Spun off from the inferior, but steady Arrow, the CW's The Flash in only one half a season has perfected the televised episodic comic book adaptation. The show stars Grant Gustin as police scientist Barry Allen, the fastest man alive, the titular Flash. Struck by lightning in a storm of Dark Energy that engulfed Central City when STARlabs particle accelerator exploded, Barry is imparted with the incredible gift of super speed. Part of the show's success is due to Gustin's earnestness and the optimism the hero shows. And that's the second secret behind why it works. While it may be trendy in the wake of the Nolan Era Dark Knight films to have grittier, darker heros, The Flash works so well, partially due to the atmosphere of optimisim the permeates the entire proceedings. In the DC Comics Universe, Barry Allen's Flash is simply put, the most fun of the Justice League: he's not a brooding orphan (though he lost his mom at a young age), and not an isolated, brooding alien, he's not an outsider, nor burdened by his powers...he's just a guy with a good heart who can run fast, really, really fast.
