Review: 'Arrow - Heroes and Villains' book...

When The CW launched Arrow in the autumn of 2012 fans were not quite sure what to expect. The series would chronicle the adventures of DC's bow-and-arrow'd hero of Starling City, the Green Arrow. But would it be Smallville with a more emerald hue; would the idea of a character who could probably pass for a cos-playing Robin Hood in the big bad city really set the audience a'quiver?

Thankfully a somewhat darker tone than its recent young Superman counterpart was immediately obvious and though a high suspension of disbelief would be needed, it was clear that this was going to be a mix of comic-book format and solidily-choreographed action. With no connections to Smallville or the way the character had been portrayed there, there was a clean slate and Stephen Amell was an excellent choice for the eponymous hero, fulfilling The CW's traditional need for model-looks but also proving he was a capable actor for all the emotional and physical beats - and also demonstrating a fan-friendly approach to proceedings off-screen.

The first season was an immediate success with an average of 3.2 million viewers in America and quickly gaining a following internationally, the second merely cementing its favourable place in the schedules and ratings.  Titan Books' ARROW: HEROES AND VILLAINS is a glossy softback book looking at the main characters that featured in those first two seasons of the show.  Interestingly much of the publicity for the book shows a slightly different cover (as above)... in the finished version John Barrowman actually replaces Manu Bennett.

To be fair, this isn't a book with any major revelations, no 'Making of...' secret insights into how the show is put together - which will hopefully be forthcoming. Plain and simple, it's a blow-by-blow guidebook to the main ensemble and a look at how their stories played out in relation to each other as the seasons progressed - and there's nothing wrong with that. As guidebooks go it is glossy, colourful and well detailed and should please the dedicated fan or those who need a catch-up. Yes, it's largely pictorially led, replete with a vast array of officially sanctioned photographs and imagery, but like almost all of Titans' library of tie-ins it feels like strong value for the 170+ page length and  £14.99 price-tag.

The show continues to be strong in its current third season and this tie-in edition feels like a solid addition to the genre fans' shelves...

ARROW: HEROES AND VILLAINS, written by Nick Aires, is published by Titan Books in the UK and is out now priced £14.99