Arrow #3 Review

DC's tie-in to the Arrow TV series plays out pretty much like you'd expect. It provides an interesting exploration of various key characters in the show, but there's little incentive for non-viewers to check out this comic.

Kicking off this second collection of digital shorts is a new tale from writer Lana Cho. This segment carries the most immediate and obvious potential, as Cho explores Diggle's past as a military man before he returned to Starling City. This material would be ripe for a complete issue in itself, if not an entire mini-series. So unfortunately, the limited space doesn't do that story full justice. Still, it's an interesting look at the character and an illustration of why he's worthy to join Ollie's crusade (arguably more worthy than Ollie himself). Additionally, Eric Nguyen's artwork is a highlight, providing a gritty but slightly stylized take on modern military drama.

The second tale from writer Wendy Mericle focuses on Moira Queen and her efforts to salvage the wreckage of The Queen's Gambit. This is an especially useful addition to the Arrow mythos, as I've never really been sure what to make of Moira on the show. It's difficult to connect with a character who may have willingly sent her husband and son to their deaths. This segment casts her in a more sympathetic light as it fleshes out the relationship she has to Malcolm Merlyn and the precarious situation that places her family in. The one annoyance is the constant references to "him" throughout the story. I assume this segment was published before Malcolm's debut on the show, and the mystery angle feels really forced in retrospect. The art in this segment is suitably moody, though Sergio Sandoval relies too much on close-up shots.

Rounding out the issue is a segment from Cho and Ben Sokolowski. This portion reads like Arrow in microcosm, as it manages to breeze through the general structure of an episode in a mere handful of pages. It works surprisingly well in these limited confines, showcasing Ollie and Diggle carrying out an international mission. Mike Grell's art serves the story well. It's grim and finely textured, though certain panels feel a bit cramped. This is one instance where the smaller digital format might have been a hindrance. This segment also suffers from the same horrible Ollie monologue that plagues so many episodes of the show. I've often wondered if those monologues might play out better on the printed page than spoken aloud. The answer is no, no they don't.

Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

Source : ign[dot]com