Cat Pack Comics

Scott Snyder (w); Greg Capullo (a)

I would be totally fine with Endgame being just a six issue smackdown of Batman vs. the Justice League, because not only is that just a cool concept, but goddamn is it cool to see Capullo draw a real superhero battle royale like that. But it's not, and after the battle, we're subjected to more story, which is cool, too, since Snyder is a great writer as well. I love his take on Batman/Joker relationship (spurned lover is a cool twist) and it's great to see new Joker content in the comics, as always. 

I am a little worried now that this will fall into the same pattern as some of the previous arcs, and this seems a little present towards the latter part of this issue, only because the build up and dialogue is so cool. Snyder builds up plots fantastically well, and the suspense is always nerve wracking (even more so when it's the Joker), but I'm really hoping, based on Joker's monologue at the end, that this lives up to what he makes it sounds like it'll be. I know it's comics, so the chances of DC killing off one of it's greatest heroes or villains is pretty slim (especially since there was no grand ad campaign for it), but I dunno, something better happen. I was only half caught off guard by the twist at the end, only because the whole time before the reveal, I was thinking that that dude has the exact same hair as the Joker. Still pretty cool, though.

I think I've said this before, but I feel like I'm running out of things to say about Capullo's art because I like it so much that I just end up repeating myself. The way that he draws the Joker leaves me wondering what exactly is even up with his face, and I hope that's the intention. He looks like he could have had his face cut off at some point, but at the same time, this is the first non-non-face Joker by Capullo that we've seen, and it looks like that could just be his face. Again, I don't know if this was the intention or if we'll ever get an explanation, but I thought it was purty neat nonetheless.

They need to knock off the second stories and just do full issues of the main story, plz.

GRADE: 3.44 Batmans out of 5 (8.44 out of 10)

Well, shit.

Well, SHIT.

I mean, we all know the show is called "Arrow" and it's about Oliver Queen, so he's not really dead (right? ....RIGHT?!), but goddamn did I gasp like a baby back bitch when Ra's drove that sword through his chest.

The climax wasn't the only part that made this an amazing episode, though it did help. This episode saw the return of a few minorer characters, like Not Talia and the beloved (by me) Malcolm Merlyn, but we also finally got some real time with Ra's himself, played excellently by Matt Nable. I really liked his demeanor throughout the episode, showing that he's going to be a different kind of big bad than Oliver has faced in the past. I'm also happy to see (again, finally) just where the show is going this season. At first, I thought the Sara's murder thing was just gonna be for a few episodes, not be the seasonal arc (I don't know why, maybe because episode 1 seemed to early to start it? But they pulled it off), but now that we've reached the break, I'm happy to be getting it now, and what a way to change the theme of the episode by revealing the murderer early on and focusing more on the repercussions on that. It was really cool to see Oliver wrestle with the reveal and confronting both Thea and Malcolm about it, then ultimately being the real hero he doesn't think he is and fight for his sister. And leave it to Malcolm to be able to convincingly say that he didn't kill Sara... because he just hypnotized his daughter into doing it for him. What a charming guy.

Even the flashbacks were a bit more interesting than usual this time, due in part to the reveal of Maseo being part of the League (another really cool touch). Having previously not cared too much about his character, I really enjoyed the role he played in the present day of kinda being against Oliver, yet still trying to get him out of the fight with Ra's. The cuts back to Oliver climbing the mountain throughout was a beautifully great way to set up the fight. Another great scene that amped up the intensity was Oliver confronting Ra's and saying he was the killer. That was a near perfect scene dialogue wise, and the tension was... tense. 

Ray Palmer update: Brandon Routh is still charming as shit, and also OMAC and ATOM both get namedropped! Whut whut!

This was a good year for trials by combat in TV... Okay, there were just two, but they were both amazingly done. The fight was beautifully choreographed and I thought the muting of the music as soon as the first strike (and what a fucking first strike that was) was made was an awesome choice. The pacing of the episode was very skillfully done as well, giving a decent amount of time to solving the mystery, the sideplots (like Ray and the ATOM exosuit, and Laurel and her mom), Oliver's goodbyes to his loved ones, and the brutal finale itself. He'll be back (please) in one form or another. I mean, this is a world with the Lazarus Pits, people, and I could see the show having Oliver struggle with the insanity that they cause (but hopefully it wouldn't be too identical to Roy's troubles with mirakuru. I don't know what else to say, I feel like I'm just repeating myself at this point because all I have to say about this episode is how great it was.

That's it! I'm off for a few weeks, but hey! So far I've kept up by the week (cutting it close a few times, but shh), and I'm pretty happy with that. Go me.

GRADE: 4.28 Batmans out of 5 (9.28 out of 10)

Following the footsteps of the previous night's awesome "Flash vs Arrow," "The Brave and the Bold" was, well, awesome.

