Why It's Good that Arrow and The Flash Differ from the Comics

I'll be honest. I've never read a comic book. I didn't read any of them before I started watching Arrow or The Flash, but then again, I rarely read the books that are made into movies. Why? Because I don't want to know the plot for a movie or television show I watch in advance.

If everything played out according to the comics, there would be no surprises, no catch your breath moments, and no scenes that make you connect with the characters on an elemental level. And that's what makes for good television.

Writings take chances with the characters, lead them on new journeys, introduce characters that may never have existed in the comics, characters we fall in love with like John Diggle.

The characters we see each week on Arrow and The Flash are real-life versions of their comic book characters, but they lead different lives. Not everything that happens in print can happen on camera because of time constraints, chemistry, and predictability. It would be very difficult to get excited about scene after scene when you already know what's going to happen because you read it in a book.

Every movie differs from the book from which it was adapted. Writers take creative licenses to bring these characters to life, to make them more realistic and human. That's why breaking from comic book canon is a good thing.

Even though it can be tough when a show differs from your favorite comic book, it's also an opportunity for writers and the actors to show you the other capabilities of these characters, to take you inside their minds, to show you their heartbreaks, their day to day challenges, and watch them fulfill these destinies that are not set in stone. I, for one, am grateful I get to see the adventures I've never read.