‘Arrow’ Season 4 trailer: Heroes never die

Comic Book Rule No. 1: No one stays dead forever.

The trailer for the fourth season of “Arrow” -- the comic book-based CW smash that stars Stephen Amell as a way broodier/”Batman Begins” version of DC Comics’ Oliver Queen -- was released Friday, featuring the debut of a new enemy, at least one return from beyond the grave and flashes of another apocalyptic brawl between Team Arrow and a mob of faceless goons.

Season 4 seems like it will once again focus on Oliver’s twin desire to be a fully realized person and a hero, as shots of Ollie and Felicity Smoak in domestic bliss are quickly interrupted by the appearance of Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough).

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Darhk was a former disciple of Season 3 antagonist Ra’s al Ghul, and he appears to be behind the “Ghosts” gang that is terrorizing Star City (it’s not Starling anymore), much like the League of Assasins and Deathstroke’s minions in previous seasons.

McDonough cuts an imposing figure and should make a nice physical match for Amell. We’ve already seem him step into a comic book role as Dum Dum Dugan in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his bad guy chops include a turn as manic mob thug Robert Quarles in “Justified.”

Darhk may find himself overshadowed, however, by an even more dangerous Malcolm Merlyn. Now in control of the League of Assasins, Merlyn (John Barrowman) seems to lurk as a chief antagonist for young Thea Queen (now filling the role of Green Arrow sidekick Speedy).

But in a quick snippet halfway through the trailer, Merlyn also makes use of Ra’s Lazarus Pit (comic book speak for Fountain of Youth) to resurrect Sara Lance, the former Black Canary whose death he orchestrated last year. Lazarus Pits have a habit of making people um... what’s that word? Oh yeah, insane. So Thea and Sara may find themselves straddling the line between hero and villain as the year goes on.

So, Oliver is torn between love and heroism, he’s at odds with his closest friends, Merlyn is up to no good and the Big Bad commands a vast army of faceless goons. Yep, sounds like “Arrow.”

Unfortunately with consistency comes the usual headaches. The trailer also shows us that Det. Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne) has once again flipped the “hate” button in his love-hate relationship with our green-hooded vigilante, and Laurel Lance (the one everyone wishes died instead of Sara) is still on this show.

Also, John Diggle has a superhero costume. Unfortunately, as most of Twitter realized when photos leaked Thursday, he looks like Magneto, if Magneto spent his days listening to “The Smiths.”

But “Arrow” is often too fun to complain about, and the high-octane trailer seems to once again suggest the show’s breakneck pace will keep us too occupied to complain for long.

If you don’t follow @JamesQueallyLAT, you will have failed this city. He’ll be reviewing “Arrow’s” fourth season and also writes about Netflix’s “Daredevil” for Showtracker and Hero Complex as well. He also covers breaking news in the real world.