Smallville was a smashing success, lasting for a decade and keeping the worlds most well known super hero relevant during one of his weakest eras. The CW would love to rekindle that flame with a brand new hour long drama chronicling another DC comics super hero.

Deadline is reporting that the CW has ordered a pilot for a new series based on Green Arrow, the Robin Hood-ian hero who uses impeccable marksmanship and goofy arrows to thwart villains.

The CW is finalizing a deal for a pilot order to Arrow, an hourlong superhero drama based on DC Comics’ Green Arrow. It is written and executive produced by The Green Lantern co-writers Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim and Fringe and Vampire Diaries alum Andrew Kreisberg. I hear that David Nutter will likely direct the project, which takes the comic book character, created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and sets him in a new world with an original story that is not based on the comics, published by DC Entertainment.

Green Arrow is no where near as well known as Superman, but timing might be just right for the archery themed hero. With The Avengers coming out this summer featuring Marvel’s main bowman, Hawkeye, people might ready to accept Green Arrow as the lead in his own show.

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The first week of DC Comics New 52 has past. Following the release of Justice League #1, last Wednesday DC released its first week of full comic releases of the new relaunch. Excitement has never been higher for DC Comics, and one single question has been asked by comic fans, new and old, everywhere.

Are the books any good?

That’s what the DC Comics ‘New 52′ report card is here to answer! Each and every week, I will read and review each and every book of the ‘New 52.’ Letting you, the reader, know exactly which ones to buy, which ones you should avoid, and which ones you should give to your friend that has never read comics before.

So let’s get started. This week’s books are Action Comics, Animal Man, Batgirl, Batwing, Detective Comics, Green Arrow. All books will be graded on a scale of A to F. Check in tomorrow morning for our second half of last week’s comics. Withoutt further adieu, let’s get started with our first book: Action Comics #1.

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During our ongoing investigative reporting into the final season of Smallville, we knew it was integral to speak with the brains behind the operation: Executive Producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson. Over the course of the last decade, Smallville has shifted from its one-off episode style to an ongoing mystery into the world of Krypton‘s favorite son. This season the mysteries will be resolved.

While the Greeks had Zeus and Athena, in modern times we have our own mythology in the form of superheroes. Like epic poems passed down myths, Smallville illuminates Superman’s origins with dramatic flare. After fighting Lex Luthor, Brainiac, and Zod, you’d think Clark Kent would get a nice vacay. Instead, his hero’s journey will only really begin after the final episode is over.

Yesterday we spoke with Souders and Peterson about episode 200, Kristen Kruek and more. This time we’re talking with the producers about Clark’s legendary journey thus far and what they have in store for our Man of Steel. Note: This interview may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

The Flickcast: Smallville’s plot structure has evolved from being a “Freak of the Week” structure to having an ongoing mythology. Can you describe why the choice was made?

Kelly Souders: Well, I think anytime you’re on the air for that long, you have to reinvent it. If not for just that we’d all get bored if we kept doing the same thing, but so that the fans have something new to grow with too. I mean ten years, you change a lot. We change a lot, each fan is going to change.

I think it’s evolving has a lot to do with it surviving. I think we tried to make the show as organic to real life as possible. If we don’t all change, find out new things about ourselves, or try to make changes within ourselves- the same thing would happen (to us) and we’d kind of stall out.

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With the new season of Smallville fast approaching this Friday on the CW, The Flickcast took the opportunity to sit down with Justin Hartley, aka the Green Arrow. He was laid-back, insightful, and of course easy on the eyes.

DC Comic’s Green Arrow has made headlines recently for taking care of bad guys anti-hero style. Smallville‘s Oliver Queen is no different, albeit he had a certain explosive panache when he nixed Lex Luthor. The perceptive and pensive Justin Hartley had much to say about his character’s path towards enlightenment this season.

The Flickcast: What excites you the most about getting the green light another, final season?

Justin Hartley: The final season, we’re excited. I think I speak for everyone when I say that. The cool thing about this year, and I’m sure you’ve heard this before, is that there’s all these…little tidbits that haven’t quite been sewn up yet.

It’s interesting because usually they go, “Well we’re going to tie it up next year or at the end of it,” and they plan on tying it up whenever. But it’s like go-time so they kind of have to tie it up now. So hopefully we’ll get, maybe even one of those (questions answered) every episode. They’re doing it the right way.

It’s really cool, especially for all those people who have been watching the show for a long time, that we did find out that we had a final season and then we’re going to shoot it. Instead of at the end of nine finding out that there is no final season. So we have the opportunity to do that- which is pretty awesome.

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Coming in just a few days on September 7th, Batman: The Brave and The Bold brings its unique, lighthearted and child friendly take on the dark knight to the Nintendo Wii and DS. So we all know what that means. It’s time for a launch trailer.

But Batman: The Brave and The Bold doesn’t give just any launch trailer filled with the stereotypical gameplay footage along with cutscenes from the game. Instead, we are treated to a miniaturized episode of the show which goes along well with the setup of the game itself.

Just like the game is meant to be played in short easily digestible episodes, so is this trailer which features an easily understandable tale of Bat-Mite and how he fits into the game’s universe. The fifth dimensional uber-nerd Bat-Mite is at home playing his game and can’t seem to handle it on his own before calling in the help of not one but two special friends, just like the game.

