What comic storyline is ‘The Flash’ based on?

The Flash has finally run full-speed into cinemas everywhere, and the world is that much closer to determining just how good of a movie this DC Extended Universe lynchpin really is; is it really as groundbreaking as some people, including the new DC boss James Gunn, have said it is, or is it just okay, which is still a pretty big win for this dilapidated cinematic universe?

I’ll say this; if you’re looking to be wowed by some visuals, don’t expect the CGI to do much of the heavy lifting in that department; as gleefully shot as the film is, those who require complete visual immersion might find a lot to be desired here. Mechanically speaking, though, fans will be happy to know that The Flash has a lot of really good pieces that fit together enough of the time to make for a worthwhile experience; I can’t wait to see what Andy Muschietti does with The Brave and the Bold.

It’s nice to see the DCEU get something of a win here, but did it have to do with The Flash having a moral obligation to do justice to a certain comic book narrative? Well, not exactly.

Is ‘The Flash’ based on a comic storyline?

The Flash isn’t directly based on any particular comic book storyline, but comic-savvy fans will nevertheless recognize quite a few of the film’s elements as Flashpoint story beats, so the film does have a major crossover to thank for inspiration.

Warning: Spoilers for The Flash ahead.

Flashpoint influences present in Muschietti’s film include the titular speedster losing his powers, his mother being alive in an alternate timeline, and the rupture in time being intentionally caused by him in the first place, but that’s just about where the similarities end. I’m sure the creative team would have liked to include pirate Deathstroke and husband-and-wife Batman and Joker if they had the available parameters, but considering how daunting of a task it seemingly was to juggle what The Flash did have, it’s probably best to save those beats for the Gunnverse.