Part 1
“Crisis”, or at least parts of it, is something DC seems to lean on every so often. A huge piece of its history and a handy way to hit the reset button. Even the Arrowverse has used it!
It’s a huge story to tell, and no doubt a very one to adapt away from comics. Originally a twelve-issue arc with multiple tie-ins across 1985 and 1986, it had time to work through things. Other mediums don’t get that time. They also rarely get years of integrated storytelling and character development beforehand to give them weight.
So even knowing this is the first part of three animated films, I figured Crisis on Infinite Earths had its work cut out. When time is tight, it’s best to prioritise. Fortunately, this story does. On hope, love and teamwork. There’s a nice love story running throughout. So I can’t say that The Flash is the issue. I can say that there’s a lot to get through and how his jumping about in handled makes things far more complicated than I feel they need to be.
On the plus side the voice cast is great. Aside from Jensen Ackles continuingly impressive take on Batman, everyone is strong.
But that muddiness. Even as a part one, this story is split into two. Initially dealing with Amazo, it then transitions into a mass gathering of heroes and the crisis itself. Lots of moments and a lot of scenes worked through quickly. I lost track of what was going, with a wiki check after finally making sense of things after.
I like the “Tomorrowverse” art style, having previously enjoyed it in The Long Halloween. And I’m sure I’ll give part two a try (I’ll add it below!). But this is overall at best an OK first chapter. It needs to tighten up, lest the last animated story before James Gunn’s DCU takes over everything be anything more than a fumble.
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