Five Ways Arrow Should Embrace The Green

The CW’s Arrow is finally hitting the bulls-eye in every comic book fan’s heart by rechristening Oliver Queen as Green Arrow. And if we’re to believe the show’s cast and crew, the name-change is merely the start of Arrow’s shift into deeper comic book territory. Taking a page from the Flash, Arrow’s fourth season promises to have a lighter tone, include more supernatural and mystic elements, and embrace its four-color roots.

While we’re thrilled that Arrow has finally evolved into a full superhero, a simple edit to his name-tag should only be the start of deeper and lasting changes to the character. If the newly Green Arrow wants to be taken as a true superhero show then it needs to act like it on every level. Below, we offer some ways that Arrow could truly embrace the green and become a living, breathing, comic book.

Grow That Goatee

Enough with the scruff. Oliver has rocked an eternal nine o’clock shadow through Arrow’s three seasons, but’s it’s time to pat that razor down and let the facial hair fly. Green Arrow’s goatee has been a staple since the seventies; as crucial to the character’s visual identity as the color green. And while we understand that waxed moustaches may not poll as well with The CW’s female demographic, it’s time that they honored their core fanbase with goatee that would make Neal Adams proud.

Let’s Speedy Things Up

The classic green arrow of yore always had his trusty sidekick, Speedy on-hand to trade a snappy quip with or lean on in tight situations. Arrow approached that partnership in a roundabout way with Arsenal last season, but the team-ups always felt like half of what the should have been. And now that Oliver’s sister, Thea “Speedy” Queen has embraced her inner vigilante, we want Green Arrow to have a true, angst-less mentee in the field. Thea has just enough spunk and naivety to make for a traditional sidekick and classic Speedy.

Hard Traveling Heroes

When Arrow’s third season ended, Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak rode off into the sunset to discover the finer things in life. And while Arrow’s season four premiere will find the duo returning from said trip, Stephen Amell has revealed that Oliver and Felicity spent several months cruising the USA. This road trip sounds awfully similar to Green Arrow’s famous road trip during Denny O’Neil’s classic Green Lantern/Green Arrow story, where Oliver and his best buds traveled across the country in an old pickup truck to “rediscover” America. Arrow could easily adapt that famed story arc through its flashback sequences. By showing Oliver’s eye-opening encounters with citizens across the states,Arrow could show how he internal evolved from Arrow to Green Arrow.

Kite Man, Anyone?

As Arrow’s sister series The Flash proved, colorful villains make for fun and spirited television adventures. Arrow’s grounded adversaries like Deathstroke and Ra’s Al Ghul have always provided epic encounters, but they never really let Team Arrow take the training wheels off and have a true superhero skirmish. If Arrow’s fourth season really is determined to give the show a stronger comic book flavor, it needs a rogues gallery to match Green Arrow’s flashier persona.

Trick Arrows. Lots and Lots of Trick Arrows.

While the make-shift boxing glove arrow from Arrow season 3 was one of the series’ greatest teases, it was still just a tease. If Green Arrow is going to act like a super hero, he needs the toys and gadgets to back that comic book swagger. An official boxing glove arrow is a given at this point, but we want to see Oliver’s quiver stacked with taser arrows, bola arrows, boomerang arrows (why not?) and—yes—the fake cat arrow. Which is a real thing.