The Flash Races Onto Blu-Ray Soon, Preorders Now Open

After the success of Tim Burton's Batman film in 1989, it was only a matter of time before another DC icon would get the live-action treatment, and a year later, the Flash raced onto small screens around the world. Although it only lasted for a single season, The Flash was a fun show starring John Wesley Shipp as the fastest man alive. The original run of Flash episodes will be available soon on Blu-ray, and you can lock in a preorder at Amazon right now for this box set.

Like the comic book source material, The Flash focuses on police crime technologist Barry Allen after a freak lab accident gifts him with speedy powers. Alongside medical researcher Tina McGee, Allen vows to fight crime in Central City as The Flash, a scarlet speedster dressed in a very muscular running suit that conceals his identity.

The series saw Allen taking on various supervillains and criminals--and even a gang of pro-Guevara Marxist revolutionaries--as Allen became more comfortable with his powers. One memorable guest star? Mark Hamill as the Trickster, who was essentially a proto-Joker committing fashion crimes with his choice of clothing.

The Flash was also notable for having very high production values. The costumes made for Shipp alone were reported to have cost $100,000 and each episode had a production cost of around $1.6 million. Thanks to the show being shot on film, these episodes are brand-new high-definition masters lifted from 4K scans of the camera negatives. The six-disc set is expected to release June 14.

Years later, a new take on The Flash would arrive on The CW and would last for several seasons. Starring Grant Gustin as Allen, this speedster would cross paths several times with other Flashes from across the Multiverse, and Shipp would appear in the show as several of these parallel superheroes. This show recently concluded, and the full series is available in one 34-disc box set.

For more comic book fun, you can also check out DC's new line of pocket-friendly graphic novels and the best Batman stories to read in 2024.