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Just Another Weapon In His Arsenal. Roy finally got the chance to take centre stage this week for the first time in season three as a mysterious killer tried to set up Ted Grant. I love that the show-runners chose to centre an episode on both Roy and Ted as they are excellent peripheral characters who deserved their time to shine. Ted Grant's story unfolded in the foreground, as his apprentice Isaac Stanzler returned to exact revenge on the mentor who failed him. It was an interesting plot which revealed the truth behind Grant's vigilante past and resulted in both the Ted/Laurel and Oliver/Roy relationships developing in positive ways. I only wish we had got the chance to see Grant suit up, as that would have been the icing on the cake! Roy's journey this week felt slightly rushed, but was also a chance to let Colton Haynes flex his acting repertoire. It was hard watching our beloved sidekick realise he had murdered an innocent man and I really can't remember how ...

Hacktivism. Felicity took the forefront this episode as she was forced to face her past demons. 'The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak' took a slightly different approach this week, as we delved into Felicity's past life as a hacktivist in college. Its a fun concept and great to finally learn more about the super hacker's past, made all the better by the way the writers make the focus feel natural by connecting it with the present day story-line. It all comes together fluidly to create an entertaining watch, although some may be disappointed by the lack of further progression in the main plot. After seeing Ra's in the closing moments of 'The Magician', it seems strange to not feature him in this episode. In terms of content however, this episode was certainly interesting. I loved the idea that the bad guy was Felicity's supposedly dead ex-boyfriend (let's face it, anyone who is dead in the Arrowverse is basically still probably able to return at ...

Oliver Queen Courts War. The Magician is back in Starling. Malcolm Merlyn returned this episode as we finally got to see Ra's al Ghul and understand why he and Oliver are to be at odds for the next 18 episodes. Yes, as it turns out Malcolm Merlyn is the reason for tensions between Team Arrow and the League of Assassins. Oliver struggles against his inner desires as Malcolm returns to Starling with a vengeful Nyssa in tow. He is forced to choose between saving Thea's father or putting an arrow in his arch-nemesis, a conflict which Amell portrays admirably well and the show addresses maturely. Ultimately, through choosing to protect Merlyn, he has earned the wrath of the League and Ra's himself, a move which quickens the pace of the series as our rolling conflict begins. Elsewhere, Laurel descended into traditionally irritating roles this week, with her anger towards Malcolm translating into fits of rage and stroppy behaviour, which only furthered my distaste for the ch...

A Good Teacher. Team Arrow took a vacation this week as Oliver, Dig and Roy travelled to Corto Maltese to bring Thea home in an episode which was entertaining, if a bit empty. The core plot was thin, as clearly the main push in this episode was the reintegration of Thea (Willa Holland). To validate a trip to Corto Maltese, the showrunners devised the concept of a rogue A.R.G.U.S. agent attempting to sell agents identities (a plot thoroughly well tread, in films such as Mission: Impossible ), however the whole event feels rushed and unnecessary. The only benefit of this adventure was watching Diggle take centre stage once more, a position he consistently thrives in. No, the most important aspect of this episode was Oliver and Roy reconciling with Thea, who has spent five months on a remote island training with Malcolm Merlyn, who Team Arrow still believe is dead. I liked that for once it was Thea withholding secrets from her brother, rather than the other way around, and the...

More Out Of Life. 'Sara' was always going to struggle to top the series three premier, but episode two provided some powerful emotional arcs along with some major developments in Team Arrow. The overriding plot of this episode centred on the fallout following the death of Sara at the end of 'The Calm'. The episode smartly began with the contrast between the blissfully unaware members of Team Arrow and the broken figure of Laurel quivering next to Sara's corpse, spread out on a table. From here, the episode developed into a cross between murder mystery and the pains of losing a loved one. The combination felt slightly unusual, but came together to create a solid instalment in the Arrowverse, even if the plot led to nothing in the end when it was revealed that Komodo hadn't killed Sara. Speaking of, Simon Lacroix a.k.a. Komodo was criminally underused in his Arrowverse debut (which to this day sadly remains his only appearance in the shared universe). S...

