Where Kevin Smith Could Take Arrow in Season 5

After directing one of the best episodes of The Flash this season, Kevin Smith is looking to tackle one of DC’s other on-screen properties. The news broke last week that Smith was interested in writing a couple of episodes in season five of CW’s hit show Arrow. This news isn’t surprising, seeing as how Kevin wrote one of the The Green Arrow‘s most acclaimed comic runs in 2001-2002. While not a surprise, the news does have fans wondering where Kevin will take the show in his episodes. Looking back at the issues he penned for the series, he could have some interesting ideas in mind.

Quiver

The most popular storyline of Smith’s Green Arrow run is called  Quiver, and it debuted in 2001. Fans loved the story because it took Oliver Queen to places he had never been before and had him deal with serious issues like death and the afterlife. To put it simply, Oliver Queen is killed and his soul goes to heaven. On earth, Oliver’s long lost son, Connor Hawke, takes up the Arrow mantle in his place. Knowing the world needs the Green Arrow, Hal Jordan resurrects his body, only to find out that his soul wanted to stay in heaven. The rest of the story has Connor, Hal, and “Hollow” Green Lantern working with the Justice League to get Oliver’s soul back in his body before someone else does.

Sounds awesome, right? This would be the story fans would most love to see on the show for a few reasons. First, this means we would get to bring back Connor Hawke. We saw the character briefly in Legends of Tomorrow, and he was a little different. Instead, he was the son of John Diggle, and donned the mantle of Green Arrow in Star City 2046. That would either mean Connor would have to come back in time to meet Oliver, or there could be a new character who is actually the son of Arrow. It could get complicated when the other Connor actually rolls around, but there’s ways for it to be done. Second, Kevin Smith has always had a knack for bringing heavenly and demonic elements to life without pushing an audience away. Remember Dogma? Or Red State? Smith knows how to strike a balance with a secular audience that brings an interesting concept without getting overly religious.

The best part about this storyline? It gives the DC TV universe a great opportunity to see another member of two of the Justice League. This story needs someone who can travel between the realms and Green Lantern is perfect for the role. There are moments where Batman is also seen, but he’s not as key to the story. Can you imagine, watching Arrow die next season, only to see Hal Jordan show up and save the day? That could be a great tease for fans, and even a birth to a new series down the road. With many fans growing disinterested in some of the characters on the show, Quiver is a great chance to liven things up with the likes of Hal and Connor. It may be difficult to afford a couple episodes like this, but it would be the incredible change of pace the series needs.

Sounds of Violence

The other arc Kevin wrote for Arrow immediately followed Quiver, and it was called Sounds of Violence. Sounds of Violence was most memorable for introducing a new villain that became a key rival for Oliver Queen and Batman. They called him Onomatopoeia and he was a serial killer that targeted non-super powered heroes. He was well liked among comic readers for his unique use of words, which is what led to his name. He would say comic sounds as he did terrible things, like say “blam” when shooting someone of “snap” when breaking a bone or an arrow. In Sounds of Violence, the relationship between Oliver and his son Connor is explored while they try and hunt down Onomatopoeia before he kills someone they love. Ono ends up targeting Connor but he’s ultimately saved by his father.

This storyline might not be as exciting for comic fans as Quiver, but it does provide an excellent direction for the series. It would still incorporate a new character in Connor, and watching the relationship develop with Oliver could become an arc that fans would love to watch. Onomatopoeia also gives a great villain that could weave in and out of the story. With his M.O. being non powered heroes, it would be easy to see him after many of Arrow’s accomplices at one point or another. Sure, this story doesn’t see them traveling to heaven, or meeting Green Lantern, it is a grounded story that would pick up the pace and provide more personal danger for our heroes. The only issue is that Kevin has stated before, he isn’t sure Ono would work well on screen. What made him unique was his use of traditional comic sounds, but those sounds don’t really exist in real life. He can’t exactly imitate the sound of an actual gun going off, so his appeal is a little lost. However, even if we couldn’t get an exact version of Onomatopoeia on screen, a serial killer targeting heroes could easily be done, and work wonders for the Arrow series.

One or both of these stories would be great to see on Arrow next fall, but no one knows exactly what Kevin Smith has in mind for the series. And, although all parties have expressed interest in making this happen, there has been no official word that Smith will actually be on the writing team. At this point, however, it would be tough to see the Arrow producers turning this fan-favorite down. I guess, only time will tell.

What would you like to see Kevin Smith bring to Arrow next season? Let us know in the comments below!