I'm a big fan of the Suicide Squad, so bringing in Captain Boomerang as a former member of it was cool in my book. Oddly enough, I didn't really see him as being the foe that takes two superheroes to take down, since in the comics he's one of those joke villains, like Shocker or Paste Pot Pete (okay, maybe not as big of a joke as Paste Pot Pete). Nonetheless, the show version of Boomerang was definitely formidable, and the whole 5 bomb setup or stop me thing was a cool climax. I loved the way Barry handled the bombs with getting a little help from his friends, but even though I knew it wouldn't happen, could you imagine what it'd be like if those bombs did go off a kill off all of them (except maybe Barry)? Move over, Red Wedding.

As I mentioned earlier on in the season, these shows are nailing the comic book feel of a crossover, and that feel is still present in this episode. The Flashers (eww) are a welcome addition to the "Arrow Cave," (come on, not "The Quiver" yet?) where they seem to fit right in. The only oddity about them is that they're a bit too chipper for the somber Arrow, but one episode works fine.

I enjoyed the back and forth between Arrow and Flash arguing, then making up, then arguing again, it felt like an old buddy cop flick, which is one of my favorite kinds of movies, so heyo. This also served to illustrate each of their philosophies about hero-ing in a neat way by not condemning either of them, but just saying "this is how they work." 

And what a way to end the episode, huh?

GRADE: 3.74 Batmans out of 5 (8.74 out of 10)

The "Holy Shit I Thought I Did This One Already" Review

I really did, and now it's almost two weeks later. Whoops.

As hinted at in the previous episode's teaser introducing Cupid, this episode played out like a weird, Arrow-y Valentine's Day episode at the wrong time of year, and not just because the the villain, but also because of the emotional troubles troubling the troubled Oliver.

I'm happy whenever Brandon Routh is in an episode because he plays an awesomely charming and Routhy Ray Palmer, but I do hope he becomes more than just an adversary in Oliver's love life. This hope is fulfilled a bit with the tease of the Atom suit at the end of the episode (!!!!!!!!), but while he and Emily Rickards are great players in the show, I really can't see their relationship as anything more than the show throwing a lynchpin in the emotionality of Oliver. And it makes Felicity seem a little weak when she's won over by a buff dude and an expensive dress. Palmer takes another stab at Oliver by changing the name of his company, which really hurt as well.

I liked the different take on the main villain story for this episode. Cupid wasn't just a common criminal out to do common criminal stuff; she had different desires and Oliver took different measures to take her down. Instead of interrogating other crooks to further his investigation, he goes to her former therapist to learn about her so that he can help her. And the climax where he tells her/Felicity about his need to be alone was pretty neatly done, too. 

My favorite part of the episode was probably the very end, after the fight and after Oliver saw Felicity and Ray smooch, where him and Roy had a brief chat about how shit happens, then the two defeated bros go to Diggle's for Thanksgiving (who knew Valentine's Day and Thanksgiving were on the same day?). Seeing Tatsu kick some ass was pretty cool, too. I'm still jonesing for some Katana action.

Next episode is The Flash AND Boomerang?! BUH

GRADE: 2.34 Batmans out of 5 (7.34 out of 10)

Everybody Loves Roymond

I tried finding a picture of Roy, since he played a big part in this episode (for Roy, at least), but the one good one I found was tiny. Then I found boxing glove arrow photo and I mean, come on, I gotta go with boxing glove arrow.

I've run into that problem again where I wait too long after I watch the ep to do a review that I forget stuff I want to talk about, so here's another short review.

I always forget how quickly the first half of fall/spring seasons go for tv shows. I still feel like I'm reviewing a brand new season, yet it's only a few episodes away from the winter break. This episode does feel a lot more like a midseason episode than an early season one because of it being like every other midseason episode of most any show. Cool one off episode, but not much towards the main storyline. Sure, there's the B story with Roy maybe being Sara's killer, but who believed that one, really? After this and the Malcolm accusations (though that was a much more fun episode), I'm starting to feel like they really need to get that moving. With it being ever closer to that winter break, hopefully it will come to some resolution or reveal or just something, yo.

Maybe it's Katana.

That seems like kind of a stretch, but with that being the main conflict with this season so far, it's gotta be someone big, and since she's in the flashbacks this season (like Deathstroke was last season), maybe it's her? She's gotta come in to play some how. Or maybe it's Deathstroke.

The main story this episode was cool enough for a midseason episode (I need to stop saying that). It's not as great as some of the previous episodes this season, but a middle of the road Arrow episode is still better than a lot of other show's best.

I can't think of a clever tag for this one, I just want to get back to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. There, I guess that counts.

GRADE: 2.16 Batmans out of 5 (7.16 out of 10)

Yet another sign of Arrow's maturity is shown in this episode where it shifts focus of it's titular character and moves it to the (episode's) titular character. I suppose I should've expected it from the title, but I was a little surprised by the flashbacks switching to Felicity. I really like it when the show ties in the flashbacks to the current timeline, and that's what these flashbacks were all about. I did find it kinda hard to believe that Felicity used to be a dark-haired (she dyes it blonde? ehhh... I don't buy it) "hacktivist," but it was cool to get some back story on her regardless.

