( CNN ) -- [ SPOILER WARNING : If you did n't see the premiere of `` The Flash , '' you may not want to read any further. ] . Speedy hero Barry Allen -- a.k.a . the Flash -- zoomed back onto TV Tuesday night . The CW unveiled its highly anticipated new fall series about the Scarlet Speedster , reviving the story of how scientist Barry Allen came to be the uberswift superhero after being hit by lightning and doused with chemicals . The freshman series , which stars Grant Gustin ( `` Glee '' ) as the endearing lead , was introduced through the CW 's other comics-inspired series , `` Arrow . '' With that program in its third season , the CW surely hopes to find another success story with `` The Flash . '' Comic books invade the small screen . So far , the network 's off to a great start . `` The Flash '' is The CW 's highest-rated and most-watched series premiere since 2009 , with 4.5 million viewers and a rating of 1.8 in the adult demo of 18-49 -- not to mention that critics were also willing to give it a shot . `` The CW 's 'The Flash ' is one of the most enjoyable , agreeable and infectiously exuberant new shows of the fall , '' applauded TV Guide , and USA Today 's Robert Bianco predicted that `` The Flash '' could follow in `` Arrow 's '' longevity footsteps if it `` can maintain the quality of the plot . '' Besides , Bianco added , `` How nice to see a superhero who counts optimism among his powers . '' Alan Sepinwall praised the show 's lighter tone at Hitfix.com : `` Gustin â€ ” well-scrubbed , dimpled and forthright â€ ” tacks right into the fundamental good-natured decency of Barry and makes that into an asset . '' That said , the last time `` the fastest man alive '' was on TV , it did n't work out so well . In 1990 , it was John Wesley Shipp who wore the iconic red suit and raced around alongside co-stars Amanda Pays and Alex Desert . But that series was canceled after a single season . Shipp is getting a second chance at seeing the Flash find a home on TV in his role as Barry Allen 's father in the CW 's new version . According to `` The Flash '' actress Candice Patton , who plays Barry 's love interest , Iris , everyone from the executive production team on down is `` very aware of the love for Flash . '' `` Our series feels and looks like the comic book in a lot of ways , '' Patton said . `` The design is so incredible . '' Tuesday 's premiere saw the Flash facing off against his very first supervillain , the Weather Wizard . ( Future episodes will feature more comic book villains like Captain Cold and heroes like Firestorm . ) But what caught our attention the most was that surprising ending . Why is wheelchair-bound S.T.A.R . Labs boss Harrison Wells looking at a hologram of a 2024 newspaper that carries the headline , `` Flash missing : Vanishes in crisis '' ? ( That 's a reference to the 1980s `` Crisis on Infinite Earths '' comic , where Barry died . ) Plus , what really happened to Barry 's mother when she died ? And when will Barry 's longtime friend/crush Iris learn the truth about her longtime friend ? We 're definitely on board to find out the truth about these mysteries . Twitter users tended to agree : Neale Bastiaans wrote , `` Really enjoyed # TheFlashpremiere tonight . Off to a great start . @ grantgust seems like a lead you can build a series around . '' @ Miranda_Blu adored the show as well . `` # TheFlashpremiere was the best new show premier I 've seen in a long time ! '' Echoing many critics was John Gholson . `` # TheFlashpremiere was better than most TV superhero 1st episodes , thanks to embracing its comic roots & a generally upbeat vibe , '' he said . We 'll see if the positive reactions continue . So far , so good for the Scarlet Speedster . So what can fans look forward to next ? Executive producer Andrew Kreisberg told us about the villains and heroes we 'll meet this season . `` We 've got Captain Cold in Episode 4 ; Plastique ; in Episode 7 we have Blackout ; and in Episode 8 we 've got our big crossover with Arrow . We 're really looking forward to that . '' What did you think of the premiere ?
The CW 's `` The Flash '' premiered Tuesday . The network is hoping to have another success on par with `` Arrow '' Critics have been largely positive .