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, from the 1990-91 television season. 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.

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Video Quality

The Flash gets an unbelievable upgrade on Blu-Ray courtesy of Warner Archive with a new 1080p master sourced from a 4K restoration of the Original Camera Negatives. The release contains all 22 episodes of the series on six discs, which allows for a good amount of room to breathe. There are a few fleeting moments of compression artifacts against certain gradients, but the presentation is primarily free of digital anomalies. We did not expect to ever get lucky enough to upgrade the disappointing DVD set from years ago, but Warner Archive is out here making dreams come true with the perfect level of care.

The transfer provides sumptuous natural film grain that avoids clumping or swarming. This disc captures every setting with the utmost clarity. There are elements in the costumes and production design that are easily visible for the first time ever on home entertainment. The special effects are the only knock against this transfer, as they were rendered on video rather than film. There is a stark drop in quality during these moments, but this is inherent to the source and not a fault with the transfer. Colors pop off the screen consistently, most obviously with the red suit. Skin tones appear to be natural, and the presentation offers up deep black levels. Warner Archive has made comic book fans swoon with this latest release.

Audio Quality

Warner Archive provides the new Blu-Ray set with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio split mono mix that represents this one perfectly. One of the standout elements is the triumphant score, which this presentation delivers with flawless fidelity. Dialogue largely stays anchored in the center channel with distinct clarity even during thrilling confrontations. These kinetic moments have a bit of a kick to them even within the mono constraints. It is not the most bombastic comic book series, but it comes to life as it was intended. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided on this disc.

Special Features

There are no special features provided.

Final Thoughts

The Flash is far from the best small screen outing from a superhero, but it has its own distinct charms that make us love it all the same. John Wesley Shipp is an endearing Barry Allen despite being a bit more hulking than we expect from this character. We love his chemistry with Amanda Pays, which makes up for a distinct lack of Iris. The real selling point of the series is the “villain of the week” which introduces so many creative effects and fun guest stars (we will never pass up Mark Hamill). The special effects for The Flash are a bit dated, but you still appreciate what they accomplished at this time. As a lifelong fan of the character, we embrace this series for everything it got right and give it grace for what could have been improved. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a tremendous A/V presentation but no special features. If you count yourself a fan of this series, you will be astounded by the technical presentation. Highly Recommended

The Flash: The Complete Series can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.