Brandon Routh is as cool as ever with (I think) his most prominent part in an episode so far. It's always great to see him, and I can't wait to see what happens with his character. Charlotte Ross was fun to watch as Felicity's mother, and she seemed to capture the ditzy side and the more personal side of her pretty well. And I enjoyed seeing the Felicity's ex as the baddie (not that it wasn't totally predictable, even after she said he was dead). I don't know who that is, but he was just a normal looking dude with no powers or fighting skills, and it's nice to see those regular criminals pop up every now and then (especially since that means that Felicity herself was able to take care of him). 

This said, this was the first episode of the season that felt kinda like a regular old episodic. It was just a random baddie and nothing really towards the main story line, then at the very end they bring back in the main story, which just reminds me that the episode I just watched didn't have any of that. They were able to rescue it a bit and make it more meaningful with the tie to Felicity's past. This random baddie thing is always expected when the season gets a few episodes in, it happens in any show, so it's good that Arrow is able to give it a bit more umph. And more time with Felicity is always welcome.

Hey, only one day late this time, whoop whoop.

GRADE: 2.56 Batmans out of 5 (7.56 out of 10)

While grabbing my picture for this review, I saw the AV Club's review and realized I've been accidentally using all the same pictures as them since I started. Not important to the review at all, I just thought that was kinda funny.

This is why I shouldn't show my true self. It is dark, and ugly. And unfunny.

Arrow celebrates its 50th episode with a great team-up episode filled with action typically reserved for season openers/closers. We see the return of a few past characters Malcolm Merlyn (well, more than the last ep) and Not Talia, which is fitting for the 50th episode, like they were calling back to the big bad of the first season and a fairly big bad(ish) from the second. We're also treated to the first reveal of Ra's himself, which seemed kinda overly dramatic seeing as we all knew who that was anyway. Haven't they mentioned him many many times in the show before? What do I know? I forgot about who knew Malcolm was alive or dead and if Speedy knew Oliver is the Arrow (seriously, I still can't remember), and a few other things. Honestly, I'd rewatch the seasons to help with this if I wasn't drowning in other TV series already.

ANYWAY. With all the action from the full force of the team and drama between Not Talia and the others, I didn't even notice Felicity was missing until she was mentioned. Speaking of, the way Arrow/The Flash have been handling their crossovers is magnificently done. When characters appear in the other's show, they seem natural, or like a regular part of the show, whereas in shows like Agents of Shield (and arguably even the Marvel movies, but maybe not, I'm not sure), crossover characters are spotlighted and it feels like the show has to contort to fit them in.

John Barrowman is in full cheese form in his return as the fantastically malicious Malcolm Merlyn, and it is a welcome return indeed. Well, not welcome from the other characters, but by- you get it. I love how the Sara's death investigation thingy was able to rope him in, but I still wonder how long it can keep up the momentum before that plot goes stale. Is that going to be the season arc, or will it wrap up soon enough? I do have faith that the show can keep it interesting to the end because of how good the show is, but then again, I still worry that it might not. And I do totally believe that he didn't kill Sara. Story wise because that'd kinda be typpy and kinda pointless, but character wise because despite the guy he is, he did seem really honest when he confessed to Oliver. I know he's a manipulative dude, but like I said last week with my hopeful Malcolm-is-Vegeta theory (theory? I guess it's a theory?), Malcolm has seemed to be a changed man from the Malcolm of season one.

Or maybe John Barrowman is just a charming son of a bitch. Well, he is regardless.

GRADE: 2.78 Batmans out of 5 (7.78 out of 10)

Even though this is as late as it could possibly be (I'm currently racing to finish this in time to watch the next episode), I have ONE JOB on this lousy ship, and it's STUPID, but I'm gonna do it, OKAY?

Okay.

"Corto Maltese" was a nice outing to watch, a good change of pace. Not that this show needs a change of pace, it's just nice to see that it can do that this early in the season and it not seem to out of place. Just another sign of the confidence this show has grown over it's time. In this, Oliver travels to the titular place with Diggle and Roy to bring Thea home and kick some cock in the mean time. The... for lack of a better word... traditional action that filled the episode was just as fun to watch as the arrow flinging kind we regularly see, and it's great to see that the crew is able to pull it off just as well.

It was nice to see Thea again, and I'm glad that she's going back to Starling, but even better was seeing Malcolm and his relationship with Thea. It didn't seem like he was trying manipulate or control her, he seems to actually care for her and want the best for her. I know he's still not a good guy and is pretty much a dick, but the show seems to be slowly making him more of a sorta anti-hero. My hope is that he becomes the show's Vegeta.

Yoy, I really don't have much to say about this, I guess. Or it's just that the next episode is on and I watched this a week ago and can't remember enough points... maybe that.

GRADE: 2.46 Batmans out of 5 (7.46 out of 10)