By Mary O’KEEFE

CW’s “Arrow” television show is now on hiatus, but fans can get their Arrow fix through the many online fan-based websites or on Facebook, but there is another way to keep Oliver Queen in one’s life – through comic books.

The creators/writers of the popular CW series have quenched the thirst of those who want to continue in the saga that is Oliver Queen and to learn a little more backstory along the way. The show is on every Wednesday and, every Wednesday, a new chapter of the comic book is released digitally.

The printed comic books, comprising the three digital chapters, are available at comic shops.

This television-to-comic book concept has been done for years, even as far back as the serials kids used to line up for at movie theaters on Saturday mornings in the 1950s. But this can be a slippery slope because sometimes these crossovers seem like a good idea on the drawing table of the advertising firm but once they get into the hands of the purist fan, it becomes an obvious marketing strategy.

Let’s face it: comic books, along with action figures and lunch boxes, are a great way to reach out to a larger audience and in the case of Arrow, comic books are reaching their targeted audience.

After reading chapters 10 through 15 in print form (because it is really the only way to read comic books in my opinion) there was no feeling of a sales pitch. The stories are sharing history of the characters, giving information that may fill in some gaps about where someone has been and what he or she may have learned. It can give a history – like in Chapter 14, we see Sara and Laurel Lance as teens. We see how they interact and get a glimpse of why Laurel is a caregiver, and learn a little more of Sara’s character.

There are some misses, however, with Chapter 13, which has Arrow in Shanghai battling crooked law enforcement. What he is doing there … who knows? Is this cop on the list? Nope? It was an okay angle but seemed off the beaten path set by the television show. I guess that’s another slippery slope. If you have a comic book that is a companion to a well written television show where plots meld into one another, you better make sure you don’t take any detours with the comic book.

The other chapters have been great. He is kicking butt, saving lives and battling those island demons. All of which makes the show such a “page turner,” so to speak.

  Mary Okeefe