Malcolm Merlyn Will Star in 'Arrow' Spin-off Comics Created by John Barrowman

Arrow villain Malcolm Merlyn has everything: good looks, wealth, intelligence, amazing archery skills and a deep seething hate for Oliver Queen. In addition to that, the Dark Archer will now have his own comic book series created by the man who portrays him, John Barrowman.

The former Doctor Who actor confirmed with TV Insider that he and his sister Carole Barrowman have created a digital comic series titled Arrow: The Dark Archer. The 12-chapter comics will feature illustrations from Daniel Sampere and will focus on Merlyn's life between the third and fourth seasons of Arrow. In addition to covering Merlyn's present, the comic series will also have several flashbacks to his time in Nanda Parbat, before he became the League of Assassin's associate known as the Magician.

#ICYMI: John Barrowman reveals the secret past of Malcolm Merlyn in the upcoming comic series ARROW: DARK ARCHER: https://t.co/NLZ6ZpwNK4

— DC Comics (@DCComics) January 10, 2016

Although Malcolm himself does not exist in the DC comic books, the character is based on the villain known as Merlyn. He served as the Big Bad in the first season of Arrow, where he was the mastermind behind the horrifying Undertaking that would erase the Glades from Starling City. Since then, Malcolm has become one of the most enigmatic and decidedly well-dressed villains on TV.

The Dark Archer is not the first comic book series that the Barrowmans have worked on. They have previously collaborated on a comics based on Barrowman's beloved Torchwood character Captain Jack Harkness. Prior to that, Carole was the co-author of her brother's two autobiographies: Anything Goes and I Am What I Am.

In 2012, they published the fantasy novel Hollow Earth.

Arrow: The Dark Archer will be released twice a week starting January 13, and will be available on Google Play, iBooks, Kindle Store, iVerse ComicsPlus, Nook Store and the DC Comics App. All 12 chapters will be included in a single print publication upon the series' conclusion.