A Look Ahead at "Freedom Fighters: The Ray"
I did a review of Vixen so I should probably preview this show. Freedom Fighters: The Ray takes place in the same universe as Arrow, Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, and Vixen. I say universe lightly, as it is actually in an alternate universe known as Earth-X, but still in the same continuity as the other shows. As confusing as all that sounds, this show is one to keep your eye on, as for the first time in a CW superhero show, the title character is openly gay. That's right, Ray Terrill, known as The Ray, is gay in the current comics, and it seems he will be acknowledged as such here.
The show centers on Earth-X, an alternate world where the Nazis won World War II, and I know, I'm just as tired of this trope as you are. Things get interesting though, as the team that fights back is made up entirely of people deemed unworthy by the Nazis. So we have a whole lot of racial diversity, but of course, the Nazis were also against homosexuality, and thus, we have The Ray. The Freedom Fighters have existed before, and have even included The Ray before, but this incarnation is based on the book Multiversity: The Mastermen by Grant Morrison and Jim Lee. It's a standalone comic from 2014 that told the story of Overman, Earth-X's Nazi Superman, and the New Reichsmen. It's a great comic that dives into Overman and how he handles his role in Hitler's atrocities. The freedom fighters are not the main characters, but in this show they will be, as Overman will be nowhere to be found. Instead, Overgirl will be seemingly leading the charge (even though her death was a main point of the comic) and she will be assisted by the other CW heroes, such as Green Arrow, Flash, and Vixen.
Will It Be Good?
I doubt the show will go as deep into the psyche of our characters as the comic did, nor will it explore a lot about The Ray's sexuality, but it will probably acknowledge it, which is a step. If we can use Vixen as an example, then the season will probably run for a grand total of about 30-45 minutes over the course of six episodes, so we can only do so much. It's hinted though, that this show will be a springboard to introduce the main Earth's Ray, and through him we may get more development. In fact, maybe we'll even get to see a comparison of the two, one basically only being a hero because he is gay, and the other living in a world where he is free to be who he is. If not for being gay, the Ray would have probably not been persecuted by the Nazis, so in Earth-X, it would make sense for that to be a bigger part of being a hero to him than it would in the main Earth.
The show looks good, and hopefully it will lead to more diversity and representation in superhero shows and the public perception of heroes.