Arrow returns to new Star City tonight and a new Speedy

Time flies when you’re having fun. Seems like yesterday we were up all night on the street in San Diego waiting to see the world premiere of the pilot for CW’s Arrow. It’s hard to believe Season 4 begins tonight. Arrow has done something pretty amazing–taking a 70-year-old character and upending his backstory and surrounding characters in a way that stays true to the spirit of the original. This season the story of Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) is getting even closer to his roots.

Tonight Oliver’s sister, Thea (Willa Holland), will take over the Speedy mantle, donning the above slick new supersuit. Some credit is due to my pal and fellow Iowa boy Phil Hester and Kevin Smith, co-creators as writer and artist, respectively of Mia Dearden, the first woman Speedy in the pages of DC Comics’ second long-running Green Arrow monthly. This new look borrows much from their original. It’s not the first time CW’s Arrow has dipped back into the archives to bring out good ideas from the past, and that is what helps make the series so well-received by fans of the superhero genre.

What can we expect from Season 4?

For one, Starling City will be renamed Star City, one of the comic book homes of Oliver Queen throughout the years.

John Barrowman will return but now as the new Ra’s Al Ghul. The power will undoubtedly go to his head, but how far, and will he take Thea down into the darkness with him?

Not only does Thea get a new supersuit, so does Ollie.

Many new villains are slated for the season: Neal McDonough as Damien Darhk, Alexander Calvert as Anarky, Jimmy Akingbola as Baron Blitzkrieg, J.R. Bourne as Double Down, and Echo Kellum as Mr. Terrific. Oh, and a certain Jeri Ryan will make her DC Universe debut as Jessica Danforth. Matt Ryan will appear in his John Constantine role and Caity Lotz will make an appearance–back from the dead via the Lazarus Pit that saved Thea–as Sarah/Black Canary.

Felicity Smoak runs the former Queen Industries now that Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh) is thought to be dead.

Will Oliver embrace the new “Green” label?

Here are three previews for the season: