Oliver Queen, where are you? Or so asks this new trailer for the next episode of Arrow. Of course, we think the answer is that Oliver is dead, but is he really?

In this new trailer for next week's episode, "Left Behind," Oliver's friends and family deal with his disappearance after a duel with R'as al Ghul. They hold out hope for Oliver's return, until Malcom Merlyn delivers the news that "Oliver Queen is dead."

Yeah, we're not buying it either, but it's still a shocking plot device.

Of course with the cat away, the mice will play, and that's exactly what the bad guys of Starling City are doing: crime runs rampant while Oliver's friends desperately try to keep it at bay. We get a peek at some of these new baddies, including an extremely nasty piece of work named Brick (Vinny Jones).

The trailer also sees Laurel finally suiting up as the new Black Canary, as well as Ray (Brandon Routh) trying out his Atom suit for the first time.

The plan for the first few episodes of this year's Arrow has Diggle taking on the role of leader in Oliver's absence. This gives the team a chance to come into its own.

"Oliver started off as one man," says show producer Marc Guggenheim. "He never envisioned all of these characters being part of that plan. What he's experienced this year is seeing the crusade grow beyond him."

Of course, a series called Arrow can't kill off its main character (especially now that The CW renewed the series for another season), so it's likely we'll see Oliver again soon, but as to how that happens is up to the writers. The best guess, though, is that Oliver will visit the DC Comics' Lazarus Pit, a chemical pool often used by al Ghul for its healing powers. The only questions that remain are when will Oliver will return and what will Starling City look like when he gets back?

Other things we know about new episodes of Arrow include the return of Felicity's mom and the introduction of General Matthew Shrieve (Marc Singer).

Arrow returns Wednesday, January 21 on The CW.

[Photo Credit: The CW]