One of the largest knocks against The CW’s Arrow is it’s similarities to Batman. “I can’t watch it, it’s just a cheap knock off!”, is the most common gripe I’ve heard from anti-Arrow fans. So let me get this straight, you love Batman so much you refuse to watch a show that’s similar? Especially while loving the knock off version with Gotham?
What people fail to realize is Green Arrow was always meant to be a Batman clone. Then he grew so large in popularity they pushed him as his own separate entity. That’s why they share similar characters, villains, and plot points. Why miss five seasons of one of the better comic book shows that’s being exactly what its always been?
[Rick]
Let’s face it, DC will never give Batman the type of television show it deserves. It will always be firmly rooted in their cinematic plans. Green Arrow as a comic was created to give fans more of a character they loved. The characters are so close by design. There’s a reason Batman is rarely mentioned in any of their tv shows. So why can’t we as fans enjoy these characters that will never hit the small screen?
Even the might be shifting gradually away from those same similarities. Just as the comic book did before, it may end up being a clone that evolves their own characters. Where Batman fights to protect his city, the Green Arrow fights to protect the common man. Now that the show has Oliver shifting to a political role they’ll eventually take him in that direction. Their backstories are the same but are now polar opposites.
After season four took us down the more dark and mystical road, season 5 seems to bring us back to the show’s roots. With The Flash spinoff handling its own version of Flashpoint, Arrow has been taken full circle. Hopefully, in the near future, the show brings the lighter side of the Green Arrow. The dark tortured soul has run its course. It’s time to go where the comics have and bring the Green Arrow back to its core.
When it comes to The CW, they’ve taken some liberties with their characters. However, Arrow is well written and fits a similar mold to its comic book counterpart. If the show can evolve in the same manner, die hard fans will come on board. They just need to give the show that chance. Arrow remains to be a top hit for the network so maybe the change is yet to come. Stop holding Batman so close to heart that you miss out on a good show.