A Man Cannot Live By Two Names. Arrow  returned for season three in a big way with 'The Calm', as relationships changed and new threats and mysteries arose.  Picking up months after the Siege, we see a well-oiled Team Arrow taking out a criminal truck, showcasing Arsenal in his brand new (incredibly bad-ass) costume in the field with Dig and the Arrow. It's an explosive introduction and sets the pace from the start. I enjoyed seeing what the group dynamic would be like during a time of relative peace, although naturally this was disturbed repeatedly throughout the episode. Werner Zytle posed the threat in episode one, as he assumed the mantle of Vertigo and went around taking over Starling's criminal network. Vertigo was an entertaining villain and certainly an upgrade on Seth Gabel's interpretation of the character. I liked how the writers used him as a plot device to highlight Oliver's worst fear - himself. It might have been cliche, but it was a nice id...

Run, Barry, Run. Following his introduction in Arrow season two, Barry Allen a.k.a. the Flash finally gets his proper Arrowverse debut in the first episode of The Flash  season one and it is a solid debut for the Scarlet Speedster. Picking up slightly prior to the fateful lightning strike but just after the events of 'Three Ghosts', the show establishes Barry's position as a CSI along with his relationships to foster father Joe, love interest Iris and idol Harrison Wells within the first few minutes. We then travel through time to the day Barry awakens from his coma (which he spent most of Arrow  season two stuck under) to discover his city racked with changes. I enjoyed this angle on the beginning of the Flash's journey, as it acted as a great entrance for newcomers whilst also respecting those of us who have already seen Barry's transformation in Arrow . From here, events transpire rapidly as Barry discovers his powers and becomes acquainted with what will b...

I Am The Arrow. Oliver shakes off his past and embraces his identity as a hero in the closing chapters of Arrow Season 2.5 ; 'Reckoning' sees Oliver question his quest as Caleb Green delivers a morbid message on his deathbed, whilst 'Prologue' brings the series right up to the beginning of Season 3 as Oliver strives to prove himself... to himself. 'Reckoning' kicks things off in this final issue, with Green's dramatic death and one more evil speech. I like how much it really struck a chord with Oliver as we see him struggling to focus after the incident. Felicity's speech was really cool and actually not that cheesy for once as well, which was a pleasant change. It probably helped that it was accompanied by a sweet montage of Team Arrow destroying gangbangers across Starling City. The other focus here was Sara, who after a brief steamy encounter with Nyssa journeys to Starling to take out Malcolm Merlyn, only for the latter to knock her out at the s...

Oliver Queen Is Dead. Caleb Green and Oliver Queen finally have their dramatic showdown in this issue, which consisted of two stories as per usual; 'Home' featured both Ollie and Malcolm experiencing unwanted guests in their houses, whilst 'Recompense' showed the epic battle between Green and Queen as a burning mansion collapses around them. 'Home' is more of a set-up episode for this confrontation. Laurel is kidnapped and makes a great joke about how often she gets broken into, which has been a common trope and inadvertent running gag throughout the first two seasons. This then leads to a war of the words between Ollie and Green, which is fairly standard villain victory talk which leaves Green feeling undeveloped and two dimensional. The best part of this chapter was seeing Malcolm come under threat from the League, which again sets up the conflicts that will play out in Arrow  season 3. The follow up chapter, 'Recompense', depicts the set-piece s...

Finally, A Fair Fight. Deathstroke makes his triumphant return in #10 of Arrow: Season 2.5, in the first of two stories called 'Promises', whilst in 'The Gift' we see Quentin return to work and Green targets Laurel to get to Oliver. 'Promises' is without a doubt the better of the two chapters, as Oliver and Roy travel to Lian Yu to visit Slade Wilson! I loved the whole interaction between Oliver and Roy, as I could practically hear Manu Bennett calling Oliver 'kid' and undermining him repeatedly. The fight was cool as well, and proved that Slade is still a major threat even without mirakuru flowing through his veins. One of the coolest parts of this story also was the mention of Oliver's time in both Hong Kong and Russia, elements which I didn't realise were mentioned prior to season 3. The second chapter, 'The Gift', is a more straightforward and dull affair. I loved seeing Quentin return to work and get a promotion (he bloody dese...