Check out the trailer below and check back right here for a possible review of Batman: The Brave and the Bold in the near future!

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Even though Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment didn’t make the big announcement about Batman: Arkham City until after Comic Con, they did make sure to let us get our hands on a more kid friendly Batman title. Based off the animated series of the same name, Batman: The Brave and The Bold, which is coming to both the Wii and Nintendo DS, takes classic 2D side scrolling gameplay mixed with hand drawn animations to present a mix of modern and retro to the screen.

Each level is built as a cooperative experience pairing up Batman with either Robin, Aquaman, Black Canary, Blue Beetle, Captain Marvel, Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Green Arrow, Hawkman, Green Lantern Hal Jordan, Plastic Man or the Red Tornado facing off against the schemes of any of the game’s various villains. These villains include Catman, Catwoman, Gorilla Grodd, Mongul, Starro and Two-Face. Like the comic book and the show, Batman: The Brave and The Bold focuses on the idea of Batman teaming up with another hero to take on some villainous force he would not have been able to take on solo. Each level features a different hero and drop-in, drop-out gameplay allowing for players to hop in even mid-level.

The game contains a full five minutes of original animation created by WB Animation, the same team that works on the Batman: The Brave and The Bold series. These are seen throughout any of the game’s 2D cutscenes. Everything in the game is hand drawn before being digitally scanned and then animated. Because of this production style, the game contains around 15,000 individual animations. The game definitely stands out amongst all of the other 3D computer animated titles currently being shown.

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Those who have picked up the two most recent DVD or Blu-Ray releases from DC Entertainment have been treated to a special short at the beginning of each film. On the release of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, fans were treated to an original short featuring The Spectre written by 30 Days of Night scribe Steve Niles. Also, on the recent release of Batman: Under the Red Hood, fans were once again treated to a short, this time focusing on Jonah Hex, with Thomas Jane lending his voice.

Now, Warner Premiere has announced that they will be releasing a full DVD of these collected shorts, including the yet to be seen Green Arrow short that will take place before the feature on the Superman/Batman Apocalypse release. Also included in this compilation is the never-before-seen short starring Superman and Captain Marvel. More from the press release:

In Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam, Clark Kent’s latest interview subject is street kid Billy Batson. What Clark doesn’t know is that Billy is more than a feisty kid with a lot of heart – he has been chosen by an ancient wizard to represent the good of man as the World’s Mightiest Mortal just by invoking the name of the wizard, “Shazam!”  Billy’s powers come none-too-soon, as he also discovers he’s being pursued by a centuries’ old, murderous villain, Black Adam – a foe so powerful, even Superman can’t stop him alone.

The all-star cast of Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam is led by Jerry O’Connell (Crossing Jordan) as Captain Marvel, George Newbern reprising his Justice League role as Superman, Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy) as Black Adam and two-time Emmy Award® winner James Garner (8 Simple Rules) as The Wizard.

The compilation is set to hit stores on DVD and Blu-Ray on November 9th. Check out the complete features of each format after the jump, and be sure to keep it here for more details on this exciting new set!

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Being the geek that I am I’ve been keeping a close eye on the slowly developing Green Arrow film, Super Max. Written by David Goyer (Blade, The Dark Knight), the film is not your average comic book fair. Instead of following the typical origin tale, Super Max plans to take super hero Green Arrow and drop him in a “super max” prison full of villains (many of which he probably put there). Wrongfully convicted, Green Arrow would be forced to work alongside his enemies to escape while trying not to unleash the rest of the villains in the process.  Think Prison Break meets Justice League.

Well, you can imagine my dismay when I read today that Columbia Pictures picked up the rights to spec horror script, Supermax by writers Mitch Rouse and Christopher Nelson. Yes, you read that right, two films with the same name (minus the space of course). Worse yet, the similarities don’t end with the name:

“The script [Supermax], a horror/action combo about a supernatural prison, ‘centers on a skilled guard who is re-assigned to Supermax. After a riot erupts, he must join forces with one of the prison’s monstrous inmates in order to survive and fight his way out.’”

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This is a big week for comics. Steve Rogers returns from the dead, the really beautiful Justice League: Cry for Justice book comes out and another new Deadpool book (because one can never have enough of those) hts the comic store shelves.

“Nobody ever really stays dead in comics.” That’s about as tired a phrase as “Walk softly and carry a big stick.” Still, things certainly don’t change for Marvel Comics in this sense as they are bringing back Steve Rogers from the dead as Captain America in Captain America: Reborn #1. Eisner, and now Harvey, nominated writer Ed Brubaker guides this book with art by Bryan Hitch (Ultimates, Fantastic Four). I’m getting this one for sure.

Another Marvel book that I’m really pumped for is another Deadpool mini. Let’s count ‘em: there’s regular Deadpool with Daniel Way and Paco Medina, there’s Deadpool: Suicide Kings (which is selling out big time) with Mike Benson and now there’s Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth.  Which, let’s just say, should fulfill your need for zombies – and dinosaurs and dimension-hopping. Ah, click on the link it should be a lot of fun.

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