Arrow Comic Series #4 Review


Will You Ever Be Free?
Arrow improves upon its formula in the fourth issue of the comic series, which includes 'Caged', 'Huntress Year One' and 'Limbo'. 'Caged' explores Oliver's darker impulses as a result of his time on the island; 'Huntress Year One' provides us with a fleshed out origin story for Helena as she trains to become a killer; and 'Limbo' sees Oliver struggle with memories of his past as he attempts to take down a triad shipment.
'Caged' introduces Monty Cora a.k.a. Deathride as an hugely imposing contract killer that Oliver takes down in an undercover fighting ring. Diggle narrates much of this story which is a nice change and I liked seeing his analysis of Oliver's rage and need to prove himself. Additionally, Oliver's fighting costume was cool and it was nice to see another name crossed off the list off-screen.
The second story in this issue once again included the Huntress and was, again, the highlight of the issue. I find it surprising since her character does nothing for me on screen, but in the comics Helena fits perfectly. It was satisfying to witness her true origins and how she trained, which included dark moments such as when Helena admits to having to sleep with people to progress through the ranks. The story ends where 'Muse of Fire' begins in the TV show, which nicely ties up the origin of the Huntress with a bow.
Finally, 'Limbo' derives its name from the fact that Oliver is still haunted by his past - trapped in a depressing limbo from which he can't seem to escape. We see his current crusade hampered by his memories mid-mission and it's nice to see a flaw in our titular character. The triad plot was straight forward and felt like deja vu, but the emotional implications of the story carried weight and helped the comic convey more meaning than its story perhaps deserved.
Overall, issue four is a marked improvement on all that has come  before and without a doubt my favourite issue of this comic series so far. Here's to hoping the series continues to produce quality like this moving forwards.

 STARRING: Deathride, The Huntress

 RATING: 8/10

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