Arrow Comic-Con 2012 Panel Live Blog

Smallville was one of the most successful shows in the history of the CW. The series, which chronicled the early years of Superman and Clark Kent’s transformation into a superhero, ran for an impressive 10 years and had a large, devoted fan base that was always glued to the screen. Unfortunately for Man of Steel fans the show ended its run last year, but for DC Comics fans who want to see another comic book character on the small screen your wait is almost over.

After a ridiculous three-and-a-half hour wait in line, I have finally made my way into Ballroom 20 where the first ever Comic Con panel for the new series Arrow is about to begin. Keep refreshing this page for all of the live blogging action!

3:00:The panel kicked off with a screening of the pilot. Though it’s unfair to judge an entire series by its first episode – the creators are still trying to figure out what the show is and what works and what doesn’t – I must admit that I had mixed feelings about Arrow and was pretty underwhelmed. Though I like Stephen Amell as Green Arrow, and think that he has potential to do something really interesting with the bow-wielding character, most of the pilot is fairly generic. The main villain, Adam Hunt is your typical rich, powerful, evil guy and Brian Marinson’s performance is rather ham-fisted. The origin story feels done before and the pacing is extremely odd, as Oliver Queen’s change into the superhero develops at a much different speed than the rest of the story. I will give it some credit, as there’s a good amount of action and some interesting directional choices, particularly when dealing with flashbacks, but I don’t really feel compelled to watch the next episode immediately. But for now, it’s time for the panel!

3:48: The crew and cast are on stage!

3:49: When asked if other DC characters might appear in the series, producer Andrew Kreisberg announces that China White will be played by X2’s Kelly Hu in a future episode!

3:50: Stephen Amell says that when it came to taking on the part there was nothing more that he wanted to do than play a superhero on TV. Talking about the costume, Marc Guggenheim said that Oscar Winning designer Colleen Atwood started with a leather coat and a hood and developed from there. It’s about function over form.

3:53: Asked if she’s prepared to put on a pair of black fishnets to potentially play Black Canary, Katie Cassidy says that she is definitely ready. Kreisberg says that she won’t get into the action until a few episodes in, but it will surprise us when she does.

3:53:Amell is asked if the abs in the training scene (shown in previously released previews) were actually his or CGI. Cassidy then chimes in and says that it was actually her (which got a lot of laughs from the hall).

3:55: Apparently there was never any real discussion about spinning off the Green Arrow character from Smallville. That character was meant to only exist in the Superman universe, so this had to be a version of the character that gets his own story.

3:57: The subject is brought up that Green Arrow kills a few people in the pilot and that the tone is quite dark. Amell says that what his character is trying to do is clean up the city and some necks are going to be snapped along the way.

3:58: On the subject of the Deathstroke mask scene in the preview, apparently we should be looking for both the character as well as Easter eggs about the larger DC Universe. So watch the episodes carefully!

3:59: Kreisberg calls the show a crime drama, a family drama and a romance. He says the actors elevate the material and says Katie Cassidy doesn’t even know how good she can be yet.

4:01: Are Amell and Cassidy ready to commit to years of being superheroes and lovers? Katie says she can’t wait and Amell says that they start shooting the second episode on Wednesday and he can’t wait to get going and is looking forward to the possibility of doing it for a decade.

4:02: And that's a wrap! Stay tuned here on Cinema Blend for more of our Comic Con coverage!