Using a Batman villain does nothing to convince me that this is a Batman show with "Green Arrow" pasted in the Dark Knight's place. Not really interested in seeing that
Okay, that's a lie; someone does actually say that Arrow has "comic book origins" once near the end of this three-minute featurette on the CW's new superhero show. But if you had no idea that Arrow was based on Green Arrow, the long-running comic published by DC, you would never find out from this video, which seems to be to be... unfortunate. Moreover, listen to what everybody says in this thing, and then think about how many of sentences could easily have been replaced with "Pretty much like Batman." I'd say the video would last no more than a minute, tops, don't you think? (Via Nerd Bastards)
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@dragonmyace Actually, the show's executive producer said he's trying to figure out a way to get it in there that will work. realistically. As someone who cosplays Green Arrow and actually built a boxing glove arrow, I can tell you that getting one to fly is tricky.
What is this, 1980s? Are people regressing back to the days when it's not acceptable or "cool" to have any ties nerdy properties in mass media? Are the jocks taking over while we were sleeping?
WE HAVE A BILLION DOLLARS-IN-PROFIT COMIC BOOK MOVIE, FOR GOD'S SAKE!!
We have kids who could recite the plot to the Avengers by heart! We have 57-year-old ladies who thinks Loki needs some serious grief counseling! So I have to ask: DAFUQ is WRONG with all of you at CW?!
@NeoRickicker What's wrong is that the show's producers are basing this off of the more realistic takes on Green Arrow (Longbow Hunters, the excellent Mike Grell run, Andy Diggle's Green Arrow: Year One) rather than the more fanciful Green Arrow stories of the past decade (Cry for Justice, Brightest Day and the New 52 GA book) . Given the level of quality of A compared to B, I can live with them trying to sell this show as more of an action/adventure piece than a superhero show because ultimately, Green Arrow is an action/adventure concept that occasionally features superpowers.
I'm not one of those people who gets offended by the derision held toward comic books in general, but it still amazes me how quick producers are to buy up the license for a comic book property and make lots of money off of it, yet dismiss its inherent value. That would be like the producers of the Harry Potter films saying their giant, successful movies were only "inspired by a children's book" and that Harry and his friends as "gifted, but not magical."
@pjperez They aren't dismissing the comic book angle. They're basing this on a particular take on the character that was darker and more realistic, that was used in the character's original solo series and his most recent origin story.
@starmanmatt1 @pjperez Yeah ... except that "particular take" was also called "Green Arrow" and it was a COMIC BOOK.
Either way, let's not kid ourselves: There's nothing "realistic" about a dude dressed like Robin Hood fighting crime with bows and arrows and not getting killed on his first night out.
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Now, I realize that the likelihood of anyone connected with the production of this show actually reading this blog is pretty remote, but I have to try:
Fellas,
I know you've been condition by film school - or whatever - to believe there is something perjorative in the word "superhero", and you've probably never read "Watchmen" or "The Dark Knight" or "God Loves, Man Kills", and you've probably been working 16-hour days putting this show together, so you may have missed The Avengers grossing 600,000,000 dollars at the box office this summer, but you might not want to try so very very hard to distance yourself from the "superhero" genre that seems to frighten you so much. Let me just leave you with this little statistic:
Smallville: embraced the conventions of the superhero genre - broadcast for 10 years.
No Ordinary Family: ran like scared little girls from the conventions of the superhero genre: broadcast for 10 episodes.
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I don't know guys...maybe this is the hero the CW deserves...but not the one it needs right now...
I think the problem is that they air it on the CW, which is for the same kind of people who watch MTV's Cribs. They don't want to associate anything with comic books because it is uncool.
Either that, or WB is just plain stupid about their superhero properties.
Yeah. It's definitely the second one.
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"There are no capes. There are no super-villains cackling maniacally."
Oh well. Just when I was ready to relent and give (not Green) Arrow a shot, here they go and piss all over comic books and (by extension) comic book fans. Well, fuck you too.
I don't have a strong connection to Green Arrow -- the character or the comic book -- but I hate this attitude. It's worse than being embarrassed about the source material. They're implying that viewers should be, too. That it's grown-up, not like that comic book stuff.
Funny how Nolan's Dark Knight has capes and super-villains cackling manically, and yet I don't think that's any less "real" or modern. It sure is a lot less insulting.
Also, Avengers anyone? Made some money, I hear? People liked it? You could certainly do worse than get that kind of viewership, and I don't think that was accomplished by patronizing the audience.
