Arrow Season 2.5 #4

The 2.5 series is meant to bridge the gap between seasons two and three and I'd say it's rightly doing so. There are a couple of reasons why I think the series is doing a good job. Firstly, the writing section is lead by Marc Guggenheim. What can be a better choice for the writer of this series than the one who's also the writer of its parent, the show itself? Guggenheim as he has proven, knows where he is going with a story. The series tells the stories of what Starling went through after Slade was defeated and for the fans of the TV series, this is definitely a good read. The characters with their dialogues are unique in their own ways while staying true to the show.  

Now coming to the story, upto issue #4 we see that the Church of Blood is forming one more time despite their founder Sebastian Blood being dead. Their prime objective being 'cleansing' the city to give it a new start under the Church's rule. Clinton Hogue, formerly Sebastian's associate is now the head of the Church. The current issue tells us about his past, how he became what he is now and his encounter with team Arrow.  

The issue flows in the right pacing, fitting to the ongoing arc perfectly. We see how badass Diggle and Felicity can be. Oliver wasn't in the issue, but it didn't really hurt that much. The arc promises of a bigger plot and we are yet to see how the events fit into the overall series in the upcoming issues. Personally I thought the best thing from the issue was Felicity's "Bitch with a WiFi". I honestly think she deserves an award for that line.  

Artist Joe Bennett does a good job as well, although I'll admit the art could have been better. I know the series isn't really that big of an event, just a mere continuation from the second season to the third, but fans expect a better art from it. Nevertheless the experienced storytelling of Guggenheim is covering that well enough. One thing that I'd like to mention here is that, I DO NOT like the character of Roy on the show. But I thought the Roy from this series was pretty fun. 10 points to Guggenheim!  

I really liked the fact that Guggenheim is playing with the Brother Blood character again. I thought the show did an excellent job with it too. One thing is for certain, with the Church of Blood rising once again and other possible villains to come in the future, havoc is on its way towards Starling. So if you're a fan of CW's Arrow, then from "Pop Chok" arrow to Oliver's superpower of blaming himself for everything (again, staying true to the show) and from Felicity's one liners to Diggle's ass kicking, this series is going to be a pretty fun read for you.