Crisis on Infinite Earths -- SPOILERS!!

[ClarkKent_DC]

The "Supergirl -- Season 5 SPOILERS!!" thread was starting to turn into a "Crisis on Infinite Earths" thread, so I figured somebody ought to start one.

"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is this year's annual Arrowverse crossover on the CW, which will include Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl and Batwoman.

Here's a comprehensive rundown of what is known about it, from Too Fab: "Everything We Know About the Arrowverse 'Crisis' Crossover: 'Kingdom Come, Burt Ward, Anti-Monitor and More!"

[The Baron]

I wonder what kind of condition Phyllis Coates is in?

Captain Comics said:

Oh, another thing I'd love to see, and it would be easy: Helen Slater as a middle-aged Superwoman from whatever earth the 1984 Supergirl took place on. It probably won't happen, but Slater is already a regular on Supergirl as Eliza Danvers, so how hard would it be? Also, Slater played Lara Zor-El on Smallville, and could add that character to the mix. That would be so fun, even if it was just a brief bit of Supergirl seeing all three characters at once, giving the audience a WTF look, and flying off.

I mention that in my column, and here's another: Erica Durance in three roles. Yes,she's returning as Lois Lane from Smallville. But she's also played Alura Zor-El and Agent Noel Niell on Supergirl. How about all three of those characters meeting up? My fanboy head would explode.

Then there's Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher, both of whom have multiple Super-roles. They were Superman and Lois Lane on Lois & Clark, of course, but they've also had roles in the Arrowverse: Cain as Jeremiah Danvers, and Hatcher as Rhea (Mon-El's mother) on Supergirl.

Break out the old costumes, I say!

[Captain Comics]

Isn't she, like 92?

[The Baron]

Yes.  What I don 't  know is whether she's a "relatively lively" 92 or a "checking out at any moment" 92.

Captain Comics said:

Isn't she, like 92?

[The Baron]

Supermen!

[ClarkKent_DC]

The CW's Crisis on Infinite Earths is here!

Why aren't we talking about it?

Okay, I'll start! 

Although there's a SPOILERS warning in the title of this thread, it doesn't hurt to add one more, hey? 

• This may be an adaptation of the classic comics maxiseries Crisis on Infinite Earths, it really isn't the same story. The DC Comics story is the template, the blueprint; the TV show version looks like it will hit many of the same story beats, but to a different melody. And that's fine.
• Primetimer raises the question, "Will Crisis on Infinite Earths Have Enough Fan-Service or Too Much?" The obvious answer is that is not possible for it to have too much fan service. After all, producer Marc Guggenheim told Rolling Stone, “When we pitched this to the studio and network, we said, ‘This is Crisis on Infinite Earths, not Crisis on CW Earths.’ We felt that to honor the original concept, we had to touch as many strands of the DC tapestry as possible.” 
• With the first cameo, they delivered: Alexander Knox, from the Michael Keaton Batman movies, sees the red skies and says, "I hope you're watching, Big Guy."
• And with the second cameo: We see Dick Grayson(!) walking down the street with Ace the Bat-Hound(!) -- and hear a few bars of the Batman TV show theme (!). He notices the weather, turns around, and shouts, "Holy Crimson Skies of Death!" That was perfect! Pitch perfect!
• One key difference: in the original comics series, Supergirl and The Flash were Killed Off for Real. On TV, they both headline their own shows, and we expect they still will after TV's Crisis is over. 
• Also, in the run-up to this crossover, we've been given lots of foreshadowing that Green Arrow made a deal with the Monitor to give his life for theirs.
• But already the TV producers threw us a curveball -- Oliver died IN THE FIRST PART?!?
  
  I have more thoughts, but the floor is open for others to chime in. Please do.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

A few thoughts to add:

I loved that Burt Ward was walking a dog, considering his post-Robin life of caring for so many of them. I didn’t catch that it was Ace!

The first part seemed a little weak to me. I really loved Ollie’s last stand (reaching back for an arrow that wasn’t there...whoa!), and on the lighter side, I loved Sarah and Ray at trivia night. But so much of episode 1 was (perhaps necessarily) clogged with exposition that I feel like the story never got rolling. Most of the joys of the first episode were pure easter eggs -- Robert Wuhl! The giant tuning forks! -- whereas I thought episode 2 was a little more focused, and had more humor and heart.

