As great as The CW’s superhero drama series Arrow has been, some fans have been wondering why Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) continues to stick with the eye shadow instead of an actual mask.  Well, things are about to change as the DC hero will be donning a more practical bit of concealing costumery.  While it seems simple and straightforward, a lot of thought was put into the mask.  It’s not just about the look – even though they went through 50-some options to find the right one – since the mask has more to do with Oliver’s transformation from vigilante to hero.  Hit the jump to check out the new masked man.

Arrow changed course a bit this week and let a character other than Stephen Amell’s title hero take center stage.  It’s been a strong showing for the sophomore season so far, so a departure episode like “Keep Your Enemies Closer” is worthwhile for character development since the main storyline has been so rewarding.  Even though Oliver Queen isn’t the main focus this time, he still gets in on the action (in more ways than one), thanks in part to the show’s use of flashbacks that help drive the central story forward.  We also got a brief introduction to another fan-favorite character from the DC Comics who’s likely to pop up again in the future.  Hit the jump for my recap and review, and remember that what happens in Russia stays in Russia.

Tonight’s episode of Arrow dialed back a bit on the creepiness from last week’s “Villain of the Week”, but rewarded fans with not one but two character reveals (and the briefest of introductions for a third).  Audiences have been waiting to unmask the Black Canary since her appearance, but another character has been walking around without a mask this season, only to don one in the closing moments of “Crucible”.  The show continues to explore DC lore that should interest even the most rabid of fans, but it also pays attention to its own characters, tasking them with real-world problems to balance out the comicbook fantasy.  The most successful and entertaining shows are all about balance, and Arrow continues to expertly walk that tightrope.  Hit the jump for my recap and review of this week’s episode, and to see if you’re ready to serve. 

Tonight’s episode of Arrow covered a helluva lot of ground in one action-packed and fast-paced hour.  While “Broken Dolls” could have settled for just being a really creepy case of the week, the creative team rewarded fans by advancing storylines related to Moira Queen’s trial, Laurel Lance’s anti-vigilante vendetta, the mystery surrounding the Black Canary and even unexpectedly explosive events back on the island.  There was a lot to take in, so let’s get right to it.  Hit the jump for my recap and review, Abercrombie.

Long before Marvel moved onto the small screen with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., DC’s own CW series Arrow had already found itself a fan following.  Now two episodes into its second season, Arrow shows no signs of slowing.  Instead, the sophomore series is in the process of maturing its characters and storylines while folding in more characters from the DC universe.  For the uninitiated, Arrow stars Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen/Arrow, a young billionaire who survives a shipwreck and spends the following five years on a dangerous island, only to return to Starling City to seek vengeance against wrong-doers as a hooded vigilante.  Amell and his character have come a long way since Arrow’s premiere, and season two of the series is reflecting that fact nicely.  Hit the jump for my review of tonight’s episode, “Identity”.

As we watch DC Comics desperately playing catch-up with arch-rival Marvel in the feature film department, it’s interesting to remember that they pretty much own the field as far as prime-time TV shows go. Their record stretches back to the George Reeves Superman show, and includes Adam West, Lynda Carter, the Smallville gang and Lois and Clark among others. Marvel, on the other hand, basically just has the 70s Incredible Hulk and a few pilots, TV movies and one-season-and-out losers. (We’ve yet to see whether Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will change that, but no matter.)  To their list of winners, you can add Arrow, which proved another hit for the CW and now comes to us on Blu-ray. Hit the jump for my full review of the show’s first season on Blu-ray.

If these new posters from the CW’s second season of Arrow are any indication, then newcomer Grant Gustin better renew that gym membership.  The Glee star was recently added to the show’s line-up as Barry Allen, aka The Flash.  While he’ll only show up in three of the season’s episodes, he’ll have to hold his own against star Stephen Amell and co-stars David Ramsey, Colton Haynes and Manu Bennett (what, no Paul Blackthorne?), who show off their chiseled physiques in this new batch of Arrow posters.  The CW sure does know their demographic!

Arrow returns for its second season on Wednesday, October 9 at 8/7 PM CT on the CW.  Hit the jump to check out the posters. 

With Batman and Superman poised to team up in the near future the DC universe is about to blow up on the big screen, but until then you can get your weekly DC fix with Arrow.  The CW show stars Stephen Amell as the vengeful vigilante of Starling City, and in its brief runtime Arrow has already brought to life a good number of DC characters, both beloved and semi-obscure.  Season two looks ready to take things to the next level with a slew of new characters (and the continually impressive guest stars who play them) ready to muck things up for The Hood as he tries to deal with the ramifications of season one’s catastrophic finale.

In anticipation of their Comic-Con panel the cast and crew spoke with the press.  They talked about their approach to a second season, the long-term consequence of the season one finale, what’s in store for fan favorite characters, new characters to expect in the coming season, and more.  Check out what they had to say after the jump and be aware there are some spoilers.

With just three episodes left until the Season 1 finale of The CW drama series Arrow, things are about to get epic, and there are sure to be twists and turns and shocking reveals, as everything is coming to a head.  With life-threatening decisions, extreme danger, sacrifices and huge life questions, not everyone might make it out alive.

