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OK, I’ll admit it. When I first heard the CW was making a TV show based on Green Arrow, I was worried. Especially the way Smallville just totally screw up the character. It left a bad taste in my mouth. Hell, I even wrote an impassioned article to the producers on how not to screw it up (Which you can still read HERE).

Then, thanks to the CW, I got an advanced copy of the pilot of ARROW, and I was just blown away. Just from this one episode, I could tell that they really nailed the character. And it got me hooked. I haven’t missed one episode since it’s been on. It’s definitely my favorite new show of this season.

One of the things I love most about ARROW is all the little “Easter Eggs” they put into the show, that only geeks like me, would pick up on them. I hear or see one of them, and I get all fanboy giddy. And the way the producers have adapted the characters from the comic books to the world of ARROW has been amazing.

For example, in the TV show, Felicity Smoak is an IT guru that helps Oliver hack into computers. In the comics she was the step-mother of Firestorm and manager of a computer software company. And then there are little things like mentioning Nightwing’s old town of Blüdhaven and the Flash’s hometown of Central City. Heck in episode 21, “The Undertaking”, Oliver’s parents mention coming back from a party being thrown by Ted Kord, who’s the Blue Beetle in the comics. I love it!

And now the season is almost over, with the finale airing on May 15th. But thankfully, it’s been picked up for a second season. So now I have to wait until the fall to see what new “Easter Eggs” the producers will add.

But it got me thinking about what characters I’d like to see appear in ARROW. So I came up with a top 10 list, keeping in mind that the world of ARROW has no superpowers:

  1. Brick  photo brick.jpg – Now Brick’s name (Danny Brickwell) has been shown on the list Oliver carries around with him. In the comics Brick pretty much lives up to his name. Invulnerable skin and super strength. For the ARROW version of him he can still use the name of Brick. Just use a muscular and huge actor to portray him. Just no superpowers. Still intimidating though.
  2. Calculator  photo calculator.jpg – In the comics, the Calculator is a hacker and information broker for the villains. This character would be a perfect foil for Felicity. Pit one hacker against another. It totally works.
  3. Richard Dragon  photo richarddragon.jpg – So far on ARROW, it’s been a slow build up on what happened on the island Oliver was stranded on for 5 years. We are just now starting to show how he learned to use a bow, but what about his fighting skills? Make Richard Dragon one of the prisoners on the island. Oliver frees him, and to show his gratitude, Dragon teaches him hand-to-hand combat
  4. Jefferson Pierce  photo blacklightning-1.jpg – In the comics Pierce is actually the superhero Black Lightning. But in his civilian identity he’s a school teacher. Since it’s been established that Oliver’s sister, Thea, is still in school, you can have him as one of her teachers. You don’t need a whole big story wrapped around him, just a cameo and one of those great “Easter Eggs”.
  5. Tom Tresser  photo nemesis.jpg – He’s a government agent and master of disguise  codenamed Nemesis. The government agency A.R.G.U.S. is a part of the ARROW universe. Just have Tresser as a member of the agency. Or make him an old army buddy of Diggle.
  6. Double Dare  photo DoubleDare.jpg – Double Dare consists of a pair of sisters, which are thieves who are also the star acrobatic performers of a Cirque du Soleil type of show, using their acrobatic skills to commit their crimes. Instead of Oliver going after someone on his hit list, he can cross paths with these 2 thieves.
  7. Johnny Walden  photo johnnywalden.jpg – In the comics, Walden was introduced in the famous Green Lantern/Green Arrow story arc by Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams, Hard Traveling Heroes. He was a Dylan like protest singer. Again, like Pierce, you don’t need to center an entire episode around him. You can have something silly like Thea saying she’s going to the Johnny Walden concert.
  8. Onomatopoeia  photo onomatopoeia.jpg – This is too creepy and weird of a character not to have him on ARROW. The definition of onomatopoeia is the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (as buzz, hiss). In the comics Onomatopoeia is a serial killer that only speaks in those sounds. The producers originally wanted him on ARROW, but the character’s creator Kevin Smith said it would be impossible to do on screen, and the producers agreed. Personally, I have to disagree. I think he’d work. But then again, I never had to create a TV show.
  9. Hal Jordan  photo haljordan.jpg – Yes, the one true Green Lantern. Now I’m saying Hal and not Green Lantern. I love the bond in the comics between Green Lantern and Green Arrow, and would love to see that on the show. No superpowers, just have Hal as a pilot like he is in the comics.
  10. The Question  photo question.jpg – Seriously, did anyone who knows me, not see that one coming? The Question would work perfectly in the world of ARROW. In his 1987 series by Denny O’Neil, no one ever actually calls him the Question, which is similar in ARROW where Green Arrow is never referred by that name. All I ask is that the producers keep his faceless mask! I did read one of producers, Marc Guggenheim’s Twitter post, that he really wants the Question to appear on ARROW. WOO!

So that’s my top 10 characters I’d like to appear in ARROW in one form or another. Now if they don’t appear does that mean I’m not going to keep watching? Hell no! This show is just way too good.

The new fall TV season just can’t get here fast enough.

By Brian Isaacs - Executive Editor / Publisher

An avid comic collector/reader for over 50 years and self-proclaimed professor of comicology, Brian originally started up the site Pendragon's Post to share his voice. Well, that voice has been shared and evolved into The Fanboy Factor. Brian is an advocate for remembering comic roots, and that we don't forget what was created in the past, and encourage everyone to read it as well. When not swimming in geek culture, he can be seen corrupting..introducing his young son to comics, much to his wife's chagrin.

2 thoughts on “Four Color Comments: 10 Characters For Season 2 Of Arrow”
  1. These are great choices. Not too sure how Hal would fit into the story as Diggle is already filling that “buddy” role, but the others seem like natural inclusions.

    1. I grew up with the Hal/Ollie team. I would just love to see them together in some way.

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