The Good
Arrow's third season begins tonight and it's bringing a lot of changes to the show (click here for more info). But before we see what the new season has in store for us, Marc Guggenheim, the writer/executive producer of the CW show, will reveal what adventures team Arrow is encountering before the new season starts!t
Seeing as this is essentially taking place during the gap of a popular TV show, it's obviously not going to hit us with any massive game changers with the primary cast. For example, when Roy suffers what is seemingly a major injury, there's no real sense of danger since we know he's alive and well in the first episode of the new season. That said, it doesn't prevent this story from being both exciting and interesting. Despite incorporating some heavier violence and darker content (mostly in the side story), this comic seems to be embracing a more lighthearted tone. A silly yet totally iconic trick arrow makes its debut (an updated version, that is!) and, even though there's a surprising amount of bloodshed, the big action sequence is a total blast and it has a delightfully cinematic conclusion. It's not a good time for the heroes, but it's a thrill for us.
Given who's writing the comic, it should come as no surprise that the dynamic between the leads remains the same and I could envision the dialogue being delivered by the cast. When Ollie and Roy aren't battling goons and bantering, it's Felicity who steals the show (which was pretty much expected, right?). None of her dialogue made me laugh out loud, but there's a few smirk-inducing remarks, especially the one about Oliver's "super power." The cliffhanger has a fair amount of promise, but as of right now we'll just have to wait and see how it's handled.
The Bad
The visuals do a solid job with all of the environments and big action sequences, but the facial work just doesn't make me think of the cast. Aside from the first panel of Quentin Lance, the character work doesn't do an effective job capturing the characters' distinct features. They sound and act the same, but look the same? Not so much. It's not the biggest complaint around, but it's certainly distracting when you see a panel and think to yourself, "Yeah, that doesn't really look all that much like Stephen Amell, does it?"
Felicity's dialogue rings true to the character, but one line feels a little too awkward. Now, if it was on the show, Emily Bett Rickards would totally make the line work. But this comic doesn't have the advantage of her charismatic performance, so a line like that just comes off a tad creepy instead of cute.
Minor gripe: the follow-up with the plane felt unnecessary and I would have rather seen those two panels dedicated to giving us a better look at the villain's plot. Given Felicity's skill, I had no doubt whatsoever that the plane successfully landed and the authorities were at the scene. Again, we're talking about just two panels, but given this book's limited space, it would be nice to see them used to give us more intriguing developments.
The Verdict
ARROW SEASON 2.5 #1 doesn't feel mandatory, but doesn't feel like filler, either. Given the fact Guggenheim's writing, the comic does great work duplicating the show's tone and the characters' voices. There's bits of levity throughout and the action's executed very well, but these moments of fun don't overshadow the villainous plot that's brewing, either. Casual fans of the show likely won't be won over, but if you're really loving team Arrow's adventures and feel like you can't get enough of their tales, then this is most certainly worth checking out. The fact they don't look all that much like their respective actors may be somewhat distracting, though.