During this recent interview to discuss what’s to come, actor Stephen Amell (who plays billionaire playboy Oliver Queen, aka Arrow) talked about the journey he’s been on this season, why Oliver and Diggle (David Ramsey) have a bit of a falling out, that the Oliver-Laurel (Katie Cassidy)-Tommy (Colin Donnell) love triangle will be coming back into play, the inevitable showdown between Oliver Queen and Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman), how close Thea (Willa Holland) and Roy Harper (Colton Haynes) might get to the vigilante, how big of a role The Undertaking will have, how much fun it was to do some pre-island flashbacks, the inevitability that individuals from the island will show up in the present day, the significant cliffhanger in the finale, just how much he actually knows about Season 2, and how excited he is for Comic-Con this year.  Check out what he had to say, and be aware that there are some spoilers.

Shortly before the cast of Arrow hit the WonderCon stage, I was able to participate in a roundtable interview with Stephen Amell.  During a really fun interview, Amell talked about the upcoming episodes, his reaction after reading the season finale script, whether he considers his character a “good guy,” the devloping storyline between Oliver and Tommy, the shooting schedule as it relates to the island, and a lot more.  In addition, he also talked about the wine company he’s building, what it’s like to walk around a convention now, and tells a great story from last year’s Comic-Con.  Hit the jump to watch.

The CW’s hit freshman series Arrow delighted fans during a panel presentation this weekend at WonderCon.  Based on DC comics liberal hero Green Arrow, Arrow stars Stephen Amell, Willa Holland, Paul Blackthorne and Colin Donnell participated in a Q&A along with executive producer Marc Guggenheim, who let a few spoilers out in order to please fans.  They also screened a special montage video of scenes for the upcoming episodes to close out the first season.

Arrow airs Wednesday nights at 8/7c on the CW.  Hit the jump to watch the video montage and to see our panel recap.

Over the past 30 years, PaleyFest has held panel sessions and screenings that connect the worldwide community of television fans with the casts and creators of their favorite TV shows.  One of the drama series celebrated this year was The CW hit Arrow, and Collider was there to get the scoop on what’s to come in the Season 1 finale and what’s in store for Season 2.

While there, we got the opportunity to speak with executive producers/writers Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg, along with actors Stephen Amell (aka The Arrow) and David Ramsey (who plays John Diggle).  The actors shared their reactions when they heard what the Season 1 finale would entail and talked about what they’ve enjoyed about playing their characters, and the creative team gave some insight about where things are headed for the remainder of this season, how getting an early Season 2 renewal allowed them to get specific with the threads in the finale, that they’ve had 60% of the ideas for this season in their heads since the beginning, how much the big Arrow identity reveals have opened up the story, the biggest challenges in making this show, every week, and that they’re striving for a finale that both gives a sense of closure and also leaves you with enough cliffhangers and nuggets that you’re anxious for more.  Check out what they had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are spoilers.

Adding an extra layer of authenticity and intensity, the indie drama Allegiance is based on writer/director Mike Connors’ own personal experiences serving in the military while also paying tribute to the 21 million veterans living in the United States today.  The story follows Lieutenant Danny Sefton (Seth Gabel), who has received a questionable transfer that will keep him safely stationed back home while his National Guard unit deploys to one of the most dangerous cities in Iraq.  When the unit’s best medic, Specialist Reyes (Bow Wow), is denied a compassionate reassignment to stay home with his terminally ill son, he asks Sefton to help him go AWOL.

During this recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, actor Seth Gabel (who played Lincoln Lee on the Fox TV series Fringe) talked about what made him want to be a part of this film, the type of leader his character is, how he was able to identify with the man he was portraying, what it was like to work with Bow Wow, how excited he was to have the boot camp experience, and how this gave him a new appreciation for people who dedicate their lives to defending our country.  He also talked about what it was like to have been a part of Fringe, how the interest in his Arrow guest role as The Count (based on Count Vertigo from the comic book series) has been both surprising and incredible, taking on a “super-villain,” that he hopes to return for future episodes, and how inspiring show star Stephen Amell’s physical dedication to the role has been for him.  Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Good news for a couple of popular series.  First up, hot off the network’s biggest ratings in years, The CW has picked up the superhero adaptation Arrow for a full season.  Much like Smallville, the show puts a television spin on the Green Arrow comic book character and has been met with a relatively enthusiastic audience response.  The series had an impressively strong hold from its premiere numbers of 4.02 million viewers and a 1.3 rating in the coveted 18-49 demo to the second episode, so the order was a no-brainer.  The CW’s pick-up is for a full 22-episode season.

Hit the jump for renewal news concerning the best show on TV, Homeland.

Debuting as the most-watched new show (or any show) on the CW Network in three years, the superhero series Arrow appears to be right on target.  The cast and crew of the show were on hand at New York Comic-Con to reveal a sneak peek at Arrow’s first nine episodes.  Centering on the return of Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), a young Starling City billionaire feared lost at sea, Arrow follows his exploits as the masked vigilante, Green Arrow. While common criminals are learning to fear his name, the upcoming episodes feature a host of named villains, such as Deadshot, Deathstroke, The Huntress and China White.  Hit the jump to see them in the NYCC exclusive footage.