I shall call myself Arrow.
We left off last episode with Oliver pondering a new identify while staring at an Arrow (CW, you’re so good at being deep). And this episode follows up with the title “Identity.”
Ok before we go on here I kind of want to take note of DC Entertainment’s super-hero naming conventions in media other than comics. In Smallville they did everything the could to not call Clark Kent Superman or Superboy. He was called the Blur or the Red Blue Blur. The Red Blue Blur? Really? That sounds cooler that Superboy? Selina Kyle was never called Catwoman in the Dark Knight Rises. Oliver Queen stars in a show called Arrow where he called the Hood. There was even a joke how dumb the name Green Arrow would be in the first season of the show. Now it looks like he will take the name Arrow. To me it feels like DC is slightly embarrassed by the names of their heroes. This Amazon show that is now on hold will feature Wonder Woman as the protagonist probably won’t call her Wonder Woman. She’ll probably be called the Amazon. Anyway, I hope Oliver takes the name Green Arrow before the last episode of the show.
This episode revolves mostly around FEMA trucks not being able to get supplies to hospitals in the Glades after the quake because they are being hijacked. This places Roy as the scene first. It doesn’t go to well for him. This provides the spark for more tension between him and Thea, and for Ollie and his crew to get involved.
Now that Oliver is all about being more proactive, not killing, his trick arrows, and figuring out what his new heroic identify will be he decides to reorganize “Team Arrow.” Felicity Smoak who was created for the television show and plays the tech support character gets “promoted” to Ollie’s personal secretary. This helps them stay in close personal contact but pisses Felicity off. Not too great for the resume but great for humor. Case in point, this leads to one of the two best lines in the show, both by John Diggle. In response to Felicity’s freak out, “It could be worse. My secret identity is ‘his black driver.” Boom. Hands down this guy is one of the best parts of the show. He follows with another great line later in the episode in response to one of Ollie’s “deep” statements talking about his two different identities, “You know I’ve been meaning to tell you it really weirds me out to no end the way you refer to yourself in the third person like that.” Could he be the Han Solo of the Arrow series? It is no wonder this made-for-TV character is jumping to the comic book pages.
Once Team Arrow sets up an operation to intercept the people stopping FEMA, shit hits the fan. They find out that last season’s villain China White and a new character from DC Comics the Bronze Tiger are behind it. Ahem, I mean we can’t use the name from the comic books. I mean Tiger. Hey does Tiger look familiar to anyone? That’s Michael Jai White who played Gambol, the thug that was not to happy with the Joker in The Dark Knight. In any case we find out that Tiger took the job just to challenge the Hood. They fight the fight is broken up. They’ll fight again later and hint, hint… Arrow wins.
Michael Jai White apparently loves sharp objects and DC Comics.
Things aren’t so neatly wrapped up. A new player is introduced as an advocate for the Glades, Alderman Sebastian Blood. He is an activist for the victims of the quake and being set up for as an antagonist for Oliver. He has comic book connections (see below). In the island flashbacks Oliver copes with his first kill with Shado and Slade. They find a cave containing World War II Japanese soliders. Here Oliver finds a stone that he gives to Thea when he comes home. She gives it to Roy when she breaks up with him and asks him to get his life on track. Speaking of which the Hood tracks down Roy and convinces him to stop fighting in the Glades, but instead become his “eyes and ears” in the Glades. The episode leaves off with Laurel setting a trap to catch the Hood. We leave with Oliver surrounded by Police.
SPOILERS/NOTES/COMIC BOOK CONNECTIONS
Below I’m going to go into some source material things so SPOILERS ahead.
From left to right: Green Arrow: Year One writer Andy Diggle, actor David Ramsey (who plays John Diggle) with Jeff Lemire who is bringing John Diggle from the TV screen to comic book panels.
John Diggle. He was created for the TV sereis. His last name is a nod to Andy Diggle, who wrote my favorite Green Arrow story, Green Arrow: Year One. It gorgeous stylized art from the artist known as Jock. Diggle’s character has entered DC Comics this past month in Green Arrow #24 written by Jeff Lemire.
China White: She first appeared as the main villain in Green Arrow: Year One (so good) by Andy Diggle.
Bronze Tiger: Ben Turner is is a character that first appeared in a prose novel called Dragon’s Fists, written by Dennis O’Neil and Jim Berry. He first appeared in comic books in Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter #1. Turner started out as an anti-hero and became brainwashed and forced to commit criminal. Later in his career he is deprogrammed more of a straight on hero. I hope to see him take more of a hero role in future issues.
Alderman Sebastian Blood: He is a character in DC Comics known as Brother Blood. He was created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez and first appeared in New Teen Titans vol. 1 #21 – 22. He is currently appearing in Animal Man written by current Green Arrow scribe Jeff Lemire.
Roy Harper: Roy Harper’s first appeared at the same time as Oliver Queen the Green Arrow did, in More Fun Comics #73 way back in 1941. After Roy’s father, a park ranger, died in a fire, he was raised by Brave Bow, a Navajo medicine chief. During this time Roy became a remarkable archer. After Brave Bow’s death, Roy was adopted by Oliver Queen and became his sidekick Speedy. Roy went on to join the a group of sidekicks called the Teen Titans lead by Batman’s sidekick Robin. During the 1970s he went down a troubled path when he became addicted to heroin in Green Lantern #85 – 86. He had an affair with a super-villain Cheshire, which resulted in him becoming a single father at a young age. He eventually changes his code name to Arsenal and eventually Red Arrow and then back again to Arsenal. Don’t ask. He seems to have as much trouble with names as DC Entertainment. If you’re looking for some good Roy Harper reading I would suggest the one-shot Batman plus Arsenal #1 and the 1998 mini-series Arsenal. Both are written by Devin Grayson and take place during a time where Oliver Queen is dead. Currently Roy is appearing in Red Hood and the Outlaws.
Written by Dave Tomko. Check out Dave’s site, newearth2.com.
