flash's villains are often pretty colorful and over the top in the comics, a far cry from the often grotesque and scary villains of the Batman universe.

Whether you're a fan of comics or not, chances are good that you'll have a great time on this thrill ride of a superhero show. Catch up on Hulu and tune in next week!