Despite the tonal differences of the two heroes, “The Brave and the Bold” never felt awkwardly imbalanced; it only made the episode that much more enjoyable to watch. The two teams have great chemistry together, and seeing how they react to one another was incredibly amusing. Cisco geeks out at the prospect of visiting the “Arrow Cave,” and the writers found clever ways of having him poke fun at some of Green Arrow’s early Batman-like attributes (such as the Arrow-mobile).
Plus, it just never gets old seeing heroes working together. It’s been great to see Roy dressed as Arsenal, jumping across rooftops right behind Oliver’s Arrow, but there’s something unbelievably special about seeing the two arrive at a crime scene only to find that Barry’s already beaten up and disarmed the bad guys. In fact, I’m disappointed that the two headliners will now go their separate ways, as I’d very much like the two series to combine into a small screen Justice League show.
One of the biggest things that set “The Brave and the Bold” apart from “Flash Vs. Arrow” was the main villain, Captain Boomerang. Played wonderfully by Spartacus alum Nick Tarabay, Boomerang is easily the best villain we’ve seen on Arrow this season. I also have to compliment the writers and director for finding a way to make boomerangs, perhaps the cheesiest supervillain weapon out there, and making them not only deadly, but entertaining as hell to watch.
Add the fact that Harkness is a former Suicide Squad member, and has set his sights on Diggle’s ex-wife Lyla, and you’ve got an immediate sense of danger and urgency that was absent in last night’s Rainbow Raider bank heists. I’m happy that he left the episode alive, and can’t wait to see him team up with Deathstroke eventually (that little aside about him being locked up in Super Max with Slade has to come into play later on).