Ep 2: Loved seeing the various Supermen...and Tom Welling, as an ex-Superman, was even better. (“I’m still stronger.”) And I was thrown for a loop that the Kevin Conroy Batman had gone fully around the bend. (I love that Kate has nabbed his kryptonite...didn’t see that coming.) The Lazarus Pit has always seemed like a giant cop-out since Ollie & his friends started using it, but I *did* really like seeing Barry SO uncomfortable with Constantine’s demonic chanting. He’s seen a lot, but at his heart he’s such a sweet, sheltered dude.

Loved the baby Jon gags. (And wow, Jason, from Superman Returns, gets a shout-out!) The “paragon” thing is little corny, but at the same time, it gives the heroes individual quests, and it puts the focus on people, not objects, which is better storytelling than a cosmic scavenger hunt.

After a shaky start, I can’t wait for tonight’s episode.

[ClarkKent_DC]

Some more thoughts:

• They aren't trying to match the comics version of Crisis note for note, but they are abiding by the spirit of it, by making it a mashup of different characters, moments and characterizations from DC lore. Thus, Bruce Wayne in the exoskeleton -- did anybody ever actually call him "Batman"? I don't think anyone did -- visually looked like the one from Kingdom Come, but his vicious attitudes were much like the Batman from The Dark Knight Returns.
• Likewise, although there was someone wearing the costume of the Kingdom Come Superman, he really wasn't. That guy in the comics was bitter and turned his back on the world after his friends were murdered by The Joker, whose killer was acquitted in a bald act of jury nullification. Here? He got over it and went back to work.
• Instead, despite the costume, that scene seemed to be referencing the moment from the comics version of Crisis, after the heroes think things have been resolved, in which Clark Kent gets up in the morning and goes to work at the Daily Planet as its editor-in-chief ... only to be confronted by Perry White angrily telling him to get out of my office and the Earth-1 Clark Kent explaining the other one is his "uncle."
• Not that I mind all that much; I like that Brandon Routh is a basically sunny presence, as Superman or as Ray Palmer. 
• Plus, I always thought that if we were getting the Kingdom Come Superman, it should have been Dean Cain. But I gather he's become persona non grata.
• Interestingly enough, in the original comics Crisis, George Perez went out of his way to differentiate the two Supermen by doing more than just drawing the S-shield differently. Look at the pages; the elder Superman is more burly. On TV, this was accomplished by having different actors; Tyler Hoechlin looks almost waifish next to Brandon Routh.

[ClarkKent_DC]

More thoughts:

• Speaking of using different actors ... it's odd but makes sense that different versions of some characters would look different on different Earths, like that famous Zero Hour cover of Superman surrounded by Batmen from different eras, and the companion poster of Batman surrounded by Supermen. Here, we get Tyler Hoechlin, Brandon Routh and Tom Welling, and it works, and works well. (Although Tyler Hoechlin looks almost waifish next to Tom Welling.)
• Along that line, it's no surprise that Tom Welling's Clark Kent doesn't recognize Jon Cryer's Lex Luthor; what does he see before him but a dweeby guy?
• And we find that this Clark Kent gave up his powers? Shades of "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?"
• Have to admit I was disappointed at the moment Luthor pulls out the kryptonite and Clark didn't eat it.

[ClarkKent_DC]

ClarkKent_DC said:

• Instead, despite the costume, that scene seemed to be referencing the moment from the comics version of Crisis, after the heroes think things have been resolved, in which Clark Kent gets up in the morning and goes to work at the Daily Planet as its editor-in-chief ... only to be confronted by Perry White angrily telling him to get out of my office and the Earth-1 Clark Kent explaining the other one is his "uncle."

This was in the opening pages of Crisis on Infinite Earths #11 (February 1986).

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

I definitely wanted him to eat that kryptonite, too!

[Doctor Hmmm?]

I think a lot of us "of a certain age" had exactly that thought for a second or two.

[ClarkKent_DC]

Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod) said:

I loved that Burt Ward was walking a dog, considering his post-Robin life of caring for so many of them. I didn’t catch that it was Ace!

Well, he was in his secret identity.