He Took Everything. Caleb Green returns on a murderous rampage in Arrow: Seasons 2.5 #9, which consists of two chapters; in 'Echo' Oliver wraps up a business meeting with Walter, only to be assaulted by Green outside of Queen Consolidated, a fight which is finished off in 'Vengeance' when Roy jumps in to save Oliver from the crazed attacker. 'Echo' begins by reiterating Green's vendetta against the Queens, although it felt unnecessary as we have seen it many times before already in this series. It was fun seeing Oliver adapt and take on Green with a hockey mask and bat. The only issue I had was with Green's over-the-top bad guy speech, which just was slightly too ridiculous for me. Ollie and Roy joke about this in 'Vengeance', which I appreciated as a piece of meta-humour on the industry. This chapter resulted in Roy rescuing the Arrow and Felicity ordering the police to let the vigilantes go, which was a nice nod to when Captain Lance orde...

What Justice Requires. Arrow Season 2.5  produced its finest issue yet as the 'Blood' story arc reached its conclusion. The finale featured two chapters; 'Choice' detailed the epic showdown between the Arrow, Arsenal, the Huntress and the Renegades, whilst 'Flames' saw Brother Blood make his last stand. In 'Choice', our heroes take on the ragtag band of villains in an awesome fight. Lock-Up was particularly devastating, taking out Roy and Oliver in a display of his electrical powers. His ultimatum at the end, along with Oliver's choice, was a good cliffhanger too. A decision that was blindingly obvious after reading the following issue. Said issue, 'Flames', was the eventful finale. The Huntress was able to finally have a good story arc, recognising her wrongdoings and accepting that she deserved to sit out her sentence. Also she was surprisingly mature with Felicity, which again made me like her character more (way more than her TV app...

You're Gonna Need Backup. After the focus on the Suicide Squad last week, we return to Oliver's war against the Church of Blood. Once again there are two stories; in 'Assault' the Arrow and Arsenal go on the hunt for Felicity, whilst in 'Assurances' Roy turns to Lyla for backup when the Arrow takes on Brother Blood and the Renegades single-handed. We also get an epilogue to the 'Crisis in Khandaq' story-line. In 'Assault', we get out first proper team-up mission for the Arrow and Arsenal, as they track Felicity. Brother Blood tries to blow the pair up, before taking Oliver hostage. It's straight-forward plotting and merely serves to bring us back to Starling and its problems following the detour to Khandaq. The next chapter is much more eventful, as in 'Assurances' we learn that it was Oliver's plan to get captured and he wanted Roy to get backup, which he does in the dramatic ACTUAL return of the Huntress! A few issues ago,...

Miscellaneous Expenses. The Arrow: Season 2.5  comic series picked up the pace in #5 with it's continuation of the 'Blood' storyline; 'Transitions' sees Caleb Green escape from the Church of Blood in order to kill Oliver Queen, whilst in 'Gone' Oliver finally realises that Felicity has been taken and enlists the recently awoken Roy to help him rescue her. The 'Crisis in Khandaq' feels close to boiling over, as Diggle replaces pregnant Lyla on the mission and joins the crew at the helicopter. 'Transitions' is a particularly eventful chapter. In it, we see Oliver dreaming of Thea killing him, whilst at the same time Malcolm trains Thea in his house in Corto Maltese, further evidence that she is going to transform into Speedy in the coming seasons. Additionally, Sara enlists Quentin's help to track a target for the League of Assassins and Roy wakes from his coma. All-in-all, it was a great chapter which began a number of story-lines and...

The Fun Is About To Begin. Arrow's Season 2.5  comic series continues with two more chapters in the 'Blood' arc; 'Haunted' sees Oliver face off against figures from his past as he trips on vertigo, whilst in 'Awakenings' Sara returns to rescue Oliver and Team Arrow vow to fight back. In 'Crisis in Khandaq', Ravan Nassar is recruited to the Squad whilst Deadshot and Bronze Tiger train at ARGUS. 'Haunted' is an emotional chapter, where Oliver is forced to contend with his demons after Werner Zytle injects him with vertigo. I liked how Zytle popped up here as I know he is going to reappear as the first antagonist of season 3. Also, it was nice seeing the return of familiar faces including Robert, Moira, Tommy and Slade. We learn about Oliver's self doubts, as his ghosts speak his greatest fears and his failures. Whilst this emotion-driven chapter is interesting, it ultimately doesn't move the story forward in any meaningful way. In...