Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Superhero Media: Arrow - Season 2

Oliver Queen is Batman. No really, in the second season of Arrow, Oliver Queen battles corporate takeovers, the League of Assassins and a cadre of lunatics escaped from Blackgate prison. So if you were hoping for a well-groomed beard and Socialist propaganda, Arrow may disappoint. On the other hand, the major villain for the series is Deathstroke, which is pretty cool, if only because I love the idea that the Australian Intelligence services have a team of elite assassins with two-tone masks and a thing for swords. Unlike season one, the idea of Oliver actually being a damn superhero is engaged with gradually as season two progresses, with him donning a mask, adopting an alter-ego and even taking on partners and sidekicks. 

Season two of Arrow feels like a transition, almost as if the nerds that write the programme are undertaking to have it slowly turn into the comic book Green Arrow by such minimal degrees that no one who originally tuned in for shirtless hot dudes even notices. Whilst very few of the super villains actually get a name-check, there is such a level of winking and artifice that Brother Blood, Solomon Grundy and Bronze Tiger are pretty damn easy to spot. Plus there's the Suicide Squad and a Harley Quinn cameo that goes nowhere. 

Also, Amanda Waller is skinny, which is a bit annoying. Personally, I found season two of Arrow less enjoyable than the first, despite the increased level of superheroism, but the programme is changing into something that looks pretty interesting. I'm just hoping that the love triangle bullshit fades into the background and we get some god damn boxing glove arrows. Also Oliver needs some green tights. 

No comments:

Post a Comment