Joe West: The Example We Need, the Dad We Deserve

So, The Flash was easily one of 2014’s big breakout hits on nerd television. In fact, it’s the hit that many of us at this publication wish Gotham had been. The show, starring Grant Gustin as the Fastest Man Alive, seemed to have a far smoother start than its canonical predecessor, Arrow, due to it’s noticeably hopeful attitude towards superheroing. In fact, the last time DC has such a lighthearted approach to retooling its source material for the small screen, we got Smallville for better or worse. Mainly worse. In fact, the argument could be made that Gustin’s Flash makes for a better Superman than Tom Welling’s Superboy. One glaring reason for this is the difference in the representation of fatherhood. Modern superhero origins are often defined, in part, by the presence (or, in many cases, the absence) of a patriarchal mentorship. Spider-Man, no matter the incarnation, is almost completely defined by the loss of his father figure, Uncle Ben. However, as far as values and lessons learned are concerned, for the most part we’re usually left with the ever resonant “With great power comes great responsibility” song and dance and that’s about it (unless you count Martin Sheen’s tearjerker voicemail in Amazing Spider-Man). With Batman, other than their deaths, it’s rare that we get an in depth look into Thomas and Martha Wayne’s direct influence on who Bruce Wayne grew up to be (except maybe that time when they may or may not have been part of a hedonistic Eyes Wide Shut club). T…