Arrow is not the new Smallville (fortunately)

When I first heard about the show Arrow I immediately imagined it as a pseudo-spin off of the character who appeared in Smallville, which sucked. Both sucked. Smallville was a great opportunity to explore the origins of Superman but quickly degenerated in a poorly acted soap opera which took place in the same sets and between the same characters. Lana Lang was not red-haired, Pete Ross was Black, Martha Kent flirted with Lex's father, Lana slept with Lex, Chloe was hateful and the writers run out of absurd super heroic impersonations (the blur, the Matrix black suit...).

Throughout the episodes, the show introduced different heroes but Superman, such as an acceptable Aquaman, a childish thief as The Flash, Cyborg, a black Martian Manhunter, a Canadian Supergirl, a super powered Lana Lang and Green Arrow. Green Arrow was the one who appeared the most. During some seasons, it become a Green Arrow show with Clark Kent as a guest star. He even got the hot Lois Lane. I hate when they do this things, and it has not been the first time. In the three part episode World's Finest from Superman: the Animated Series, Bruce Wayne dated Lois Lane. They should treat with a little more respect the character of Lois Lane, instead of writing her as a total slut who eventually will end up with Superman. They never do it backwards, anyway. Why Superman or a young Clark Kent has never hooked up with Selina Kyle or Black Canary?

What I wanted to say is my expectations were to low when WB announced a Green Arrow show. They got even lower when I saw the advertisements with the green eye make-up. Seriously? That is going to be the mask? Is that enough to fool everyone? Is an action hero supposed to move always looking down with the chin inserted into his chest so that his head remains covered by his hood? That is the big plan to cover his identity? Is it forbidden to use a mask? Is the cheap make-up more realistic or nolanish?

Notwithstanding the above, a couple of months ago I started with the first season and I was glad to be completely wrong. First of all, the cast is quite good. Stephen Amell was a great choice, even too good. At first, I regretted WB did not cast him as The Flash or even Aquaman. I mean, I had never read a Green Arrow comic and barely knew the character, and I would have preferred him to interpret a more well-known hero. Now I am glad they are making a Green Arrow show because otherwise I would have never approached the character. It is still is a cheap version of Batman dressed in green and shooting arrows instead of batarangs, but it perfectly works for a tv show. The plots are not as simple or absurd as those from Smallville or other shows. The Lost-style flashbacks work perfectly to understand the transformation of Oliver Queen.

All this has really drawn my attention and now I am looking forward to broaden my knowledge on Green Arrows adventures. I will probably purchase some of the Neal Adams and Dennis O'Neil classic team-ups with Green Lantern and the trade paperbacks of The New 52's version of this character.