Comic Review: Arrow: Dark Archer #1

Synopsis: Set in the world of the hit TV Show ARROW, actor John Barrowman and novelist Carole E. Barrowman pen the stunning, never-before-told origin of Malcolm Merlyn-The Dark Archer! In our first chapter, Malcolm retreats from his duties as Ra’s al Ghul to return to his secret research team in South America only to be met by a figure from his past who’s out for vengeance!

Review: The Barrowman siblings weren’t afraid to put Merlyn through the ringer. Issue #1 began with the new Ra’s al Ghul chained and bloody in a flooding cave, and Merlyn exchanged plenty of snark for his bondage. Unfortunately, I can’t reveal anything about the antagonists, because they represent a MAJOR spoiler. I only hope we see these characters on screen. I have a feeling I’m going to wish we got this whole arc on screen before its finished frankly. If we do, though, I’d appreciate it if they left out the llama’s death. The art is nearly photo real and evocative, especially in the cave scenes and during a sequence in which Merlyn tested stealth technology. As a visually impaired reader, however, I truly appreciated the lettering; the font was large enough for me to see without straining. All in all, this was excellent set-up, and I’m psyched for the next installment.

Written by

Carole E. Barrowman

John Barrowman

Pencils by

Daniel Sampere

Inks by

Juan Albarran

Colors by

Kyle Ritter