Over the years, the CW’s DC crossovers have evolved thanks to some very tireless work. When The Flash first came on the scene, all we got was an episode where Oliver visited Central City, and an episode where Barry visited Starling. The episodes were very self-contained. Last year, we got a crossover that was basically the pilot of Legends of Tomorrow. This time, for the first time, the crossover we’re getting is something that rings true of the medium that created these franchises so many decades ago.

When a meteor crashes in Central City, Barry Allen arrives to discover the meteor isn’t a meteor but an alien spaceship. Now, he must call upon the aide of Oliver Queen, the Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl to help fight them before Earth meets its end. However, while everyone is on board to fight the evil threatening the planet, it doesn’t mean they’re doing it with smiles and laughs.

“Invasion!” is the most comic book inspired piece of storytelling ever committed to the Arrowverse. The entire 3-hour event (as Supergirl isn’t really part of it) just screams “silver age,” which is basically how the more fantastical entries in the shared universe have operated. However, this time, even the outlier, Arrow, learns to play along in its own way. It’s a fun crossover, but it is silly.

Silly doesn’t have to mean bad. Deadpool is silly. In this case, like Deadpool, “Invasion!” thrives on its silliness, but tries as hard as possible to play the whole thing straight, especially when it comes to the Arrow portion (which also happens to be the 100th episode of the series). The Dominators are treated like a real threat, and as a standalone villain, they are just as creepy and nightmarish as the source material arc that created them.

The best thing “Invasion!” has going for it is feeling like the first time we’re getting a real crossover out of the Arrowverse, which is all fans have wanted since Barry first arrived in Starling. This isn’t a throw away and it isn’t a backdoor pilot. “Invasion!” is a crossover in the truest of comic book fashion. It’s an event. It’s a multi-part arc that could be sold as a stand-alone trade paperback (see: special edition DVD). It bleeds comics and breathes camp, which is exactly what we needed this time around.

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