Glenn Walker is a writer who knows pop culture. He loves, hates, and lives pop culture. He knows too freaking much about pop culture, and here's where he talks about it all: movies, music, comics, television, and the rest... Welcome to Hell.
I suppose with all the hype about the theatrical Suicide Squad movie coming out in the summer of 2016, it may have been time for the team's return on "Arrow," and what better timing than crashing the wedding of Diggle and Lyla, right?
The wedding is rather rushed, and awkward, as Ray Palmer (apparently a minister (!) "long story") is the officiant. Ray is Felicity's date, Nyssa is training Laurel, and due to R'as Al Ghul's masquerade, the Arrow is wanted by the police. It's from this background that Diggle and Lyla leave for their honeymoon, or do they?
The couple is needed to lead the Suicide Squad on a mission into Kaznia to rescue a corrupt US Senator. Kaznia, alternately spelled Kasnia, actually has a long history with DC Comics characters, but not in the comics, in the DC Animated Universe. The unstable Eastern European nation has featured in both the "Batman" and "Superman" animated series, was nearly taken over by Vandal Savage in "Justice League," and was even shown to still exist in the future time of "Batman Beyond." Besides Diggle and Lyla, this Suicide Squad also includes old favorite Deadshot and the still delusional Cupid.
Meanwhile back in Starling City, Oliver discovers it's not just one Arrow imposter, but several, including old friend Maseo. And Iron Man, ahem, I mean the Atom has discovered that the Arrow is actually Oliver Queen. This makes Ray's relationship with Felicity a bit dicey. And with Oliver as well. But once Ray has that one piece of information, the connections of all of Team Arrow fall neatly into place.
In lieu of Flashback Island and/or Hong Kong this episode, we look into Deadshot's past. His is a tragic story, and had he not died in this episode, this would have made an intriguing backdoor pilot. And really, with "The Flash," "Supergirl," "Vixen" and the untitled pilot with Captain Cold, Heat Wave, Hawkgirl, Rip Hunter, etc. (is "iZombie" part of this? I know it was published by DC Comics, but is it in continuity?) - might this be spreading things too thin?
The shame of this episode is that the titular plot, along with Deadshot's origin story, falls far short of being as interesting as the seeming subplot of Ray vs. Arrow. The fight between Arrow and Arsenal, and X-0 Man of War, um, I mean the Atom is very cool, and far too brief. I wanted more. No, what I really wanted was the Atom, not the A.T.O.M. or some armored hero rip-off. Give me the Atom, or don't bother calling the character that.
The senator in Kaznia is of note, as Joseph Cray was a particularly nasty bad guy in the Suicide Squad comic series, and his son Adam was one of the men who called himself the Atom over the years.
Next: With the mayor killed by an arrow, and Felicity in Maseo's sights, Team Arrow have become public enemies!
Full disclosure up front. This comic guy has never read the iZombie comic book by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred. Based on the creators, I probably should have been into it, but it slipped past my radar. When it was around, the book was critically acclaimed, fan loved, but killed by less than satisfactory sales. Somehow, it made it to the CW, in the easy slot after "The Flash."
The concept is not that new or original of one. I remember the character Deadhead from George R.R. Martin's Wild Cards shared universe book series. He could obtain the super powers of anyone whose brain he ate. Recently, the New 52 version of Super Gorilla Grodd also eats brains to gain the victim's intelligence. Of course, neither of them are zombies, whose normal modus operandi is to eat human brains.
The TV series "iZombie" is a loose interpretation of the comic, as I understand that even the main characters are different. In the show, Rose McIver plays Liv Moore, who while at a party was the victim of a zombie attack. Retaining some of her consciousness, she has chosen to use her 'powers' for good. So working for the medical examiner's office, she eats the brains of cadavers and retains their memories, allowing the good guys to find out how they died, and who killed them. Yeah, it's a bit like a demented version of "Pushing Daisies" in that way.
At first the pilot reminded me a little of one of my old favorite shows, "Reaper," with its humor. I loved the intervention scene, and the comic opening. But then it quickly turned into a police procedural. Seeing as Rob Thomas, of "Veronica Mars" fame, was one of the show developers, I started to see a pattern very quickly. The pilot was fun, I might watch further episodes, but on a tentative step by step basis.