Hey MyVoiceNation
Someone just managed to piss
me off more than you
@gagagalvatron Except Green Arrow, at it's best, was never about maniacally cackling villains. It was about one man standing up to face the evils that the other superheroes missed BECAUSE they were focusing on mad scientists and monsters. Green Arrow went after the criminals who hid behind the mask of authority, occasionally getting dragged into the "save the world" stuff. He went after corrupt politicians, dirty cops and everyone who generally tried to screw other people over in the name of a fast buck.
@starmanmatt1Are you seriously trying to argue that not-Green Arrow with his non-costume and non-Dinah girlfriend in not-Star City is somehow going to be faithful to the comics that they just stated they are so far beyond now? Really?
It's great that you're saying this. Why aren't they? They'd have time if they weren't so busy hiding or burying everything too comic-y.
Enjoy the show. I will be not-watching.
His bow still seems small to me. I'm not into archery or anything, but does that look like a kid-sized bow to anyone else?
@mosben Looks like a normal modern recurve to me but if you're used to seeing longbows (Robin Hood, I think Braveheart) it's going to look smaller.
@greenepony @mosben Like I said, I'm certainly no expert, but my quick Google search turned up images that make it seem like the bottom of the bow should be around his mid to upper thigh, with the top of the bow ending several inches above his head. The bow in the picture looks smaller than that to me, but maybe it's just a weird angle or something.
@starmanmatt1 @greenepony Regardless, if they don't have someone in the show comment about his bow size, they're missing an easy joke.
@mosben @greenepony I figure he has a smaller bow with a more powerful draw weight. Give the size of your average longbow, something that could be easily concealed/slung onto the body would be more effective.
I don't mind pushing the part where he is just a well trained dude fighting crime. That is what Green Arrow is. That said there is a bit of denial about what universe he exists in. That will be problematic. I will give it a try, but I don't have a lot of hopes now. We shall see though.
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I agree with you Rob. Not only do they seem to be avoiding the fact that this is a comic book story, they seem to be trying to put as much distance between comic books and their show as they can. A lot of lines jumped out at me. For example: "he's a hero, not a super hero," "there's no capes, no super villains," etc. It seems strange to me that a channel that gets it's source material from books like the Vampire Diaries would be ashamed of pulling something out of comics, especially since their last comics show did pretty well.
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Is it just me? Or does it seem like CW is ashamed that "Arrow" is based of a comic book property?
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@KagatoAMV Yups, exactly. A story about a superhero but we are embarrassed to be connected to the comic book, the publisher of said comic book, and the color green, and anything else associated in any way, shape, or form with the original property. Sounds like a winner to me.
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@Nicnac @KagatoAMV Throw in the usual dramance that all their shows revolve around and we got us another CW hit.
Now if you will excuse me I need a mint cause I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.
@Anonymouse He's Kick-Ass? No, he's rich. Oh, he's Batman. No, he has a bow and arrow. Oh, he's Hawkeye. No. He's not Green Arrow is he? NO!
You just know there is probably some weird, asinine legal reason they can't say Green Arrow despite it being obvious.
I'll give the show a try if I can remember it (almost never watches CW). Looks like it might be interesting.
surprised dc is letting the cw not call him green arrow for surely the show would help sell the comic if fans thought it was tied to the show. but just proves that the cw once again really should not be allowed to try and bring dc properties to tv if they are going to not want to also see the marketing oppurtunity for the source material.
@demoncat_4 I believe the reason they took Green out of the name was because they didn't want it to be confused with two other superhero properties that just had films in the past year and - coincidentally - bombed. I don't know if the decision was because some marketing weasel decided that people don't like the color Green (shades of the "nobody likes Mars" argument that turned Disney's A Princess of Mars into Disney's John Carter) or if they decided that the general public wouldn't be able to tell Green Arrow from Green Lantern or Green Hornet. I do know casual comic fans who can't tell Green Arrow from Green Hornet (seriously - I had someone ask where Kato was in all seriousness at a Con once when I was dressed as Green Arrow) so I can see them worrying about all the non-readers out there getting confused.
@starmanmatt1 can see your point on some exec thinking some one would confuse green arrow with lantern and hornet because all have green in their names and non readers may think oh they are continuing the movie s though hopefuly dc fans will be able to know its the guy who shoots arrows.
At least they have the color green stand out in a lot of the scenes, I guess that's something.
Wow. I can't believe how much you are covering this turd-in-the-making and didn't even do a movie review of DREDD, let alone a simple post telling people it was out the week it was released.
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So...90 Quatloos says that DC interrupts the GA comics story to revamp everyone's looks to be more in line with the show, which makes it to print not more than two weeks before the show's cancellation is announced.
@Ranchoth Given the state of the Green Arrow comic in the New 52, they could hardly do worse than retconning it to be based on this show.
