Arrow #3

by Eric Levy:

If you are a fan of the CW’s hit show Arrow, than this comic book of the same title will be right up your alley.

I’ve been a comic book fan for years, and rarely do I enjoy titles based off of TV shows. But DC Comics has taken the Arrow experience to the next level with these books. They’re fun, three-chapter issues that mix elements from the show with new stories involving your favorite characters.

Taking it one step further, each chapter comes with a different writer and artist—something you don’t see very often in comics. Despite having different writer’s in each issue, DC is maintaining some continuity by bring on a couple of the show’s series developers—Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg—as part of the comic’s creative team.

Chapter 7: Boys Night

Somewhere in Starling City, four men are doing what anyone does to get rich quick: try and pull off a jewel heist. This attracts the attention of our Emerald Archer, who crashes the party and gives the men a fair warning to put back what doesn’t belong to them. After some bullets and arrows fly, three of the suspects are injured and one gets away with the goods.

Throughout the rest of the chapter, we see Oliver, with the help of Diggle, track down the man who got away. We also get a sub plot involving Oliver’s best friend, Tommy Merlyn, who tries to have a long overdue “bro’s night” with Oliver.

Script wise, I enjoyed this chapter. I thought that Beth Schwartz did a nice job of combining the physical and emotional aspects of Oliver.

When it came to the art, that’s where things really stood out for me. Jorge Jimenez might not be a name you are familiar with, but his work here, in my opinion, is good enough to stand toe-to-toe with some of the heavy hitters in the business. His use of dark colors and shadowed panels provided the perfect backdrop to Schwartz’s script.

This isn’t Jimenez’s first rodeo when it comes to comic books based off of successful CW TV shows. He is also working on some issues of Smallvile Season 11, which is based off of Superman.

Chapter 8:

This chapter follows three boys on a mission to find Starling City’s vigilante, who they believe doesn’t exist and think is a character the news made up to boost their ratings . Equipped with a camera, they record their journey all the way the city’s Port. Since the Port is a popular area for criminal activity, the kids stake out the area, searching for the vigilante.

As you probably guessed, they see something they shouldn’t have and get themselves in a bad situation. Luckily for them, the vigilante comes to their rescue using his weapon of choice.

Artists Sergio Sandoval and Pol Gas, much like Jorge Jimenez in the previous chapter, used dark, shadowed panels. I feel like this is the best way to depict Oliver because he is always lurking out of sight before he emerges to confront his target.

I also liked the panels that came from the camera’s perspective—it gave parts of the story almost a Blair Witch Project feel to it.

Chapter 9: Falling

This story brings the reader back to episode 7 and 8 of the TV show where Helena Bertinelli a.k.a. The Huntress makes her presence felt.

If you have seen “Muse of Fire” and “Vendetta,” than you will know that Helena’s father, a local mob boss, had her fiancé killed. In this chapter, we get a back story as to why it happened.

Beth Schwartz was back on script duties for this chapter. She was joined by Katherine Walczak. The two ended the issue on a high note. They provided the only story of the book that coincided with the TV show.

Overall, I really enjoyed this comic book. My only complaint is that it is $3.99. It doesn’t feel like a $3.99 comic book should. Other than that, I really enjoyed all the artwork and writing. If you are a fan of the show, then you should find the nearest comic book shop and pick up this book.

See you next month for a review of Arrow #4. For a recap of what went down in “Vertigo,” the latest episode of the show, click here.